Artists & Illustrators May 2023 - Sample Issue

Exhibitions

THE BEST ART SHOWS TO VISIT FROM APRIL ONWARDS

ANNE REDPATH AND HER CIRCLE

20 May to 8 October 2023

This exhibition is the rst dedicated UK show of the life and art of Anne Redpath (1896-1965) for 15 years. Redpath was one of Scotland’s nest mid-20th century artists, whose formative years were spent in Edinburgh but mainly in the south of France where she painted alongside Scottish colourists Samuel Peploe and Leslie Hunter. Characterised by an abiding passion for colour in their

art, the group – consisting of William Gillies, John Maxwell and Sir William MacTaggart – were recognised both in London and Scotland as cutting-edge transformers of traditional genres.  Her work from the late 1950s responds to Abstract Expressionism in the free and expressive handling of paint. Works by fellow Edinburgh School artists will hang alongside Redpath’s.  The Granary Gallery, Berwick-uponTweed TD15 1ES  thegranarygallery.co.uk

MOHAMMED SAMI: THE POINT 0

Until 28 May 2023

This landmark exhibition will include a series of major new paintings and will be accompanied by the rst dedicated monograph on artist Mohammed Sami, designed by Fraser Muggeridge Studio. It is Sami’s  rst institutional solo exhibition in the UK. The Point 0 will be on view at the Camden Art Centre and has been organised in collaboration with De La Warr Pavilion in East Sussex, where it will be on view from June 10 to September 3, 2023.

Camden Art Centre, Arkwright Rd, London NW3 6DG luhringaugustine.com

100 YEARS OF NORMAN THELWELL

Until 7 May 2023

National Trust’s Mottisfont celebrates the legacy of one of Britain’s best-loved cartoonists and illustrators, Norman Thelwell, in his centenary year. 100 Years of Norman Thelwell features over 150 works, including his trademark ponies and other illustrations full of comedy and sharp satire, alongside glorious watercolours of landscapes in and around Hampshire, where Thelwell lived.  Mottisfont Lane, Romsey SO51 0LP nationaltrust.org.uk

ESSENCE OF NATURE: PRE - RAPHAELITES TO BRITISH IMPRESSIONISTS

27 May to 14 October 2023

This signi cant exhibition traces radically di erent approaches to landscape painting, starting with the Pre-Raphaelites’ ideal of ‘truth to nature,’ represented by such artists as William Holman Hunt, John Ruskin and William Dyce.  Laing Art Gallery, New Bridge Street West, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 8AG laingartgallery.org.uk

THIS FRAGILE EARTH:

PIONEERING SCOTTISH ARTISTS WHO ANTICIPATED THE CLIMATE CRISIS

4 April to 31 May 2023

This breakthrough exhibition by the Fleming Collection of Scottish art, staged in the sublime Coventry Cathedral, focuses on a group of veteran artists who were ahead of their time in responding to the threat of climate change. Until now, these artists have never been perceived as a group with common artistic goals. Only when reviewing their distinctive individual careers does a common thread appear, which is their shared response to the beauty and fragility of the planet, often expressed as early as the 1970s.

Coventry Cathedral, Priory Street, Coventry CV1 5AB emingcollection.com

THE ART OF PAINTING –DIFFERENT REALITIES

7 to 18 April 2023

If you take a stroll through Upton Country Park and then make a detour to the Gallery Upstairs, above the Tea rooms, you will discover a vibrant exhibition of striking paintings by two distinctly di erent Dorset artists. Full-time abstract painter Sarah McDonald is known for her lively acrylic works and collages, while Pamela Marshall’s paintings are representational, full of light and colour, and often painted en plein air. All work shown in The Art of Paiting – Di erent Realities is for sale, including a selection of greeting cards, so there’s something for every pocket.

The Gallery Upstairs, Poole BH17 7BJ     thegalleryupstairs.org.uk

JAMES MORRISON, ARCTIC MURAL, 1995, OIL ON BOARD. COURTESY OF THE FLEMING COLLECTION AND THE ARTIST’S ESTATE

We present...

MARTI HALL

An abstract artist who found her way through botanical art

Marti Hall was always surrounded by art in one way or another. Whether it was from her father creating huge paper sculptures or her art teacher who went to school with John Lennon; it was inevitable that art would be a major factor in her life.

“I have a photo of me, aged four, painting at an easel and looking terribly earnest. Art school was a bit of a disaster as, at the time, conceptual art was very much the thing and painting de nitely wasn’t. Any smattering of ability I thought I had, seemed irrelevant. So, I buried myself in the depths of the sculpture department. I emerged clutching a Fine Art degree and happily became an art teacher.”

She went on to do an MA in Art History and two courses in Botanical Art. Why botanical art? “It’s a hugely disciplined process based on minute observation and precise technique. My husband’s also a keen gardener and we have a large garden full of trees, owers and vegetables; I was never short of inspiration.

“Now, working in such an abstract and loose style probably seems like a massive leap from botanical art but to me, it makes sense. I proved to myself that I could produce highly detailed paintings, but I wanted to work in a much more intuitive manner. Making non- gurative paintings that coalesce compositionally is particularly challenging. It’s always tempting to be seduced by the familiar, but that is not where I want to go.”

This doesn’t mean that Marti’s paintings are without reference or resonance. She usually has a sense of place or sensation that she begins with. “I dream a lot but it’s quite hard to remember the details. I’m interested in the moment when rst waking, fragments of the dream oat in and out of focus and you are left with a comforting yet disturbing feeling.” portfolio.artistsandillustrators.co.uk/MartiHall

As in a Dream, mixed media, 60x60cm

Summer

Autumn Flora, watercolour, 30x40cm

Riots, mixed media, 40x40cm

Safe Haven, mixed media, 40x40cm

Jessica Brilli

Boston-based oil painter JESSICA BRILLI takes inspiration from old photographs, whilst her style is influenced by her childhood and earlier work as a graphic designer. Niki Browes finds out more

Growing up in the 80s in long island, about an hour from New York city, Jessica Brilli and her brother never failed to get excited when their father brought home yet another new car. In the automobile business, the upmarket dealers he worked for would regularly give the sales guys company cars and – keen for them to get to know what they were selling – the replacements would come in thick and fast. Back then, car

culture in Long Island was a big thing; driveways were lled with VW Rabbits, Buick Electras and cadillacs. Today, Jessica feels it must have had a subconscious e ect on her art as they are a subject she nds herself revisiting often. But it’s not just cars. Meticulously manicured lawns, inviting neighbour’s pools, bouffant hair dos and 1960s architecture; all staples of her childhood are also ever present, scenes that are also distinctive because of her use of large expanses of vivid colour. ▸

Betty’s Visit, acrylic and oil on canvas, 76.2x101.6cm

Bloomin’ marvellous

FATIMA’S MATERIALS

Acrylic paint

Liquitex heavy body acrylic:

Ultramarine Blue, Brilliant Purple, Light Blue

Permanent, Brilliant Yellow Green, Cadmium Yellow, Cadmium Red, Alizarin Crimson, Raw Sienna and Medium Magenta.

System3 acrylic:

Cobalt Blue, Fluorescent Pink, Titanium White Support

Medium grain cotton duck canvas (unprimed) on a Belle Arti stretcher frame of 25.6x30cm

Multidisciplinary artist FATIMA PANTOJA paints a vase of her favourite flowers in acrylic. Here’s how

Tools

Glue spreaders, old cards cut to di erent sizes, Rgm palette knife no.20 and no.1, M ixed media paper for stencilling, Princeton catalyst blade (silicon) no 2, Blue 15mm

Princeton catalyst blade (silicon) no. 6, White 15mm

Daler-Rowney graduate round brush no 6, Daler-Rowney graduate lbert brush no 6

Primer

Liquitex professional clear gesso primer

Still lifes are one of my favourite subjects, particularly if they have fresh owers in them as they change session after session, adding a sense of urgency to a subject that is often static. Due to their bright colours, da odils are my absolute favourite to paint. They o er a subtle variation of yellows and greens that will slowly change towards di erent shades of gorgeous ochres and siennas as they dry out while I paint them. For this painting, I placed them in a glass vase with water so I can play with the sense of transparency which is always interesting.

For me, the process of painting using a still life as a reference starts long before the brush touches the canvas. I need to consider the composition, play with the arranging of the

da odils to create some sort of rhythm within the painting, decide on the background colour, try di erent vases and of course, the light. Everything will contribute to the overall feel of the piece and lay the foundation for a conversation between me and the subject, which will ultimately in uence the nal result.

Still lifes o er every single opportunity to step out of my comfort zone, push boundaries and be playful. Unlike portraits or gures, a still life usually provides more exibility and room for experimentation as no likeness is required. They are the perfect ground to try new techniques and tools with freedom and fresh owers will always add up to the challenge as they are not permanent.

Instagram:

@fatimapantoja.artist ▶

Picture this

Portraiture is a new journey for me; I am hoping to add this genre to my portfolio focussing on the beauty of overlooked wild owers or castaway antique treasures I have collected over the years. I have always had a love for wild owers, articles of the past and the great master painters, and feel this has been woven into my artwork.   My great niece’s personality was my inspiration for Innocence at Dawn I tried to capture that slight smirk and tilt of the head which is so subtle but spoke so profoundly. I hope this painting’s essence captures the

DRAKE OWENS

viewers’ attention as much as it did mine, and they are drawn in by these little subtleties and question what she might be thinking. She is so inquisitive and expressive, already showing signs that she too, is an artist. She visits every summer and when I look at this, I think of us in my studio going through all my vintage children’s clothing, playing dress up, and ultimately deciding on this dress from the turn of the century. As she stood there, I wondered if the little girl before her had as big a personality as she does. carmendrake neart.com ▫

In every issue, we ask an artist to tell us about a piece of work that holds significance to them. This month, we speak to North Carolina-based oil painter CARMEN

Innocence at Dawn, oil on linen panel, 20.3x25.4cm