Home Is Where The Art Is

If you are an artist, a lover of art then I hope that I can inspire you to do what you love.

Saturday 13 September 2014

Can You Be Over Inspired?

The start of an idea.
Do you think it is possible to have too many creative ideas?

I have talked in the past about ways to overcome the artists block that we have all encountered at points.
What about the exact opposite?

What if your head is so full of ideas that the biggest frustration is lack of time? Has this happened to you?

At the moment I have about 5 completely different pieces of work on the go plus about 10 that are on the back burner.

For me some of the most important preparation that I do consists of assembling all the disparate materials before I can do anything. This can be quite time consuming especially when the envisaged piece is quite big and requires several different kinds of object.

It takes me time assimilate exactly what my intention is, in fact sometimes it's someone else who gets where I am heading before I do.

I should add here that the presentation is absolutely key in most of my work. I know exactly how it needs to be framed before I have made the piece.

Here's a good example of what I mean, sorry about the rubbish photograph but it is just to illustrate a point really.

Even as I write I am thinking that I need to probably do a drawing to help clarify my intention. Who knows I might do that, I might not.

What is your process? I am intrigued by how other artists work and which comes first. Please leave a comment about how you start a new piece. Then hopefully the discussion can be continued in further blogs with your input.

Have a great weekend! Be creative!



Thursday 11 September 2014

About Nick Harris


NICK HARRIS (NICK HAIS)

INFORMATION
Nick is known as Nick Hais in a wider art world of galleries and art fairs - but in Swanage he is still Nick Harris. At first viewing his paintings may seem to be purely figurative, but, in fact, they are based on a non-representational compositional preoccupation with line, shape and colour pictorial geometry. Interestingly, Nick's student and early work was fully abstract (non-figurative). The paintings are artificial constructions, where the non-figurative abstract qualities are the artist's primary creative concern. This combining of colours and shapes in structured compositions is what makes painting exciting to the artist and, it is hoped, makes looking at the paintings exciting to the viewer as well.
 STATEMENT
'Although I have come to the conclusion, after many years thought, that the less said about painting the better I will, nevertheless, point out that I have always enjoyed the brilliance of rich and vibrant light which, when reflected, creates living shadows. I use this quality as it relates to objects and scenes which display inherent geometries, such as buildings and boats. The paintings often depict small parts of larger scenes or objects, allowing me to concentrate attention on line, shape and colour patterns, rhythms and balances, to create pictorial geometries. In particular I often utilise highly resonant and organised colour relationships. The result is that my paintings are structured compositions of enhanced clarity. The paintings are built up in layers of thin paint. This means that they develop slowly, as this way of painting requires precision and time.'             

   NH - 2014

Tuesday 9 September 2014

Changes Are Afoot!

Sharon James

It's been a while I know and there is a good reason for that. I have been thinking and thinking takes me a long time as I like to do it properly.
I started this blog to document my passage of progress of transformation from the bike shop to a gallery, then a gallery owner and I thank all that have stayed with me through that.

Of late I have found that the commitment of finding new content and the time to write my blog has been difficult. The truth is, it is time for my blog to evolve. I feel that I have probably gone as far as I can go with the blog in its former guise so now I am going to use it to discuss the challenges and successes that I have as an artist and a gallery owner.

I have selflessly promoted the artists that I show at the gallery and I will continue to do this on a smaller scale on various forums including here at the beginning of each new show.

That will be all though, I will be using my blog to hopefully interact with other artists and share my work with you and also I will be inviting you to get more involved if you would like to.

I am attempting to fall back in love with the experience of writing my blog. I hope that you will enjoy what I have to say too.

I will be giving some online masterclasses in useful subjects still as I know they were particularly popular.

I am excited about sharing all of my new projects with you via my blog. Trust me there are loads, as my work is also evolving into something new.

Tomorrow will be dedicated to the work of Nick Harris who is currently on show at the gallery and then it's over to me, my work and my inspirations. Hopefully you and yours too.