THE
DISCERNER
Discerning The World of Arts
Melanie Wright - “Vying for Position”
November - December 2017
The Discerner
Editor’s Letter Dear Readers, Greetings of the season to you all. Hasn’t it come round fast? So, it’s the time for giving to loved ones and the exciting task of shopping for them. But, are they art lovers? What if they would like a piece of art. Do they have that wall space crying out for attention? Then look no further! This month we have another selection of artists some who have been with The Discerner for a while now, some are new but nevertheless fantastic. Please a careful take a look within. We have each piece on display in Mayfair until late January if you choose to come view any before you buy. Please contact celine@thediscerner.co.uk to make an appointment. Our Christmas Party in Mayfair is also happening. If you would like to attend on 6th December, from 6.30pm until 9.30pm please contact me on the email address above to be put on the guest list. It will be a fantastic opportunity to see the art and meet some of the artists who will be in attendance and willing to discuss their work with you. Also fellow, local discerning art enthusiasts will be there to mingle with accompanied by some piano recitals for a touch of elegant entertainment. Please note the dress code will be cocktail attire. Address will be supplied on your confirmation of attendance. I’d love to see, and meet, as many of you as possible at our soiree but if not I wish you a wonderful Christmas time and then new hopes, aspirations and resolutions for the coming year. Kindest regards
Celine Gaurier-Joubert
Contact & advertising enquiries:
E: celine@thediscerner.co.uk W: www.thediscerner.com T: 020 7491 9925
Every effort has been made to ensure the content is accurate. The Discerner Ltd. does not endorse any of the advertisements in the magazine unless otherwise stated. No part of the magazine may be reproduced without permission of The Discerner Ltd. We reserve the right to refuse advertisement or editorial not suitable to the publication.
For private viewings of art work in Mayfair, please contact Celine directly at celine@thediscerner.co.uk
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Caia Matheson Caia Matheson is an award-winning contemporary oil painter based in Brighton, UK. She was born in Johannesburg and educated in Tokyo and London. Matheson has exhibited widely in the UK, and has been shortlisted for numerous awards, including winning Brighton Artist of the Year in 2004. “My work is about words and verse from all sources such as radio plays audio books stories song lyrics and poetry. I get such great pictures from words and translate them into my work as a visual narrative. I begin painting with a specific colour that I have in my mind’s eye. I then introduce other colours and begin to build layers on the canvas. These layers are then scratched off and layered over again like a palimpsest literally meaning ‘scraped clean and used again’. I love the idea of previous markings that are not visible but are still an inherent part of the composition. I like to create a world within worlds.”
“The Sensual World” - Oil and dyes on hand stretched canvas - 74H x 65W x 3D cm - £3800
Available to view at the Discerner’s Residence in Mayfair
“And how we’d wish to live in the Sensual World you don’t need words just one kiss then another. Stepping out of the page into the sensual world” Kate Bush Lyrics based on James Joyce’s “Ulysses
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T: 07961405351 E: studio@caiamatheson.com W: caiamatheson.com For all enquiries, please contact Caia or Celine at celine@thediscerner.co.uk or 0207 491 9925 www.thediscer ne r . c om
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Lou Hamilton Fine Art Artist & creator of her illustrated book Brave New Girl published by Orion Spring, Lou Hamilton currently exhibits her large-scale abstract landscape oil paintings at The Farm Postproduction HQ in Soho London. Her work is also sold internationally on Saatchi Art online, has been commissioned for site specific projects both publicly & privately, won prizes & been exhibited in both group and one woman shows. Her new pieces are inspired by the Japanese meditative reverence for the simple vessel.
“Targeting Courage” - Oil and acrylic on canvas - 36” x 36” - £900
Available to view at the Discerner’s Residence in Mayfair
“This new work is an abstracted view of a glass on a pink plate seen from above so it resembles a target and scratched across the surface by my character Brave New Girl”. Lou Hamilton
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E: lou@createlab.co.uk W: louhamiltonart.com For all enquiries, please contact Lou or Celine at celine@thediscerner.co.uk or 0207 491 9925 www.thediscer ne r . c om
The Discerner
Louise Tate Louise Tate has scribbled, scrawled and painted ever since she could wield a pencil and brush, developing a passion for painting and drawing very early on as a young child. She has studied both Zoology and Illustration at degree level, lived in South Africa, The Netherlands, Singapore and USA whilst working with some wonderful publishers, greetings card companies and individual clients. The “Dinosaur” has been taken from the Animal Composite range; painted on watercolour paper with gouache and coloured pencil and is one of 29 different designs. These intricate designs are filled with many smaller versions of the image so there is plenty to discover within the artwork.
“Dinosaur” - Gouache and pencil on watercolour paper - Framed 58 x 51cm - £1200
Available to view at the Discerner’s Residence in Mayfair
One large Dinosaur, but can you also spot...43 dinosaurs, 34 eggs, 20 bones, 7 hats, 6 fossils, 2 spades,1 sand castle and 2 ants...
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T: 07901 253281 E: louisetate.illustration@gmail.com W: louise-tate.com For all enquiries, please contact Louise or Celine at celine@thediscerner.co.uk or 020 7491 9925 www.thediscer ne r . c om
The Discerner
Alexander Mihaylovich “Since the late 1980s, Los Angeles artist Alexander Mihaylovich has been creating works that deal with the fragmentation of history and memory. His most recent pieces are three-dimensional mixed media works that allude to the ephemeral nature of our own time. The juxtaposition of modern industrial fragments with painted Arcadian landscapes and classical forms points to the disjointedness of our own past as well as the complexity of understanding history and time. The layering of found materials, such as plastic or metal, obscures our ability to view the painted image and acts as a metaphor for the destruction of cultural heritage and the environment.”
“Ancient Landscape (Equilibrium)” - 2008 - Oil on canvas - 34 x 34cm - £3000 Available to view at the Discerner’s Residence in Mayfair
Painted in the old master style, the ancient landscape is a metaphor for the increasingly endangered environment. Framed by industrial artifice the rusted metal, screens, a serial number and the word ‘Equilibrium’, add a final layer of irony.
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W: mihaylovich.com E: alexander@mihaylovich.com For all enquiries, please contact Alexander or Celine at celine@thediscerner.co.uk or 020 7491 9925 www.thediscer ne r . c om
The Discerner
John Lendis I was born in the UK and have travelled restlessly. I lived in Afghanistan before the Russian War and lived and worked in Bali which heavily influenced my work. I later moved to Sydney Australia and then to Tasmania where I undertook a BA and MA (my masters thesis ‘Saint Sebastian and the Wounded Forest’). I returned to England in 2009 and am currently living and working in The Cotswolds. Since 2000 there have been over 30 solo exhibitions in Australia, NZ and UK. The work exists in the space between the physical environment which I experience and the emotional landscape that the subjects invoke and inhabit.
“Fox Pass Two” - Oil on canvas - 70 x 80cm - £3200
Available to view at the Discerner’s Residence in Mayfair
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T: 01993 830 366 E: johnlendis@me.com W: johnlendis.com For all enquiries, please contact John or Celine at celine@thediscerner.co.uk or 020 7491 9925 www.thediscer ne r . c om
The Discerner
Sarah Jane Brown Sarah Jane lives on the coast of Pembrokeshire where her environment, and early maritime career, have instilled a deep affinity with the sea. She studied painting at the West Wales School of the Arts, gaining a 1st class honours degree and her artistic career has since gained steady momentum and recognition. She has exhibited widely in the UK including several solo shows in Cardiff and prestigious exhibitions in London, such as the ‘Cork Street Open’ in Mayfair and with the ‘Royal Society of Marine Artists’ at the Mall Galleries. Her work is now collected internationally.
“Mind blown” - Oil on canvas - 60 x 60cm - £1295
Available to view at the Discerner’s Residence in Mayfair
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T: 07874 219942 E: artist@sjbart.com W: sjbart.com For all enquiries, please contact Sarah Jane or Celine at celine@thediscerner.co.uk or 020 7491 9925 www.thediscer ne r . c om
The Discerner
Michelle Hold Colour is essential to convey my message. Working textile design I have learned a lot from fashion designers and stylists about the importance of different color hues that create a certain mood in the collections. I like my color combinations to be subtile, a reason why I mix my own colors with pigments. Colour is light. Colour is vibration and we are vibrational beings. For any mood there is always a matching painting. I want the viewer to fell well looking at my art, to look at beauty, to be recharged from a stressful life.
“Like a Rock” - Acrylics, pigments, gold & foil on canvas - 2015 - 120 x 100cm - £1800
Available to view at the Discerner’s Residence in Mayfair
“The Warrior of Light sometimes behaves like a rock .“ Paolo Coelho
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T: +393347864141 E: michelle@michellehold.com W: michellehold.com For all enquiries, please contact Michelle or Celine at celine@thediscerner.co.uk or 020 7491 9925 www.thediscer ne r . c om
The Discerner
Interview with Melanie Wright Celine Gaurier-Joubert: “What is your inspiration for your equestrian work? Do you ride/own horses yourself?” Melanie Wright: “My inspiration comes from close observation of a wide range of equine sporting activities and also from my family background, artists and keen riders! I grew up riding and handling horses in North Yorkshire with a Dales pony, part Arab horse, Irish Hunter and Connemara Cob to ride, and enjoyed many years of horse related activities before moving to London and becoming immersed in art school and then the art/design world. I now appreciate the occasional ride, particularly hacking out in the beautiful Cotswolds where I live. I find painting an all-consuming occupation, so these days I am content to enjoy the contact with a multitude of wonderful horses through my artwork. And leave the high maintenance ownership and competitive side of riding to the highly committed experts!” Celine Gaurier-Joubert: “It looks like you have a love of horses or is it just a love of painting them?” Melanie Wright: “Horses are in my blood, such stunning creatures, and a source of continual wonder to me. Paint what you love!. A strong emotional connection and a background of handling and riding horses, comes through in the painting. Horses are a challenging subject for the artist, and this is part of the enduring fascination for me, always seeking to express their spirit and individuality and the unique relationship between horse and rider, whatever the equestrian discipline.” Celine Gaurier-Joubert: “I understand you had a residency at Charlie Longsdon Racing. Can you tell us a bit more about it? Melanie Wright: “Yes, this was an inspirational and rewarding two years. As Artist in Residence at CLR in Oxfordshire, I enjoyed unlimited access to the stables and land at Hull Farm, and to National Hunt racing events. It was a huge privilege and fantastic insight into the day to day workings of a highly successful and very friendly racing yard. It provided me with a wealth of painting inspiration and was great fun to become almost part of the team. Working with the trainer, and stable staff, meeting the owners, painting portrait commissions of their horses and also catching racing day and riding out scenes, in a collection of paintings and drawings which were then exhibited on Owners Day at the stables. Happy Days!” Celine Gaurier-Joubert: “Is there a list of ideas in your head to accomplish as an artist or do you take it as it comes?” Melanie Wright: “A combination of the two to be honest. Yes, I always have images, fresh ideas and new projects bubbling away in the back of my mind. They keep resurfacing and knocking on my door until I am in the right place to focus and engage. Some take years to actually materialise, while others manifest at speed. And what comes up in one painting will sometimes lead to the next. I like to keep mind space in which to let new ideas percolate. Timing is key and not always the way I envisage it. Serendipity and chance observations and encounters sometimes play a part...”. Celine Gaurier-Joubert: “If you were not an artist what would you be and why?” Melanie Wright: “An interesting thought! I have always worked in an art or design related environment. Incredibly fortunate. However I also love the written word, literature, and enjoy dabbling with some creative nature writing, and journal keeping, which is actually linked with my landscape painting. So, maybe I would be a creative writer. As in painting, it would be a continual practice of observation through mindfulness and a celebration of the beauty I find in animals, people and the landscape. And again as with my painting, there would ideally be an academic teaching practice coexisting alongside the creative one.”
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Melanie Wright Melanie lives in the Cotswolds, where her deep affinity with horses and the landscape inform and inspire her paintings. She is well known for her equestrian sporting images in the fields of Racing, Eventing, Dressage and Polo. Melanie trained as a portrait painter at Heatherleys School of Fine Art in London and carries both her formal portrait painting skills and her endless fascination with depicting movement, spirit and the atmosphere of place, into her artwork. Working in oils, watercolour and drawn media, Melanie’s paintings have been exhibited in London and Oxfordshire and feature in private collections in the USA, Europe and Scandinavia.
“Vying for Position” - Pastel on board - 47 x 60 cm unframed - 76 x 97cm framed (frame is silver painted wood) £1450 framed
Available to view at the Discerner’s Residence in Mayfair
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T: 01608 643546 E: melaniewrightstudio@googlemail.com W: melaniewrightartist.co.uk For all enquiries, please contact Melanie or Celine at celine@thediscerner.co.uk or 020 7491 9925 www.thediscer ne r . c om
The Discerner
Gina Love After growing up in Stroud, and studying Fine Art Painting at University, I moved to Bristol in 2004. My practice currently explores a pre-occupation with superficial beauty. My artwork seeks to both represent and interpret superficial aesthetics, the poignancy of our environments and impact of the disturbed. Complex thought patterns are replicated and explored through colour, and the impasto technique. I have exhibited in Bath, Bristol, the Cotswolds and London. I am also working with Gallerique in Chicago who discovered my paintings on Instagram.
“Perfect Purple Dress” - 2017 - Mixed media on canvas - 60 x 90 x 4cm - £1010
Available to view at the Discerner’s Residence in Mayfair
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T: 07967 241035 E: info@ginaloveart.com W: ginaloveart.com For all enquiries, please contact Gina or Celine at celine@thediscerner.co.uk or 020 7491 9925 www.thediscer ne r . c om
The Discerner
Helen Renna Helen’s ancestors originated in Korea and she has a strong affinity to Korean culture and history which is reflected in her work. In photography Helen has found a way to combine and extend her creative skills and express her inner world. For each photograph Helen made costumes and props by hand and did all set ups, makeup/hair styling herself. A key signature of most photographs is large scale paper sculpture which Helen makes completely from scratch.
“Step into the light” - Aluminium - 120 x 70cm - £495
Available to view at the Discerner’s Residence in Mayfair
“Girl in traditional Korean dress with life size paper sculpture of a Crane. This artwork symbolises my hope for a peaceful and prosperous Korea.” Helen Renna
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T: 07501700394 E: mail@helenrenna.com W: helenrenna.com For all enquiries, please contact Helen or Celine at celine@thediscerner.co.uk or 020 7491 9925 www.thediscer ne r . c om
The Discerner
Daniel Hooper I would describe my work as abstract expressionism, painting with no plans rules or barriers. Starting with a blank Canvas and brush painting from mood emotion imagination, inspired by music but sometimes total silence to capture a mood. Daniel is known as “ the painter with soul “ amongst his fans. I have a background in construction and design which has enabled me to travel and explore many of these sights and memories have influenced my work. I am constantly striving to create one off diverse powerful inspiring pieces. Daniel is represented by numerous gallery’s his work has exhibited and sold worldwide.
“The Rage” - Acrylic on canvas - 40” x 40” - £1995 Available to view at the Discerner’s Residence in Mayfair
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E: hooper364@btinternet.com W: danielhooperart.com T: 07909764741 For all enquiries, please contact Daniel or Celine at celine@thediscerner.co.uk or 020 7491 9925 www.thediscer ne r . c om
The Discerner
Hetty Haxworth Oxford born, Hetty Haxworth, studied at the Glasgow School of Art and has exhibited in the UK and abroad for the past 25 years. Her work has been shown at the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, the Royal Scottish Academy and the Royal Glasgow Institute of Fine Arts and selected touring shows to Ohio, Australia, LA, Denmark and Brussels. She has recently made several commissioned artworks for New York Presbyterian Hospital and John Lewis and now lives and works from a studio in Aberdeenshire.
“A drift of snow” - Oil -based Monoprint - 101 x 63cm - £990
Available to view at the Discerner’s Residence in Mayfair
In this print, ‘A drift of snow’, the landscape is turned into a geometric study. As snow covers the farmland, the rigid black lines of fences and cattle barns are accentuated and blue shadows are cast. Regular furrows and pylon lines provide stripes and the scene is framed by abstracted man-made structures.
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T: 07986181978 E: info@hetty-haxworth.co.uk W: Hetty-haxworth.co.uk For all enquiries, please contact Hetty or Celine at celine@thediscerner.co.uk or 020 7491 9925 www.thediscer ne r . c om
The Discerner
Thomas Strumpel I was born in a place along the Rhine River and then some 20 years later, I studied art in Cologne, a hub for art and artists in Germany at that time. I began with drawings but now my focus is on painting. I work with very diluted watercolours, which I apply multiple layers, until depth is reached in the picture. It creates a subtle colour play. The texture of the canvas is evident and becomes part of the painting. I now live in Zurich, Switzerland and in 2015 Elten & Elten Gallery presented my work for which I enjoyed the exposure.
“Clouds number 1” - 2017 - Mixed media on paper on canvas on wood - 42 x 58cm - £700
“Clouds number 1 is about lightness, transparency, enlightenment and transience. The constant transformation of the world - volatility and serenity“. It creates a subtle colour play. The texture of the canvas is evident and becomes part of the painting.” Thomas Strumpel
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T: +41 786832655 E: struempel@bluewin.ch W: thomas-struempel.net For all enquiries, please contact Thomas or Celine at celine@thediscerner.co.uk or 0207 491 9925 www.thediscer ne r . c om
The Discerner
Hugo Farmer Conflict, contradiction and downright fury runs through Hugo Farmer and his work like ‘Brighton’ through seaside rock. So, although his imperiously figurative bronzes subvert age-old traditional forms to wreak silent havoc and invoke chaos there’s no escaping the reverence, craftsmanship and, yes, sheer graft in his art. While the sun and the resin are slowly setting on other works, his new paintings are a rare instance of symmetry and order amid his barely caged anarchism. And their highly finished, tactile, landscape-like topography is alive with a joy and exuberance of colour quite unlike his other works. Parsimonious yet liberal; chaotic yet ordered; iconoclastic yet committed to the craft of his art, Hugo Farmer delights in the random.
“Sargent” - Bronze - Edition:3 Available 2/3 - 82 x 96 x 70cm - £18500
Available to view at the Discerner’s Residence in Mayfair
A figure of Oppression, authority and conformity trapped in the moment of verbal aggression stopped by the power of the people. “Silence is Golden”
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T: 07958620824 E: h@hugofarmer.com W: h@hugofarmer.com For all enquiries, please contact Hugo or Celine at celine@thediscerner.co.uk or 020 7491 9925 www.thediscer ne r . c om
The Discerner
David Henty David Henty’s history as an art forger starts, appropriately enough, with a conviction for forgery in the mid-1990s. It was while serving the resulting prison sentence 27 years’ ago that David was inspired to start painting by a rekindled passion for art. Quickly seduced by the technicality of copying and, having honed his craft over 25 years, he is now considered one of the leading copyist painters worldwide. Having mastered the techniques and idiosyncrasies of some of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries’ most iconic artists, from Pablo Picasso to Caravaggio. David Henty Art has now been formed in to a thriving business where we are now represented by numerous established galleries around the country, involved in various projects with television and magazines and this year are branching out Stateside!
“ Weeping Woman” After Pablo Picasso - Oil on canvas - 78.5 x 67.5cm framed - £8500
Available to view at the Discerner’s Residence in Mayfair
“A good artist copies, a great artist steals” - Picasso - David Henty does both!
T: 07487 226325
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E: david@davidhentyart.co.uk
W: davidhentyart.co.uk
For all enquiries, please contact David or Celine at celine@thediscerner.co.uk or 020 7491 9925 www.thediscer ne r . c om
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