Meet the Artist: Afternoon Session 3 - Chatter and Ambience (Videos)

Meet the Artist: Afternoon Session 3 - Chatter and Ambience (Videos)

The afternoon Reception was a very convivial affair. There was lots of chatter and excitement amongst like-minded people who had plenty to talk about regarding all things "art". The "non-artists" mixed in and chatted with others they had not met before. Some met up with friends and associates they had not seen for a while and found much to catch up on and exchange views. Those who arrived earlier had a more leisurely look at the paintings. I continued to mingle with the guests and talk about my work. The event filled up and became noisy with so many people talking at once!

Meet the Artist: Afternoon Session 2 - Discussions (Videos)

 Meet the Artist: Afternoon Session 2 - Discussions  and Videos

Discussions took place throughout the afternoon between fellow artists. In the image above we see Sue Leeson (left), Director, Eastgate Studio and Gallery, talking with me and members of the Hull Print Collective.

A group of visitors were very interested in the painting "Lock Gates: Water Surge" and I chatted to them about how I had painted it, including that I had taken a video recording of the experience. They were very excited by what they thought was a lively depiction of water as it gushed through the locks.

I also discussed "Untalkative, Out of Reach" with them, about what had inspired the painting and its execution.  The viewers were then curious about the light and the time of day depicted in "Pastoral" and I answered their questions. The painting produced a lot of interest during the afternoon as  the iconic Lord Line building is situated on the main road into Hull. Many of the guests remembered the site when it was a thriving fish dock and one of them actually worked in the building.

Moving on to "A Harsh-Named Halt", this group were reminded of their walks in this area. Many guests were fascinated by this work. These railway halts are often of a similar design and the image took them back to earlier times when they travelled and walked on more remote roads and tracks.

My Blog proved to be of interest and many people stopped and looked through it and asked me questions which I was pleased to answer.

Meet the Artist: Afternoon Session 1

 Meet the Artist: Afternoon Session 1

I invited friends and family, fellow artists, tutors and printmakers, including representatives of the Feral Art School, Hull Print Collective, Ropewalk Print Workshop, and colleagues from East Riding Artists to a Reception at my Exhibition at 3pm in the Stables Gallery. It was an excellent turnout and had a friendly, informal atmosphere. I got lots of good feedback on my work and discussed my practice from a variety of angles. They were very interested in all sides of my practice. I spoke about the theme of the show, my approach to landscape, the relationship between the man-made and the natural, and my techniques. The guests also debated amongst themselves about art, my paintings, the locations depicted, and working methods. It was good that they enjoyed seeing the works as a collection and in real life, rather than online. 

Meet the Artist: Morning Session 2 (Videos)

 Meet the Artist: Morning Session 2 (Videos)

It was great to interact with visitors and to answer their questions about my paintings and sketches. They were often interested in the medium I had used and enjoyed trying to identify the locations. Sometimes they matched up a sketch with the finished painting on the wall.

Others were interested in my blog and the works on paper:

Meet the Artist: Morning Session 1

 Meet the Artist: Morning Session 1

The paintings attracted people of all generations

Chatting with viewers and answering their questions.

They were enthusiastic about the theme of the show, individual exhibits, and inquisitive about locations and techniques. They were keen to look at the sketches on the table, my blog and the works on paper.

People visiting the exhibition showed much interest in the works on display and were keen to make comments in the Visitors’ Book.

I chatted to Barbara (above) about the East Yorkshire landscape She had just moved back to the area from Sussex and was pleased to be back "home" where she loved her new rural retreat.

Barbara: "How good to walk along the Humber and to know where you are! and that next week you could get your feet wet".

Matthew Harrison told me that he is a HGV driver and is interested in the connection between industry and the natural landscape. He showed me a number of his own photographs of places he had been to and made recommendations of sites for me to visit.

Matthew: "Stunning I drive the country in an HGV so I observe the relationship between industry and landscape. this exhibition totally awesome."

Meet the Artist Day: Set Up

 Meet the Artist Day: Set Up

      Browser of Works on Paper

I decided to add some extra features for the Meet the Artist Day. I brought a browser and filled it with works on paper which visitors could look through. The works were all connected to the theme of the exhibition, but included  original prints on the topic. Some examples are shown below.

Humber, etching and sugarlift

Beck, aquatint

I also set up a table I brought from home to provide more space to exhibit items of interest and for visitors to look at. I included two chairs in case anyone needed to sit down.

                                           Table with Blog and postcards of the exhibits

I set up an A2 Framed Poster Board outside the Gallery

There was a craft fair on the same day which attracted extra visitors:

Everything was set up for the beginning of an eventful day, and I brought drinks and nibbles for the afternoon's invited guests' session.

 The start of an exciting day.