Celebrating art in acrylics

THE National Acrylic Painters’ Association has chosen Wells and Mendip Museum as the venue for its 2023 annual exhibition showcasing work in the media.

NAPA was formed in 1985 and evolved from the concept that, unlike oil and watercolour, acrylic paint is still largely unrecognised in its own right.

A spokesperson for NAPA – a professional organisation – said: “It is the only medium that is capable of the widest range of approaches in technique and methods, thus stimulating creativeness and fresh thinking in theory and art ideology, and as such demands that maximum expression should be sought through its versatility.” l The exhibition runs from Tuesday, April 4th to Saturday, April15th.

Exhibition piece inspires new work

SPRING is a time for renewal, encouraging fresh ideas and an enthusiasm for the excitement and challenges in the year ahead.

Sculpting must always have those features for me. I believe that creativity must be stimulating and interesting to the artist as well as the viewer. This is why I am always seeking new materials, working experiences and new ways of approaching the sculptures I create.

Light Bearer Night Sky

Crescendo, one of four sculptures Ian is exhibiting at the Cotswold Sculpture Park in their exhibition that begins in April

Last year, a group of us in the South West region of the Royal Society of Sculptors were involved in Together We Rise, an exhibition at Chichester Cathedral curated by Jacquiline Cresswell. One of the sculptures I included for that exhibition featured a glass panel held aloft by stainless steel.

It was a combination that I felt had more to offer, so this winter I have been exploring new works that incorporate those two materials. This exploration has led to the new series of works called “Light Bearer”. Each sculpture in the series contains a panel of toughened and laminated glass set in a frame that radiates light.

The glass panels vary in size and pattern, all with vibrant colours that merge, swirl, and rise; their patterns moving like molten lava or the aurora in the northern skies. They embody movement and transition that can be both graceful and striking. Each sculpture has its own name that reflects the image in the glass.

IAN MARLOW