Category: My Blog

It feels so good that the Art Fairs are now returning and life is slowly getting back to normal after these testing times. Lambeth Open was an absolute joy and then two weeks later I will be exhibiting at the Teddington Landmark Autumn Art Fair from Friday 15th to Sunday 17th October. Bit like waiting for a bus, they all come at once. You will find me at my usual stand number 58 which you will find near the beginning of your tour round the show.

The exhibition is open 1pm to 8pm on Friday and then 10am to 4pm Saturday and Sunday. If you have never been before, the Landmark Arts Centre is housed in an impressively large Victorian Church near the banks of the River Thames. This is a lovely area to visit and well worth the trip. There is free parking in neighbouring roads, or it’s an eleven minute walk from Teddington Station. Hope to see you later.

Thanks to everyone who came to our last open studios at Carlew House in West Norwood. It was a fitting end to an era with probably the most amount of visitors we have ever had over the Lambeth Open weekend.

I have been there for around ten years now and it will be a wrench to leave, but we have no other choice. The sad fact is that property developers have more clout than us artists and studio space is becoming more and more difficult to find, and increasingly expensive as well. This is probably why so many artists are being forced out of the Capital.

Hopefully I have a solution, and fingers crossed it all come off otherwise I will have to stop painting and printing. More news later.

Sadly our time at Carlew House is coming to an end so we’re having a bit of a clear out during this weekend’s Lambeth Open 2021. Lots to see and loads of bargains to be had.

You are also invited to my Private View on Friday evening 6:30pm to 9pm, or pop along during the weekend 10am to 6pm. It would be lovely to see you.

Other artists exhibiting will be Martin Grover, Yair Meshoulam, Jane Miller, Mary Rodriguez and Paul Savage. Examples of all our work can be seen on the Lambeth Open web page.

Click on the image below to download the event’s leaflet…

Great news that we can again open our studios for this year’s annual Lambeth Open event. This will be our last showing at Carlew House because unfortunately the building’s lease is coming to an end and the new owners want us out. Such a shame and somewhere I am going to miss very much after ten years. Affordable studio space in London is becoming pretty much impossible to find which does not bode well for the capital’s creative community or events such as this. Fingers crossed something turns up!

Fresh out of the trap, and off the easel, is Rupert the Lurcher greyhound cross. I always like to paint any hound in profile to accentuate their wonderful streamline silhouette. Also, as much as you try and tempt them with food to look at the camera, they are always far more interested in looking out for a squirrel to chase. Particularly challenging in this painting was the diamanté collar which, after a lot of effort, I was rather pleased with.

How good are you at recognising dog breeds? To test your knowledge here is a little competition, all you have to do is guess which these are. The winner will be drawn from correct entrants at the end of the month and will win a print of Smudge the Westie. Good luck.

Urban Art is going virtual again this year due to the current social distancing rules, so please go online and browse their amazing display of work from a wonderful range of artists.

It’s been a tough year for everyone, but especially the creative community who have been devastated by the economic uncertainty and lack of exhibition opportunities. This is a great opportunity to give something back and also put something nice on you wall.

My latest commission has been a portrait of Marcel the French Bulldog who lived in Battersea.

The French Bulldog actually originates back to a British dwarf Bulldog known as the Toy Bulldog in the 1850s which were popular with Nottingham lace makers. Threatened by redundancy in the Industrial Revolution these workers emigrated to France where they bred with other short-faced breeds and after three decades a new breed known as the French Bulldog had evolved.

Recognisable for their large ‘Bat Ears’ and lovable clownish faces they soon became fashionable in artistic Parisian society and portrayed by artists of the day including Degas and Toulouse Lautrec.

The return of the breed to Britain in the last years of the 19th Century brought some antagonism from the traditionalists, but in 1902 the French Bulldog Club of England was formed. In 1906 the Kennel Club gave official recognition to the breed. These dogs are often kept as companions and are known for their patient and affectionate nature. They can live with other breeds and rarely bark. As they are human oriented dogs this makes them on the easier side to train, even though they do have tendencies to be stubborn.

Today they remain a popular breed globally with many celebrity owners which ironically include Snoop Dogg. Other famous owners include Reese Witherspoon, Hugh Jackman, Lady Gaga, Leonardo Dicaprio, David Beckham and Madonna.