​Thanks to the world of Instagram, I was informed by fellow artist Georgia Cox on her Instagram feed that there was call for submissions to the 114th Summer Open Exhibition by Bath Society of Artists. 
I submitted work and was happy to have my recent Resonance Slate work accepted. 
To be in such great company and appreciating the long  history of such an exhibition is a great honour, especially when such luminaries have previously have exhibited as such as Walter Sickert, John Singer Sargent & Patrick Heron to name just a few.

The exhibition is on till the 29th June 2019 see details here
www.bsaorg.uk

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Tarifa Tuna - Sculpture & Weather vane



It's a long time since I did a blog so I felt that I would do an overview of last years wonderful places that I visited to see, admire and be inspired by art and sculpture.
The spring trip to Andaluzia, Spain included  travel  to take in various sculptures along the way.
​One that stands out was a huge metal Tuna high on a pole at the water's edge in windy Tarifa. This huge sculpture was moving in the wind and as the sand was whistling by it felt the perfectly sited.
I had a day in historic Malaga and visited the Pompidou Centre where I was so delighted to find a Seraphine painting on display. Years ago I watched the French film  Seraphine, a true story of an artist and how she was discovered, it’s a beautiful but sad film.  Seeing her work in the flesh was powerful and very emotional!
The Brancusi Exhibition was also on at the time with an extensive body of work as well as film & photography.

The Royal Academy Summer Exhibition 2018, curated by Grayson Perry. The theme was humour and was full of fun and wild things and you couldn’t help but be entertained by the feel of the show. One small clay head sat in a corner on the floor with a price tag of a something like five hundred thousand, I think it was a little persons entry !

Another summer weekend found me at Lake Vyrnwy in mid Wales, where below the damm was a Sculpture trail  with huge wooden sculptures including a carved boat with a group of small houses and a church carried on its top to unusual abstract shapes positioned in the woods.

On Form Stone Exhibition 2018 at Asthall Manor in the Cotswolds, again one of the highlights of the year with spectacular choice of all things stone displayed over garden, church, meadow and in the house. The work and preparation to put on such a stunning show is amazing and world class. 
The inspiration flows when you wander amongst the tactile , skilfully carved colourful stone pieces. My favourite piece this year was a Dominic Welch Kilkenny Limestone sculpture- Cycladic Moon.

Later in the glorious summer a memorable visit was also taken to Churt in Surrey to spend many hours wandering around the Sculpture Park where every taste is catered for, glass spheres, stainless steel boats on the lake twisting and glinting, big wooden totem poles, stone animals.
I did have lively dreams that night with imagination overload!


I was also a participant in the Society of Women Artists exhibition at the Mall Galleries, London. 

In October the Affordable Art Fair was held at Battersea and my work was represented by Thompson's Gallery.
​It was great to see art on many forms from across the world, another fun and inspiring day.


There were so many more visits that inspired me, now I am looking forward to 2019.

 

     

After the great year of 2018 I have started 2019 with a new direction with a new larger outside work I have called Tallis.

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​Great News. I am now represented by a London gallery in the heart of the capital.

In March I met the lovely Meg Thompson who visited me in my Oxfordshire home to see my work, the meeting was a great success and two of my pieces left with her to make their way to London. 

Within the week both works were on display in the Thompsons Gallery, Seymour Place, W1 and I am so delighted to have such a respected gallery representing me.

Each of my slate sculptures are unique and all have a design inspired by natures natural patterns.

​The work invites the viewer to touch and feel the textures, this is something that I feel is an important part of the experience of interacting with my work.


www.thompsonsgallery.co.uk

Thompsons Gallery
3 Seymour Place
London
W1H 5AZ

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​Ironstone Art Prize 2018 .               Banbury Museum

The competition with prizes totalling £1000 is run bi-annually and this year was judged by a very impressive jury of: 

 Professor Steven Parissien
Chief Executive and Artistic Director of Compton Verney Art Gallery and Park

Finlay Taylor
Senior Tutor in Fine Art Print, Royal College of Art

Jessica Litherland
Visual Arts Producer, Midlands Arts Centre, Birmingham

Jonathan Cooper
Managing Director of Jonathan Cooper Park Walk Gallery, London

Ray Spence
Fine Art Photographer, lecturer and author

I was very proud to have two sculptures included in the exhibition that is on at the Museum from February 3rd to March 10th 
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The worthy winner was Nathan MacDougall with his Untitled portrait.    

​Late December 2017 I had the pleasure of delivering Resonance 3 to a beautiful location in Shropshire.
It was loveley to return to my home county where I enjoyed my childhood.
The destination was a beautiful country house with a sweeping gravel drive and a large pond with ducks and hidden carp.

The Artwork was installed on the Italian stone patio overlooking the water and is observed as visitors approach the house entrance, as always it is a great thrill to see my work in a new home.

In 2017 my sculptures found  permanent  homes in Gloucestershire, Warwickshire,Yorkshire & now Shropshire.

Now its a New Year and I'm buzzing with excitement as I look forward to creating new works in slate, the work includes stainless steel framed wall pieces and although I am keen to produce large artwork the medium of slate allows the creation of large & small work to suit many locations indoors & outside. Garden designers have shown interest in this new departure and I am hoping the collaboration with interior & garden designers shall continue in 2018.







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Avebury Manor - Strength in front of the East Wing 

A few weeks ago I received an email from the National Trust to say that they were looking for large outdoor Sculptures and did I have anything suitable for their Exhibition at Avebury Manor.

On 25th August my little helper- who is actually my big strong helper and I loaded up five sculptures,five stone bases and three even heavier large freshly sawn oak plinths from the Ragley Sawmill into two laden cars and made our way to Wiltshire.
We arrived at noon on a gorgeous hot day. After exploring the beautiful gardens and realising that it was a gorgeous space to display sculptures in, we then set to work with two National Trust wheelbarrows and placed all five pieces in their designated spaces.

Three hours later all was set and we were able to check into the local Manor Farm B&B.
Relax!

The private view was that evening where we were able to meet up with the other sculptors and chat.

Avebury is a Neolithic henge monument containing three stone circles, around the village of Avebury in Wiltshire. One of the best known prehistoric sites in England and contains the largest megalithic stone circles in the world.

The Sculpture Exhibition is there all of September and well worth a visit in this historic space and area. 

I have visited this exhibition for many years and hugely enjoyed the variety of work on show, so this year I am really happy to have my work accepted.
Delivered and installed STRENGH on the 18th March ready to be photographed for the Catalogue.
I was delighted that the piece was located near the Waterwheel as the shape seemed to compliment the detail of the sculpture.

STRENGH - At over two metres tall it stands on a Limestone base.
 

My newly finished sculpture titled Resonance was delivered to the Brian Sinfield Gallery.
It is smaller compared to my usual work as it measures 48 cm tall.
It is constructed from shards of slate that flow out in concentric circles contained within an aluminium hoop supported by a stainless steel bar on a limestone base.

This piece was on my coffee table briefly and I found it hypnotic and was reluctant to take it to the gallery as it looked so at home.

The choice of materials that I work in are varied but I find myself always drawn back to slate that I have worked with for many years. I enjoy pulling together stone ,slate ,aluminium and steel ,all hard and strong to create a unique artwork .
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