On Now!
Royal Society of Painter-Printmakers Summer Exhibition
Thu 20-Aug-2009 to Sun 6-Sep-2009The exhibition is on at Bankside Gallery – 48 Hopton Street, London SE1 9H. Further details at www.banksidegallery.com.
See my print London Calling there…
The other day I had an exchange of views with one of my galleries which got me thinking about their changing role. The gallery in question had asked most of their artists a while ago to collect their work in order that they could “stock take”. Then this week I had a call saying someone wanted to buy one of my prints and could I send one out to the gallery.
My new print in progress….
Starting a new print today, of London Bridge station – the side to the right, with its huge iron canopy – and it’s therefore likely to be quite complex.
I did a lot of quick drawings standing halfway up the walkway steps, that take you through to the other platforms, and that angle has provided me with an amazing panorama.
Although the finished work will be 70cms x 40 cms, large for a linocut, a lot of the detail will still need to be simplified, or even discarded all together.
I also want a crowd of passengers to be milling around on the main platform, which will bring its own problems – that sort of detail is difficult with the lino as it is generally thought more suitable for broad swathes of colour with simple blocks of composition. Still, a train station with no people has no life so I’m giving it a go.
Anyway, watch this space….
Sadly my moment in the sun is over – the RA Summer Exhibition has finished. I did manage to take this rather hurried snapshot of my red dots, though, as a little momento….
A view of the main wall as you enter the gallery- the show, featuring almost all of the current members of Greenwich printmakers, has finished now but was a great success. Sales were very good and we had a steady stream of visitors, both locals and tourists.
Just got back from Blackheath after collecting a dozen new framed pieces from my very good framer Meg Jones. She does a beautiful job, using a hand-finished ash, stained black, with a mount in exactly the same shade as the printing paper.
I used to frame my own work but they have to put up with a lot of manhandling in their life with me and I’ve found it pays to have the best quality I can afford.
I have to deliver them to various galleries in the next couple of weeks, which is a bit of a trial as they are surprisingly heavy to carry around. Either I use a trolley which is really, really awkward on the tube, or I throw caution and expense to the wind and hop in a taxi.
This is definitely my least favourite job, I’m thinking now (until the next least favourite one comes along, of course…. )
It’s the last seven days for the Oxo show this week. It comes down on Sunday at 6 o’clock so it’s your last chance! I’m doing a sitting at the Oxo tower this Friday (7th August), so come along and say hello.
The address for Oxo Tower Wharf is: Bargehouse Street
London
SE1 9PH
(Free entry.)