Cafe Gallery Open Exhibition in Southwark

So I have 'Pain in the Ass' and 'The Surfer' up in the Cafe Gallery Open Exhibition in Southwark. There's loads of fab works up in there at the minute, and it's a lovely space for art! So if you're in the Canada Water area do pop along, it's a few minutes walk from the tube stop in the park.

Cafe Gallery

Southwark Park

London SE16 2UA

See Map

Click here to visit the website!

Artist Feature - Aiste Gureviciute

 Aiste Gureviciute

Aiste is a 27 year old artist from Lithuania. She studied art for 7 years in Lithuania, and then spent 5 years studying Product and Furniture Design here in London. She has been drawing since she could grasp a pencil and she hasn't stopped since. She says "My work varies in styles and materials. I am focusing mostly on the energy my work is radiating. My goal is to produce dreamy and captivating drawings and paintings, to inject magic into everyday life. I always aim for new ideas: unseen, unrecognized abstractness by experimenting with materials I am drawing/painting with, and a great help of limitless imagination."

Utopian Arts Fest 10th - 22nd July

 The Surfer - £120.00

Pain in the Ass  £90.00

Utopian Arts Fest

So I have two paintings up as part of the Utopian Arts Fest, a great mixed show exploring ideas of personal and worldy utopian themes. As you can probably guess, my ones look at personal utopias- the image of the Surfer comes straight from my travelling in Australia, from a time when I was so very happy. Pain in the Ass is a slightly more fun way of looking at things; you may find someone who you adore, who is utopian in your eyes. Chances are though, they still drive you totally nuts!

The Parlour Gallery

Mapalim

181-187 Queen's Crescent

London NW5 4DS

See Map

www.utopianartsfest.org.uk

First artist feature - Otto Vincze

All works are copyright 2011 Otto Vincze. All rights reserved.

Otto Vincze

Otto Vincze is a Hungarian artist from Slovakia, and he has been drawing all of his life. He went to study at Nyíregyháza in Hungary when he was 15, and while he was there he studied sculpture and anatomy. He also honed his ever developing drawing skills. These days he focuses on airbrushing, and uses charcoal and biro in much of his drawing work. His recent artwork studies dynamics, movement, the female form and trees. He says "My main theme at the moment is the female body in movement, which is turning to a kind of human tree." 

He has also done some lovely and quirky drawings looking at his impression of London buildings. 

Otto's work is fluid and unique, a beautiful combination of nature and man. 

See more of Otto's work (and say hello to him too!) by visiting http://vinczeotto.deviantart.com/

Photos from Oh! Oxford House Open Evening

There's my boy! :)

Lots of people were there, which is always a good thing (except maybe for whoever bought the crips and wine...)

Browsing through the booklet.

It's a really cool place to have art up, quirky yet simple.

Yes, I was a bit frazzled that day!

I heard these guys saying some nice things about my painting, I know it's silly but always nice to hear when someone likes your work :)

 Loads of different sorts of studies into people and portraiture, it was really interesting.

 

So there we are then! A great little show, and it's up till 30th August so wiggle on down to see all the great stuff!

Oh! Open Exhibition at Oxford House begins tomorrow!

So the Oh! Oxford House open exhibition is having it's preview night tomorrow. I will have to scurry along straight from work at 7, but hopefully I'll make it in time to meet lots of other artists and have a cheeky drink. There'll be loads of great pieces up on the theme of people and portraiture, including my 'Parisian'.

6pm-9pm, Free Entry

Oxford House

Derbyshire Street

Bethnal Green

London, E2 6HG
See Map

If you can't make it tomorrow evening the show is up till 30th August; Oxford House is open Monday to Friday 9am-9pm, and on Saturdays 10am-2pm. I'll make sure I take lots of pictures and will put them up sooooon!

Exhibition Fee Pain- worse than a trip to the dentist

So you're an artist, right? So you're absolutely loaded and can pay to submit your work to endless open shows or hire out gallery space regularly, right? Oh no, wait, silly me, most of us can't!

It is a difficult situation; you have to get your stuff out there, non? But I am genuinely annoyed by all of these 'open exhibitions' which charge you simply to submit your work- not get in, oh no, no guarantee of that, but just to try. What a nightmare.

Don't get me wrong, I am more than happy to pay fees if I am accepted into a show. I recently got in to the New Artist Fair (click here to visit their website!); they seem to have the set up right. Artists can submit work for free, then the chosen people who get to be part of the exhibition pay a fee. This way makes sense! I am sure most artists are happy to pay towards gallery hire, PR costs, man-power etc, but why should you pay when you have no clue if you'll even get a chance to exhibit? You could fork out a lot of money over a few months and find you've gotten into no shows.

I recently found a 'call for artists' to submit work. There was a £20.00 sign up charge, and £20.00 per picture you wanted to submit. They must be making a killing! Meanwhile I'm squinting at my bank account, (always dangerous) unable to see the spare £40 to enter. Bum.

I see a similar situation with my music friends (my father being one of them); however, as I point out to him, they certainly have a lot of costs but they rarely have to PAY to do a gig! Sure, they have to do free-bees to get known, but artists struggle to even do that!

I wish galleries and show organisers would give us a break.

*BIG DRAMATIC SIGH*

Oh! Open Exhibition, Bethnal Green

So the Oh! Open Exhibition will begin on 7th July at Oxford House in Bethnal Green. I actually trotted along there yesterday to drop off The Parisian as part of the show. Going on the tube with a rather large canvas painting is certainly an interesting experience, especially on a Saturday. It does make you wonder sometimes as to why perfectly normal people can become so very awful as soon as it comes to getting a seat, getting on first, getting past everyone else. Sods.

But I digress, I did make it in one piece, and I got two cookies for my trouble! The lady who was collecting the art was very nice, and I think the show will look great. There will be loads of interesting artists, and I'm looking forward to the opening night on Thursday.

The Parisian

Welcome to Jot, Tittle and Dot

So, as some of you may know (actually I'm guessing most of you wont know, but indulge me) I recently relocated my rather large buttocks back down to London. As an artist, and a skint one at that, London can be rather daunting. It is seen as the place to be with all the opportunities; but unfortunately you can find your costs spiralling well above any money you may be making. Due to this frustration I decided to set up this blog, as a platform for my own art, but also one for others in the same position as me. Gallerys charge you an arm and a leg to have a show just a few days long, and most are not manned - so you would have to do it yourself. I lack a wealthy family member or trust fund to help me do this- like so many, I have to work full time to pay the bills (and the art fees!) so taking weeks off at a time to man exhibitions is tricky. Anyone else know what I mean?! I believe there are those who do. So this blog will feature artists, photographers, crafters of any sort, exhibitions and shows and galleries who are genuinely trying to help struggling artists.

This is not for established artists, it's to help those who are trying to find a little piece of the art world to stand in, so if that's you then contact me!