8 minute read
Art
ARTIST AT WORK No. 22: Claudia Gunton, Meander, oil and acrylic on wood panel, 50 x 30cm
Making art is not an external process; it is an expression of my inner heart and soul - the need and desire to bring ‘out’ what is ‘in’.
Over many years, I have walked my two lurcher hounds, immersing myself in the living passion of nature, near where I live in south Somerset. I have an especial love of trees; it inspires my art and I paint to express that personal vision. In the same way the seasons change colours and shapes from spring through to winter, so my art work has morphed from one style of expression to a new and more emotionally honest style of expression - growing and changing with each new painting, developing skills to bring more of the ‘in’, ‘out’.
I paint primarily for my own fulfilment, yet also for the viewer – the one who stands in front of a canvas of mine, lighting up with ‘Oh yes! Now I know the spirit of what you felt; I know where you walked and what you saw because I can see and feel it too!’
I invite you to share my lovely places of visions and colour, as we are richer because of them.
@claudiaguntonartist
Meander is available to purchase for £170. Claudia will be taking part in this year’s Somerset Open Studios event, 19th September - 4th October. somersetartworks.org.uk
Scheduled to coincide with the 80th anniversary of The Battle of Britain, this exhibition, opening on Saturday 12th September at The Guggleton Farm Arts in Stalbridge, presents a rare opportunity to see the fascinating and detailed work of artist John Finch.
John, who has been painting maritime and aviation subjects for 40 years, has recently moved to Dorset and this will be his first solo exhibition for 20 years. Much of his previous work hangs in collections worldwide with a considerable number of paintings documenting the era of the flying boats on show at the National Museum of Bermuda. His work has also appeared in many publications, in particular The Battle of Britain by Roy Conyers Nesbit which includes John Finch’s painting Ventnor RDF Station - the only known visual depiction of the site, as it was, in 1942.
This body of work on show at the Guggleton consists of oil paintings depicting a vast range of subjects within the aviation and marine genres. Finch’s aviation subjects extend from the biplane fighters of the 1930s, to the jet age of the 1950s, and includes the spitfires and hurricanes of the 1940s. The marine paintings span from the Age of Sail to the express liners and battleships of the 1930s and 40s. There are also a number of Fleet Air Arm paintings showing Royal Naval carriers together with their air components. A proportion of the profits from the sale of these particular paintings will be donated to the Barracuda restoration project at the Fleet Air Arm Museum.
More than just accurate depictions, John Finch’s works have been described as having a subtle but achingly romantic air of melancholy to them, making each of his paintings a rich and valuable window into a number of lost worlds. Often, John chooses to paint a particular subject because there is no existing photographic record of the event. He creates a visual depiction of these moments in history by using first
and second-hand accounts. One such example in the exhibition is a depiction of the raid on Kenley aerodrome, on 18th August 1940; the reference for which was a description detailed by Alfred Price in his book The Hardest Day.
Graham Mottram, Chairman of the Society of Friends of the Fleet Air Arm Museum and Director of the Fleet Air Arm Museum 1995-2015, will speak at the opening reception on Saturday, in particular reference to some of the paintings, their continuing
John Finch Fairey Flycatchers - Fleet fighters over their carrier HMS Glorious in the 1930s, oil on board 35 x 55cm
importance, and on the work of the Museum in context.
The talk will take place outside and undercover, with an opportunity to view the show in the gallery in small groups. Refreshments will be available. Free tickets to this event are available from the Guggleton website guggletonfarmarts.com/whats-on/events/
___________________________________________ Saturday 12th September 2pm-4pm Opening Reception: The Aviation and Maritime Art of John Finch (socially-distanced ticketed event) ___________________________________________ Saturday 12th-Friday 25th September 11am-4pm daily Exhibition: The Aviation and Maritime Art of John Finch Guggleton Farm Arts, Stalbridge, DT10 2RQ guggletonfarmarts.com/whats-on/events/ ___________________________________________
GETTING CLOSER An excerpt from ‘The Art Class’, a fictitious work
Ali Cockrean, Artist and Tutor
“Unmute Tom! It’s the button in the middle of the screen at the bottom… no, not that one, the one with the picture of the microphone on it… there you go!” Meredith’s eyes sparkled and she beamed at a rather perplexed looking Tom on the screen in front of her.
“Blimey! That was tortuous. Sorry for being such a technological Neanderthal Meredith!” Tom grinned back.
“Oh, don’t worry. I was exactly the same 4 months ago.”
There was a brief silence, just long enough for both of them to feel mildly self-conscious, as they simultaneously realised that this was the first time they had been properly alone together. Even if they were 5 miles apart.
At Meredith’s first visit to Anita’s garden after lockdown, the two women decided to meet every week for a painting session. Occasionally, they would get together at Meredith’s, but her garden was tiny and social distancing was a bit trickier, so mostly Meredith would drive over to Anita’s, bringing a homemade cake or biscuits as her contribution to the afternoon.
They would paint for a couple of hours and then break for tea and inevitably Anita would say, “Shall we ask Tom if he’d like to join us for a brew? He’s been shut up in that house on his own all week.”
It wasn’t long before Tom became a part of their painting party, bringing along his paints and often a few samples from the art shop for them to try. He would turn up with a new range of brushes or perhaps a range of paints for them to critique.
Meredith loved these sessions. Tom was so knowledgeable about art practice in general - she always learnt something new. He reminded her of her father; he had the same patient, calm, encouraging approach to teaching and deep dulcet tones to his voice. Tom was also a very accomplished painter in his own right and sometimes she would just sit back with a cup of tea in hand and watch him work. Occasionally, she would close her eyes and let his voice wash over her as he talked with Anita.
In their early sessions together, Meredith wondered if Anita might be playing matchmaker, but quickly discounted this theory. Anita was lively and spontaneous, sometimes a little bossy, but always the centre of attention. She was the glue that held the little group together and loved to hold court.
Perhaps this was the reason that in mid-August, when Anita had disappeared inside to make a pot of tea, Tom asked Meredith for her email address. Having
said earlier that afternoon that Meredith’s painting style reminded him of a particular impressionist artist, he ventured, “If you don’t mind, I’ll email over some examples of her work for you to see?”
Meredith thought that she could probably find them online for herself, but she recognised that this was a gentle way of Tom offering her a direct line of communication with him. He carefully wrote down the details and read the address back to Meredith just to make sure it was correct. As Anita appeared through the patio doors with a tray of tea, he quietly closed his notebook and no more was said.
Meredith didn’t like admitting to herself that over the next couple of days she was checking her emails far more than usual… but she definitely couldn’t ignore the feelings of disappointment when nothing appeared from Tom. It was turning into a long week.
Just when she’d convinced herself that she must have read far more into his request than was actually meant, his email landed in her inbox and Meredith felt a spark of pure joy.
It was the hesitant start of a correspondence that bloomed over the following weeks. They talked about their shared love of art and painting: their past lives, experiences, and as they settled into the comfort of a growing friendship, their previous relationships, loves, losses and hopes for the future.
They still met at Anita’s every week, but somehow this felt quite separate to the emails they were now sharing daily. And here they were, having taken the bold step of video calling… sitting opposite each other for the first time.
“So, this is a bit strange,” Meredith mused, “What shall we talk about?”
“How about we plan your first exhibition Meredith?” Tom smiled, “I’ve got the space above the shop and a guest list. We just need more paintings.”
“I’m nowhere near good enough Tom! What are you thinking? And anyway, even if it weren’t a crazy notion, it’s not possible with Covid.”
“Next year, Meredith. Whenever it’s possible and you’re ready.” His sincerity moved her, “And you ARE good enough, trust me. Just sit with the idea for a while. And in the meantime, perhaps we should talk about us…”
(to be concluded in the November issue!)
RICHARD PIKESLEY 11th - 26th September CHASING CLOUD SHADOWS
SUMMER EVENING, MOVING SHADOWS
We are delighted to welcome back Richard for his sixth solo exhibition with us. He will be in the Gallery to discuss his work on 11th and 12th September. The occasion of this exhibition ‘Chasing Cloud Shadows’ has also allowed the launch of Richard’s beautifully written and illustrated book, Landscape Painting, signed copies of which will be available. Written over two years, it is the book that Richard has always wanted to write – “pulling together experience from nearly fifty years of painting and teaching”.
SEE THE EXHIBITION ONLINE www.jerramgallery.com
THE JERRAM GALLERY Half Moon Street, Sherborne, Dorset DT9 3LN 01935 815261 info@jerramgallery.com Tuesday – Saturday
