The New English Art Club

The New English Art Club & Charitable Trust Award!

I'm pleased to announce that I have two painting's on display at this years New English Art Club annual open exhibition at the Mall Galleries in London. Adding to my jubilation at having work accepted for the event I was also awarded The Arts Charitable Trust Award in association with The Arts Club Award which is worth £1,000. The award was split between me and fellow artist Eigil Nordstrom, this is the first time I've shown artwork outside Scotland.

I was awarded the prize by David Mellor, ex Cabinet Minister and Secretary of State in the Department for National Heritage at the Mall Galleries opening night on 27th of November.

Here's a couple of snaps from the event:

 

Me with certificate.

 Me & my painting.                      Me being presented the award.

 WINNING!

 Cowboy Killers...

Oh, here's the two award winning paintings in question!

 Elegy to Uncertainty (Schrodinger's cat)

 Black Man In The White House

And for fun here's a scan of the certificate and event invite!

The show runs untill the 8th of December for more Information on The New English Art Club and the Art Club Charitable Trust Award check out the links bellow:

New English Art Club Prizes 2014
Mall Galleries
About The New English Art Club

Tom McKendrick: SOLDIERS'

Exhibition Update!  This weekend I had the pleasure of being introduced to Tom McKendrick at the opening of his new exhibition entitled 'Soldiers', meeting him brought back some old memories of of my early artistic days. Whilst studying HNC Portfolio Building at Dundee College I still remember very clearly a tutor showing me a video made by STV of Tom McKendrick's 'Submarine' exhibition.

The film's now on youtube (see below) although It's dated its very much worth a watch).

In recent months I've been working at The Royal Highland Fusiliers regimental museum in Glasgow and it just so happens that Colonel Steele the Regimental Secretary for The Royal Highland Fusiliers has become part of Tom McKendrick's latest project, 'to turn incisive eye to the human condition in the context of conflict'. For his new project Tom has abandoned his usual abstraction for a more figurative style and is aiming over the next four years to paint 100 portraits of individuals who have served their country.

Colonel Steele's portrait is now on display with the rest of the soldiers Tom has painted thus far at House For an Art Lovers Studio Pavilion. The 'Soldiers' exhibition is well worth checking out!

(above)

Corp James Smith

 Here's some pictures from the opening event.

 

Soldiers!

Colonel Steele in front of his portrait!

Colonel Steele and Tom McKendrick with centurion and Dunkirk Veteran Jimmy Gillies.

The portrait of Colonel Steele up close.

I've added a link and transcript from Tom McKendrick website bellow:

Tom McKendrick Soldiers website

THE FIRST OF 100 PORTRAITS OF SOLDIERS

The relationship between artists and soldiers is a long one. Rembrandt , Dix, Palmer, Bone, Orpen, Nash, Goya, to name a few, painted soldiers or produced work on military themes. Tom in this project has abandoned his usual abstraction to turn incisive eye to the human condition in the context of conflict. Over the next few years he will paint 100 portraits of individuals who have served their country.  You can follow the development of this project as new images will be added when they become available. Images can be mouse clicked to enlarge or run as a slide show. All images are 40" x 44" approximately and are executed on Kraft paper in watercolour, pastel or acrylic or a mixture of all three.

Craft Café

Volunteering update! I've recently been volunteering in the local Govan area for an organisation called Impact Arts.

Since February I have been running a series of weekly drawing and painting workshops at a local community centre in Govan for a group called ‘Craft Café’ ran in partnership with the Elderpark housing association and Impact Arts. Craft Café is an initiative designed to help facilitate later life learning and tackle social isolation in the elderly. These classes require particular sensitivity as the learner’s age’s range between 65 and 90 years and they all have individual health concerns and requirements. 

See the pictures below:

I was featured a couple of months back in ‘Casting On’ which is a new project co-run by Voluntary Arts Scotland and Volunteer Scotland, funded by Spirit of 2012 Trust, which aims to bring together cultural groups looking for volunteers, who have an energy and enthusiasm for arts volunteering. 

They've just posted the video online feel free to click on the link down below to watch it. My interview segment starts at about two minutes in!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34nLF2DnkPo

My Interview face.....

 

La Galerie 1940

 
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La Galerie 1940

Art update!: I'm presenting some artwork for a group exhibition this weekend in Edinburgh at La Galerie 1940 on Melville Terrace, Edinburgh It's a new contemporary art gallery located at the Meadows around the corner from Summerhall the former Royal School of Veterinary Studies in Edinburgh now a creative hub for the arts. Its been a really exciting opportunity for me as it’s the first time I’ve had a chance to show my work in a commercial gallery (before its always been open exhibition competitions, pubs or artist let collectives) and represents an opportunity for me to dip my toes into something a little new!

La Galerie 1940 is a really interesting art space as well and is only in its first month of opening. Whilst whishing to function as a commercial gallery the owners seem to want to showcase young up and coming talent. La Galerie 1940 is also interested in artists from different disciplines, including sculpture, ceramics, glass, jewellery and even performance art.

The show runs until the 27th of July.
Here's some picture's from the opening night:

On the right, Jenny Mason who was also showing work in the gallery!

Here's a little video promo: Click here to view it on Vimeo.

Click here to view a link to La Galerie 1940’s website, http://www.lagalerie1940.co.uk/


Other artists currently exhibiting at La Galerie are: Jenny Mason, Alex Spencer, Sian Patterson, Avril Scott, Monika Grabowska, Mariola Albinowska, Liv Wan, Sencha, Tiina Lilja, Magdalena Zbrozek, Stephen Kavanagh and Loff.

PAINT LIKE YOU MEAN IT

I recently took part in the Interview Room 11 'Paint Like you Mean It' painting exhibition its first biennial painting prize and exhibition which I was very pleased to take part in. The joint prize winners Mathew Pang (another ex-Grays student) and Edward Hill where announced today -well deserved. I've really enjoyed taking part in this event and was pleasantly surprised by the variety and quality of the other painters some of whom had come from as far as Germany and America. The show is on until the 14th in case anyone wants to check it out.

Click HERE to view a video about the event.

Here's some photos of the opening night:
 
You can just see my painting 'Elegy To Uncertainty' in the left corner of this photo.


 

That's mine again on the right (next to the winners painting by Edward Hill).






For more information about the event please feel free to visit the official PAINT LIKE YOU MEAN IT, by clicking HERE!

Also a list of the artists involved bellow:

Adam Kelly l Alice Walter l Angela Smith l Beau Rouse l Brian Cheeswright | Christy Yates l Cyrus Shroff l Daniel John l David McDiarmid l Edward Hill | Eilish McCann l Elizabeth Lyne l Enzo Marra l Gonzalo Reyes Araos | Graham Chorlton l Hannah Weatherhead l Henry Finney l Kate Livingstone | Liam Walker l Linn Sundqvist l Louisa Chambers l Marianne Morild | Matthew Pang l Michael Branthwaite l Mijung Koh l Molly Butt l Nishiki Tayui | Playpaint l Roy Immanuel l Russell Leng l Sally Taylor l Sooim Jeong