green — ART JOURNAL

introducing three new small works on wood panel, entitled (out of the) wood/shed I, II and III...for a little intrigue & mystery i thought i would covertly spy on my own art...trying to get a closer look at the intricate works of green... what are they and how is it done?well, from wood to pulp to paper to pulp to wood, with an etching tool, some oil pigment and a little linseed oil... there is something of the aesthetic of decay about them but we might also call them modern abstract paintings for now... it seems that all of my drawing in the woods influenced the making of these works, albeit in a less than conventional way...[tree bark, sketchbook, drawing in the woods, september 2009]this is an experiential walk into the woods (i don't recall much of the sky)... i went into the woods to escape and be immersed... it is really about life within life, small, transient, fleeting, the slowness of process, a quiet reminder of the nature of things... and it seemed natural to work with just wood and paper... wood mould bark decay green i am just looking at the edges (again, an obsession of mine)... and wondering if the sides should be painted white to contrast with the dark wood wall (on which they will be hung)... or perhaps matt black? or the deepest, darkest green? (but no tarnished gold this time)... woods bark decay green it's a many green textured and decaying thing (again)... green can be a difficult colour to work with but i rather like it as it signifies life, change and constant renewal... i hope to make art that expresses what it 'feels like', as the experience is not a perfect picture, it becomes a personal memory born out of many psychological factors, beyond the visual... wood shed decay green bark textured abstract paintings triptych on panels (out of the) wood/shed I, II and III, 2011, paper and oil on woodthese three small paintings (or works on wood) will be exhibited along with seven more works (of mine, along with many other works by the other paticipating artists) at the forthcoming artworks art group exhibition at blackthorpe barn in central suffolk, which runs from 10 september to 2 october 2011 (10am - 5pm, open daily)...people i know often tell me that they read this 'blog' and so if on reading this you have not been to an artworks exhibition before and would like to attend the special private view evening in early september, then please email me and i will make sure that you receive an invite. thank you to all those that have shown support for my art, especially over the last few difficult months - it means a lot.this will be my second year exhibiting with the artworks group and this year i will have ten small works in the show. i am looking forward to the opportunity of showing some of my art in this popular annual art exhibition.…… wood shed decay green bark textured abstract painting on panel [detail]……artworks exhibition, blackthorpe barn, suffolk, 10 september to 2 october 2011 (10am - 5pm, open daily)Artworks is a dynamic professional art group of thirty contemporary East Anglian artists. Each September we have a showcase exhibition at the historic Blackthorpe Barn in the heart of rural Suffolk.

walking past st mary's churchyard from the marketplace towards the new exhibition 'six abstract painters' at the halesworth gallery, this is what you will first see - a most charming grade II listed building, built in 1686 (or perhaps earlier). as with a lot of very old buildings they are altered and rebuilt over the centuries making them difficult to date accurately. this building was formerly the town's almshouses - that is, a place providing shelter for the destitute & impoverished of the parish. halesworth gallery - suffolk i was surprised to discover that this building still functioned as almshouses up to the early 1960s (read more information on halesworth, its history and the halesworth town trail here). the halesworth gallery has exhibited art by some notable names in twentieth century british art - including sculptor elisabeth frink and the painters mary fedden RA, feliks topolski, josef herman, mary potter and margaret mellis...the selection of artists for inclusion in the halesworth gallery exhibition programme takes place in january following a national 'call for artists'. the exhibitions are planned & organised by a gallery committee. the halesworth gallery is only open from may to september as the building is very old and unheated (it would be very costly to heat it effectively, given the restrictions laid down on modernising listed buildings). so, the halesworth gallery season closes each september with a fabulous 'open' art exhibition, where every artwork submitted (with some size restrictions) is exhibited. i am always amazed how efficiently & imaginatively this process is undertaken, and the exhibition always attracts a lot of visitors. i must actually remember to submit a little something this year!the halesworth gallery is now an established exhibition venue in central suffolk, it is non-profit-making, run by a team of dedicated volunteers, with a commitment to showing high quality, contemporary art (including painting, printmaking & sculpture) by professional artists who have strong connections or links to suffolk or east anglia. ok, let's go in and take a look around the current exhibition, 'six abstract painters'... halesworth gallery, suffolk - six abstract painters art exhibition this is the first room of the gallery, showing mixed media paintings by the painter mari french, along the leftside wall. on the small table is the gallery's guest book. the view through the window looks across to the church...over to the other side of the first room are mixed media paintings by norfolk artist anthea eames (with one of her paintings hung in the old fireplace). there are two more of mari french's canvases to the right. these two small works by mari caught my eye, where she has used plaster & textile collage elements to build up surface texture... halesworth gallery, suffolk - exhibition - six abstract painters mari french, ancient landscapes IV & V, mixed media on plaster on panelmari french's recent series of paintings are inspired by the open landscapes of north norfolk, where she has recently moved to from the highlands of scotland - from one dramatic landscape to another. in mari's own words: "light and atmospherics play a strong part in my finished pieces, where the build-up of complex layers and the exposure of under-painting all add to the visual intensity."these two paintings by anthea eames are near the reception desk... six abstract painters - exhibition - halesworth anthea eames, coastal dwelling & coastal dreaming II, mixed media, including norfolk woad, earth pigments and sandanthea eames' map-like abstract paintings have strongly cultural resonances, bound up in the history of ancient sites or tribal landscapes. anthea says that: "my more recent work draws on my present home in Norfolk and frequent visits to Australia. Collecting impressions and subsequently working with these, I attempt to understand my place in these disparate worlds. Each location brings with it its own spirit, colour and textural palette." also key to anthea's process is that she sources & uses locally-derived pigments and earth minerals in her work, such as norfolk woad... these are the kind of paintings, embedded as they are with discreet layers of history and meaning, which ask to be deciphered slowly...on through to the next room of the gallery, we encounter the work of another norfolk-based artist, john midgley... halesworth gallery, suffolk - six abstract painters - art exhibition john midgley, marsh cut, threshold I & II, oil on canvasi first came across one of john midgley's paintings at salthouse 09, where i was also an exhibitor. he describes his paintings as "strident, gritty paintings that grab you by the collar and demand attention."this new series of landscape-derived works have a more subdued mood though, reminding me of the poetic daubings of cy twombly. you really have to see these paintings close-up to appreciate the gestural brushwork. this series of paintings are inspired by the same location, salthouse marshes. john has been a member of the salthouse art committee since 2008 and is also exhibiting in this year's salthouse art exhibition, salthouse 11: ad limina, curated by art historian and gallery owner of art1821, laura williams...the artist geraldine carratu is exhibiting some large canvases on the opposite wall; she is also based in norfolk. she works in both acrylics and oils. these three paintings worked well together, united in form and content... halesworth gallery - six abstract painters - an exhibition geraldine carratu, evening sail, harbour blue & beach hutthis leads us through to the third and final room of the gallery, one that feels lighter and more spacious. to the left are a series of canvases & works on panel by the london-based artist joan hickson. joan works with a muted colour palette and her paintings suggest the weathered elements of the coast... halesworth gallery - six abstract painters - art exhibition joan hickson, sleep I, mixed media on canvas, and waterfront study 1 -4, mixed media on boardand lastly, to some of my own paintings in this exhibition… six abstract artists - art exhibition - halesworth gallery, suffolk to the right, in the fireplace, the large canvas painting, edgescape rostand over there, on the church-side wall, three farmscapes… six abstract arttists - exhibition - halesworth gallery, suffolk farmscape VI, VII and II, mixed media on canvasyou can see more abstract farmscape paintings here... art exhibition - six abstract painters edgescape fennyou can see more pictures of the abstract painting fenn here. the observant might also note a change in orientation - this is because this is (to me) a seasonal painting; in the spring the suggestion of new life rises up from the earth, in the winter it is sleeping below ground...and lastly, to some of my small iCons… six abstract artists - art exhibition wildwood I, II, IIIsiena (top), congo and redwood (below) six abstract painters artists - exhibition art gallery close-up of one of the small iCons - redwood, 2011you can see more images from this exhibition in the previous post: six abstract painters : an exhibition...Six Abstract Painters, Halesworth Gallery*, Steeple End, Opp. St Mary's Church, Halesworth, Suffolk, IP19 8LL28 May to 15 June 2011open daily, Monday-Saturday 11am to 5pm, Sundays 2pm - 5pm......if you are holidaying on the beautiful suffolk coast, or perhaps visiting aldeburgh, snape, southwold, walberswick or dunwich, the small market town of halesworth is only a short drive away, a few miles further inland from blythburgh church (with the legendary scratches of the fearsome 'black shuck', curious pew carvings representing the seven deadly sins and exquisitely carved angels high up in the roof), and not far from henham park (a private estate which hosts the annual latitude music festival). the town of halesworth is signposted off the a12.*n.b. due to the unique character and age of the building those with mobility issues will find the steep, narrow stairs to the upstairs gallery difficult. please call the gallery on 01986 873064 should you require any assistance or more information prior to your visit......addendum: the artist mari french has put up some photographs of the preview evening of 'six abstract painters' here......