Category Archives: Uncategorized

Exhibition and Course News and Building Up to North Somerset Arts Week

Posted on by
Reply

Just a quick update on where you can see my work and news on courses.

Where you can find me…


I’ve just had a successful Bath Art Fair back in February and you can see my latest plein air paintings including those painted in Bath at the Bath Contemporary Art Fair which is at Green Park Station this coming Sunday the 13th 10-5pm.

I’ll have some of the larger abstract seascapes there that I was working on over the winter using much more texture and glazes than my plein air oil work.

Passage


The Clevedon Art Club Show and Sell is also on currently and runs until the 15th of April, 10-4pm. It’s at the beautiful science atrium at Clevedon School again and always looks superb, I’ll have two local views there and some unframed lifeclass work.



If you really want to see all of what I’ve been doing over the last year then ink North Somerset Arts week in your diary from 3-11 May. I’ll be opening my studio here in Portishead and have invited Andrew Hardwick, member of the RWA to exhibit here too. I can’t wait to see his work here myself. Andrew is very well known for his imposing, heavily textured landscapes full of emotion, https://www.andrewhardwick.com. Coincidentally and very excitingly Andrew and I have both just been elected member’s of the Bath Society of Artists.


I’ve had two seascapes selected for the Wales Contemporary Exhibition and it’s moved on from London to the Waterfront Gallery in Milford Haven, if you’re heading in that direction drop in.

Courses coming up


I’m running some Plein Air painting days on Black Nore beach again this year, the dates for this year are the 15 and 16th of June (https://ianpriceart.co.uk/oil-painting-outdoors/).

If you can’t make these then I can do one to one sessions or take a group of friends out. I recently ran a painting session bought as a birthday gift and we both had a great day helped by this lovely recent weather.

Andrew James is back for his 24rd (!) Expressive Portrait painting course in Portishead this Autumn. He’ll be tutoring 2 day and 3 day courses with different models on each, 22nd to 26th of October. We’re very lucky to have him, he won the LeClerc Medal for portraiture at last year’s Royal Portrait Society show, one of the professions top accolades. I’ll be running a portrait course a couple of weeks before on the 13th-14th October also with a live portrait model, this will take less experienced painters through the drawing basics and how to develop towards painting, it also provides a chance to use oil paint for the first time. All course details here https://ianpriceart.co.uk/courses/

One of my recent paintings from life



Thanks for continuing to support me in only my second year as a full time artist.


If you want to see what I’m up to between occasional emails then follow me on Instagram  or Facebook @ianpriceart.

I hope to see you soon.

Join Me at Bath Art Fair: Discover My Latest Works – Plus Exciting News!

Posted on by
Reply

As you might already know I paint in oils outside around Portishead and the south-west, however alongside this I paint the Severn Estuary and its shipping and over the winter I’ve painted several larger scenes in the studio, I’ve really enjoyed working more freely, splatting and dripping and just about surviving the turpentine fug.

These larger works will go on display to the public for the first time at the Bath Art Fair 21st-23rd February. You can get half price tickets for the weekend using the code HALFPRICEWEEKEND – tickets here, there are a limited number of FREE Friday evening private view tickets available, let me know if they’ve all gone I might have some spare. It will be my second time at the fair, which hosts over 80 artists, I’ll have a larger stand this year so you’ll have a chance to see all my recent work, large and small, landscape and portrait or lifeclass, framed and unframed. If you can’t wait until then and want to see the work sooner then get in touch.

Shortlisted for Wales Contemporary

I’m also pleased to share that I’ve had two paintings shortlisted for the Wales Contemporary Art Exhibition 2025 and will be showing at The Garrison Chapel, Chelsea Barracks in Central London from the 25th of February and the Waterfront Gallery in Milford Haven, Wales from the 25th of March to the 17th of May. One of the selected works ‘Mediterranean Highway, Cyan, Sage, Plum’ is shown below, named (longwindedly!) after the name of the vessel and the feel of the close hues chosen.

Artsweek Coming in May

You might already know of the artist Andrew Hardwick, he’s a member of the Royal West of England Academy. I’m really excited to reveal he’ll be exhibiting with me during North Somerset Week here at Black Nore in Portishead 3-11 May, Andrew is very well known for his imposing, heavily textured landscapes full of emotion, https://www.andrewhardwick.com.

More Bath News

Coincidentally and very excitingly Andrew and I have both just been elected to join the Bath Society of Artists. I’m extremely proud to join this talented group of prestigious artists and have future opportunities to exhibit my work alongside them. I’ve had work selected for their excellent open show at the Victoria Art Gallery for many years and ‘Emergent Tanker’ below was one of last years selections. It was painted on a heavily painted colourful impasto surface and some of the original breaks through to create close up interest and detail in this otherwise calm piece.

Course Updates

I’m beginning to organise the courses for 2025 and it’s the 11th year I’ll have hosted Andrew James’ Expressionist Portraits in Portishead.

I’ve not fixed any dates for any Landscape painting courses yet. If you’ve a small group that would like to try oil painting outside, let me know. We can pick a fair weather day to paint at Black Nore beach or wherever you would like to paint. We had a really fun few days painting together on Black Nore last Summer. Get in touch via https://ianpriceart.co.uk/oil-painting-outdoors/ or email ian@priceph.co.uk

Thanks to all that have supported me over my first years as a professional artist. If you’ve bought a piece, why not send me a photo of how it looks on your wall?

Let me know if anything take your interest or get in touch to enquire about a purchase or a commission.

You can also follow me on Instagram @ianpriceart as well as Facebook @ianpriceart or just browse the galleries on my website.

Grab Your Bath Art Fair Discount Code And Last Course Spaces

Posted on by
Reply

You’ve still time to catch the great group show put on by Clevedon Art Club. You can also see the Sea show; curated by my fellow artist and gallery owner at the Huw Richards Evans Gallery in Clifton. Both shows close after the Bank Holiday (26/8) and include some of my new paintings.

I hope you’ve had a great summer, I’ve been steadily painting in the studio and outside over the summer. I also spent a week sketching musicians and singers and painting the promenade at Sidmouth Folk Festival (in a variety of weather conditions!).

Yesterday I dropped off my two paintings at the RWA open for exhibition over the winter. This is the second successive year I’ve been lucky enough to have two paintings selected for this prestigious show.

I’m taking part in the mighty Bath art fair https://www.bathartfair.co.uk rubbing shoulders with established galleries for the first time, frankly terrifying! If you’d like to come along, say Hi and see my latest work en masse you can use the discount code HALFPRICEWEEKEND. There are limited free preview night tickets, let me know if you want the preview code to claim one. 

Later in the month I’ll be at ArtPort Portishead’s annual arts festival, 28/29th September, pencil it in your diary now.

I’ve a few spaces left for the portrait painting courses I run in October. I had a great time teaching at Clevedon Art Club over the summer and I hope you can join me.

It’s the 10th year I’ll have hosted Andrew James’ Expressionist Portraits in Portishead, only limited spaces left.

I’ve not fixed any dates for any Landscape painting courses. If you’ve a small group that would like to try oil painting outside, let me know. We can pick a fair weather day to paint at Black Nore beach or wherever you would like to paint. We had a really fun few days painting together on Black Nore over the Summer. Get in touch via https://ianpriceart.co.uk/oil-painting-outdoors/ or email ian@priceph.co.uk

Thanks to all that have supported me over the Spring and Summer. This includes those at the Clevedon Spring Exhibition and the BS9 Art trail. If you’ve bought a piece, why not send me a photo of how it looks on your wall?

Let me know if anything take your interest or get in touch to enquire about a purchase or a commission.

You can also follow me on Instagram @ianpriceart as well as Facebook @ianpriceart or just browse the galleries on my website.

Discover Landscape and Portrait Paintings and Courses with Ian Price and a Massive Congratulations to…

Posted on by
Reply

Hi Everyone,

Since the last update I’ve had a successful Clevedon Spring Exhibition, Exhibited at the RWA with the Friends and I’ve had a portrait of Ruth accepted for showing at the Mall Galleries, London with the New English Art Club, one of the most prestigious art groups in the UK.

You’ll be able to see Ruth at the Mall Galleries from 13 – 22 June 2024. The portrait was completed over three sessions from life. She’s been a lucky model as I also sold some watercolour sketches of Ruth at the Clevedon Spring show.

I’ve also been having a lovely time doing some painting outdoors in some great locations in Bristol, Devon and the Isles of Scilly. Here are a few from the Scillies.

Immediately though I’ve showing some landscapes at the NSA Members Exhibition in Failand this weekend, get along it’s a lovely venue in Failand, 18/19 May.

Next month I’ll be showing new work on the BS9 Arts Trail at Redmaids School, 8-9th June. Hopefully I’ll have enough space to show some of my new larger seascapes that I’m currently working on.

If you’d like to try oil painting outside with me, I’ve a couple of landscape painting days coming up in the next few weeks Sunday 2nd & 16th of June. I can provide any equipment you don’t have so it’s a good chance to see if you like it. We’ll be painting around Black Nore beach in Portishead.

If you’d like to try portrait painting and don’t know where to start, I’m hosting a couple of one day sessions with Clevedon Art Club where you can choose a day or charcoal or oil/acrylic. These are bookable via the Clevedon Art Club website and are open to non-members too.

Later in the autumn I’ll be running two two day workshops where you can dig a bit deeper into Capturing a Likeness in charcoal or paint, it’s also good opportunity to learn some tips and gain experience in a supportive environment. Details of these are on my website.

I’m pleased to welcome Andrew James R.P. back to Portishead to run he Expressive Oil Portraits course for the tenth year, if you’ve some experience in Oils and Painting from life then it’s not to be missed, always great fun with great outcomes too. There are only a few places left. Finally a massive congratulations to Andrew who won the Ondnaatje Prize for Portraiture at the RP this year, it’s really the portrait painting equivalent of a BAFTA, complete with a gold medal.

Let me know if anything take your interest or get in touch to enquire about a purchase or a commission.

You can also follow me on twitter and on Instagram @ianpriceart as well as Facebook @ianpriceart or just browse the galleries on my website.

Summer news and Autumn Courses

Posted on by
Reply

Hello again, here’s a quick update on recent work and where to see my work this autumn. However the biggest new is that I took the daunting step to make art full time in March so I’m now running some courses myself for beginner or intermediate painters for the first time.

I’m also organising the Andrew James portrait course for the tenth year so get along to that if you’ve some experience with oils, more details below.

Recent News

I’ve had a great Summer and crammed in quite a bit of painting in the south-west, including Sidmouth Folk Festival, Cornwall as well as Clevedon! I’ve painted 20 plus over the summer so check my posts in Instagram.

Last week was the opening of the RWA open exhibition in Bristol and I am beyond chuffed to have had two paintings selected from the 6000 submissions.

Thanks to Hemali Modha for the photo of myself ( with Andrew Hardwick and my son’s shirt) and for helping to organise such a great exhibition. It’s a great exhibition this year with a colourful main gallery; attractively split by subdued and full on colour.

My work is in the Methuen side gallery, the sage painted wall really complement the landscapes and seascapes hung. They are in great eye-level spots, don’t miss battery point in the corner. Perhaps I got two in because they aren’t showing any Prince Charles watercolours this year? (Thanks your majesty!). The black and white room looks as good as ever including a scarily valuable Frank Bowling work and a piece by Hamish Young who exhibited with me earlier in the year. The exhibition is on for the rest of the year. Get along but more urgently get along to this …

ArtPort 23 Portishead

On the weekend of 23/24 September I’ll be exhibiting my work part of the ArtPort 2023 festival in Portishead which is continuing to grow year on year. Come and find me in the church opposite Somerset Hall in the High street. It’s broadened to a burgeoning arts festival, come along to see the range of music, guided walks and other art events on offer. Brochures should be dropping into Portishead letterboxes shortly.

Courses

Once again I’ll be organising the Andrew James Expressive Portrait courses in October which is always fun, educational and stretching for those with some experience of painting in oil paint. Dates for these two three day courses are the 13-15th October and 16-18th October.

Take a look here to see the quality of Andrew’s work. on Instagram or on his website. He really is one of the most respected portrait tutors in the country.

Most excitingly (and terrifyingly) I’ll be running some art courses myself at the same location in Portishead Yacht Club.

A two day introduction to oil painting outdoors 16/17th September, so whether you want to try oil painting for the first time or want a bit of support as you paint this might be for you. I’ll be able to provide or advise on materials as required.

A few weeks later from the 30th September I’ll be running a three day Portrait course on Capturing a Likeness. This will be aimed at beginners and inexperienced artists who want to learn techniques to capture a likeness in charcoal leading to oil paint. This has been in response to people asking for a companion course for the Andrew James Course. This is filling up but get in touch if you are interested in a future course.

Find out More

So please get in touch on the contact forms on the respective pages if you want to book a place.

That’s quite a list I’ve blasted at you there, I hope our paths cross at one of these events.

If anything take your interest get in touch to enquire about a purchase or a commission.

You can also follow me on twitter and on Instagram @ianpriceart as well as Facebook @ianpriceart or just browse the galleries on my website.

I’m back on the horse

Posted on by
Reply

Or have fallen back off the wagon depending on your viewpoint.

I’m back painting on a regular basis after a slow down during the pandemic followed by a very full time work period but I’m looking forward to spending more time painting, exhibiting and even acting as a tutor for the first time this year. Exciting times!

I’m currently in the middle of North Somerset Artweek, open until (and including) the 8th of May Bank Holiday. Once again I’m offering cakes and cards to support the Black Nore Lighthouse Trust. Last time we raised over £400 to support its upkeep. Come on people these cakes aren’t going to eat themselves! Save me and my stomachs from myself!!

You’ll also get a chance to see work by Hamish Young and Ruth Ander including work that celebrates the Severn estuary.

My portrait of Varosha is currently in the ongoing Bath Society of Artists exhibition at the Victoria Art Gallery in Bath. It’s one of my favourite exhibitions so get along to see it and enjoy a day out in Bath too (take the park and ride for your stress levels though). It runs until the end of June, I’ll be taking a return trip myself.

Rosh in Purple Scarf 16×20 inch

If you don’t get a chance to come and see me this week then next month I’ll be part of the BS9 art trail in Bristol which runs 10-11th June.

A bit later in the year I’ll be part of the ArtPort 2023 festival in Portishead which is continuing to grow year on year.

Most excitingly (and terrifyingly) I’ll be running some art courses myself in the Autumn at Portishead Yacht Club..

A two day introduction to oil painting outdoors 16/17th September, so whether you want to try oil painting for the first time or want a bit of support as you paint this might be for you.

A few weeks later I’ll be running a three day Portrait course on Capturing a Likeness. This will be aimed at beginners and inexperienced artists who want to learn techniques to capture a likeness in charcoal leading to oil paint. This has been in response to people asking for a companion course for the Andrew James Course.

Once again I’ll be running the Andrew James Expressive Portrait course in October which is always fun, educational and stretching for those with more experience of painting people in oil paint.

So please get in touch on the contact forms on the respective pages if you want to book a place.

That’s quite a list I’ve blasted at you there, I hope our paths cross at one of these events.

You can also follow me on twitter and on Instagram @ianpriceart as well as Facebook @ianpriceart or just browse the newly updated galleries on my website.

Many thanks, Ian.

Artoholics your drought is over!

Posted on by
Reply

I’m falling off the Art wagon in September after an arid couple of years.

As an aperitif September kicks off with the BS9 art trail at Trinity college in Stoke Bishop in Bristol the weekend of 4,5th September, it’s a beautiful new venue that I’ll be sharing with 15 artists and will be open 11-5pm. I’ve been painting sporadically over the last few years so the there’ll be lots of work being shown for the first time including larger looser landscapes painted during lockdown when the plein air options were limited.

Dawn Gordano Valley, a new larger lockdown work.

If you’re not sated North Somerset Arts week is following on and I’ll be opening up my house on the 11,12 and 18,19th of Sept as venue 28. Arts week is moving from it’s usual May spot to make this September awash with art. I’ll be open both weekends from 11am to 6pm. I’m pleased that Ruth Ander will once again be exhibiting atmospheric monoprints, many featuring the estuary. I’ll be joined for the first time by Hamish Young, a freshly minted RWA. Hamish is an intriguing contemporary artist who makes 2D and 3D work using everyday materials and found objects.

I’ll be supporting Black Nore lighthouse again this year which is accessible via my garden. I’ll be making a contribution to support Black Nore lighthouse from each of my paintings sold. Tea and Cake has kept it going for the last five years so it’ll be great to help in some way to keep it looking smart and insured.

That’s not all, if I am still standing there’s a chaser of the Portishead Arts festival, 25th & 26th September. I’ll be exhibiting with many other local artists at Somerset hall in the centre of Portishead.

The frazzled husk that remains of me will be running the Andrew James portrait class in October. It’s always a great combination of enjoyment and education, if you’ve experience of portraits and oil paints then come and stretch yourself with one the best portrait artists working in the UK today. There are 2 three day courses 18-20 Oct and 21-23 Oct. Full details are on the course page.

Curzon Cinema fundraiser and RWA Open

Posted on by
Reply

The Curzon Cinema is one of my favourite places to visit so it’s been great to be invited to help raise funds for repairs by painting a roof tile for auction. There are some amazing works already up on the Art in the Tiles page including several from the Aardman studio who are great supporters of the Curzon.

I think I’m right in saying it’s the world’s oldest continuously running cinema having opened in 1912, every visit is an event.

One of my most memorable Curzon memories a few years back was broadening my young kids mind by taking them to see a silent film screening complete with live organ accompaniment. What a change from all those Hollywood kids films I thought. I knew that Nosferatu was a classic “vampyre” film and hadn’t seen it before myself, as the story unfolded I grew increasingly uneasy about my idea. The level of tension and terror exceeded my expectations of what a 1920’s silent film could manage, my squirming grew as a lynch mob chased Nosferatu along the dark city streets. I won’t spoil the plot but my kids did survive the experience. Hence the dark theme of my tile.

image0

The Art on the Tiles auction will take place on eBay, starting on Sunday 1 December and finishing on Sunday 8 December. I’ll be dropping off my tile there tonight when I go there to see Monos very shortly [edit. Crikey Monos was intense but a must see and the soundscape was unique].

The RWA Open Exhibition is always a joy and that’s coming to a close on the 1st of December. It’s particularly colourful this year and I’m lucky enough to have my portrait of Andrew Hardwick RWA hanging in a great spot near the entrance in the same space as some of his paintings. Get along while you still can.

img_4505

Don’t forget you can also follow me on twitter and on Instagram @ianpriceart as well as Facebook @ianpriceart or just browse the galleries on my website.

Thanks,

Ian

Clifton Exhibition closes and Clevedon opens

Posted on by
Reply

If you are in the Bristol area then you can catch my work in a couple of places.

I’ve got five pieces at the Clifton Arts Club open exhibition which closes this weekend 19th August. You can catch both of my Clifton in the snow Beast From the East paintings. I painted back at Easter along with a couple of warmer Cornish seascapes.

IMG_20180318_175802_440.jpg

I’ve submitted work into the Clevedon Open Exhibition which has a private view to kick it off tomorrow night (Friday 17th August). Hopefully I’ll have got some more landscapes in there too! (Including a snowy Portishead one).

Get along and take a look, especially if you like looking at snow in the middle of Summer!!! Clifton closes Sunday at 1:30pm, so hurry. Clevedon runs until the 27th of August.

Almost forgot to mention more exciting news. I’ve been selected as Mr April in the Bristol Impressions Calendar. I’m really chuffed about this having had one on my wall most years since tentatively starting to paint. So I was really pleased when the team there selected me to join their elite ranks. Thanks!

20180302_153326

Black Nore in the Snow

 

Don’t forget you can also follow me on twitter and on Instagram @ianpriceart as well as Facebook @ianpriceart for more recent news or just browse the updated galleries on my website.

Over the hump in 2018

Posted on by
Reply

This morning I got set up for the NSA #65 show in Nailsea, this evening I looked around the venue for the BS9 art trail at Elmlea school and lunchtime I found out I’ve had a painting selected for the New English Art Club for the first time EVER.

Come and celebrate the post hump 2018 with me at the private view of the NSA exhibition #65 on Friday (13th April). Ignore the fact it’s Friday the 13th and get out from under your duvet, it’s all downhill from here, see you there.

My wall at the NSA #65 show

I’m particularly excited about finally getting a piece into the NEAC show at the Mall Galleries. One of the first “proper” artist’s I met was the marvellous Dawn Sidoli NEAC RWA who has always been overwhelmingly supportive of my efforts over quite a large number of years of no NEAC luck, so I’m relieved to feel I’ve rewarded her faith.

To quote from the press release, ahem…

“Work by a local artist has been selected from over 1,600 entries to appear alongside paintings by some of Britain’s leading figurative artists. The New English Art Club’s annual exhibition is on display at Mall Galleries in central London between 15 and 23 June 2018.

Continuing to build on its tradition of painting and drawing from observation, the New English is a vibrant and diverse group of visual artists whose work is highly collectible and widely admired.

Its Annual Exhibition is a showcase for members and gives aspiring artists an opportunity to exhibit alongside some of the best figurative artists working today in painting, drawing and printmaking.

Many diverse styles of art have developed since its founding in 1886, adding richness and variety. The New English aims to foster excellence in all its activities and continues to assist and encourage the art of painting to develop even more expressive possibilities.”

Some of the “richness and variety” in my selected work was added by it being blown off the easel and rolling down the slope leaving all sorts of exciting vertical marks which I embraced.

The show in Bath is still on until Mid-May, get along if you can, it’s a cracker.

Don’t forget you can also follow me on twitter and on Instagram @ianpriceart as well as Facebook @ianpriceart for more recent news or just browse the updated galleries on my website.

On view in Clifton, Bath Society of Artists and the Mall Galleries this weekend

Posted on by
Reply

A good week, when I got back from the private view of the Royal Society of British Artists I checked my email and found I’d had a painting selected for the Bath Society of Artists exhibition. I’d also braved the snow last weekend for the “meet the artists” at the Clifton Arts Club Exhibition at the Clifton Suspension Bridge visitor centre. I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to paint some more snow so I drew in the punters by painting the snowy gorge.

So I’ve got work in three diverse, exciting venues currently.

The RBA private view was rammed and it was a pleasure to meet some new plein air painters I’d not had the chance to talk to before, Neil Pitcher, Karl Terry and others. It runs at the Mall Galleries in London until the 31st of March.

Some paintings from #beastfromtheeast2 at Clifton Suspension Bridge. The “views of the South West” exhibition at the bridge visitor centre runs until the 25th of March (open 10-5).

 

And a few chilly paintings of the Portishead coast from #beastfromtheeast1 a few weeks ago.

Beast from the East 1

The Bath Society of Artists is a prestigious regional exhibition and I’m delighted to be selected after not having the opportunity to submit last year. My recent painting of Botallack which was painted on the spot got selected. The exhibition is at the beautiful Victoria Art Gallery in the centre of Bath and runs until the 12th of May (check out the excellent permanent collection upstairs too).

Bottalack

You’ll also have a chance to see my work more locally in April at the North Somerset Arts pop up shop in Nailsea. 11-22nd April, 65 High Street, Nailsea, BS48 1AW.

Don’t forget you can also follow me on twitter and on Instagram @ianpriceart as well as Facebook @ianpriceart for more recent news or just browse the updated galleries on my website.

Lido Cafe Exhibition Opens Friday

Posted on by
Reply

After a successful outing at the Cambridge Art Fair I’ll be showing work at the Portishead Lido Cafe this weekend. It opens on Friday 24th and will be open until 9.00pm, there’s a bar!

Here’s some recent work all of which will be hanging in the Lido. Come along and say Hi, I’ll be there all weekend.

Some familiar Portishead scenes like the banner above.

Some from further afield, Cornwall.

Some very local, Clapton Moor.

Marina Painting this Weekend (5-6th Aug) and my Summer Painting Tour of Britain

Posted on by
2

This weekend I’m really excited to be taking part in the Marina Arts Trial in Portishead, I’ve had a small part in organising it along with the other Portishead Arts people and will be doing a demo on Saturday, wish me luck. Saturday is all about people coming along and joining in to do something arty. We’ll be supplying acrylic paint, boards and brushes, there’ll also be felting workshops and a pastel demo by Michelle Lucking. We’ll be hanging all the work around the Marina ready for Sunday which will be a day of celebration and relaxation for me as I won’t have to do a demo. I’m really looking forward to Paris, a renowned graffiti artist, painting a 25 foot yacht! I might do a painting of him painting. There’ll also be some skateboard trickery, the whole weekend is also raising money for youth projects in Portishead, you can pledge to buy one of the created art works online here, get in quick to bag a bargain, there are a limited number left.

Here’s a Marina painting from June.

Sunset catching Marina

Apologies for it being such a long time since the last post. I’ve been doing plenty of outdoor air painting all around the country, I only realised how much while writing this.

I had a quick trip in June to Lyme Regis on the South coast to paint with the very talented painters Maria Rose and Tom Stevenson.

Pink Flamingo, Lyme Regis

 

I’ve long heard about the Buxton Spa Prize competition and this year I had an opportunity to take part. I spent a warm, sunny day painting outside in the most gorgeous market town. The visit coincided with a farmers market that kept me well fed for the next few days too.

Buxton

 

I spent a weekend at Priddy folk festival at the start of July, a chance to paint and sketch some performers as well as the crowds.

Tom McConville
Bouncy Slide Priddy

I went from there to a one day course with artist Richard Pikesley NEAC and by contrast painted some arable farm scenes in Wiltshire and picked up some tips too, mostly look harder!

Farmyard and Barley

 

I then had an opportunity to paint on the Gower with a load of other artists. The weather was so changeable I was oblivious to a red sunburnt neck until it was too late, the drizzle was deceptive. Apparently it’s not enough to have sun-tan lotion in your bag at your feet, you need to put it on your skin.

Worm’s Head, Gower

 

Last weekend I took part in Pintar Rapido, Europe’s largest outdoor painting event that runs annually in the Chelsea area of London. I did a little painting of the Albert Bridge in Chelsea on the day before that I was pleased with despite having left my turps at home.

 

Albert Bridge Chelsea

The prize ceremony on Sunday was a great opportunity to meet up with artists that I’ve previously only known through social media, one of whom Adam Ralston I’ve admired for a long while and I was very pleased when he was announced as the ultimate winner. Congratulations Adam.

More painting trips are coming up, look out for a bit of Cornwall followed by a bit more Wales. I can’t wait and I hope to see some of you this weekend.

Also don’t forget the Clevedon Art Club Open exhibition which opens and I’ll hopefully get some work selected for, perhaps some of these.

Don’t forget you can also follow me on twitter and on Instagram @ianpriceart as well as Facebook @ianpriceart or just browse the updated galleries on my website.

2015 round up

Posted on by
Reply

I’m not a great fan of those round robin Christmas letters so I’m writing this with some trepidation. However 2015 has been a year of some progress so I thought it would be worth reminding you of news and any earlier posts you might want to look back on by clicking the links.

It was a year of two (unequal) halves a flurry of painting followed by a cycle of exhibiting.

I began the year by doing quite a bit of plein air painting and went on a course at Newlyn School Of Art with Paul Lewin. The course as well as being enjoyable was also an encouragement to loosen up with mixed media. With hindsight I haven’t taken this as far as I anticipated but it was certainly an inspiration to be looser when painting outside.

Ian Price Cape Cornwall from Carn Groose
Painting Land’s End
St Cuthbert’s Isle off Mousehole

This flurry of activity was mostly to get things to hang on the wall for North Somersets Arts Week. Once again it was great fun to have people coming through the house and I managed to raise £200 for Black Nore lighthouse by selling cards and Helen’s marvellous cakes.

The other main painting event of the year was the Andrew james portrait course which I’ve organised for a few years now and was a great success again fuelled by more of Helen’s cakes. I get a free course out of it and am still pretty pleased with my portrait of Viv.

Viv Portrait
Viv Detail with brush used.

I spent the rest of the year (well apart from life classes) punting these paintings around various juried exhibitions the highlights being the RWA in Bristol and the ING and rubbing shoulders with the Royal Institute of Oil Painters for the first time in London.

Dusk Tanker

Dusk Tanker, exhibited at the RWA

I’m especially grateful to the judges of the Clifton Arts Club Open for awarding me the prize of excellence (which also doubled as my entry for the ROI).

Clifton Arts Club Prize of Excellence

Thanks to Trevor Haddrell RWA, Ione Parkin RWA and Ros Cuthbert RWA, what. a discerning trio.

People ask about my organisation and preparation but it all boiled down to this little scrap of paper I used for shepherding my meagre resources and time, so it’s all smoke and mirrors really. If you can read my handwriting you’ll see there are some misses among the hits so still plenty to aim for in 2016.

The Masterplan! (the only plan).

The Masterplan! (the only plan).

I mentioned not freeing up as much as I wanted and I am looking forward to a return trip to Newlyn for a course focussed squarely on abstract painting in March. I’m obviously hoping that 2016 will bring as much pleasure as 2015 but to be honest if it brings as much I’ll be surprised and very happy.

Thank you very much for taking an interest and I hope 2016 is a successful year for us all.

ROI and the Taylor Wessing Exhibitions

Posted on by
1

I feel so lucky to have got into the Royal Institute of Oil Painters and be back at the Mall Galleries so soon after the ING exhibition. I went to the private view yesterday and it felt very grown up.The ING was a real range of ages and styles, here at the ROI were serious, established oil painters, faces familiar from all those painting DVDs, painters of serious oil paintings, no playful modernism here.

It was a  great chance to meet some Twitter acquaintances in real life too including Andrew Farmer who was the runner up for the W&N Young Artist prize, surely being young enough to be categorised as a young painter is reward enough?

The selected painting was the prizewinner from the Clifton Arts Club exhibition from the Summer. Here it is (and me) hanging out with (under) a Lachlan Goudie painting (off of the telly).

IMG_4155

Here are a couple of paintings from the work on show that caught my eye by David Walker, Clive Burnell and Michael Ashcroft  as well as work by Mo Teeuw which I didn’t snap, given the terrible photos below this is no bad thing.

David Walker, Caesura
Clive Burnell, Dartmoor
Michael John Ashcroft, Afternoon in March

It runs until the 13th of December 2015 and admission is £3. If you get a chance to go then do take advantage of the great location by visiting the National Galleries off Trafalgar Square as well. On a random wander I found a painter called Boltraffio  near some humbling Moronis. The snap doesn’t do the quality of the modelling and colour justice. 

IMG_4140

Boltraffio at the National Gallery

Also go and visit the Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize at the National Portrait Gallery.

ppp2015_home4

Amongst the refugees and bleak locations this portrait “Norma” caught my eye, there as a counterbalance to the negative representation of older people in the media.

If you get a chance go and enjoy any or all of it.

Currently exhibiting in…

Posted on by
Reply

I’m exhibiting in a couple of places at the moment, the Clevedon Art Club open exhibition and the Mall Deli in Clifton Village.

I’ve had four pictures accepted for the Clevedon open, all of local scenes. It’s at Clevedon secondary school, the Portishead end of Clevedon. It’s a great show and as eclectic as you’d expect. I was lucky enough to sell (at least) one painting at the private view. It was good to see the winners of some of the prizes on offer were club stalwarts too. The exhibition also features prizewinning work by Clevedon school art students from their art coursework.

Battery Point, six codling caught

Buoy Maintenance Vessel, Portishead (sold)


Also I’ll have twentyish paintings hanging on the luscious white wall of the Mall Deli in Clifton Village until the end of September. 

I’m really pleased about this as it’s an uninterrupted wall (arts week venue had a couple of windows) and it gave me more presentation options. I think it looks pretty good given it was hung in an hour! So excuse any slight wonkiness; I might pop back. They are scenes of Portishead, Clevedon, Clifton and also some from Cornwall. Most are painted on the spot in oil paint. It’s a lovely smelling deli, sadly I was hanging after closing time, but thank you Oona for the leftover bread, it was great.

Mall Deli, Clifton Village

  

Mall Deli, Clifton Village

  

Mall Deli, Clifton Village

  

Mall Deli, Clifton Village

  

North Somerset Arts Week, Venue 10 in Portishead. Price, Sergeant, Lilley

Posted on by
Reply

All ready to go now with the work in place, cakes baked, teabags waiting, signs up. Hope to see you here.

Lovely work by Richard and Karen who are exhibiting with me is shown below along with the venue details again.

Glasswork by Karen Liiley
Glasswork by Karen Liiley
Glasswork by Karen Liiley

Richard Sergeant
Richard Sergeant
Richard Sergeant

Ian Price
Ian Price Winter Wave 24 x 24 Inches
Ian Price Cape Cornwall from Carn Groose

Details including opening times in the brochure as below.

IMG_0333

I’ve been selected for the ING Discerning Eye Exhibition at the Mall Galleries, London. Opens tomorrow.

Posted on by
Reply

It’s at the Mall Galleries, i.e. on the pink street the Queen lives on, not the Bristol out-of-town shopping complex. Yes I know, it seems unlikely to me too.

The ING Discerning Eye is a show of small works selected by prominent figures from the art world. Each selector is responsible for their own section giving the impression of six exhibitions in one. I’m expecting mine to be in a dark and moody corner.

The exhibition opens tomorrow (Thursday the 13th of November) and runs until the 23rd. I’m really looking forward to attending the private view tomorrow and meeting up with some exhibiting artists I know and meeting others for the first time. I’m sure I’ll come back inspired.

The painting selected is “Have We Enjoyed Ourselves Enough Yet?”.

Have We Enjoyed Ourselves Enough Yet, 10 x 12 inches (ING Discerning Eye and RWA Open selected, Clevedon Selector's choice).

Have We Enjoyed Ourselves Enough Yet, 10 x 12 inches (ING Discerning Eye and RWA Open selected, Clevedon Selector’s choice).

The title is a saying of someone my wife used to ride horses with, while getting soaked to the skin and freezing on a hack she’d ask “Have we enjoyed ourselves enough yet?”. I thought the same applied to the trudging dog walker.

It was painted using the left over paint on the palette after finishing a much tighter plein air painting. I painted the memory of the dog walker I had just seen walking back to his car, he was gone by the time I started to paint him; I was sat in the warmth of my car with the wipers on intermittent. Those that know Portishead will know the backdrop of Battery Point.

Thanks for reading, do follow if you want to keep up to date with future news and paintings.

 

Holiday Snaps from Brittany #pleinair

Posted on by
Reply

I took my watercolours on hols to an excellent campsite in Brittany, Camping Milin Kerhe. I decided that oil paints would be too problematic to take (and especially bring back) on a camping trip in a packed car.

I’ve barely touched watercolours for five years so don’t judge too harshly, they don’t react well to a spot of drizzle so it won’t be a permanent change for plain air painting from oils.

The campsite are considering running a painting course from there later in the year too so look them up if you like the thought of it, it’ll be great. Good luck to Jonathan in his venture, he’s a very talented painter himself who shared an art teacher with Banksy.

20140811-110556 pm-83156041.jpg
A first sketch of some reading and a wine after getting set pitched.

IMG_1766.JPG
The mill at the campsite, you can borrow kayaks, for free, or punt upstream.

IMG_0251.JPG
A boy fishing at the weir.

IMG_0252.JPG
On the way home passing Sark.

Resting racing pigeon
Resting racing pigeon on the rails of the ferry.

A random passenger reading on deck
A random passenger reading on deck.

I’ll be exhibiting at the Tinca Gallery in Portishead for the rest of April.

Posted on by
1

I’ll be exhibiting upstairs at the Tinca gallery in Portishead for the remainder of April.

There are a few new local scenes, I painted this plein air on a rainy Friday a few weeks ago. I called it “Winter Lido”, only few weeks too late for the title.
Winter Lido 800pix

Here’s a foggy view of Black Nore cottage in Portishead that’ll be there. I’m pleased with the look of this one, it was the first I’d painted on primed canvas glued onto MDF.
Black Nore Cottage 800 pix

More fog, let me know if you come up with a better title than “Black Nore Foghorn”…
Black Nore Foghorn 800 pix

They are also showing the larger Steep Holm which was exhibited at the Victoria Gallery in Bath and a portrait, Vernon. Neither of these feature fog.

Take a look if you get a chance. I’ll be exhibiting with many local painters.

Last paintings from the #lifeclass for this term #painting #zorn

Posted on by
Reply

Quite pleased with the tonal and temperature contrasts in the skin tones.

20140401-100503 pm.jpg
20140401-100512 pm.jpg
I tried to capture the reflection on the shiny gymnasium floor in the final one.

Both on Arches oil paper in 45 minutes using the zorn palette (red, yell ochre, red and BLACK).

There are still spaces on the Bristol Drawing School Anatomy Course at the RWA which starts on Thurs 3rd April. See you there, for flayed body fun.

A massive thank you to all of the visitors to my #artsweek open studio,

Posted on by

We’ve raised £94.30 for the lighthouse so far and we all enjoyed the cakes too, thanks Helen. Thank you to Bill Shier for organising so much to support the lighthouse. I got some fantastically helpful feedback on my work and between Richard and I we got three red dots too! Can’t wait until next weekend and good luck to the other venues that are open in the week and I hope the sun brings you plenty more visitors.

Plein air work from Portishead

Posted on by

I went out with only a little amount of light left and had to stop after 30 minutes painting when I could just about distinguish light from dark. Quite pleased and hopeful that I can put on a a reasonable show of plein air work for the arts week.

Hopefully it’ll snow between now an then there seem to be so many snow paintings that look fab don’t there.

20121221-084301 PM.jpg