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News Letter January 2010
Happy New Year to you all! I hope you have survived the arctic blast unscathed and have had more snowy snaps than slips. To our delight, in spite of fickle finance, the run up to Christmas was busy. Thank you for your support throughout the year. In the age of mergers and mass production there is an ever growing need to support the unique creativity of British made arts and crafts and to this end I strive to seek out the very best in British contemporary work and this year will be no exception. At this time of year I am planning the exhibitions for the year ahead, if anyone has any bright ideas, or favours a particular artist/maker then do let me know. With the wintry weather still with us, we have a lovely selection of woolly jumpers, jackets, hats, scarves and gloves in stock to help keep out the winter chill.
Our Featured Painting January 2010
Our featured painting is “Rain, Radnorshire” by Joanna Griffiths. “Most of my paintings feature the landscape of mid or south Wales and start as a ‘visual’ in my imagination, rather than what I see in front of me. I scribble down a ‘thumbnail’ sketch of my idea on a scrap of paper. Although simple, the sketch contains all the main elements. In this painting I wanted to convey the feel of persistent rain typical in the farmed uplands of Radnorshire. Firstly, I had to obtain some visual reference for the farmer figure to ensure it was authentic. I phoned my farming neighbour and asked if he would ‘pose’ for my painting. Slightly disappointed when I said “No, Peter, it’s not a nude!”, he put on his outdoor farming gear and walked up and down, as instructed, so I could take photographs to capture his posture and actions, ‘bracing’ himself against the rain. Back in my studio, I then developed a drawing to the size of the finished painting. This was produced by a combination of visual memory, imagination, sketches and any reference photos I had taken. Often, the drawing will have more detail in it than finally appears in the finished painting. I work on the final piece from my detailed drawing, I paint gesso (an acrylic primer) on card, then draw on top with oil pastels ( a combination of chalk, oil and pigments), which I can smooth, smudge or texture. The whole process took about three days from initial idea to the completed painting. I put my finished work in a drawer while I work on my next paintings and after a couple of weeks I take it out and looking with ‘fresh’ eyes decide if it is worthy of being framed to sell.”
Picture Prize Draw. January 2010
By customer recommendation we are going to raffle a picture. A David Beattie limited edition single plate etching with one colour aquatint in an oak frame. Image size 19” x 14”. Edition size 150. “Y Brodyr” or “The Brothers” Tickets £1 each from the gallery. This etching would retail for £250 and will be drawn at the end of March.
Wedding Lists
If you are getting married and want to avoid toast racks why not place a wedding list at Old Chapel gallery. We have gift vouchers that are available by post and can be combined to buy more expensive pieces.