Rock 'N' Roll

This will perhaps be the smallest post that I have done.

To be honest none of them have been overlong, but at least they have had more images.

However.

Thinking ahead for our next exhibition which isn't until September, there is perhaps something that I should mention. We are having our first ever 'pre-sale' of artwork.

The coming exhibition is from the George Underwood collection of "Musician portraits'.

I think that by now the world knows of his lifelong friendship with David Bowie.

What many people do not know that George himself was also a musician, in fact many years ago when they were young men he and Bowie had their own band.

Their school days together almost read as a 'rock 'n' roll' fairy tale.

Their art teacher [George's mentor] was Owen Frampton, father of Peter Frampton who went on to become one of the most successful English guitarists of all time.

What a melting pot of talent that school must have been.

George did pursue a musical career of his own joining many bands and eventually pursuing a solo career as a recording artist, but throughout his young life it seems that art was his first love

that he constantly returned to.

I will tell no more of his extraordinary tale, George tells it so much better in his own book.

Soulful Warriors

It just remains to say that throughout his career music was a strong influence both on him and his art.

So it is strange to learn that many people have little knowledge of his musical artwork.

I think it would be safe to say that at some time many music lovers have admired of purchased an album featuring his artwork without knowledge of who the artist was.

Of course the album 'Hunky Dory' by his friend David Bowie changed all of this.

The rest [or some of it] is history, as they say.

So our exhibition will show a history of his musical hero's, influences and his friends.

 

One of those friends was the founder of the band T REX

Marc Bolan

Bolan and Bowie were friends, as a result David introduced George his old mate to Marc

Who had a new album coming out titled

'My People Were Fair and had Sky in Their Hair.............'

As a result George painted the cover, and in his own words "never looked back".

This was at the age of 21.

Now, just a few years [decades] later it is logical that George would re-visit these relationships

for his exhibition here at our gallery.

So in conversation with me it was decided that he would produce two new paintings of

David Bowie and Marc Bolan.

The painting of Marc is really appropriate as the exhibition is to open on the 40th anniversary

of his untimely death.

In honor of this the famous tribute band T. REXTASY will attend the opening of the exhibition

to play an acoustic set of some of his most famous songs.

Of course many original paintings by George will be available for sale,

Accompanied by a large selection of of limited edition 'fine art' prints of paintings previously sold.

As a promotion for the exhibition it has been decided to produce the two new paintings

as a special affordable limited edition of signed prints.

Since they were first offered for sale a day ago the response has been outstanding.

If anyone is interested in purchasing, contact the gallery direct or go to this link.

http://imaginegallery.bigcartel.com/

Time flies when your having fun, or especially when you are always thinking about the future.

Or as described better by John Lennon

"Life is what happens while your busy making other plans".

That is what I have been guilty of, "making other plans" or thinking of the future,

Meanwhile important events have been happening while I have been planning ahead.

I can only explain it by describing how on a daily basis I will have someone tell me

"You have such beautiful things on display",

My thoughts will be "just wait until you see what is coming".

I think this each and every day, but for me tomorrow never comes

I'm definitely a person who has a cup half full, and when things sell I start to panic about where I can find something equally as beautiful to replace "that" piece with.

So I start to search.

Then I want to tell you about who I have just discovered.

I want to tell you about "this"or"that" artist whose work will be here one day, then I tend to get over excited and undecided about what to mention first, so don't write anything at all.

 

This does tend to make life much easier for a lazy person like myself.

"Hhmmmm! What shall I write about"?

'Nothing', job done.

 So today, I decided to take a step back to reality and talk about art that actually is here

Art that I am excited about and which I am very proud to be exhibiting.

The last time I picked up my pen I mentioned an artist whose work I was looking forward to arriving.

It's now here.

 The paintings of Jimmy Lawlor.

Jimmy is an artist I have admired for a very long time, his beautiful paintings are the

"stuff that dreams are made of".

In fact they seem to come from dreams or very poignant stories.

Perhaps, 'poignant' isn't the correct description

Because apart from being very moving they sometimes also possess a great deal of humor.

They are beautiful in there execution and also great fun, they occupy a space in our imagination

Yet, they are also very "human" paintings, they show images of us as we were, as we are

And how we will be.

Age is very prevalent in all of his art.

 

So too are the landscapes.

To me it is obvious where these people of different ages all live.

Ireland

Albeit a different version to the reality of the location, yet still instantly recognizable. 

As is shown in the painting above they also express a great gentleness and sensitivity.

The painting below is perhaps one of my favorites.

It really captures the world of my childhood.

It reminds be of the wonderful book 'Bevis a Story of a Boy', by Richard Jeffries

Although it was written in 1882 the story of a young boy and his adventures is timeless.

So is this painting.

A boy, with his best friend and his vivid imagination, what an exciting world.

I truly love this, it makes me feel young again.

I suppose that is the power of art, your age may change but your inner emotions don't and at times

All it needs is a painting or sculpture to unlock time and join the two together.

A clever, talented and very nice man.

I have wanted to exhibit his art for six years, some things are worth waiting for.

Now, onto something just slightly different. 

I was recommended by a painter [that's how it works] to look at the sculptures by a Russian artist.

'Tatiana' or Tanya as it is pronounced in our little island

Despite my many bilingual talents I am still unable to get my tongue around her proper name,

[Give me a week or two then speaking Russian will be another of my many talents].

Tanya creates sculptures from clay and found objects, each piece very unusual

but all with a sense of great age and history.

Of course her small antique additions help create the feeling of great age

But it is the story of each piece which creates the history, some of her sculptures will have more than one title,

It seems that she has named pieces to help with the English interpretation and understanding of each sculpture.

She has exhibited and worked in many different countries, but now for some reason she works

in our small part of this country.

Her work defies being placed into any category but it does really engage the imagination.

When I have fully caught up with my very belated posts I will tell and show much more of her work.

Meanwhile, I have lots more to tell you about.

But as they say

"That's for Another day."