Imagine Gallery

I have tried taking more pictures of the gallery at Christmas time, but without much success,

it has made me realize that I am not any good at this kind of photography

or maybe I don't like taking pictures of things that are too personal, I don't know, maybe they were just crap and I can't admit it.

This is stupid, at this rate I will be admitting that I am normal with failings like everyone else,

something that my ego wouldn't allow.

So I will show a couple of pictures that aren't too bad and which give an idea of what we are

showing, along with a picture that I adore of 'Peter Pan' which I feel that the season

allows me to show. It is a print [ yes we sell them ] by a famous artist named

Robert Gould

it is one of an edition of 50 and is about 20 years old and from what I can make out is the only

one available anywhere. I love the innocence of it, and it is one of those things that we have from time to time that " I couldn't care less " if it sold or not, it is a pleasure

to look at.

Having said that I think one of the greatest pleasures to come from having a gallery

is that every evening after I have locked the door,

[usually about two hours before I leave] I can walk around and admire all these different pieces

of art that are in my care. I can stand and stare at a painting and caress a sculpture

and have all of the pleasure that comes with owning such a piece.

Sadly none of them will ever be mine, although many times we talk about buying something

for ourselves it is always put off  "for when things are better".

I don't think such a day will exist because running a gallery is like feeding a steam engine,

you have to keep stoking the hole all the time and in our case the hole

needs money, money for all the vultures that are convinced that a small business makes

lots of money, especially when art is involved.

What does keep us going is the kindness, generosity and support of a small group of

artists and craftsmen, people like us who are trying hard to make a living 

but who believe in what we are trying to achieve and do everything to help us achieve

it, which is to show a selection of some of the most exciting, varied

and unusual art that is being produced by dedicated serious artists throughout the country.

I don't know, I seem to have got myself a little over excited there, perhaps I'm taking things too seriously, but I do strongly believe in what we are trying to do in what

after all is a rural gallery. Just because people chose to live in the countryside doesn't

mean that they don't love and desire the same works of art that are usually

found in a city.

Another thing that is really starting to help and make a difference is our

participation in the 'Own Art' scheme

which is run by the Arts Council, this is all about encouraging people who are not in a position to spend lots of money to be able to purchase art over a period of time without paying any interest charges, it is a fantastic scheme and it has been really gratifying to

hand over a piece of work to someone who had felt that such a thing was beyond their means,

but now could afford it.

Anyway,

getting off my "soapbox" for a minute I will just mention something about the above pictures.

Firstly there is 'Peter Pan'.

Followed by a shot of there rear of the gallery [today],

then two pictures of sculptures in the smaller windows, these are by Jan Mayle a sculptor

who has little idea of how good her work is and who always tells me

"you don't have to take them".

These are from her ' Travels With My Aunt Series ',

lastly is a Raven by Karen Fawcett, a sculptor who has had more than her fair share of problems recently, but who has thrown herself into her work to try and help

us out at this time of the year, more of her work will arrive this week and I will endeavour to show some of it as soon as I can along with some other beautiful pieces that will be arriving in the next couple of days.

For me it seems like Christmas has come early.