The OC Arts Blog

Exhibition: Moors and Moonlight (23rd August)

2008-08-05T21:28:00.002+01:00

I have a solo exhibition of landscape paintings called "Moors and Moonlight"
at the Derwent Gallery, Grindleford from August 23rd to September 27th.
www.derwentgallery.com

There will be over 20 paintings on exhibition (and available for sale)
Three samples below.

Storm over Stanage (30x20 inch) - £499

Moon Study #2 (24x24 inch) - £499

What I'm working on

2008-07-07T21:45:00.000+01:00

As yet unnamed diptych (hence the line down the centre)

Just finished this one tonight. This canvas has been sneering at me for a month and has undergone drastic changes! Tonight in a frenzied attack with the pallete knife and fingers, its come together, sometimes extreme circumstances turn out well :-)

The Bullet

2008-06-21T09:02:00.003+01:00

The Summer Issue of our magazine The Bullet features a glimpse at the portfolio of the accomplished Artist & Poet John Lyons, an interview with Singaporean Artist & Sculptor Geetha Alagirisamy, a stroll through Cambridge with Photographers Sioned Eleri & Neil Graham-Cameron and an introduction to 'The Drowned Daisy Project', the new multi-discipline, theme-based project.

Click here to get your free download now.

Quotation for the day

2008-06-21T09:00:00.000+01:00

I’m a terrible cook, but if I could cook, I would see that as art as well, it’s how much creative energy you put into something.

Tracey Emin (1963-)

Forthcoming Needhams Programme

2008-06-21T08:45:00.005+01:00

We have some wonderful exhibitions planned at Needhams for the remainder of 2008, including solo exhibitions by the brilliant Cheshire-based Artist David Boardman, an exhibition of photography by the Cambridgeshire-based duo Neil Graham-Cameron & Sioned Eleri and 'Reality Bites', the forthcoming group show of abstract paintings by Jean Picton, Hannah Biggs, Mike Bell, Craig Kerrecoe and Geetha Alagirisamy. We are also hoping to feature a solo by another of OC's most popular Artists too. More details to follow....

Emin 'Car Art' Update

2008-06-19T14:52:00.004+01:00

Tracey Emin's 'car art' escapades continue unabated- her latest Fiat 500 (one of four) sold at the giddying height of £200,000 at auction recently. Nice work if you can get it.....

Summer Exhibition At Needhams

2008-06-19T14:49:00.002+01:00

Postcards From A Friend

2008-06-19T14:47:00.002+01:00

The Carpenters Arms News

2008-06-19T14:39:00.002+01:00

Some good news- we sold four separate pieces by Jean Picton at 'Eclectibition 08', the previous exhibition at The Carpenters Arms. This is a great result for Jean and good reason to maintain optimism in a faltering economy.

Some bad news- the current exhibition, 'Postcards From A Friend' by Richard Friend, will be the last exhibition at The Carpenters, at least for a while, as the pub is due to change hands at the end of July. Peter & Shirley are moving on (and out of the pub trade for the time being) and we wish them every success in the future.

Postcards From A Friend Installed

2008-06-19T14:32:00.003+01:00

The lastest exhibition at The Carpenters Arms, 'Postcards From A Friend', a solo exhibition by Richard Friend, is installed and available to view until the end of July. This is a fantastic collection of paintings by Richard that definitely merit a trip to Great Wilbraham.

That's Peter reflected in the mirror, not one of the pub's many ghosts!

Quotation For The Day

2008-06-19T14:28:00.002+01:00

This is a world of action, and not for moping and droning on.

Charles Dickens (1812-1870)

'Land' at St. Dogmael's Gallery

2008-06-12T21:55:00.003+01:00

OC Artist Mike Bell is featuring in 'Land' an exhibition by Artists from Wales, England & Europe at St. Dogmael's Gallery in Cardigan, Wales from 14th June to 30th August.

New Landscapes From Gareth Buxton

2008-06-12T16:04:00.003+01:00

We've just uploaded four 'new' (2007!) landscape paintings by Gareth Buxton. Gareth's landscapes are accomplished and extremely popular, selling strongly at all of the galleries that represent him currently. The four we have uploaded are 8" square deep edge canvases that work really well when grouped together. We've just installed them at Needhams as part of the Summer Exhibition. They're priced at an extremely good-value £95.00 each (plus P&P) so get along to Gareth's portfolio and have a look for yourself before they're sold!

Summer Exhibition

2008-06-12T12:53:00.002+01:00

Quotation for the day

2008-06-12T12:51:00.001+01:00

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.

Aristotle (384 to 322 BC), Greek philosopher, a student of Plato and teacher of Alexander the Great.

The Summer Exhibition at Needhams

2008-06-12T12:43:00.002+01:00

The Summer Exhibition has been installed at Needhams this morning, featuring Jean Picton's ever popular Flower Series paintings, a large figurative piece from Sue Vesely, five smaller landscapes from Gareth Buxton, two beautiful, framed sketches by Richard Friend and four abstracts by Craig Kerrecoe, including three new pieces directly from his exhibition at Worcester City Museum.

The exhibition runs until 17th July. Call 01353 661405 to book a table.

New Clay Pieces by Lesley Kelly

2008-06-11T14:28:00.006+01:00

Look at this great collection of new clayware sculpture from OC Artist Lesley Kelly. She has spent a considerable amount of time finding a way of combining her sculptural work with her painting and has come up with these beautiful pieces. She says...

This group of work is defined by instinctive linear markings, grouped together according to form, colour and surface decoration. The application of oxides and glazes has been handled with a painterly touch and each piece is a record of time spent in Australia, where l developed a passion for indigenous art.

The 'Forest' and 'Stones' are an exploration of the possibilities of decoration and my desire to treat painting and clay as one. They evoke a sense of place and memories of a journey that has not yet ended.

'7 Poems' by John Lyons

2008-06-11T12:03:00.004+01:00

If enjoy listening to poetry, as read by the Poet himself, you will be pleased to know that we have just added '7 Poems', a short film consisting of OC Artist, eloquently reciting seven of his beautiful poems about the River Dee.

We have another film about the amazing career of John Lyons coming shortly

Quotation For The Day

2008-06-11T11:58:00.003+01:00

I had been working purely abstractly for so long, it was important for me to see whether I was working abstractly because I couldn't work any other way, or whether I was doing it out of choice.

Robert Rauschenberg (1925-2008), the recently deceased American artist who came to prominence in the 1950s transition from Abstract Expressionism to Pop Art.

'Postcards From A Friend' at The Carpenters Arms

2008-06-11T11:48:00.004+01:00

We are pleased to present a large solo exhibition of new, recent and important works by the popular Kent-based Artist, Richard Friend. This Artist paints and sketches an imaginary landscape inspired by memories and longings of a childhood spent in Kent, the ‘Garden of England’. His paintings are almost like postcards from places that he’d like to visit........if they ever existed.

Richard's understanding and appreciation of colour is confident, impressive and definitely appealing. He revels in these bold, vibrant colours and a powerful sense of the narrative of the countryside such as local history and folklore. Churches also appear in many of the paintings, references perhaps to the unseen powers surrounding us. This narrative quality often reveals it’s self only in the closing stages of the making of a painting.

18/06/08 to 29/07/08

The Carpenters Arms
High Street
Great Wilbraham
Cambridgeshire

01223 882093

Last Chance to see Eclectibition 08!

2008-06-08T12:11:00.002+01:00

We are pleased to present our second 'Eclectibition' at The Carpenters Arms, a diverse group exhibition of paintings by Artists specially selected from the Ovenden Contemporary portfolio:

Rob Brading
Esther Appleyard
Enzo Marra
Jenni Eden
Mike Bell
Sue Vesely
Jean Picton
Hannah Biggs
Jeremy Mayes

'The Bullet' (Issue 2)

2008-06-08T12:07:00.002+01:00

The Summer Issue of 'The Bullet' magazine features an enticing glimpse at the portfolio of the accomplished Artist & Poet John Lyons, an interview with Singaporean Artist & Sculptor Geetha Alagirisamy, a stroll through Cambridge with Photographers Sioned Eleri & Neil Graham-Cameron and an introduction to 'The Drowned Daisy Project', the new multi-discipline, theme-based project form Ovenden Contemporary.

Click here to download 'The Bullet' for free...

Summer Exhibition at Needhams

2008-06-08T12:06:00.003+01:00

We are pleased to present an eclectic collection of paintings by selected Artists from the Ovenden Contemporary portfolio :

Jean Picton

Craig Kerrecoe

Richard Friend

Gareth Buxton

Sue Vesely

Needhams Restaurant & Art Gallery,
186 Main Street,
Witchford, Ely,
Cambridgeshire CB1 5JD
Tel: 01353 661405

12/6/08 to 17/07/08

Quotation for the day

2008-06-08T12:04:00.001+01:00

The music that really turns me on is either running toward God or away from God. Both recognize the pivot, that God is at the center of the jaunt.

Bono, (1960- )

Art In London Magazine

2008-05-29T13:21:00.006+01:00

The summer issue of Art In London magazine is out now (click here to download a free copy) and contains an OC advert for the forthcoming 'Reality Bites' exhibition at Needhams, an announcement that we now hold the largest catalogue of John Lyons originals available anywhere and a full page prize draw free competition, in which one lucky reader of the magazine will win 'Symbiosis', an original painting by Cambridgeshire-based Artist Craig Kerrecoe.