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| Wilfred Wood Gallery, Stamford Arts Centre |
The ceiling is high, there's lots of uninterrupted white wall space , the natural lighting is good and the artificial lighting is plentiful. And it's warm!
I've been taking part in the Welland Valley's exhibitions for some years now and always feel quite proud to show my paintings alongside such great work.
So here are my thoughts on this year's offerings.
First there is the winner of the exhibition
Harry Hamill , "Self Portrait with Southern Cross."
Three self portraits for the price of one, masterfully painted, colours a bit low key for my liking, but arresting none the less.
Three Commended Entries.
1.Hilary Dunne. "First Carnival" a smallish portrait of a child in costume looming out of a plain inky black background, very striking, and as I sat stewarding I noticed people looking at it intently.
2.Deborah James."Poppies Delight" My favourite of all the winners. I love her exuberant colour.
3.Chris Illsley "Birthday Still Life" This is a stylised still life, almost an abstract pattern that gave me a feeling of peace and order. And I loved the colours, bright but restrained ( if that's possible).
I always like to see how many pieces of an exhibition are executed in my particular medium, oil paints. I have to say that this year on the face of it it seemed that most of the work was either oils or unglazed acrylics.
43 oil paintings
15 acrylic
29 watercolours
8 mixed media
6 pastel
5 print based
1 cardboard
22 sculpture
0 photographs
This doesn't quite add up to 144 , but I think it gives you an idea of the distribution of mediums.
I had several favourite works, a tiny delicate pen and ink drawing of a pub by Anne Lindley . A group of boys came in the gallery and spent ages discussing and admiring it. Also Alan Oliver's pared down impressionist style in "Brighton Beach." And as always I love Mark Green's straight forward landscapes that remind me so much of my childhood. I'm not a great sculpture buff but I did like Jonty Meyer's head of Mike (Please Talk to Me)
My only disappointment was when it came to one of my own pieces. It was a painting of a greenhouse that I'd just completed and felt quite pleased about.
But because I was in such a hurry to get it ready it went in the first frame that fitted, and goodness me that was just plain wrong. It looks mean, and unloved and not at all right. I should have chosen a wide, lighter frame. I'm surprised it got selected.
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| My painting centre top. See what I mean? |
Any comments about the exhibition or other stuff, gratefully received!
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