Art Lovers

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Artist Brian Parker Goes Back To His College Roots With Wells Contemporary Art Fair

Contemporary artist Brian Parker will be exhibiting at this year’s Wells Art Contemporary 2021 show. Selected from over 3,500 submissions, Parker’s work will be exhibited with only 87 other artists selected from around the UK, Europe, Canada, India & USA. The very best in contemporary art has been selected by this year’s selectors - Amanda Loomes, Will Nash and Jonathan Yeo. Brian Parker is an artist whose work has been influenced in many ways since his college days of studying history of art and completing an architectural paper on Wells Cathedral, where the impact of first seeing the impressive scissor arches and incredible fan vaulting in the nave of the cathedral have stuck with him, since that moment back in 1966. Parker remembers being ‘overwhelmed’ by the arches and the symmetry of the nave arcades and indeed these architectural curved shapes and the patterns created by the light and shade and architecture can be seen in much of Parker’s style, with the fan vaulting even inspiring a ceramic piece created by Parker. A cathedral that was begun in 1176, certainly feels an appropriate influence and location for this exhibition and artist.

The Wells Art Contemporary show will feature one of Parker’s works completed during lockdown and still 50 years has hints of the powerful influence Wells Cathedral had on this artist. Entitled ‘Empty’ this painting is a 50 x 70cm acrylic which plays with perspective, colour and line whilst displaying an obvious link to the architecture of the Escher Museum in The Hague. The interplay of the arches, stairs, railings, floors and ceilings contribute to the organised confusion of ‘Empty’- a space waiting for the return of the crowds when life returns to normal.

All selected works and installations will be shown in the iconic Wells Cathedral from Saturday 28th August to Sunday 26th September 2021.

The exhibition at Wells Cathedral will also coincide with the installation of a new Antony Gormley work that will be exhibited on the West Front of the Cathedral

[suhaylah]

oil pastel studies: little fires, pouring rain, and pink night forest (2021)

shop: suhaylah.bigcartel.com instagram: @suhaylah.h

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Credit: Stiffinifty on Instagram (that’s me!)

[1041uuu]

https://www.patreon.com/1041uuu 

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Old & Tired But Still Colourful – Wilton’s Music Hall

My latest painting just had to be painted mainly because of the insane number of colours crammed into such a small space and because it was a challenge to see if I could paint something so far out of my comfort zone.  I trained as a scientist, so my natural instinct is to be analytical and be drawn to clean, simple lines with a bold use of colour. This piece certainly explores colour but the subject matter is much more naturalistic than is usual for me. I’ve always loved the look of weathered and patinated objects and the flaking paint of this historic door plus the decorative mouldings drew powerfully to it, harking back to its days of glory but now very decrepit, hence the title ‘Old & Tired’.

This door is the entrance to Wilton’s Music Hall on Graces Alley in London’s East End.  A beautiful building whose history dates back to the 1690’s. John Wilton, who built the Music Hall, had an ambition to give some West End glamour and entertainment to all the hard working East Enders. This wonderful legacy has certainly continued and Wilton’s is still a music hall providing a great variety of shows. Obviously due to the year we’ve all had the hall has fallen into lockdown with the rest of us but is now gearing up for more exciting shows in March. News – Wilton’s . Somehow it felt appropriate to paint this wonderful scene ‘Old & Tired’ as it was, but even though it may be tired I hope I have captured the beauty and elegance in the colours and structure of this composition, hinting at the strength it has to have to continue to face a challenging future.

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January Online Studio Art Sale!

January Online Studio Art Sale! 🖼️ – I’m offering 16 pieces from my collection with reductions of at least 50%. This is a great time to invest in art, whether for your home or office (something to look forward to when everyone returns!). I hope you enjoy this sale and can find something that will bring joy into your life and add a new energized artistic vision to your year. Be Inspired, Be Motivated – Buy Art!

Website: https://brianparkerartist.co.uk/ Please email directly [email protected] for any further details of each piece.

[colourfulartwork]

Dare To Dream – Art & Destinations For 2021 Inspiration

So, although I personally may not be planning to ‘Jab & Go’ at the moment, that will not stop me from definitely daring to dream about the locations that inspire my imagination. There are so many artistic locations to fire the imagination, so why not indulge in those dreams at a time when we all need that extra little boost. Maybe the nearest we will get for a while is virtual exhibitions with worldwide influences in the UK but never stop your imagination from having fun in the meantime!

Artist Brian Parker’s fascination with Japan started at a young age with his martial arts interest and then culminated with a whirlwind tour of Japan. Inspired by the food, culture, landscape and art, Parker’s work highlights how the imagination can be inspired by new sights, sounds and experiences.

‘The temple was a great piece of architecture that just begged to be painted, ‘Walking to Work’ was based on a shot of a young Buddhist Monk rushing to get to his temple one morning and ‘Kyoto Joy’ was based on shots I took of a Japanese couple in traditional dress I came across in the back streets of Kyoto who were having their wedding photos taken and the looks of pure joy on their faces just had to be captured.’

In a world of pure art escapism, artists such as Gauguin and his tropical island images in Tahiti spring to mind. Gauguin was desperately trying to escape personal troubles in his life ‘May the day come… when I can flee to the woods on a south sea island, and live there in ecstasy, for peace and for art’ and the death of his good friend Van Gogh. Although Tahiti perhaps didn’t offer quite the primitive experience Gauguin was searching for, his paintings do offer us a form of escapism. Their bold bright colours and primitive forms seem keen to simplify life and yet the constant symbols tell the story of a still troubled man. Last year’s exhibition at the RA Royal Academy of Arts showed a wonderful collection of Impressionists work including Gauguin’s path from Brittany to Tahiti. 

Who cannot long to visit Monet’s beautiful Giverny home whilst gazing at his Water Lily series? Losing yourself in the beauty and serenity of these images takes you into a world of compete escapism. Then back to reality with Monet’s beloved London paintings and ‘The Houses of Parliament’. These iconic painting’s bathed in mist take us to the present time but the sun shining through gives us hope and joy for the future. So, we may not be going far at the minute, but we can dream, make our list and look forward to those destinations, which with all the money we’ve saved doing nothing for a year, should be wild!

Written by Lisa Freeman

I am passionate about sharing art and new artists work, creating and developing new visions and ideas for artists whilst raising their profiles.

Images were taken from theartwolf.com, monetpaintings.org & londontopia.net

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Time To Buy The Perfect Mood Lifting Gift

So it’s lockdown again, but let’s remain positive and use this time to think about buying art. There could not be a better time to search for art online, whether for new interesting artists, your favourite artists or via art galleries. We are all doing our best to make it easy for you to buy directly or online, to advise on choices, packaging, and postage.

So much more time is being spent at home so let’s not stare at blank walls! Art can bring so much atmosphere and conversation to a room, it becomes your decoration and your personal feature in your home. I have been lucky enough to have had some wonderful private commissions and it has been a joy to see these works go to their new owner’s homes and grace their walls, becoming one of the most important parts of the home.

One of my favourites was ‘Husbands’ – This was a commission for a couple who’d been together for over 20 years and who had recently got married, hence the title. I really enjoyed doing this one because it was a brilliant composition and technically challenging and because it was an opportunity to defy bigots and define myself as an enemy of prejudice.

Obviously, commissioning works can be expensive and during these times impractical but there are so many other paintings to buy which can still portray personal moments of reflection, happiness or simply moments in time. My art has evolved from my passions, my hobbies and from what I see and appreciate, when I walk each day. Portraits such as ‘The Boy’ and ‘Niki’ seem very fitting in these times, compositions of wistful thoughts, reflective moments in time, something many of us may be experiencing at the moment.

A painting tells a story, creates a mood, brings a room alive – now is the perfect time to treat yourself or buy the perfect Christmas gift for someone.

Email me [email protected] directly for prices and availability of my works in the gallery.

Read full article: https://brianparkerartist.co.uk/time-to-buy-the-perfect-mood-lifting-gift/

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Nine years ago, I started this Tumblr blog with the goal of drawing one sketch every weekday of someone I see on my way to work. I try to depict them as accurately as possible. I play around with different styles and different pens. Since March, I haven’t been going into the city to work, so I try to make note of people whenever I go out. This is my 3000th post.

It’s easier to scan the collection on this archive link: https://herdonthestreet.tumblr.com/archive

Or, if you prefer Instagram, I’ve posted the last 1000 sketches both places: https://www.instagram.com/herdonthestreet/?hl=en

[colourfulartwork]

Can Painting Really Help Us Relax Our Minds?

We are all looking for ways to relax and help us get through these unsettled time and there are so many things we may have tried,  but have you ever really thought about art, painting and the benefits this could have to help you relax?

Painting and the concentration it can take is a great way to re-focus the mind, to allow thoughts to be purely zooming in on the definition of a line, the choice of colour, the thickness of a line, the planning of the subject matter and of course the final outcome, could be a welcome distraction.

Art allows the mind and body to focus on something other than the news, social media or general stress surrounding us and hopefully take us to another level, where you can master the art of relaxation.  During these times many of us may have seen rows of painted stones, that children and I’m sure many adults too, have painted, to show their appreciation of the NHS and to share a sense of community with each other. These rocks with their smiley faces, rainbows, ladybirds, bright colours of hope and positive vibes have given people something to smile at as they walk, and indeed something free to contribute to with individual artistic expressions, an art activity that has no doubt helped many to relax and bring happiness and a sense of artistic community.

Whether a professional or an amateur the world of art is there for everyone to enjoy and be part of and to make the most to help improve mental health through art. It is an expression that can be releasing and therapeutic or maybe just more simply good fun and something different.

Contemporary visual artist Brian Parker’s recent video of how he relaxes after painting works that demand intense concentration and actually make him stressed show another aspect of art. Moving from the intensity of focus to the liberal relaxation of art and learning how to relax your mind after any kind of tension. Parker’s ‘Bubble & Squeak’ series are his art of relaxation, he explores shapes, line and  colour, using colours that are left over from his mainstream works, to create works that do not demand that finality of precision and almost self evolve.

The beauty of art is that is so individual and can be appreciated by so many, in so many different ways. Some will find abstract art relaxing, others will want to wander into a Constable landscape and relax in the Haywain! either way we are so lucky to have so many different wonderful artists to view, draw inspiration from and escape with.

Written by: Lisa Freeman

[email protected]

After twenty-five years as an experienced arts PR Lisa is now further expanding her focus within the art world to develop PR and Marketing campaigns within all sectors of arts and culture, from art galleries to exhibitions, as well as individual artist campaigns and charity art foundations.

[colourfulartwork]

Royal Ulster Academy of Arts 139th Annual Show

The exciting announcement that the Royal Ulster Academy of Arts will be proceeding with their 139th Annual exhibition surely gives us the perfect opportunity to look at some of the masters of Irish art and how their work has influenced the history of art through the years.

Francis Bacon (1909-1992) was born to an English family in Dublin, having spent his childhood in County Kildare, he then moved with his family to London. After Bacon’s death, Hugh Lane Gallery in Dublin were fortunate enough to have the remaining works from the Kensington gallery of Bacon donated to their gallery, which must have been an amazing honour and of course huge benefit for locals, keen to view the works of such an enormously influential artist. His contemporary works, explore all our emotions in the most raw and imaginative manner and have become some of the most iconic pieces of art in the world. His influences from Velazquez to Van Gogh, to Muybridge’s photographs were all such an important part of his style, translated in his most unique manner, taking the inspiration of old masters as the roots of creating timeless contemporary works. Perhaps angry, perhaps sad but most importantly powerfully confident statements shout out from the canvas. They grasp colour, line, texture and subject matter and create captivating works making Bacon one of the most influential painters of the 20th Century. Like his work or not you cannot help but view and question the themes, question the emotions they evoke, maybe you look away feeling uncomfortable or continue to puzzle out what Bacon was trying to convey.

William Orpen 1878-1931 was another Irish artist who also worked mainly in London. He was an extremely important artist during World War I, where his official portraits sensitively told the story of the tragedy of war. His portraits maximise light and colour to fully create the atmosphere and indeed characters of his subject matter. His sensitivity and passion for his sitters is evident, using bold colours to tell the story and convey the strength you feel in his work.

Yates, Lavery, Leech are other Irish artists whose work we would always consider when looking at the influence of Irish artists but for me the works of Bacon and Orpen would resonate most with my style and influences. I may not like all of Bacon’s work but I have huge respect for him, like all great artists he had a unique vision and hewed his own path and I greatly admire Orpen’s bold use of colour and graphic line, some of his portraits being reminiscent of pre-war poster artists.

I myself will be proud to exhibit at the 139th Royal Ulster Academy Annual Art Exhibition where my painting “Light into the Dark” has been selected as a finalist. It will be on display and for sale at the exhibition in the Ulster Museum from 16th October 2020–3rd January 2021. Sales will be online and part of this will involve an exciting virtual tour of the exhibition where clients who cannot make it to the exhibition will be able to click on the works they are interested in to view in more depth and buy online.

Contemporary visual artist Brian Parker

[email protected]

[rosybutterfly]

Van Gogh in full bloom 🌷

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Van Gogh: Postcard helps experts 'find location of final masterpiece

A postcard has helped to find the probable spot where Vincent van Gogh painted what may have been his final masterpiece, art experts say.

The likely location for Tree Roots was found by Wouter van der Veen, the scientific director of the Institut Van Gogh.

He recognised similarities between the painting and a postcard dating from 1900 to 1910.

The postcard shows trees on a bank near the French village of Auvers-sur-Oise.

The site is 150m (492ft) from the Auberge Ravoux, the inn in the village, where Van Gogh stayed for 70 days before taking his own life in 1890.

"The similarities were very clear to me," said Mr Van der Veen, who had the revelation at his home in Strasbourg, France, during lockdown.

Mr Van der Veen presented his findings to Amsterdam's Van Gogh Museum, whose researchers conducted a comparative study of the painting, postcard and the hillside.

"In our opinion, the location identified by Van der Veen is highly likely to be the correct one and it is a remarkable discovery," Mr Meedendorp said.

"On closer observation, the overgrowth on the postcard shows very clear similarities to the shape of the roots on Van Gogh's painting. That this is his last artwork renders it all the more exceptional, and even dramatic."

Mr Van der Veen visited the site to verify his theory in May 2020, once coronavirus restrictions had been lifted in France.

A ceremony was held in Auvers-sur-Oise, a few miles north of Paris, on Tuesday to mark the discovery of the apparent location.

Emilie Gordenker, the general director of the Van Gogh Museum, and Willem van Gogh, the great-grandson of Vincent's brother Theo, were in attendance to unveil a commemorative plaque at the site.

Original Article: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-53568021

[colourfulartwork]

Banksy auctions refugee paintings for £2.2m to aid Bethlehem hospital

A trio of Banksy paintings has sold for more than £2.2m ($2.9m) at an auction in London, with the proceeds being donated to a hospital in Bethlehem.

The triptych Mediterranean Sea View 2017 went under the hammer at Sotheby's on Tuesday after the artist donated them to help the children's hospital.

The triptych of paintings reference the European refugee crisis.

The works had been on display in the Walled Off Hotel that Banksy helped set up in 2017 in Bethlehem.

The trio of paintings were initially expected to fetch £1.2m when they appeared in Sotheby's Rembrandt to Richter evening sale.

The proceeds will go towards building a new acute stroke unit and buying children's rehabilitation equipment for the Bethlehem Arab Society for Rehabilitation.

Banksy, whose Devolved Parliament painting depicting MPs as chimps was        sold at auction in October for £9.9m, a record for the British artist , has addressed issues around refugees in previous works.

In 2015, he created a dystopian theme park, Dismaland, in the British seaside town of Weston-super-Mare featuring boats filled with migrants and an anarchist training camp.

In another work, The Son of a Migrant from Syria, the artist depicted Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, who was the son of a Syrian immigrant, carrying a knapsack and an Apple computer.

Banksy's latest stunt in the UK involved spraying a London Underground train carriage with messages about the spread of coronavirus.

Hours later, however, Transport for London announced that the artwork had been removed "some days ago due to our strict anti-graffiti policy". A spokesperson said Banksy was welcome to recreate his message "in a suitable location".

"We appreciate the sentiment of encouraging people to wear face coverings, which the vast majority of customers on our transport network are doing," the spokesperson said.

Original Article: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/entertainment-arts-53564953

[colourfulartwork]

How to Find Inspiration in Art?

We all need inspiration in our lives, whether this comes from other people, music or the flowers in our garden. These moments of stimulation keep us going, they keep our senses heightened and our brains working, helping us to appreciate the world we live in. Admittedly recent times have made positive inspiration more difficult for many but maybe easier for others. More time to walk and explore, more time to take stock of life and perhaps consider what makes us happy, what helps us cope with challenging times in a positive and constructive way.

Art is a fantastic world to explore when looking for or creating inspiration. We can be inspired in art from the detailed emotions of the Old Masters to the stark messages of contemporary art and note many artists along the way whose work inspired. Michel Basquiat was a contemporary artist whose work was completely influenced by his surrounding world and music, “I don’t think about art when I’m working. I try to think about life.”

Most artists take life and re-create, some hoping to convey a message others to convey the beauty of the world around them, Frida Kahlo claimed she painted ‘flowers so they will not die’ — how wonderful that we are then left with so many amazing works of inspiration to appreciate whenever we feel the need, this generosity of artists can be sometimes overlooked.

Visual artist Brian Parker’s works take inspiration from so many different areas, from his wardrobe and local docklands to the streets of Japan ‘…You could take a 100 photos walking round London and not one of them would be a good basis for a painting, it’s the artist’s eye that makes the difference….To create the best composition I usually remove details from the scene and I might also adjust the placing of elements within the composition and finally my inspiration is the desire to share my personal view of the world and its beauty with the world.’

To appreciate art we need to appreciate life, to teach our children to see the beauty around them and if they are lucky enough to be encouraged to translate this to art or music or whatever artistic expression they enjoy. Most importantly to be inspired in art and by art is one of the joys of life and something we can constantly refer to, to be inspired.

Lisa Freeman — BA Hons

After twenty-five years as an experienced arts PR Lisa is now further expanding her focus within the art world to develop PR and Marketing campaigns within all sectors of arts and culture, from art galleries to exhibitions, as well as individual artist campaigns and charity art foundations.

[colourfulartwork]

Dream Locations We Can Still Enjoy With Artist Brian Parker

This is the time when we would be looking forward to our summer holiday, but times have changed and our holidays will not be happening this year so I wanted to share some of my paintings that will evoke feelings of those vacation pleasures.

My series of ‘Cinque Terre’ paintings explore the picturesque Italian fishing villages which I find so beautiful. This beautiful National Park in Northern Italy consists of five beautiful, brightly coloured cliff top villages. Vernazza is generally thought of as the most beautiful and I have tried to capture this in the colours and patterns seen in my painting. The vivid turquoise, pinks, blues and oranges, bathed in the Mediterranean sunshine create a beautiful vision of colour and light, so how could I resist wanting to capture this scene?

Manarola’s cliff top houses again appeal to my love of colour and line, the perfect village buildings nestled between the bright blue sea and the vivid green hill tops – this is summer in colour and light. My goal as a painter is to create beautiful images which produce feelings of satisfaction and pleasure and I believe my landscapes do just this. These images are a return to my obsession with architectural subjects and through careful simplification and use of powerful, flat colour I bring out the patterns and the beauty inherent in everything I look at.