Welcome to the Gallery

Imagine is set in the Suffolk village of Long Melford.
This is an attempt to record the daily trials, tribulation and pleasure of running an art gallery.

Monday 10 December 2012





I don't think that I ever got around to mentioning that our Christmas Exhibition has opened,
in fact it has been running for a couple of weeks, which may seem a little early
but we find that each year the serious buyers tend to come in early and it is only people
[mainly husbands] that have come to purchase that piece which their partners have been hinting
about for a long time that visit us late in the month.




Even then they don't usually purchase what they have been sent to buy,
instead the choose for themselves hoping that it isn't noticed.
One year we had a man arrive on Christmas Eve who had been sent to purchase a sculpture of a Peacock for his wife.
She had visited several times to look at the sculpture and she even told me
"I am having that for Christmas".
Instead she received a sculpture [it was good] of an Owl that her husband wanted and just knew
"she will love it".
She must have as she never came in to exchange it as I expected.
It must have been true love, either that or she hit him with it. 




Anyway, I have neglected to write about what I have been collecting and receiving over the past few weeks. I know it seems a little late to mention things now but if I don't it will
be another year and I will be concerned about other events.
Actually, it's not too late as we still have various pieces of art on their way to us, some from Australia
which I hope to show if they arrive safely and in time.




So here is just a brief mention of the pieces we have which are shown here.




The first two paintings have been long in the waiting and the creating,
as a result I wanted them even more and almost gave up on ever actually seeing them.
The artist Timothy Walton is a very busy man
and an artist of many skills, apart from being a painter he is also a master of visual effects 
for the cinema.
I doubt that any of us have not witnessed some of his work without ever knowing it.
He has worked on many famous motion pictures, such as:
Ghandi, The Killing Fields, Superman, The Mission, Stardust, Batman..........
the list goes on.
Most recently and for most of this year he has been working on
Les Miserables.
It was while he was working on this that he contacted me asking
"would I consider showing his paintings"?

"Would I"?
Yes please, I absolutely loved what he had to show me, he really is a talented man.
The paintings that I have just collected were born from his work on "Les Mis".
He worked on the creation of over 240 sky's for the film,
so remember when you go to see it at the cinema and your breath is taken away by a beautiful sunset
you now know who created that scene.
He explained that as he was working on the film he wondered if he could capture the same
feeling and atmosphere in his paintings.
As you can see he has.
Not only are the stunning and full of emotion, they also look so very old,
I was thrilled to find that when I collected them they had a crackle glazed surface,
they made me feel that I was handling something very old.

Now he has a little time to himself he has promised to create another two or three.
I know that I will write more about Tim and his art in the months to come.


Another piece of work that I have longed to exhibit is the wood carved Hare by Chris Hindley.
I first came across this piece a few months ago and was disappointed
to learn that it had been promised to a very famous London gallery for an exhibition
to be held in January.
But like a "dog with a bone" I wouldn't let it go and I am thrilled to say that my persistence
eventually made Chris give in and send it to me.

You can see why I wanted it.
It is beautiful, gentle and so very childlike.
For me it is a 'Kit Williams' painting brought to life. It is one of the nicest sculptures we have shown.


The last two pictures are of prints by George Underwood.
I know that I have gone on about him a lot recently but I just had to share these with you.
Like all of the art that I love they tell a story,
I'm not sure what the story is and I'm sure my interpretation of them would be different to his,
and maybe yours, but that is the pleasure of them,
they make you think, imagine and dream.

8 comments:

  1. great work, John. Happy Christmas to you. Sell everything.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks Hollis

      I would love to sell everything, now that would be a good Christmas.

      By the way.
      I had meant to comment on a recent post of yours, I didn't so I will now.
      Hollis you are turning into a very fine potter, and I think that you are going on to bigger things.
      I can be pretty scathing about potters [having been one] but
      I know great pots when I see them.
      Yours are starting to have that trait that I hate.
      I have to own one.

      I think that very soon many people will be talking about you
      and your work.

      I hope you have a good Christmas, I will think of you Christmas morning when I drink my coffee [30 minutes before the real drinking starts].

      Delete
  2. Wonderful. How strange that people buying gifts are thinking more of themselves?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Have a good Christmas Valerianna.
      I just know that on Christmas day I will think of your forest and envy you.

      Delete
  3. Many thanks, John. I'm trying to figure out where I'm going, but I like what the pots are telling me these days. Happy Christmas to you.

    ReplyDelete
  4. And please tell me which of my pots make you think that.

    ReplyDelete
  5. John, you are correct.Hollis is making wonderful pots.Looking forward to seeing the unload on Saturday;)!Beautiful blog, so glad he shared it with me.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think we are all looking forward to seeing the unload.
      Good luck [I know sometimes that talent is enough],
      and Merry Christmas.

      Delete