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.
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.
I had a great time teaching courses myself for the first time last autumn and I’ve scheduled some more portrait courses for 2024.
I’ve also confirmed Andrew James again for the annual autumn Expressive Portraits course. I think I’ve run it 20 times now. However this year due to various reasons including, literally, time and tide, the courses are two days each.
Get in touch either directly back to me or via the contact form on the course pages. Note my portrait drawing and painting courses in March are quite soon.
Capturing a Likeness with Ian Price
Suitable for beginners and experienced artists, they cover drawing techniques, introduction to limited palette, and assistance with transitioning from drawing to painting. Basic materials are provided, and participants can bring favoured paints and easel.
The course is built around expressive portraiture. Observational work set up to enable the formal qualities of oil paint to become a more explicitly descriptive medium and asserting a more active form of observation and connection whilst still capturing a likeness.
Tuesday 8th- Weds 9th October 2024. Single model for 2 day pose.
Thurs 10th- Friday 11th October 2024. Same schedule with a different model holding a 2 day pose.
Oil Painting Outdoors
Note that the dates of the landscape course for 2024 are not confirmed but I am able to offer one to one tuition or tailored courses for small groups. Please use the form on the oil painting outdoors course to enquire.
I’ve enjoyed having a bit more time to do lots of painting in the last few months, more ships after being chuffed that my tanker painting sold from the RWA open as well as landscapes and portraits.
I’m very excited to have started to sculpt in clay and am looking forward to seeing how I progress this year or if my hopes shatter in a kiln!
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.
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.
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.
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).
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).
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.
Apologies for the double post, accidentally published a draft, here’s what I meant to say…
My painting of a Buoy Maintenance vessel, which obligingly sat still actually maintaining a buoy while I painted. Thanks to Norman for the photo and his friend for the ship info. Despite the care my favourite part is the turps drips in the bottom right.
Here’s one of Battery Point, Portishead from later the same day showing a fisherman sat at the base of the lighthouse. He caught around five cod while I painted. It was much colder than it looked and my hand was a frozen boxing glove by the time I’d finished but I was pleased I stuck with it.
Here are a couple of recent larger landscapes. Both are headlands close to home on the Severn Estuary, regular dog walking territory.
The first one includes a few tools used to “paint” it. I used the big putty knife to drag the sky around.
I did quite a lot of scraping with it on the “Frosty Headland” painting too. Appropriately chilly, but no snow yet here this year.
I did bit of bathroom tile DIY over the weekend and am wondering whether to use the “grout float” on the next one? I’ve got some bigger canvases ready for it!
Did some little plein air landscapes over Easter showing the sun glinting on the Severn Estuary in the evening. They make a change from my usual fog/rain themes. Apologies for the sun glinting off the photographs too!
Steep Holm
Welsh Coast
I’ve shied away from painting the Black Nore lighthouse for a while, I wasn’t sure about how to incorporate the white lighthouse into the landscape. It’s the first time I’ve tried a contre jour approach, I think it worked well enough to try on a larger scale, all are A5 size.
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.
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.
More fog, let me know if you come up with a better title than “Black Nore Foghorn”…
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.
Strange as it may seem I painted this cruise liner on a dog walk along the coast path last weekend. I took the painting kit on the off-chance that something would grab me, I was pondering a fisherman when I saw what was on the horizon.
It was moving at a rate of knots, literally, so I painted the ship first and then painted the rest around it.
It’s the MV Discovery which offers cruises from Avonmouth to places like the Hebrides, Iceland, Norway and erm … Liverpool.
After looking at it when I got home I thought I’d overdone the prow and nearly shortened it. I was relieved that I hadn’t fiddled when I looked at the MV Discovery site for a link for this post I was pleased to see it looking quite long nosed (I’m pretty sure that’s the correct nautical term).
It’s going to be on show in the Victoria Art gallery in the centre of Bath for two whole months from Friday so that’s pretty massive exposure relative to other exhibitions I’ve been in so far. I’m very chuffed.
It’s called “Steep holm” and was based on a plein air painting I’d previously done.
It’s 16 by 24 inch and was painted freely from a plein air painting of the same scene, which incidentally was the first Plein air I painted.
I’m also pleased to also have “The Patriarch” (banner picture) exhibited there; Helen’s grandfather was a Somerset farm manager so he’s in familiar surroundings. I’ve never been to the Bath and West show previously (Royal Welsh show many times yes!) so will be excited to see it. I won’t see them until picking up day so let me know how they look there. From 29th May to 1st of June.
Here’s a four foot wide painting of Kilkenny bay in Portishead I’ve recently completed for NSAW (only 12 days to go). I’ve spent the evening framing it in a sea weathered garden gate frame I beachcombed, complete with a rusty bolt, it’s been in the basement with this in mind for at least four years, it makes it a whopping 5 feet wide. I think it suits it though, you’ll have to come and visit to judge for yourself.
In the bottom left is a misty little cargo ship I painted on a small board too. The large painting was certainly more fun, lots of splashing turps around outside and chasing dribbles. Hopefully I’ll get time to do another, I’ll need a wet paint sign.
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