News

Welcome to the Cricket Snippet contemporary art blog where we discuss the latest developments at both galleries and offer exclusive interviews and insights into our artists. 

  • If you are feeling depressed by the endless rain and grey skies of our English winter then come and enjoy some thought-provoking and beautiful new paintings by Felice Hodges.

     

    Blonde in Motion, Mixed Media on Canvas 151 x 151 cm

     

    Felice was born in New York. Her mother was a concert pianist and her father a scientist who was particularly interested in art. Every weekend Felice and her sisters were taken uptown, and downtown, to NewYork’s great modern galleries.

     

    Felice's father, meanwhile, started to collect art in a big way, making small down-payments each month at the Downtown Gallery in Greenwich Village which was run by Edith Halpert, who also had a certain Mrs Rockefeller among her clients. 

     

    At the age of six Felice was already smitten by art and, in particular, by the early American Modernist painter Stuart Davis, who was well known for his jazz-influenced, proto-pop art paintings of the 1940s and 1950s which were bold, brash and colourful. What Felice was struck by was his wonderful use of colour and at this young age she acquired her first box of paints and never looked back.

     

    At home Felice's mother owned three Steinway grand pianos and encouraged her daughters to study the instrument. When the family moved to London in 1967 Felice duly got a scholarship to the Royal College of Music. But she also continued her art studies and when she returned to New York in 1973 she went to Cornell University and studied piano and art.

     

    After three years on her own in New York she returned to London and worked as a journalist for the Antique Collector Magazine for eight years. When she left, she wrote several books on glass, design, womens’ handicrafts and fashion.

     

    Then Felice took up sculpture and painting in a serious way from the mid-1980s. She worked with a group of sculptors in Islington and based herself in a studio in Richmond. There she began her large abstract paintings that first featured in a solo show at the Orleans House Gallery in Richmond in 2000.

     

    Felice's paintings are all about colour and abstract shapes and lines which are there for the viewer to engage and emotionally connect with. Robert Upstone, former Head of Modern British Art at Tate Britain, wrote recently of her "subtle, ravishing harmonies of colour which create highly original and unexpected chromatic combinations which are also intensely beautiful."

     

    Before starting on a new canvas Felice always begins with the colour. She has numerous pots of paints, inks and charcoals to choose from and to see what inspires her before she picks up a paintbrush.

     

     Just some of the paints in Felice's Studio

     

    She starts with one colour which she uses as her base to get rid of the starkness of a bare canvas. This colour usually remains the dominant one of the painting. If Felice has mixed it with other colours to create the tone she wants, she has to ensure she has enough to use through the process of layering and building up her work. Darker or lighter shades may also go over that and are sometimes sprayed off in areas with water to create movement and differing light and shade within the paint. Felice uses acrylic paints which, unlike oil, dry quickly enabling her to build and break down intensities in her paintings quite quickly.

     

    In her most recent work Felice has used collage as a key element. She uses paper scraps which she paints and then marks and cuts into shapes, often months in advance, before selecting one or two for her paintings. The collage adds a further dimension and interest to the canvas. Felice likes the movement that she can create, rather than only using paint which would have a completely flat surface. She is constantly striving and experimenting to create subtle colour combinations which she edits and adds to until the work completely makes sense to her. The result is something which becomes an enriching experience for the viewer.

     

     Spring , Handmade paper, mixed media with collage, 76 x 57 cm

     

    Violet Comes to Tea, Mixed Media on Canvas 100 x 100 cm

     

     Ultramarine and Slate No 1, Mixed Media on Canvas 100x100 cm

     

    Ultramarine and Slate No 2, Mixed Media on Canvas 100 x 100 cm

     

    Citrine, Mixed Media on Canvas 100 x 100 cm

     

    What is important to Felice is that she feels that, as she grows older, her style is maturing and developing and she is achieving a process of refinement that she is completely content with. But at the same time she never stops striving for something unique and captivating.

     

  • If you haven't already done your Christmas shopping and want some inspiration why not come and see our Christmas Exhibition. We have included paintings and sculptures of all shapes and sizes and our prices start from as low as £100.

     

    We are open until 23rd December in both London and Hungerford for the last minute shoppers amongst you and we are always delighted to help with ideas and make suggestions.

     

     

    Rosemary Cook
    Horatio
    Limited Edition
    Bronze
    13 x 13 x 7 in
    £2,500
    Don't miss out on buying a Rosemary Cook dog sculpture. She will not be doing any more casting as she is gradually winding down and looking forward to a peaceful retirement. Rosemary's work is in private collections in Europe, The Antipodes and America. Public work includes 'Boy Reading' for The Early Learning Centre, 'Looking Out to Sea' and 'Down Stream' for The Nelson Hotel, Norwich. 'Every Dog' in the entrance to Battersea Dog's Home, 'Charlie and Ball' for the American animal charity, S.P.C.A, New York State and 'Ben and Bodger' for the Kennel Club.

     

     

    Sarah Bowman
    Blustery Day
    Signed
    Oil on board
    22 1/2 x 31 1/2 in
    57 x 80 cms
    £2,600
    Sarah Bowman has recently joined our stable of artists. Her work is much sought after and she has gained widespread recognition, including showing at the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition and gaining the Mary Fedden award at the Royal West of England Academy. Having studied at Falmouth Art College, she has in the past been firmly linked to the St Ives School.

     

     

    David Pearce
    Towan Farm (Hungerford Gallery)
    Signed
    Mixed Media on Canvas
    24 1/8 x 29 7/8 in
    61 x 76 cms
    £4,000

    David Pearce was born in 1963 and has lived in Cornwall since the age of three. He is a self-taught artist whose work has been exhibited internationally since 1998. He had great success at New York's hippest Art Fair the "Outsider" represented by Marion Harris Fine Art, Park Avenue, New York and recently "Accidental Genius" Milwaukee Art Museum. His work is frequently shown at the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition.

     

     

    Jo Vollers
    St. Ives
    Signed
    Oil on board
    20 1/8 x 15 in
    51 x 38 cms
    £595
    Jo Vollers is another new artist to join us. Jo has lived in East Devon for over 30 years.  She spent her early years in Australia and is aware that this is where her love of colour and light originates. Her father was an exceptionally talented watercolourist who exhibited both in Australia and in the UK.  She grew up in a musical and artistic family but only came to painting in her 50s.  She has exhibited in Devon, Hampshire and London and is an Associate of the South West Academy.  She paints in oil and acrylic.  
     
     

    Malcolm Taylor
    Whirlygig
    Signed
    Mixed Media
    9 7/8 x 9 7/8 in
    25 x 25 cms
    £850
    Malcolm Taylor has been exhibiting at Cricket Fine Art for many years and has had several solo shows with us. He is a great favourite amongst our clients. Malcolm draws his inspiration from a number of sources but mainly from his travels around the United Kingdom and in particular St. Ives. Many of his paintings are a reflection on landscape and he pushes simplification to abstraction.
     

    Malcolm Taylor
    The Conference of Pears
    Signed
    Mixed Media
    9 1/8 x 6 3/4 in
    23 x 17 cms
    £650
     
     

    Adam Roud
    No 63
    Signed Limited Edition of 12
    Bronze
    9 x 12 x 6 in
    22.9 x 30.5 x 15.2 cms
    £4,300

    Born in Hampshire in 1971 Adam returned to live and work there after graduating from university where he studied Fine Art. Initially he worked at the Morris Singer Foundry where the major figures of the last century have had their sculpture cast. Here he learnt the process of lost wax and sand casting. Since 2000 with a studio and workshop on Lord Portsmouth's estate, Adam has developed his work with large and small commissions, figure studies, portraits and abstract pieces. His most recent piece of work is a life size sculpture of Jane Austen.

     

    Jane Austen in the studio

     

     

     

     

  • Cricket Fine Art, London

    Julia Cassels’ Solo Show

    ‘Safari’

    7 – 18th November, 2017

     

     

    If you have been on a safari, or Africa is close to your heart, you will love Julia Cassels’ paintings in our new solo show of her latest work.

     

    ‘Safari’ has already proved very popular and more and more of our clients are now proud owners of one of Julia’s superb animal and figure drawings or oils.

     

     

    Across the Plains

     

     

    Julia seized the opportunity to work with the Maasai in the heart of Kenya's Rift Valley in her early 20's. There she found the wondrous rhythms, shapes, and colours captivating, forming a lasting impression, and sparking a life-long love for Africa and its wildlife.

     

     

    Flamingo Dusk - £2750

     

     

    She lived in Zambia with her husband for several years before moving north to Tanzania.       

     

    Although they now live in England Julia returns to Africa on a regular basis. Whether it is a hippo drinking from a lake, zebras at full gallop, walking ostrich or feeding flamingos, the energy, beauty and vulnerability of African wildlife leaps from the frame.

     

     

    Minah, Just Hanging

     

     

    Although specialising in watercolour, Julia enjoys the basics of draughtsmanship and brevity of line to gain a natural spontaneous fluidity. She will often introduce inks, graphite or charcoal for emphasis. While her distinctive style displays a remarkable understanding of colour and rhythm in her subjects, and a true knowledge of the bush.

     

     

    Papa - £1650

     

     

     

     

  • Clare Granger standing infront of her painting 'Reflections'

     

    Clare Granger's exhibition opened last night and it was wonderful to see lots of young people attending the private view.

     

    So many people love India and Clare Granger is no exception. After travelling in Rajasthan and Kerala she was captivated by the colours, atmospheres and smells. She found the experience totally overwhelming.

     

    On her first day on her recent trip, Clare found a beautiful book in Delhi, with handmade paper. This became her painter's diary and everywhere she went she sketched using watercolours, pens and pencils. It was this that became the inspiration for her exhibition 'Glimpses of India'.

     

    Clare has captured the everyday life of the Rajasthanis with such atmosphere, that even for those that have never travelled to India, it is possible to imagine exactly what it would be like.

     

    Kerala has a totally different atmosphere to Rajasthan and the backwaters are what inspired Clare and her beautiful painting 'Reflections' encapsulates this.

     

    As an artist Clare found that around every corner there was something or someone that she wanted to depict on canvas.

    The quote by Arundhati Roy "And the Air was full of Thoughts and Things to Say" completely summed it up for her.

     

    The cacophony of sounds, sights and smells was such a stimulating experience that Clare cannot wait to return to India and in particular to Rajasthan.

     

    She has painted all her life. Her mother is a painter and it was she that inspired Clare to paint and it created a wonderful bond between them.

     

    Clare read law at Cambridge but during that time she took the opportunity to sell her drawings from a little stall that she set up on King's Parade during the tourist season. This was the first time that she started to sell her work and from there she went from strength to strength but not before practising as a solicitor in York. However, it was not long before Clare realised her urge to paint was far greater and she gave up the law and took up her brushes full time instead.

     

    Clare has had several solo shows in her home county of Yorkshire but this is her first solo show in London with Cricket Fine Art.

     

     Preview evening 24 October 2017

     

     Washing in the Backwaters, Oil on Canvas, 70 x 70 cm £2,450

     

     Checking the Nets, Oil on Canvas, 70 x 70 cm £2,450

     

    Room for Two, Oil on Canvas, 70 x 60 cm £2,200

     

    To the Well, Oil on Canvas, 60 x 50 cm, £1,950

     

  • Framing Tips
    Recently we asked Zinc White framers based in Putney Bridge Road, who we have used for a number of years, to write a guest blog. This is what they had to say:-
     
    Every day we discuss framing issues with our customers, here are the five questions we are asked most frequently.
     
    1. Is it OK to put my artwork right behind the glass?
    2. Will sunlight damage my artwork?
    3. Can you make my print flat?
    4. Do I need a mount?
    5. Which is better, glass or acrylic?
     
    And our responses are usually along these lines…
     
    1. We recommend a space between the artwork and the glass. If an artwork hangs in a cool room overnight and suddenly warms in sunlight, following a blind or curtain being opened, condensation is likely to occur on the rear of the glass, transferring moisture to the artwork. Over time moisture will damage the artwork. If there's a small gap, created by a ‘spacer' around the inside of the frame, or a window mount, any condensation will slowly evaporate without damaging the artwork.
     
    2. Ultra violet light from the sun will damage some artworks over time. The canvas or linen on which oils and acrylics are painted are more prone to damage from UV than the actual paint. Most inks used in printmaking are relatively lightfast as are watercolour paints, but the papers on which they are painted can contain lignin. The cellulose in lignin oxidises in UV light and goes light brown over a long period of time. Artworks can be glazed in UV protective glass which reduces these damaging effects.
     
    3. There are two principle ways to frame a print, firstly under a window mount which holds it relatively flat around its edge, and secondly ‘floating’, whereby it lays on top of the mount card, with the edges of the artwork visible. This is called ‘floating’. A few ‘hinges’ or sticky tabs, made of acid free paper are used to hold the print in place. As the paper expands and contracts slightly in differing temperatures and levels of humidity it tends to curve very slightly around the edges. This is the best way to attach a print, as it’s reversible, so the artwork can be framed in another way in the future. It doesn’t damage the artwork. To make a print absolutely flat it has to be stuck down which is irreversible and may reduce the value of the artwork.
     
    4. As mentioned above, the mount performs two key functions, it prevents the artwork touching the glass and holds it down flat, allowing the artwork to expand and contract under the mount. The alternative to a mount is ‘floating’ as described above, or keeping the artwork in place using a narrow piece of wood, or ‘spacer’ around its edge and under the inside rim or ‘rebate’ of the frame.
     
    5. There are pros and cons of each. Visually, there's little difference, they look identical. Acrylic is lighter and less breakable than glass, good for children’s rooms and for artworks being shipped abroad. However, it’s more expensive. It normally scratches when cleaned, unless it is a scratch resistant type. It can have Anti reflective and UV protecting qualities, but this makes it very expensive. Glass is the best all round option unless there's a specific reason to use acrylic.
     
    We would like to extend a big thank you to all of the staff at Zinc White for their informative blog. Contact the teams via ian@zinc-white.co.uk or on 07967 481429 to discuss all of your framing needs and make an appointment. 
  •  

     

     Felice standing in front of Indian Summer II, Mixed Media on Canvas 150 x 150 cm

     

    Felice Hodges has lit up Cricket Fine Art in Park Walk with “Imagined Spaces,” her first solo exhibition with us. It brings together a stunning and captivating collection of her latest thought-provoking abstracts and they are proving very popular with our clients.

     

    Felice is a special talent. Robert Upstone, former head of modern British art at Tate Britain, writes in his foreword to our exhibition catalogue that her works “hover between abstraction and some mysterious, transformed poetic reality.”

     

    Robert goes on to say that the “evocative mood and atmosphere of these paintings is often suggested by subtle, ravishing harmonies of colour. Tones and colours are laid next to, or over each other, to create highly original and unexpected chromatic combinations which are also intensely beautiful.”

     

    The multi-talented Felice is not only a remarkable artist but trained as a musician and is a highly accomplished pianist. American by birth, but married to an Englishman, her home is in the beautiful Dorset countryside, just a few miles from the village of Cranborne.

     

    This is home to 10 Castle Street, a Grade II listed country house with glorious gardens that has been converted into a wonderful private members club and hotel. It is small, intimate and a peaceful haven and another perfect setting to enjoy Felice’s work, with her paintings adorning many of the reception rooms.

     

    “Imagined Spaces” opened last Tuesday evening with an extremely enjoyable and well-attended launch party. Attractive and self-effacing Felice looked divine dressed from head to toe by the designer Rick Owens based in South Audley Street.

     

    If you haven’t already had a chance to view this exhibition then this week is your last chance.

    Paris Blue, Mixed Media on Canvas 109 x 181 cm

     

     

     

  • Q and A with Karl Martens

    Karl Martens, 'Shapes and Constellations' 27th September - 7th October 2017, Cricket Fine Art London

     

    1. What is it about birds that fascinates you so much?

    It’s hard to answer as I have been painting birds all my life, so I really don’t know. But I suppose it’s their multitude of colour, shapes and personalities.

     

    2. Many of your paintings capture birds in flight. How do you capture their energy on paper?

    Various “flight angels” have different energy. So I try to find more than just a soaring flight. I look for dynamic shapes created by the placements of the wings, preferably having a nice contrast between thick and thin forms. Then they have to be painted quickly to retain the energy in the actual paint strokes.

     

    3. One of the most remarkable aspects of your work is that you paint from memory – do you ever use photographs for the detail?

    Now and then I need to reconfirm some details – generally when it comes to the face of the bird.

     

    4. One interesting feature of your birds is that your use of colour is almost suggestive as if seeing the bird from a distance. Can you explain your approach.

    I’m trying to capture the general shape of the bird, not the details – however tempting they may be. This is probably the reason for the feeling of a silhouette more than the total bird. Also, when the eye concentrates on the details of the face, the viewer will finish the details themselves.

     

    5. Why is your chosen medium watercolour?

    I am a bit lazy. I don’t like having to clean up after a day’s work. And I can use water to clean off the floor, as I splash quite a bit. Also, it does not destroy my Asian brushes that are made for water-based media.

     

    6. This exhibition has a wonderful range of birds from the Arctic Tern to the Robin. What is your favourite bird to paint?

    That is impossible for me to answer. I find new favourites all the time. The more I study a bird, the more fascinating it becomes.

     

    7. How much time did you spend studying Curlews in Flight for your remarkable painting of Curlews in this exhibition?

    Quite a bit of time. First for each individual bird, then working out how they would all work together in a composition.

     

    8. Is the most important thing for you to try and capture the character of the birds that you paint?

    Yes, I want to find an individual. Sort of like a portrait. If you look closely you’ll see that each individual bird has its own personality.

     

    9. Are there any other bird artists that you admire.

    Yes, many. Among them Dr. Chao Shao an from Hong Kong, J. F. Landsdowne from Canada and many more whose names I can’t think of just now.

     

    10. Do you think you will ever tire of painting birds or is it something that will engage you for years to come?

    I suspect I’m hooked on birds. I do paint other animals from time to time, but I don’t think I will ever give up birds.

     

    11. Many people are city dwellers and do not have the chance to see many of these wonderful birds. Do you see your paintings as almost being a record of many of these species which are struggling to survive?

    I don’t think any of the birds I have painted for this show are particularly rare. I have to admit I don’t make a point of that. And it is important to know that even in the most populated cities, there are always tons of birds. You just have to learn how to find them.

     

    12. And finally, what do you like about Cricket Fine Art?

    The enthusiasm for their artists. The cooperation between us is inspiring for me. Working together should be fun and productive for both. And it really is.

     

     

     

     

  • Last night we had the opening of Lottie Cole’s exhibition ‘Living with Art – Collectors’ Interiors'. This is the imaginative and original concept that inspires Lottie’s recent work - painting the homes of collectors as she imagines or dreams they might have looked.

     

    The warmth and richness of colours in Lottie’s paintings brighten up the gloom of these increasingly Autumnal days and it is a delight to be able to enjoy them on the gallery walls for the next ten days in Park Walk.

     

     

    Some of the paintings by famous artists that are depicted in Lottie’s works were originally in the collection of the Late Lord and Lady Attenborough.

     

    One example is the Christopher Wood in ‘Interior with Christopher Wood and Striped Sofa' (below). This was sold at Sotheby’s as part of the Attenboroughs' unrivalled collection of Modern British paintings, many of which they purchased in the early days of their marriage, making them a priority before they could even afford carpets or curtains.

     

     Watercolour, 36 x 26 cms, £950

     

    It was lovely to meet Molly Mahon, a good friend of Lottie’s, who attended the private view and who is a fabric and wallpaper designer. Also in attendance was Lottie’s husband Graham Haworth, who is one of the Founding Directors of Haworth Tompkins Architects, who have led projects for the National Portrait Gallery, the Victoria and Albert Museum and the London Library amongst others.

     

    Lottie's work is instantly recognisable and quite unique and would be an asset to any collection.

     

    The exhibition continues until 23rd September 2017.

     

     

    (Left) Jamaican Villa Interior with Madeline Hewes, OOC, 150 x 120 cms, £5,800

    (Right) Ben Nicholson, Lamp, Vase and Hyacinth Bulbs, OOC, 100 x 100 cms, £4,200

     

    Interior with Winifred Nicholson, Ivon Hitchens and Roger Hilton, OOC, 100 x 100 cms, £4,200

     

    (Left) Interior with De Chrico and Dismorr, OOC, 150 x 120 cms, £5,800

    (Right) Interior with Keith Vaughan, David Hockney, Prunella Clough, Janet Leach, Bernard Leach, OOC, 120 x 150 cms, £5,800

     

  • Jenny in her Studio

     

    One of my most enjoyable Summer mornings was spent visiting Jenny Lock who lives close to me in West Sussex.

     

    I eventually found Jenny’s delightful cottage tucked away in her seaside hometown and was told to go through a gate where, at the bottom of the garden, the warm hearted and diminuitive artist with a huge talent was painting in her studio. This is a cosy shed full of works in progress and canvases stacked on racks.

     

    I immediately felt cocooned and at home surrounded by her wonderful paintings.  Her soft warm palettes and cohesive shapes create works of art that are harmonious and calm. The sea is a constant source of inspiration to Jenny with the ever-changing light and the rich and varied textures of the coastline.

     

    Some believe that the ocean has a calming effect on the human brain. ... Breaking waves, shimmering blue waters and an endless horizon universally attract people seeking calm and renewal and it was this that I found in Jenny’s paintings and which made me want to own every one of them!

     

    We are now representing Jenny in our gallery in Park Walk and have a lovely selection of her work available.

     

     

     

    Jenny Lock
    Side by Side
    Signed
    Oil and mixed media on canvas
    11 3/4 x 11 3/4 in
    30 x 30 cms
    £ 1,250.00

     

     

     

     

    Jenny Lock
    Lets Keep it Between Us
    Signed
    Oil and graphite on canvas
    11 3/4 x 11 3/4 in
    30 x 30 cms
    £ 1,250.00

     

     

    Jenny Lock
    Summer at Last
    Signed
    Oil on Canvas
    7 7/8 x 7 7/8 in
    20 x 20 cms
    £ 750.00

     

    Jenny Lock
    Bottle and Tray on White Tablecloth
    Signed
    33 1/8 x 33 1/8 in
    84 x 84 cms
    £4,800.00

     

     

     

     

     

  • Questions and Answers with Lottie Cole

    Lottie Cole Solo Exhibition 'Living with Art - Collectors' Interiors' at Cricket Fine Art, London, 12th - 23rd September 2017

     

     

    Interior with Frank Brangwyn and Anne Redpath

    Watercolour, 42 x 30 cms

    £1,100

     

    1.  When and how did your interest in Charleston and the Bloomsbury set first start?
    I grew up in Sussex so I can't remember when I didn't know about Charleston.  But when I visited Monk's House it was so similar in feel and smell to my Grandparent's Sussex home - I think that's when the fascination really took hold.

    2.  What gave you the idea for your forthcoming exhibition?

    I realised in painting the pictures of the Bloomsbury homes that one of the things I'd found most fascinating was how much I learnt by painting other people's paintings and it grew from there.

    3.  Are you particularly interested in Modern British Art?

    Yes

    4.  As a mother of young children how do you find the time and discipline to paint and hold down a job as well?

    I think everyone in my family recognises that I'm a nicer, saner person if I paint and quite often my daughter paints alongside me.   My job is very different to painting and it means that I'm always almost desperate to grab my paint brush as soon as I can.
     
    5..  Is the interior of your own home inspired by the interiors that you see and paint?

    There's a cross over but I've never found my own home as inspiring and interesting as those of other people.

    6.  How long does a painting take you to complete?

    Sometimes it's about a month, but quite often it can be up to six months.  

    7. Does the idea of a solo exhibition make you nervous and in which case which particular factor prays on your mind?

    I really enjoy painting and in general I'm pleased to have done the work.  Wondering if anyone will like the pictures is a constant worry but in some ways I feel a bit resigned about that as they are what they are - so I just have to keep my fingers crossed and hope for the best!

    8. Who are your biggest supporters?

    My husband, mother and daughter are great supporters. And my friends and colleagues too. And I've been very lucky that Leslie Pratt has really encouraged me over the years.
     
    9. Where would you like to be in ten years time with regards to your career as an artist?

    In my wildest dreams I'd really like to have a show at Pallant House or the Towner.

     

     

    Interior near the British Museum with Peter Haigh and Ancient Chinese Figurines

    Oil on Canvas, 150 x 120 cms

    £5,800

     

    Interior with Winifred Nicholson, Ivon Hitchens and Roger Hilton

    Oil on Canvas, 100 x 100 cms

    £4,200

     

     

    Interior with Kathleen Guthrie, Christopher Wood and Peter Haigh

    Oil on Canvas

    100 x 100 cms

    £4,200

     

    The catalogue for Lottie Cole's forthcoming exhibition can be viewed on http://www.cricketfineart.co.uk/publications/

     

     

     

  • We are delighted to have taken on five new artists:- Keith Purser, Pamela Burns, Mari French, Paul Armitage and Jenny Lock.

     

    KEITH PURSER balances two very different styles in his landscape paintings, one figurative and the other abstract. As an abstract painter, Purser breaks down the sea and shore into amities of colour, form and texture. This artwork is about shitfting weather and changing moods of the coast.

    Keith Purser
    A New Day 2010 (framed)
    Signed
    Mixed media on board
    12 1/4 x 39 3/8 in
    31 x 100 cms
     
    PAMELA BURNS paints both landscapes and seascapes which are both rendered down into distinct abstract elements: colour, form and surface pattern with pale thin lines. With her seascapes her eye is always drawn back to the shore, to the point where the land melts into the sea.
    Pamela Burns
    Redstone Shore I (Unframed), 2015
    Signed
    Oil and marble dust on canvas
    9 1/2 x 16 3/4 in
    24 x 42.5 cms
     
    MARI FRENCH'S inspiration for her energetic, yet intimate artworks, range from the wild expanse of the Norfolk saltmarsh coast to the light-filled stretches of the Venetian lagoon. Her artworks are a culmination of experimentation with a variety of media: acrylics, oil pastel, ink, etc – an unpredictable and exciting process resulting in a distillation of her experience and an expressive, atmospheric evocation of place.
    Mari French
    Charged with Light
    Signed
    17 3/8 x 21 5/8 in
    44 x 55 cms
     
    PAUL ARMITAGE paints in oil on prepared board. His images are created through the interplay of collage and loosely handled oil paint, between structure and impulse. Images will eventually suggest a particular place or a feeling associated with it. It is then that they can be named.
    Paul Armitage
    Bejowans
    SIgned
    Mixed media on board
    16 1/8 x 21 1/4 in
    41 x 54 cms
     
    JENNY LOCK lives a stone's throw from the sea. The ever-changing light and the rich and varied textures of the coastline are an important influence on her work. Although she draws constantly she prefers to paint intuitively, working directly onto the canvas, allowing the paintings to emerge from a frenzied and chaotic fusion of line, colour and shapes. The process continues with erasing, scratching and gestural mark making until the desired composition and balance is achieved.
    Jenny Lock
    In the Pink
    Signed
    Oil on Canvas
    7 7/8 x 7 7/8 in
    20 x 20 cms
     
     
     
  •  

     

     

    Chloe Lamb (Right) at the Opening of her exhibition with Jane Prenn and Hugo Pratt

     

    On the eve of the opening of Chloe Lamb's final solo exhibition at Cricket Fine Art, I had the chance to sit down with her and ask her how she started painting and the techniques she uses.

     

    Something that I was not aware of is that she began painting commissions of friends dogs. Then she held three of her own exhibitions of figurative work between 1995 and 1998 before joining Leslie Pratt, the owner of Cricket Fine Art.

     

    There are many artists that Chloe admires and the first that sprang to her mind were Richard Diebenkorn, Matisse and Ivon Hitchens.

     

    I asked Chloe when her work started to become more abstract and it was in 1999 when she started studying with Robin Child. "I love abstract painting and much prefer it to a more figurative approach," she said.

     

    Chloe always paints for herself and never knows what shape a painting might take. In an ideal world she would paint five days a week, but this is not always possible. If she is out of her studio for too long she says she gets twitchy and yearns to start work again.

     

    "I am very selective and will leave canvases hanging for ages until I am completely satisfied that they are finished and I am happy with the end product," she said.

     

    Each canvas is built up with layers of paint with a minimum amount of four layers. If one area of a painting doesn't work Chloe repaints the whole canvas rather than just that particular bit.

     

    Large canvases are painted as a whole, not area by area. "I love painting on a large scale and paint with long-handled brushes which measure 17 inches, including the bristles,". These brushes are used even on her smaller works.

     

    Chloe enjoys doing flower pictures although she does not produce that many and often, if she thinks they don't look right, she turns them into an abstract piece.

     

    She always has music or the radio playing in the background of her studio: "I don't necessarily listen to what is being said though," she remarked.

     

    Chloe seems to be charmingly unaware that other artists are influenced by her work but said she finds that other artists are always very supportive and kind.

     

    Even though she gets a little apprehensive prior to exhibitions, Chloe is ambitious and does not shy away from new challenges. She explained why she has decided to move on: "I feel so comfortable with Cricket Fine Art but thought I should stretch myself further; without ambition one cannot be successful."

     

    We will miss you Chloe.

  • Chloe Lamb in her studio

     

    Last week was a busy one at Cricket Fine Art and as a result my blog slipped throught the net.

     

    Chloe Lamb's paintings arrived in the gallery for her final solo show with us and we wanted to get them hung as soon as possible. There is great interest in them from our clients hoping to buy their last Chloe work from us, before she moves to her new gallery in the West End, where her prices are sure to rise.

     

    This is a wonderful collection of paintings and, as always, they are even more breathtaking when seen in the flesh. Many have already sold but there are still more to go. For those of you with a large amount of wall space to fill there are some extra large beauties available.

     

    'Sorbet', 60 x 60 inches is absolutely stunning with a blend of joyous colours softly merging. Another one in the same category is Circus which is 72 x 60 inches an uplifting melee of colour bristling with energy and vitality. For any house or flat with a wall begging to be filled, these would be the absolute icing on the cake and create the 'wow factor' - a phrase so beloved of estate agents.

     

    Of course we are very sad to be losing sole representation of Chloe's work in London but we hope that we will be including her in our twice- yearly mixed exhibitions at our new gallery in Hungerford which is doing great business in its opening months.

     

    But at Cricket we are always looking for new challenges and new talents and we have some exciting new artists that we are taking on. In a couple of weeks time I will include some images of their work and tell you a bit more about who they are.

     Sorbet, Oil on Canvas, 60 x 60 inches, £18,500

     

     

    Circus, Oil on Canvas, 72 x 60 inches, £22,000

     

     

     

     

    December Flowers, Oil on Canvas, 40 x 40 inches, £9,000

  •  

    Annabel Fairfax in her Studio

     

     David Pearce - A room with a View

     

     

     Emma Haggas enjoying a drink at The Goat after a visit to the gallery where earlier in the day .......

     

     Lucy Watson and Her Sister from Made in Chelsea were being filmed

     

    We all love to know a bit about the artists we are interested in so here are some questions I asked the three who are currently exhibiting in our exhibition 'In Bloom' :-

     

    1. When was your first success as an artist?

    ANNABEL FAIRFAX - "Blue Peter aged 8, I made a woollen Rabbit and had my name read out on television!  Also I was runner up in The Independent Schools Art Competition aged 11."

    DAVID PEARCE - "My first one man show in 1993 at the Salthouse Gallery St Ives."

    EMMA HAGGAS - "My first solo show in 1992 in Walton Street which sold out in one week."

     

    2. Lots of people paint but what or who gave you the confidence to become a full time artist?

    ANNABEL FAIRFAX - "My first teacher called Mrs Sutton at Fairstead House School in Newmarket and much later, Alexandra Williams, who gave me my first Exhibition of watercolours and Julie Cameron and Sally Poltimore who sold my first Oil painting at the Lennox Gallery."

    DAVID PEARCE - "My art teacher from school - Mr Austin."

    EMMA HAGGAS - "Back up from family and friends, particularly my husband and former A level pupils that I taught."

     

    3. Do you discard, paint over, or tear up many paintings?

    ANNABEL FAIRFAX - "I do discard paintings but often go back to them much later,  I sand them down and I find the under painting can be very exciting."

    DAVID PEARCE - "I paint over a few, but most will be completed, some over many months or even years."

    EMMA HAGGAS - "I paint over a lot."

     

    4. Do you ever get painter’s block?

    ANNABEL FAIRFAX - "Yes I do get painter’s block and need to be very disciplined to work at times."

    DAVID PEARCE - "No you just have to get in the studio and paint, sometimes you can go for weeks though before resolving anything."
    EMMA HAGGAS - "No."

     

    5. Who is/are your biggest influence(s)?

    ANNABEL FAIRFAX - "Anne Redpath, Elizabeth Blackadder Ivon Hitchens and Patrick Heron."

    DAVID PEARCE - "Roger Hilton and Roy Oxlade."
    EMMA HAGGAS - "Robin Child."

     

    6. What inspires your subject matter?

    ANNABEL FAIRFAX - "I love shape, colour, texture, plants and fabrics."

    DAVID PEARCE - "The subject is one of the least important aspects of my paintings, it's not what I paint it's how and why."
    EMMA HAGGAS - "Living in the beautiful Wiltshire countryside and Cornish seascapes."

     

    7. Do you find painting therapeutic?

    ANNABEL FAIRFAX - " Yes and very hard work. It is definitely therapeutic to concentrate."

    DAVID PEARCE - "No I find it very frustrating but I feel driven to create."

    EMMA HAGGAS - "It is a passion and a need and I feel totally energised by it. The only time I have been unable to paint is when I have been unhappy due to the loss of loved ones."

     

    8. What do you like about Cricket Fine Art?

    ANNABEL FAIRFAX - "The palettes of a lot of the paintings are beautiful and I love Contemporary Art so I am lucky to hang in the company of some very talented Artists."

    DAVID PEARCE - "The relaxed atmosphere."

    EMMA HAGGAS - "Having a wide audience to see my work progressing."

     

    One additional little snippet that many of you may be interested to learn is that the premises in Park Walk occupied by Jonathan Clark Fine Art for 30 years is soon to be occupied by a Wedding Dress Designer. Cricket Fine Art is always happy to have a wedding list for brides and bridegrooms.

  • Ken Howard, full of smiles, arriving at the Private View

     

    With London in bloom at the Chelsea Flower Show from 23 - 27 May, Cricket Fine Art in Park Walk is also 'In Bloom' 16 - 27 May with a stunning collection of flower paintings by Annabel Fairfax, David Pearce and Emma Haggas.

     

    The exhibition opened with a Private View last night and a huge amount of people attended including the delightful Ken Howard, one of the legendary members of the  New English Art Club, which was founded by a group of artists dissatisfied with the entrenched attitudes of the Royal Academy, the group mounted their first show in 1886 and work included paintings by Clausen, Sickert and Stanhope Forbes. The New English increasingly attracted younger artists, bringing with them the influence of Impressionism and Post-Impressionism. Many diverse styles of art have developed since its founding, adding richness and variety.

     

    It was a great compliment to our artists that Ken Howard attended and admired their work. We in turn loved his shoes which were as colourful as the paintings on the walls.

     

    David Pearce's quirky interpretations of still life and landscape painting make a wonderful contrast to the energetic and colourful floral displays by Annabel Fairfax and Emma Haggas. If you are searching for a special painting to give any room in your house a lift this exhibition is definitely worth viewing.

     

     

    Emma Haggas (left) and Annabel Fairfax (right) greeting guests

     

     

    Annabel Fairfax, Leaves and Pots II, Oil, 49 x 74 cm

     

     

    David Pearce, Stickback Chairs, Acrylic, 76 x 61 cm

     

     

    Emma Haggas, Kitchen Window Sill, Oil, 70 x 140 cm

     

  • Our Frank Phelan exhibition in our London gallery comes to an end this Saturday 6th May so if you haven't already seen it do try and come. We will of course retain the unsold paintings in the gallery after the show has ended.

     

    This week has been an incredibly busy week getting our new gallery in Hungerford ready for the big opening in Barrs Yard which takes place tomorrow. The decorators and carpet layers have just moved out but despite that paintings are already selling.  

     

    Also based at Barrs Yard there will be other small businesses to tempt you such as:-

    Garden Art

    Grapesmith

    Honesty

    Jax Jeans

    Wendy Lewis Flowers

    The Generous Gardener

     

    There is plenty of parking and if you happen to find yourself in the Hungerford area tomorrow evening 5th May between 6 - 9 pm do please come and celebrate with us, failing that we will look forward to seeing you either, in our gallery in London, or Hungerford, if more convenient, at a later date.

     

    Cricket Fine Art, Hungerford

     

    Cricket Fine Art, Hungerford

     

  • Frank Phelan Exhibition 25th April - 6th May 2017 'From Past to Present'

    We are delighted to be holding our first exhibition of paintings by the renowned Irish artist Frank Phelan b. 1932.

    Frank is an abstract artist whose painting is a process of transformation in which he converts what he sees into equivalent colours, forms and spaces.

     

    Despite being over eighty years old his present paintings are still as full of youthful zest and vigour as ones from the past. When great artists such as Anne Martin come and admire his work there is no doubt that we are lucky to have the honour of showing such a master in his field.

     

    Last night we held a Private View for Frank with a strong Irish contingency present, though surprisingly we have never had so much water drunk. It was a pleasure to meet Frank's brother Brian, an actor and writer, and Donal Gallagher, brother of the late Rory Gallagher who, for those of us old enough to remember, was a massively popular Irish Blues and rock multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and bandleader who was at his most prolific in the 1970s.

     

    Don't miss out on this exhibition.

     

     

     

     

     

    Frank Phelan and 'Yellow Bird II'

     

     

    'Botallack', Oil and Graphie 76 x 51 cm