This is just a quick blog post to let everyone know that Art2Arts will be exhibiting at the Reading Contemporary Art Fair again this year.
Taking place over the weekend of the 27th and 28th of April at the Rivermead Leisure Complex in Reading this event is even bigger and better than previous years. Launched in 2010 as a sister event to the Windsor Contemporary Art Fair, the event brings together an eclectic mix of over 90 artists and selected galleries all to exhibit and sell original works priced between £40 & £4000.
Attracting exhibitors and attendees from across the UK and throughout Europe the fair acts as both a networking and sales platform as well as a fantastic opportunity to try out some new techniques for yourself. Exhibitors and visitors alike are encouraged to get involved with the interactive sessions through the duration of the fair, which include workshops in printing and drawing hosted by Readings very own artists group Jelly.
In addition to all the workshops and exhibitions acclaimed artist Este MacLeod will be creating a completely original piece from scratch over the course of the weekend. All visitors are encouraged to contribute a small piece to its creation, then on completion the work will be hung in a public space to be enjoyed by all.
“Having done this fair before I can’t wait to take part again this April,” confesses Michelle. “It’s so wonderful to see such a wide range of art on display but also to get to talk to so many artists and art lovers. Whether you are an artist yourself, a collector or a home owner with some blank walls to cover the Reading Art Fair is without a doubt, worth a visit.”
We would love it if you came down to support Art2Arts but also to enjoy the fair as a whole as it’s a fantastic day out. Tickets are available at a discounted price of £6 if bought in advance or are £7 if bought on the door.
Artists & Illustrators magazine has been running their Artists of The Year competition with the aim of discovering hidden talents since 2008. Open to all artists, regardless of experience, this competition offers the chance to raise your profile and garner exposure for your work as well as taking home the coveted title.
Now in its 5th year, this competition has earnt the reputation of being one of the UK’s most popular and prestigious open competitions with over 4000 artists battling it out in 2012 to be crowned Artist Of The Year. What’s more exciting for us is that one of our very own contributor, Moira Ladd has reached the final and her piece, Black Rock, Widemouth Bay, Cornwall, is being displayed on The Osbourne Studio Gallery (http://www.osg.uk.com) for all to see.
“I have three paintings on display in total, feedback has been positive but the competition is tough and the other artists are so talented,” explains Moira. “ For me the most exciting things about this years competition is that it has been extended by a further week, giving all exhibitors the chance to have their paintings seen by even more people.”
Having looked at the other works on display competition is tough but Moira more than holds her own. As many customers have said of her work, ‘it just shouted at them,’ and I am sure it will shout to visitors to the exhibition too.
From everyone at Art2Arts we wish Moira all the best and can’t wait to hear the outcome of the competition.
This week Art2Arts held a good old fashioned Christmas catch up in London for all the artists who feature on the site. With an evening of good conversation and good wine planned, it was no wonder we saw such a good turnout.
“It is so important for us to hold regular events like these because Art2Arts is so much more than just an online gallery, it is a community of artists,” explains organiser and site director Michelle Gibbs. “I know too well that art can be a lonely occupation so it is nice to be able to meet up with other artists to share stories and trade techniques. Plus it’s nice for me be able to see in person all the people that I talk to regularly on the phone or by email.”
The drink and chatter flowed well into the evening with artists debating everything from exhibitions to Christmas present ideas.
“Whilst London isn’t a central location for all the artist featured on Art2Arts many of those located on the South Coast made the trip to the big city to support our site and strengthen our community. Hopefully in the future as Art2Arts continues to grow we’ll be able to hold these events regularly and at venues up and down the country,” concludes Michelle.
Irina Rumyantseva is one of Art2Arts’ most popular painters. She talks us through her process, from her strict artistic training in St Petersburg, to her advice for young artists just starting out.
Inspicere by Irina Rumyantseva
Did you go to art college? If so, where, and what was your experience like?
I went to St Petersburg University in Russia. I studied art and graphic design. My teacher was very inspirational and very strict. I learn’t so many different techniques, it was completely different to the way artists are taught here.
How did your interest in painting develop?
I was always interested in painting from a very early age. I was painting when I was in kindergarten! It developed into a keen hobby at home and then into studies of fine art. Then I was encouraged to take it up professionally after University.
How do you choose your subjects?
The subjects I choose completely depend on the experiences I have had recently and how I feel at that particular moment.
What are your favourite types of paints to use.
I use acrylics and sometimes watercolours on canvas or watercolour paper. But mostly acrylic on canvas.
Serious Cow by Irina Rumyantseva
What other jobs have you had?
I made pottery and other ceramics after University and then I was a graphic designer for a sportswear company in St Petersburg.
Do you ever get creative blocks, and if so, how do you deal with them?
If I get a block I stop until it comes back to me. It often doesn’t take very long.
What advice do you have to young artists just starting out?
I would tell them to not give up even when it seems like nothing will go in your favour. Push yourself and you need to make yourself seen by shouting from the roof tops.
Simon Kenny’s dreamlike semi-abstract skyscapes and landscapes bring Turner’s use of light firmly to mind. I was lucky enough to be able to interview Simon, and he shares with us the details of his inspirations and artistic career, from his invitation to study at Canterbury art college aged just 11, to his formative years in the south of France.
Revelation by Simon Kenny
Did you go to art college? If so, where, and what was your experience like?
I was offered a place at Canterbury art college at the age of just 11 years old, which I was told a very rare offer. It would have meant taking my GCSEs early and although I was told I was talented the additional workload scared me off so I didn’t accept. In my early years I saw art as just a hobby and found I only wanted to be creative when the mood took me so 5 days a week or more seemed like a lot of pressure. Silly really but things worked out in the end.
How did your interest in painting develop?
I have a very artistic family and I used to go and stay with my grandparents every summer in the South of France at a lovely little seaside town called St Jean De Luz. It was the ideal break away from life back home which was sometimes a little rocky. My granddad was an artist himself and he was also a good friend and collector of the late famous Spanish painter Uria Monzon.On many of our outings my granddad used to take me around the local towns pencil and pastel sketching these amazing landscapes and old buildings. On a handful of occasions we’d swing by Uria’s Gallery and check out his latest works. Between my family and the amazing artistic holiday locations I don’t think I could have asked for more encouragement.
Summer Rain by Simon Kenny
How do you choose your subjects?
My work is very emotional based so the ideas tend to form with my mind set rather than just choosing a subject. I do sometimes use landscape, seascape and skyscape photos give me a shape or choose colours but that’s about it as I want to keep the paintings as directly linked to my creative vibe as possible.
Could you describe the process you go through in imagining, planning, and creating a painting?
The process really begins with a simple idea, sometimes just a name, or my music will get me moving forward in a certain direction. Then once I have the creative spark I’ll think shape, not just of the image I want to paint but of how it will fit in to what shape canvas. Then I’ll think textures and areas of interest. I don’t lay down colour until I have my shape right, then I may add a few bold colours and start to build the painting up. I always try to leave an area of light in the canvas, sometimes more than one, this kind of draws the eye in and I very gently pull the light areas around creating cloud like effects. This will all normally culminate in an emotionally charged swipe with various palette knives bringing out the 3 dimensional viewpoints I usually try to finish on. Then I sit and stare at the painting for many minutes, sometimes very long minutes, at times even taking photographs to see how things look on camera just to get another perspective. If I’m not happy I’ll highlight or lowlight until things standout as I want.
What are your favourite types of paints to use?
I like oils because of the softness and light blending ability. I use acrylics simply for the vibrancy and fast drying rates. Both are versatile and I often build an under painting quickly in acrylics then finish it in oils softening it down.
Who and what are your main inspirations?
I’m fascinated by people, our emotional responses, our belief systems and the world we live in. I love all the nature and science stuff, and find myself glued to the Discovery channels or normally have my head in a book full of information about the natural world or outer space, so the inspiration is everywhere. I love weather, especially the moody British weather and often use images of storms to help me create my painting shapes. All that said music also plays a huge part in my inspiration and some songs can really pull my emotions forward getting me creatively flowing.
What other jobs have you had?
For nearly six years I was a director and designer at a bespoke furniture manufacturing company which I started from scratch. Before that I was in the building trade managing a renovations company. Art was more of spare time thing back then but I would still paint on weekends and in the evenings, selling works as and when I could and was actually commissioned twice before I turned professional.
Flux by Simon Kenny
Do you every get creative blocks, and if so, how do you deal with them?
I don’t really get creative blocks before I start I painting, it tends to happen more when I’m in the middle of one, which is really more like losing direction and it can be incredibly frustrating. I used to try to force the work through but this rarely worked out for me and I can always see in the finished piece where things started going wrong. Now a day’s I kind of feel the anxiety building, and when I know I’ve lost my way a little I’ll take a step back, put the canvas on the wall and walk away from it. I try not to look at it for at least half an hour, then, when I re-enter the room I’ll stand back, as far back as I can and then I can usually I see my way forward or least see where to start up from.
What advice do you have to young artists just starting out?
It’s like I advise my kids, practise, practise, practise. Understanding paint is key to how I work so I invested a lot of time and effort into learning about glazes, textures, maintain light, building colour and so on. I don’t believe you have to be brilliant with a pencil to make a great artist you just have to be confident in what you do and that comes with a full understanding of your tools and how you apply them. I was very good a sketching from a young age but my early paintings were less than desirable so once I wanted to develop this area of my creative ability I simply invested in myself until I was confident enough to move to the next level and I’m still learning today. My artistic journey has so far been a bit of a personal rollercoaster but I can say every second has been worth it.
Art2Arts are gearing up to be part of this cutting-edge art event, featuring over 500 artists from 50 galleries. Featuring work by new and emerging artists, along with art world greats such as Tracy Emin and Rolf Harris, the Fair is a great opportunity to find original art for sale at affordable prices, from £50 to £5,000.
The fair provides a relaxed setting where you can browse for art and enjoy a great day out. As well as presenting an inspiring collection of art, the fair offers a series of informative talks by prominent art world names.
Managing director Tom Hetherington told us that “We are passionate about art and making a way of purchasing original and affordable work possible. It has been rewarding to see the event create a sustainable northern art market in a city which boasts such a dynamic arts and cultural scene.”
Summer Peony by Caroline Ashwood
The Buy Art Fair is your chance to see work by many Art2Arts favourites in person, including:
You’ll be familiar with impressionist paintings from fudge boxes and hotel rooms walls around the world, yet this most ubiquitous and inoffensive of painting styles was once a radical movement that shocked the French art establishment.
Rather than trying to show reality in a photographic style, the impressionists wanted to give an “impression” of a more authentic experience of reality, by depicting the interplay of movement, light and colour. Impressionist paintings are very painterly – this means that they are loosely painted with visible brush strokes. There’s often a strong focus on light, colour and shadow, as opposed to line and form.
Impression, Sunrise (1872) by Claude Monet
The 1874 Exhibition
The term “impressionism” comes from Claude Monet’s painting titled “Impression, Sunrise” (pictured), exhibited in 1874, and here’s how it happened.
In 1874, a group of artists in Paris calling themselves the Anonymous Society of Painters, Sculptors, Printmakers etc. put on an exhibition. The society included (now) great names such as Claude Monet, Edgar Degas, and Camille Pissarro.
The critical response was mixed, and Cezanne and Monet came in for the harshest critical scrutiny. A scathing review appeared in the newspaper Le Charivari that was critically titled “The Exhibition of the Impressionists”, of which the gist was that the works were merely impressions of real art, and could not be considered any more than sketches.
The artists, who were unified by a spirit of rebellion and independence, accepted the name, and it quickly gained ground with the public. Although the newspaper article title was intended to deride, it gave the movement name which has stuck fast for over a hundred years, and is now associated with some of the greatest and most valuable paintings of the 19th and 20th centuries.
Le Moulin de la Galette (1876) by Pierre-Auguste Renoir
Allegedly it is actually summer at the moment. Whether you’re getting some sunshine or not, these summer-themed original paintings are sure to create a sunshiney mood in your home or office.
Nirvana by Simon Kenny
Reach a divine state with Simon Kenny’s Nirvana, which brings Turner’s seascapes to mind. Simon is a multi-award winning artist who aims to balance materialism and spiritualism through lyrical abstraction. He uses his artistic process to better understand his experience of the human condition and has sold to multiple public and private clients around the world.
Surf’s Up with Cresting by Denise Allen. Denise’s travels in Menorca and Bermuda have informed her fresh and inspiring seascapes. She teaches watercolour painting, including regular watercolour painting holidays in Menorca.
Lita Narayan’s Langdale brings to mind the quiet of lazy summer days spent in the countryside. With its warm colour scheme and relaxed feel it’s the perfect choice for a living room or bedroom.
Alice P Jenkins’ painting immediately evokes the English countryside. Fresh, bright colours and a whimsical style make this a good choice for a quirky contemporary interior, perhaps displayed in salon style with other works. Alice loves to paint from life, en plein air.
Virginian by Irina Rumyantseva is a fabulously textured painting with strong colours that compliment each other beautifully. As a contemporary abstract painting, suggestive of landscape, it would work perfectly in a corporate interior or modern home. Irina says “When I paint I pour my emotions out onto the canvas and convey the beauty that I see in everyday life in a way that others can see it to. When I finish a piece I am filled with a sense of accomplishment and integrity. ”
