Where does the time go?

I notice that less and less people seem to be writing their blogs, well for certain I am writing less.

Perhaps, like me everyone has no time just to write a few words each day.

There are some notable exceptions fortunately so at least I can have my daily "fix" learning

what they are doing with their time.

The things that they write make me appreciate that none of us are really that different,

wherever in the world we may happen to live.

It is the appreciation of how much smaller the world appears to be that has prompted this overdue post.

My only excuse for not writing before is that I have no time.

At least that is how it seems to me, my days just disappear almost as soon as they have started.

Late each night when I lock the doors to return home I vow

[even when I know I won't]

I will write the "blog" first thing tomorrow.

Now at last, I am.

The reason for is because last weekend we held the opening of a new exhibition by the sculptor

'Sandra Courlivant'

She is a French artist, and as such lives a great distance from us, but it doesn't feel like it.

Because as I said the world seems smaller, and I suppose that is because of this, "the Internet"

I have corresponded and have gotten to know Sandra over the past year,

which still seems strange when you have never met a person, but with pictures and words

you can form the basis of a relationship.

I certainly feel as if I know her.

So when I arrived at the airport to collect her and Matiilda her daughter I wasn't meeting a stranger.

She was visiting England to attend the opening of her first UK exhibition,

which of course was here in our gallery.

I have seen many pictures of Sandra so I was certain that I would recognise her.

However, she had not seen one of me.

I helped her by sending her a very detailed description of myself

"old man, white hair and white beard".

Modesty prevented me from saying "good looking", but that's the kind of man I am,

plus I didn't want to awe her.

I arrived late [which is normal] and I could not see her anywhere amongst the crowds at "arrivals".

I started to panic and looked to check that her flight had arrived.

It had, so where was she?

I felt a tap on the shoulder and heard the words "hello John".

My description had worked,

although she did tell me it was only because I looked so worried that she just knew it must be me.

Obviously someone must have tipped her off as I had never told her that I always look worried.

Despite the language barrier [on my part] we were soon engaged in conversation as if we were old friends, which I suppose we were even though we are new friends.

I have wanted to have an exhibition of her sculptures from the moment I first looked at them

[on the computer of course]

but it has been a long journey since the day we first made contact.

Her work is very fragile and she had been concerned that it could never make the journey intact.

I persuaded her to let us try a few pieces and that if they received a good response then we would

somehow work out how to send a complete exhibition from France.

She agreed.

The initial sculptures received a fantastic response and all were sold very quickly.

People really responded to them for many reasons,

They are innocent, gentle and beautifully crafted, and as one customer told me

"I have never seen anything like these anywhere".

Nor have I, they are really unique and so very different.

When looking at them it is impossible not to have a smile on your face,

they make you feel good inside,

that's a rare thing.

I have often wondered where her ideas come from and what is the source of her inspiration.

It was no great surprise to learn that the instigation came after she had visited Mongolia on a riding trip.

How many people would do that?

[The last time I rode was at the local stable a mile from my house].

She returned home from Mongolia fascinated by the land, the culture and in particular the interaction

between the children and their animals.

It is these that form the basis of her work.

It is the way that she has been able to re-create the pleasure of the children that has fascinated everyone.

In fact there is one lone figure of a little girl would have sold five times over.
But we could only sell it once.

Fortunately it was purchased by a friend who lives close to the gallery so this means I will see it again,

because the other five potential buyers were not alone in their desire for this piece.

I would have loved to own it.

People [including me] asked would she create more versions of this same sculpture,

understandably she is reluctant to do this, she wants to move forward.

Yak's!

"That is what I am now creating, Yak's and a caravan".

[I don't think she meant a caravan on wheels]

What is strange is that although each sculpture was signed this wasn't enough,

Because she was here people wanted sculptures signed again.

So with her smaller sculptures Sandra had people waiting while she hand signed the wooden base's.

One person even wanted the rusted iron base of a large sculpture signed,

she had to pass on that.

I suppose it was because her unexpected presence here that made it a special event and everyone wanted their own personal reminder of the day.

It was a fun day,

exhausting but really enjoyable and a day we plan to repeat sometime, if she will.

Now my new [but old] friend is back home with her family in France a long distance away,

but I realise that if I type quickly I can be there in a moment.

Europe, now seems a much smaller and much closer place, especially France,

which is good because our next exhibition in October is with my friend

Anne Bachalier.

I have not met her, but I know we are friends and I can't wait to greet her.

Especially since I have practised my French on Sandra.

"Beaujolais et aussi les petits pois Sandra"?

Learning all of the time, that's me.

I am constantly in a state of excitement and anticipating when new pieces of art expected to arrive at the gallery,

Once I have seen something that I desire and spoken with the artist

I have no peace until there work is here on show.

This of course is totally illogical

as I see many "objects of desire" that I would love to exhibit

But I appreciate that because of other commitments only a few will ever come to the gallery

But, sometimes when I come across artists whose work really moves me

 I feel certain that if it was on exhibit here it will move the emotions

of others in the same way as it has moved mine.

On these occasions it becomes a mission and the words "no I can't" are something that I don't understand.

Fortunately for my health this does not happen often.

Thinking about things, I suppose this is what the purpose of having a gallery is all about

Showing art that people can connect with and are moved by.

Of course,

It goes without saying that if they happen to purchase that piece of art it is a big bonus,

I confess that I sometimes get confused and have to remember this is not my own personal collection

that I am exhibiting, it is art for sale.

But it is a wonderful feeling when sometimes a piece of art that you are showing

can move someone enough to make them cry.

Emotions are a strong force

When I do become really excited all logic and thoughts of sales "go out of the window"

and I will not rest until I have that piece or some of that art on show.

Then I can relax a little until I find another great artist,

and the worry starts again.

But that's the fun side of having a gallery [the rest is all stress].

I would like to think that there are a few artists/sculptors/ceramists that we have helped gain recognition,

But the truth is that I "just knew" they were going to be great, with or without us,

it was obvious.

So, here above is the art of a lady who I know is going to achieve very great things,

In fact in America she already has.

Perhaps here in England we can help the same thing happen

We don't have her sculptures at the moment they are still being created

but they will be arriving here in a few weeks.

I can't wait for that day.

Meanwhile

Here are some pieces of carpentry/sculpture that I have long been awaiting,

that now I can enjoy.

James Evans

Is a man whose work I absolutely love, we have shown him in the past

and I hope we will many times in the future.

His work on display here now is an example of how some things are worth waiting for.

His work has been promised for a long while 

[well eight weeks seemed a bloody long time to me]

The wait had only heightened my excitement and anticipations,

I am not disappointed.

Each and every day that I look at his cupboards I find some new detail that I had missed,

they are truly stunning and are the result of hundreds of hours work.

These are pieces that I would love to possess,

but until that day happens I am proud to be a temporary custodian of such things.

I had felt sure that once they were here on display

I might calm down a little and perhaps my enthusiasm and love of them might diminish.

But it hasn't it has grown.

It would seem that much as I desire and won't rest until a piece of art is here in the gallery

that it is only on arrival that the true admiration and appreciation of that artist

and their art begins.

Which takes me back to the top of the page.

When the sculptures arrive I will tell you the artists name.

"Would you like some new Pen & Inks?"

Was the question I was recently asked by the artist Anne Bachelier.

I don't think she really needed to ask as I am sure that she knew what my answer would be.

"Yes please", or perhaps "oui merci" I should have said

as her exhibition here at imagine Gallery is getting closer and closer and I had vowed to myself

that I would try and refresh my [schoolboy] memory of the French language

before meeting her.

Somehow, I don't think that is ever going to happen so when the time comes I will just try and speak English with a French accent and perhaps throw in the occasional "mange tout", "petit pois"

or even "merde' just so that she understands that I am a well travelled

and an educated man.

Anne's offer of some Ink and watercolour "drawings" for the summer was an offer I really couldn't resist.

I adore all of her art but I am not sure what it is that draws me so much to her

Pen & Ink.

Maybe it is the spontaneity,

maybe it is because of the gaps and spaces that your own imagination has to fill,

perhaps it is the attention to fine detail or maybe it is when I discover birds and creatures hidden

within the details.

I just find them very powerful and moving.

So, of course I jumped at her offer.

She then made it hard for me by offering me a choice of works.

"You can have one or all of them".

This was bad because I wanted them all [even though they will never be mine]

but I thought that would seem to be greedy,

so I pretended to ponder until I had made a final considered decision.

I left one off my list.

Lets be honest, telling an artist to "send everything that you have" doesn't sound too professional.

"They will be with you this week", she replied.

Have you noticed how sometimes a week will "fly past" and on other occasions it lasts forever?

This was one of those "forever" occasions.

Each day I would watch every courier van that stopped close to the gallery,

in the hope that it would be our new "drawings" arriving.

Of course in the end I had forgotten about things when a man walked in with a package from France.

After overcoming my initial excitement, I then left the package leaning against a wall

for perhaps an hour or so.

Why?

Because I could only enjoy the opening of it once and I wanted to savour that moment in private,

not have it interrupted with a visitor coming inside.

[After all, what do customers think this place is, a shop or something?]

Two hours passed, that was it I couldn' wait any longer.

I carefully cut the brown paper wrapping paper, putting aside the dispatch notes [for souvenir's],

inside there was a large foam package which contained the artwork,

but on one side the foam had a recess cut out that contained another smaller package.

I understand that it is wrong to wish or hope for things,

but I did.

On a previous occasion Anne had included a copy of her 'Alice in Wonderland' book.

This was a limited edition book illustrated with pictures from her solo exhibition in New York.

In fact it was two books.

When you turned the book "upside down" the cover then said "Alice Through the Looking Glass",

the two books met in the middle [if that makes sense]. 

So, I became excited in anticipation that she might have sent me another book.

"Mon Dieu"

She had, beneath the gift paper there was a book and a card.

The book is another limited edition.

13 plus 1

by

Edgar Allan Poe

-

Illustrated

by

Anne Bachelier

A beautiful book produced for her last exhibition at the CFM Gallery in New York.

It is an edition of only 50 and mine is number 37.

It is not often that I am lost for words but on this occasion I certainly was.

I am a very lucky man and Anne is a very lovely lady.

"Merci"

You can tell by now that I am becoming very fluent at French.

No!

Well I still have a little time to practise and if all else fails I will just drink French Wine

at the opening of her exhibition.

I have taken too long to show you the pictures of her drawings,

the reason for this is that I have found it very hard to take photographs that do justice to them,

so rather than leave it any longer I thought I would show the images

that Anne had sent me to choose from.

Of course I have omitted the one drawing that I declined for the simple reason that I am sure

it will be the one that everyone else would have chosen.

If you get a chance pop into the gallery to see them hanging on the wall, they are beautiful.

Meanwhile if there is a French speaking art lover out there

get in touch quick.

As ever, I'm very late telling you what has been happening and showing new pictures.

It seems that in a short space of time a lot happens and I get confused

[with me that happens a lot]

about what I should record first.

As a result images and memories build up until one day I suddenly realise that they are old memories

which I have never shared and probably never will because they are overtaken

by the most recent events and discoveries.

In fact I can't wait to share my latest discovery of two days ago,

but I thought it might be best to take a step or two backwards and show what has been happening,

after all it's a bit silly to talk about the future when there is so much happening today.

As John Lennon told us

"life is what happens while you are busy making other plans".

And who knows maybe those plans will never happen so here is a small glimpse of what has happened.

Way back at the start of the year I told you about a remarkable lady

Jemima Jameson

An artist who paints on wood, or I suppose a better way of describing her art is to say that she records

her life and the animals she shares it with in paintings

and for some reason she chooses wood as the surface that she paints on.

Perhaps, just perhaps this is because her husband is a carpenter.

Whatever the reason I am pleased that she does, as much of her work is painted onto wooden boxes.

It is a selection of these that we are exhibiting at the moment.

The exhibition has been planned for a long time,

and it needed to be as her work is highly detailed and very labour intensive to produce,

plus of course the boxes have to be created before she can even start to plan and paint on the surface.

I love Jemima's art, it is so very gentle and innocent,

it makes me think of times long past and for those reasons it reminds me of my childhood.

Her scenes of Hares running through a winter landscape are visions from a child's Christmas dreams.

So to are he vibrant summer scenes.

We can all remember those Summers without end, the summer holidays when it never rained.

It seems that so do some of her animals, like the Hare on the box below.

The title is 'The Joy of Life'.

Although it is not shown in the photograph the Hare is being joined in his chase by a multitude

of different birds, butterfly's and Bee's.

The title really does describe the image.

But, not only do her lids show beautiful images, every surface of her boxes are covered in illustration.

Her love of old manuscripts and illumination is clearly evident.

They truly are works of art, and have been described by many visitors as

"heirlooms".

 

In fact Jemima used to describe them as "Memory Boxes"

And that is exactly what they are and is the reason that people purchase them.

I can't tell you of some of the reasons that they have been purchased because they are too personal

and sometimes sad.

But it seems that every new owner intends to store something very precious of 'their' life

inside one of the boxes.

Usually with the intent that it will be kept within the family and will have other precious

[not in value, but sentiment]

pieces added by other family members.

They truly are boxes in which you can store your happiest memories.

For myself what has been an additional treat is that Jemima relates to my love of "storytelling".

Each box arrived complete with a little story about the animals shown

or how they had inspired the paintings.

She told me "I know you like stories."

I do especially when they are innocent and of a sentimental nature.

For instance

The box at the top of the page is titled

The Swaggering Crow"

It is about the crow who lives in her garden, or as Jemima says

"maybe we live in his garden".

He struts up and down in front of her windows, admiring his own reflection in the glass

[or perhaps he fancies his new partner].

And of course she has given him a name.

Samual Swagger

A good name for such a proud beast, although I think I would add "esquire" after the name.

Her work, is beautifully crafted and the paintings are a pure delight.

This is a very serious artist who is creating in an innocent fashion yet creating very serious art.

The opening of her exhibition was visited by the artist Terry Pastor

the man famous for creating David Bowie's 'Ziggy Stardust' album cover.

He told me that he thought that her work was "incredible and so very affordable".

"If I was approached to create this sort of art onto wood I would just say, sorry you can't afford me

because it is so detailed and would take just so much time".

He called me the next day to ask, would I tell Jemima that he thinks her work is incredible.

"Without a doubt she is amongst the best artists that your gallery exhibits".

Coming from an artist whose work is so very different from her own

I thought it was a lovely heartfelt compliment.

There are some 'bloggers' who write everyday, and each morning I look forward to learning

what they have been doing.

Sometimes [like us all] nothing much, "just living", but it is still something I enjoy.

If they miss a day [heaven forbid] I start to worry that something bad has happened to them.

Most times it is just because they are trying to live a life,

If they didn't what would they be able to tell us?

I envy their consistency and the ease with which they seem able tell us of their lives.

I confess that I find it harder.

I am waiting all of the time for something that I feel is "newsworthy' to happen.

Thinking about it has made me understand that just maybe my every day events might be of interest,

after all my life is anything but normal, well it is certainly different to the life I used to have

before the gallery happened.

Whenever that was.

So rather than let more days and weeks slip away without writing I thought that perhaps I should show

a few pieces of the different art that have arrived since the last post.

They all have a story to tell but I haven't the time to tell them,

I have important things to do instead, like packing boxes, photographing things for emails,

writing letters, doing bookwork and accounts.

Yes all of those very exciting things that go with having a gallery.

Life used to be so easy when I had a real job, I even used to have holidays.

Still, at least this morning I got to mow the lawn at home before driving to the gallery

so I suppose that counts as a little holiday, in fact I did enjoy it.

 So, without all of the interesting stories [that did happen] to go with them here are pictures of some new exhibits.

The first up are the stunning bronzes from Paul Harvey the sculptor that I told you about a while ago.

He has moved on from working with resin and stone and is now producing

a limited edition of bronze bird sculptures.

They may be sculptures of birds but because Paul is infatuated with 'art-deco'

everything that he creates has a hint of that style, as a result they appeal to people who are not just bird

lovers but who admire that period and style.

They have only been on display for two days but the response has been fantastic.

Next, I am showing a few different sculptures and artworks by the Irish sculptor

Fidelma Massey.

Where do I start with Fidelma?

She is an absolute gem and works in a different world from the rest of us,

but it is a world full of nature, Mother Earth and gentleness.

Like myself she believes in the myth of the 'Green Man' and the 'Green Woman'.

Her work is of myths, legends and folklore,

In her native country she is a highly acclaimed sculptor and her work on a giant scale is found

in many prestigious and public locations throughout Ireland.

She is a very small woman with a giant reputation, and for many years we have been fortunate enough to have her sculptures here in the gallery.

Whenever I talk with her she will ask " would you like to have?"

She works with pencil, clay and bronze.

Whatever the medium of course I want it all.

One of her sculptures that sold recently is titled

'The Harewife'

It is an enormous bronze bowl depicting a sleeping a hare wearing a wedding ring.

I do not know of the story that Fidelma is telling us but with the polished rim of the bronze bowl

I can't help but think

"The Hare In The Moon".

Lastly, as a complete surprise, something new arrived from Rachel Stevenson.

I wasn't expecting anything for a couple of months,

as come October she is sharing an exhibition here in the gallery with the famous French Artist

Anne Bachelier

This is something we are really excited about.

Unfortunately,

The bronze sculpture of the beautiful woman sold before she could dispatch it to us,

However we will have one here at the exhibition.

But what did arrive,

was a gentle sculpture of a sleeping mouse

Like Cinderella

Resting on a little velvet cushion under a minature chandelier [which works].

So, I suppose all in all, it is not too bad for someone with nothing to write about.

But, as I was told at school.

I must write more

I must write more.

Trust me!

A lot has happened but if I told you about it all of it I wouldn't have time to make more happen.

As I sit here writing my eyes keep looking away to a chair that is here in the gallery.

At the moment it stands on a plinth and is shown as a work of art

Of course it functions as a chair but for me it is so much more than that,

It was designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh

and it is one of the main reasons that I am sitting here today.

As a young boy I was employed as an apprentice in the printing trade,

of course this was at a time that printing was considered a skill.

At that time for me it was just a job, my very first job.

My main duties were making cups of tea and delivering parcels, I was just the "odd job" boy for five years while I slowly learnt my trade.

Most of my colleagues treated me as just the "boy" with one exception,

that was a young man [he seemed old then] of 25 years old.

His name is Fred Sykes.

By trade he was an engraver and his job was to correct all of the minor flaws that appeared on the copper printing plates, and in those times there were many.

He was a lovely intelligent man and I think that he understood that I didn't really fit with

this "mans" world that I had been thrown into,

an environment where you were measured by how many hours you could work

and how much beer you could drink.

He started to talk to me about art, designers, architects and antiques.

 

After a year or so, at the end of each day he started taking me to museums and art galleries,

he would bring me books to read about artists he admired

and bit by bit he educated me to the beauty and understanding of Art Nouveau.

In particular two artists he greatly admired.

Archibald Knox

Charles Rennie Mackintosh

As a result I now have a collection of work by Archibald Knox

and a pretty good knowledge of Rennie Mackintosh,

a man whose work has always been my "benchmark" for beauty and good design.

In later years I was even fortunate enough to work for a company that was owned

by a man who told me to design my own workspace, he then employed carpenters to build it for me.

Of course the room was an amalgamation of Mackintosh designs.

I was a lucky employee, and now many years later my employer is my best friend

So one reason or another for many years Charles Rennie Mackintosh has influenced my thoughts.

Recently Irene and Rebecca visited Glasgow to see a friend performing in concert,

the next day they were due to catch an evening flight home, so with no other plans

and with time on their hands they went to visit the Iconic building

The Glasgow School of Art

The greatest work of art created by Mackintosh.

Not only did he design this incredible building but also each and every feature inside,

from doorplates to lights and of course the furniture.

It was completed in 1909 and has been described as the most important building of the past 175 years.

It is a listed building and although it still functions as an art school it is

regarded as a museum to Art Nouveau.

On their arrival home the girls were full of stories of their visit and had many pictures to show me

of "things you would love to see".

Memories of Fred Sykes and his education of me returned, I was soon digging out old books

depicting things that he had told me of and which Irene had now seen,

amongst these was a brochure that he had given me of a man who still created some of 

the furniture designed by Mackintosh.

The result is I am now looking at a chair designed in 1902 but made in 2014,

and it looks so very contemporary.

With my rekindled enthusiasm I just had to have some around the gallery.

Since they arrived I have thought of Fred Sykes a lot, I knew that he would be so proud

to know I have learnt from his many lessons.

Then last night watching the news

like many people the world over I learnt that The School of Art was afire and that so much

of the beautiful building was lost forever.

   For me it is such a sad coincidence.

For many people and especially for Scotland it is a tragedy.

It will be rebuilt, but!

Meanwhile the chairs in the gallery are a reminder for me of a great artist

and my mentor.

Without them both my life would have taken a different path.