RGI Postcard Exhibition

Two Forks

A couple of weeks ago I listed the christmas shows that'll have my work in this december - but I forgot one - the RGI Kelly Gallery Christmas exhibition .
As I was included in the last RGI show, they've asked me to put in a postcard sized work - The Two Forks, above, for sale unframed at £250 along with everyone else's small works. The private view will be next friday (the 5th) from 5 til 7 - the chances of picking up a bargain are fairly high, so I'm disappointed I'll probably miss it - maybe next year I'll declare the last week of november/first of december a holiday and just float around all the openings without having to worry about getting some stuff done - might be fun!

Now Showing . . .

This one (and a slightly bigger portrait done on the same day) will be on show at RGI Kelly Gallery from tomorrow - this is normally a really interesting and tempting show, so am pleased to be in it and looking forward to seeing all the other artists work. But before then is the opening of Art Exposure's christmas show, where the Teacakes and the Daisy will be on show, along with another couple of mine.

Also, I have a little self portrait at the RGI and two Rapunzel paintings at Mansfield Park Gallery . It seems I'm on a mission to fill Glasgow with art!.

Yellow Roses Painting

This is going to be a busy weekend, with not one, but three openings!

The first, on Friday night from 5 til 8, is at Art Exposure, where the above painting will be, along with a couple of small portrait paintings based on New York people. Most of the rest of the show will be small works under a hundred quid so should be quite inteseting. And, of course, the wine, canapes and chat is always good. There is a big, comfy sofa . . . .

On the same night is Virginia Gallery's christmas show. Being a little different, they have gone for a white theme - and I suspect at least a few of the works will be a little naughty. They also promise snow. Hopefully Jon Snow. I would like that.

The next day it is on to the RGI Kelly Gallery for their postcard exhibition - this year there will be small 5x7 inch works unframed for £250 as well as works up to 60cm in diameter. Promises to be very varied - my two little ones are both oils, one a painting done in the life room, the other a small landscape which is part of a new series that I am working on at the moment.

The big brother of the little landscape will be at the Glasgow Art Club Winner's Show from the 8th December - more on that later on!

Glasgow Art Club Award RGI 2012

It has been an emotional week.

Last Wednesday I found out through facebook that the postman had delivered the letters from the Royal Glasgow Institute Annual Show. I couldn't go home straight away, so had several hours of agonising until I ripped the letter open. Inside were three letters - the first, rejection of two paintings. I had expected that. In fact I had expected worse - which is why I hadn't told many people that I had entered this year. Next letter was an acceptance for two paintings - jubilation!

But the last letter was the best - so much so, I didn't actually read it properly . . . what it said was that I had won the Glasgow Art Club Award for The Little Mermaid. A prize! Me!

It is a particularly suitable prize for me, as a couple of my friends are already members and I had been talking about joining for a while. The Glasgow Art Club has been around for a while, with many great painters as members both past and present, so being given the award is a real honour.

Unfortunately the bit of the letter I didn't read was a warning to keep the information confidential. Oooops.

I did read about the photo-shoot and with a lot of trepidation agreed to go. This involved seeing the exhibition (lovely), meeting other prize winners (also great) - including Helen Flockhart , Jayne Stokes , James McNaught and Sheila MacMillan, who has been showing at the RGI for several decades. But I also had to get my photo taken. The photographer was friendly and professional, but had me standing on a chair as I am so short and my painting hung so high. (Which is why I don't have a better photo of it than the one above- sorry folks!)

Next, the award was given to me at the varnishing dinner. This is held in the Art Club, so I got to have a wee noisy around - the gallery spaces are (as you would expect) very well-lit. At my table was the club president and ex-president, both lovely, friendly men, with many stories of previous members. Greeting us at the door for the dinner was Karin Currie and Hazel Nagl of the RGI , both of whom looked amazingly glamourous - it is rare for me to feel under-dressed, but I did then.

Anyway, I better stop as this is becoming a long post - more later. The exhibition preview is tomorrow, with it opening to the public on Sunday at noon. It runs until the 6th of October.

RGI 2012

Well, this year has been a little frantic, what with planning the New York trip, and then trying to internalise all the new stuff I learnt and saw while there - a process that is still very much ongoing.
So when this years Royal Glasgow Institute Annual Show entry date came around, I wasn't really prepared. Fortunately, with the help of Donna Nicholson Arnott , we managed to choose which paintings, got them all titled (although one has had a title from the start - more on that in my next posting) and labelled and then delivered to the Mitchell. Then it was time for (a very leisurely) tea at Tchia Ovna, a place that oddly I had never been beofre.
A few days ago I got the dreaded letter through the post - I hate waiting for news - and it was good! Two of my paintings have been accepted - Mimi above and The Little Mermaid - I am so looking forward to seeing them hanging up. The Mitchell is a lovely space and every year there is some amazing work on display, so it will be heart warming to see mine amongst them.
Everyone is, of course, invited along - the show opens on Sunday and runs until the 6th of October.

RGI 2011

It's that time of year again - the annual RGI (Royal Glasgow Institute) show - this one is the 150th. This little picture (its only 10cm square) has been selected and I am proud as punch. The opening is a week today, when I'll get to see it in situ and get a good gander at everyone else's work - this one is particularly brilliant.

My painting was painted a few weeks ago, after visiting the rijksmuseum for the first time in over 20 years - they had this special exhibition on, comparing Degas's early self portraits with Rembrandt's work. It was a fascinating show and I must have spent at least an hour just sitting staring. There is something incomparable about seeing oil paintings in real life, and the Degas paintings I hadn't seen even in reproduction before. But what mainly fascinated me was how small they were, but how magnetic, and when I got home I really wanted to try and reproduce the effect.

There is something about small that enraptures me and I will be painting at least a few more of these little works. There are few painters in Glasgow that seem to work small which I think is a shame - there does seem to be a real pressure to work big and although that has its own attractions for me I don't think it is the only way to paint and it is not the only way to make a painting worthwhile.

(will now go and get off my soapbox)