Thanks to all who have visited over the week so far, it’s been a great success and I’m looking forward to seeing more of you over the remainder of the week. I’m open 10-5 up to and including Sunday 11th May. I’m at North Somerset Arts week venue 4 and you can wander down to Black Nore lighthouse through my garden in the same visit.
I’m lucky to have Andrew Hardwick RWA exhibiting with me. Portishead is his hometown and it’s the first time in his long career that he’s exhibited in the town.
Estuary, Sunset by Andrew Hardwick RWA
It’s a great chance to see his work and to see my latest larger seascapes and some paintings of the local area that don’t get taken to other art trails or fairs. if you can’t make it this weekend then I’ll be at the BS9 Arts trailat Redmaids school 7-8th June.
I’ve also been lucky enough to get a painting accepted into the New English Art Club exhibition which goes on show in the Mall Galleries in London from the 12th of June.
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.
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.
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.
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’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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The sun has set on North Somerset Arts week, Ruth, Brian, Nibs and I would like to thank all of our fantastic visitors for the great feedback, encouragement and purchases. We all sold something in the first hour and a half which blew away the nerves.
Congratulations on your generosity and appetite; cake, tea, card sales and donations raised a massive £480.65 for Black Nore Lighthouse charitable trust.
Thanks to Bill Shier for his amazing efforts taking people up and down the lighthouse both weekends and for being the person that saved it from being scrapped.
I’ll be opening my studio for North Somerset arts week again 11.00am to 6.00pm over the May Day Bank Holiday weekend (including BH Monday) and the following weekend, 4th, 5th, 6th and 11th and 12th of May. If you can’t make these dates and are local we’ll be opening up on Weds evening 8th May 5.30 to 8.00pm.
This time I’ll be sharing the venue with incredibly talented local printmaker Ruth Ander. Ruth layers unique prints on Japanese paper, she’ll be presenting a range of work including new work evoking the estuary location.
Hopefully there is something for everyone to enjoy, come along to browse, chat, listen, eat, drink or explore…
As in previous year’s Black Nore lighthouse will be open for visitors to climb inside during the afternoon while I’m open. This is accessible via the garden and I’ll be selling tea and cakes in support of its upkeep.
I’ll have a large number of new plein air oil paintings of the local area and from further afield on show for the first time as well as new studio paintings, apologies for not sharing more on the blog recently. Much of my new work is exploring the fast changing light at dawn and dusk.
I’ll also be showing some examples of my portraiture and life class work.
Also I’ll have Raku pottery by Brian and “Nibs” Fowler at the venue, they’ll be exhibiting a range of vessels, bowls and figures that show this exciting medium off to the maximum. If you’ve never seen the Raku process before it’s fiery and unpredictable, there will be a couple of Raku burnings in the garden on the final Sunday when you’ll have an opportunity to scrub off the carbon yourself and reveal what the process has created.
Finally I’ll be showcasing some estuary soundscapes by a local producer Dave Howell to add to the atmosphere. When that’s not on I’ll be playing a bit of vinyl on my turntable, or LPs if you are my age.
Just likes buses that all come at once but the Portishead painting bus takes you around Portishead and it’s estuarine environs while the BS9 one takes you around Clifton and on into Cornwall. Where are you going to go this weekend?
Venue 10 at the BS9 Arts Trail is Elmlea school in Henleaze, BS9 3UF. It’s a great venue in the centre of the trail in Henleaze and full of Bristol talent.
Venue 8 at the Portishead Around the Houses Art trail is at 20 Woodhill Road (not my own NSA venue). I’m exhibiting with some fabulous local artists so it’s well worth a visit.
If you want to come and say hi I’m afraid you’ll have to come to BS9 in Bristol as I’m the venue organiser.
Some surprising recent news, I took part in the UK’s first ever ArtBattle. The challenge is to paint something in 20 minutes and the audience votes, there’s a final round and a winner is announced. The winner goes on to further regional heats and there’s a national and even a world champion! My family were mortified that I was going to compete with graffiti artists and worst still the venue was a nightclub frequented by my kids – the shame of it. To cut a long story short and to embarrass everyone further I won it.
It was really good fun and there’s another Bristol round next month, also a Facebook event. Why not give it a go or go and have a look? There’s some film of it somewhere you might be able to find on YouTube.
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.
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.
I am one of 83 artists from across the UK shortlisted for the Lynn Painter-Stainers Prize 2018, the UK’s leading competition for British contemporary representational painting and drawing. Having made the shortlist my work will be exhibited at London’s Mall Galleries from 5–17 March. 1,144 artists entered this year’s competition – the highest number in the prize’s 13-year history.
Not only that but I’ve also been selected for the subsequent exhibition at the Mall, the Royal Society of British Artists.
The Royal Society of British Artists (RBA) is dedicated to promoting the highest standards of skill, concept and draughtsmanship in painting, sculpture, printmaking and drawing and runs from 21-31 March 2018
The RBA works including my painting are now available to browse online at the Mall Galleries website.
It’s always exciting to be selected for the Mall exhibitions, I’ve not submitted to either show before so it’s particularly encouraging to be part of these successive and prestigious shows.
Both are works that are representative of the way I work and the local area of Portishead. A cargo ship sailing to Avonmouth docks Wallenius Wilhelmsen, exhibited at the LPS (header image above) and the sun glinting through the lens of Black Nore Lighthouse, Borrowed Light exhibited at the RBA.
Borrowed Light, Black Nore – exhibited with the RBA
If you are in London take a look but otherwise come and 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.
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.
Well relatively far anyhow. Some of my work will be showing with Farmer Fine Arts at the Cambridge art fair this coming weekend. Andrew Farmer is a fine and ridiculously prolific painter himself and he invited me to exhibit with his gallery along with some real up and coming painting talent. Take a look at his site and even better if you can make to that part of the country take a look at the fair. Look out especially for Tom Stevenson and Maria Rose who are ones to watch for the future. I really ought to get some painting swaps sorted while I still can!
As well as some larger work I’ve packaged up some of my life class studies for the fair too.
HJ Ink and Brush
Closer to home I’ll be exhibiting with the Portishead Arts painters at the Portishead Lido Cafe again at the end of this month.
I’ll be showing some dinky little ship paintings that I’ve enjoyed creating over the last few weeks along with some recent plein air painting work fresh off the easel, yesterday in fact. I’m really enjoying this low winter sun.
P.s. if anyone has the Sky Arts channel then you might be able to spot me in the background of the recent episode of Landscape Artist of the Year. It was on last week but it should be on catch up. I’ve not seen it but I’ve seen some shared screen shots. I’m the one wearing an apron that looks like it’s been involved in some kind of dirty protest.
I was one of 50 wildcard entries painting Worm’s Head on the Gower, this was in addition to the 6 artists selected for that heat. It was a really enjoyable experience being in a group of artists who were all excited to be there. It was great to meet so many artists face to face and I hope our paths will keep on crossing. As a bonus we were able to park up the campervan in the crew field which had a spectacular view of Worm’s Head.
It was really interesting to see the programme being made and it was great to meet *spoiler alert* the heat winner Alice Boggis-Rolfe Art who I’ve followed on social media for a few years and knew my work too. But even better I got to speak to and shake the hand of Tai-Shen Schierenberg, one of the judges, I love his work. Unfortunately my painting didn’t work out so well, my foreground turned to non drying gravy, I painted over some of the brown mess when I got home, too late for the programme though. There’s always next year…
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.
I’m excited to be taking part in the inaugural show of a new groups of artists and painters in Portishead that go under the banner Portishead Arts. We have a website where you can find details of the other artists involved.
There’ll be a great range of work on show including painting, photography, jewellery and illustration so come along and enjoy a slice of cake and perhaps even have a dip in the Lido.
The show will be on for over a week from Thurs 22nd to Friday 30th of September the lido is open 9.30 to 6.30 every day (later on Monday mornings I think), I’m planning on stewarding on both the Fridays, I might take my painting kit along to paint the estuary in any quiet periods, so come and say hello.
For this show I’m focussing on local scenes, pretty much all painted within a mile of the Lido. My painting of the lido is the top right image on the flyer above.
Here’s a recent one painted after a last minute decision to walk down and catch the last light at Black Nore lighthouse. I’m so pleased I did, once again I was painting over a failed painting so it was doubly therapeutic, I’m so lucky to have this on my doorstep.
Last Light Black Nore 10 x 12 inches
As well as these outdoor paintings I’ll have a couple of larger works that were painted back in the studio, such as Winter Wave.
Ian Price Winter Wave 24 x 24 inches
The Autumn is always an exciting period with so many shows on, I’m lucky enough to have had a painting selected for the ING Discerning Eye exhibition at the Mall Galleries in London which is coming up in November. More news in the next post!
I hope to see you at the show. Don’t forget you can also follow me on twitter and now Instagram @ianpriceart as well as Facebook.
You’ve got until Sunday the 21st of August to catch my six works at the Clifton Arts Club exhibition, sorry for not posting earlier (hols). This exhibition holds a soft spot for me as I won their Prize of Excellence last year and this year was very pleased to receive a Selector’s Choice from Malcolm Ashman RWA.
Dusk, Battery Point – a selector’s choice at Clifton
I’ve got four paintings on show at the Clevedon Art Club Open exhibition. Their sixtieth anniversary exhibition will be held in the Science Atrium ofClevedon School from Saturday August 20 to Monday August 29 2016. Daily from 10.30am – 6.00pm. Sundays 2.00pm – 6.00pm.
Red Barn, at Clevedon Open
My painting Red Barn (above) was selected for the A2 open but not hung, so I’m glad to say it’s been selected for the Clevedon Open.
I’m still exhibiting in the A2 gallery in Wells for the rest of August, there’s more info in my last post. Here’s one of my paintings on show which was based another smaller painting I made following a long walk up there.
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).
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.
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.
I’m pleased to say that I’ve had a couple of paintings selected for the New Visions V exhibition at the Grant Bradley Gallery
They’ve selected a variety of exciting work from the Bristol area and I feel very edgy being in such company! The preview evening is Friday the 5th of June do turn up if you’d like to meet a variety of local artists in various states of inebriation. They put on a good bash there. If you can’t make it or can’t remember having attended here’s the very professional Exhibition magazine that shows a piece by each of the artists.
I’ve also got 8ish paintings of local scenes hanging in Café Gosh at the top of the Portishead Marina for the month of June. It’s one of the top rated places to eat in Portishead too, see their TripAdvisor page.
Thanks to everyone for making it a success again this year. Numbers were up on last time which was great given the other attractions on.
Thanks to Bill Shier for opening up Black Nore lighthouse which you could walk to via the garden. It was great to see how much people enjoyed climbing up inside it, including me, it was like a tardis. The exhibition or the lighthouse was a pleasant surprise depending on whether people arrived by the road or via the coast path.
Card sales went well after expanding the range but cakes sales were down I think due to the Great British Bake Off effect causing lots of full up visitors to arrive! Despite this I’m pleased to say that we still generated £197.80 for the Lighthouse trust. Visit the site to find out more and donate. Thanks to Helen for the cake baking as well as the Folk music last Sunday. Next time simultaneous live baking and fiddling.
Fact of the day: Nore means the line where the sea meets the river. Thanks Bill.
The Clevedon pop up gallery is going really well, many thanks to the volunteers manning the shop for their efforts. I called past over the weekend and was chuffed that my “Steep Holm” painting was in the window after a few weeks in the store room. It all looks great and the North Somerset Arts week committee are considering how to take advantage of the venue following the planned end just before Xmas.
I’ve also got a painting in the Bristol Harbourside exhibition at the Harbourside Gallery near Millennium Square in Bristol which is also running until Christmas. It’s a great spread of work with established painters alongside some lovely work by lesser known people but every bit as good.
My painting is called “Welcome to the S.S. Great Britain” (it’s what you can’t read on the banner in the middle!). It started as a rainy view of Cabot tower but I couldn’t resist adding in a primary school trip walking past to the S.S. G.B. with it’s accompanying contrasting hi-vis jackets. Excuse the glare, it’s facing the window (which is good!).
Twelve artists (including me) have provided work for a pop up shop in the Triangle precinct in the centre of Clevedon. If you turn up on Saturday (15th) afternoon there’ll be a jazz band and a chance to meet some of the artists.
I’ve tried to include all of the Clevedon related work I’ve got including this one that I painted a couple of weeks ago. I think it was the last day the sun shone! The show is hung from a selection of work, but I hope it’ll make it to the wall, I’ve seven pictures on show.
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).
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.
It was great motivation to get such encouragement from such a talented group of people including the amazingly gifted Martin Bentham.
The annual exhibition is on at Clevedon School until after the bank holiday 25/8.
I had a great sneak preview of the Clifton Arts Club exhibition while helping hang it yesterday. You get a really close look while your attaching them to the wall!
There’s some great work on show and a real variety too. Less variety from me this time, I’ve got lots of seascapes in of all shapes and sizes including these. Thank you selectors! I needn’t have been worried about having only entered seascapes after all.
I’ve got to mention that there are some lovely little paintings in the reject room too. I know the frustration!
Private view Friday and opens Saturday for two weeks. It’s at Bristol School of Art right next door to the RWA in Bristol (same building).
It’s in St Stephen’s church in the old city, details of the group show here.
The exhibition is on the theme of the environment and I’ll be showing local urban scenes and seascapes including this one, “Winter Lido”. Come and say hello.
Here’s my favourite and I’m pleased that it sold. It’s by Emma Broughton.
It looks dark in subject and tone but it’s a large sketch about 3 feet wide and has beautiful marks. I don’t think the photo does it justice, you probably need to see it in the flesh to appreciate it or perhaps I’m just very odd. She’s a sculptor, see more of her work here including a stunning bronze turkey.
Mine’s not sold but I’ll be pleased to get it back, anyone know what the pick up arrangements are?
Weirdly I’ll have work in two places a stones throw from each other in the centre…
I’ve got three paintings hanging for all of October in the Bristol Art Prize exhibition at the Guildhall Arts Centre, Small Street.
The prize evening was last Friday and special congratulations to Roger Conlon for winning two prizes with his fantastic plein air work. I was pleased with my work until I saw his uploaded on the site! He’s also very friendly and supportive and his site even offers painting advice, take a look.
Here’s one of my pieces anyhow, “Water under Pero’s Bridge”, I’ve a couple of plein air paintings in the exhibition too, I painted this one back at home.
I thought about the colours before beginning the painting which isn’t always the case for me, and settled on a limited palette of a blue primary and the two adjacent secondary colours of green and violet but painted over a complementary orange base colour.
Weirdly I’ll have work in two places a stones throw from each other in the centre this week never having had anything in that area before.
I’m supporting the CRUSE Heartfelt Art Exhibition which is launching Tuesday evening and will include work by local artists like Dawn Sidoli RWA and Tom Hughes. It’s running until next Saturday. I’ll be submitting some work for the auction including “Orchids in Pink and Black” below. There’s an anonymous A5 art sale too so you’ll be able to play spot the artist and perhaps pick up a bargain.
I had a great time at the Bath Society of Artists preview evening a few weeks ago and had a chance to speak to some other artists I’d not seen since the Holburne as well as the very talented Tom Hughes.
I unwittingly ended up talking to one of the judges too and getting some top framing feedback too.
All this made up for the parking fine I got for accidentally parking in the hotel part of a public car park which was capped off by a further fine in the post a few days later for spending 3 seconds in a bus lane in my hot, Bath one-way addled state!
The exhibition is in the Victoria Art gallery in Bath all Summer and is crammed full of inspirational work.
It’s pretty high up but at least it shows up well from the other end of the room!
Enjoy if you visit, watch your driving though.
If you turn up on Saturday (15th) afternoon there’ll be a jazz band and a chance to meet some of the artists. 
ianpriceart 