Blog

I have fourteen mounted original paintings available for purchase at Frameworks, Cottenham, Cambridgeshire.

My gallery and studio are open during weekdays and some weekend hours until mid-August and then I re-open in September 2011.  Please contact me if you would like a private viewing of my latest work.

We had roughly 350 people through the doors during our only weekend opening for Cambridge Open Studios.

Here are a few photos from the day and our private party on Saturday evening.  David and Rosemary from So Mango performed for us which made it extra special.

We are now ready to go for tomorrow.  Opening hours are from 11 am - 6 pm on Saturday 9th and Sunday 10th July.  Please check the Cambridge Open Studios website for directions and further information.

Only two more days to go before our Open Studios show.  Joining me this year are Paul Rodhouse, who specialises in Antarctic scenes, and Craig Kerrecoe, an abstract painter and printmaker who shared my space last year.

For 2011 I have quite a lot of small original works for sale.  Here are a few images to whet your appetite. I hope to see you there!

Memories of Summer, an original oil on canvas painting, 63 x 63 cm, is currently on display at Heffers bookshop in Cambridge.  Other Cambridge Open Studios exhibitors are Maureen Mace, Henri Schmitt, Helena Alexandra Reut, Paul Rodhouse and Sonia Villiers.  All details on the artists can be found in the guide and on the Cambridge Open Sudios website.

Karen Jinks of Cambridge Creative Network recently came to interview me during the lead up of my Cambridge Open Studios show.

Here it is.

I was recently asked why do I do what I do.  Why do I paint landscapes that are not representational but still powerfully evocative?

I rarely place objects or people in my landscapes which is in itself interesting, considering a large part of my adult life has been consumed with dealing with their emotional complexities and well being. I do find people fascinating and love to look at figurative paintings; however I have no desire to express life's joys and anxieties in my work. I am, though, interested in my surroundings and how the landscape around us is just as complex as a person. I want the viewer to stop for a moment, look at the painting, see beyond its apparent simplicity, and find something of themselves in it.

I live in a small city, full of the old traditions, yet still young, vibrant and constantly re-inventing itself. Yet I love to drive out of it, away from the noise and excitement that the city brings. I like to stop. Look. Breathe. Contemplate. Distill. I will then take photographs and sketch, which I then use as inspiration when I'm back in the studio. However it is primarily my memory that triggers my work. I can close my eyes and remember where I was, what the weather was like, the colours, the sounds and the smell of earth. I suppose that is why deserted locations are one of my favourite places to be visit, and why they feature in many of my paintings. They are wonderfully silent places which force my senses to absorb the surroundings, only to re-emerge on my canvas sometime later.

As an artist I am constantly pushing myself to experiment and take risks. Although there are moments when it all becomes too hard and you ask yourself the question 'Why do I do what I do' ? There is no complete answer to this question. I suppose the day that I feel I have answered it is the day I'll probably stop painting.

Paul Rodhouse has exhibited with Cambridge Open Studios for many years.  This year Paul is exhibiting with me here at my gallery and studio at Highworth Avenue on the 9th and 10th July 2011. Paul is a scientist whose research takes him to the Antarctic where he finds the inspiration for many of his paintings in which he captures the light, the abstract shapes and the sheer majesty of the southern polar region of our fragile planet. Paul works in acrylic and oil on medium to large sized canvases or board.

Here are a few samples of his work.

On Saturday 16th July 2011 from 6:30 until 8:30pm I will be participating in an art exhibition and auction, raising funds for Cam-Mind and the Christina Noble Children's Foundation. Over 25 local artists are participating by donating pieces to be auctioned off, and these include paintings, prints, jewellery, sculpture, ceramics, drawings and illustration. There will also be food, drink, a message from Keith Evans, the Chairman of Cam-Mind, and live entertainment, as well as the opportunity to explore the beautiful setting of Haddenham Galleries.

If you are unable to attend on the 16th July but would still like to bid on something from the collection, go to the I Think Therefore I Ambulance website which also supports online bidding. Simply enter your maximum bid for each item and we'll do all the hard work for you on the night!