I'm back at Art Fair East at the Assembly House in Norwich, PV Thursday 6th November, then Friday 7th 10.30-530, Saturday 8th 10.30-6.00, Sunday 9th 10.30-5.00.

​This is my 4th time at this art fair, always a good turn out, and some high quality exhibitors, if you need a ticket let me know. 

So my drawing 'Stop, Check, Turn and Double Back' won the public vote at the Cambridge Drawing Society Spring Exhibition. Very pleased with this as there were between 300 and 400 works, many of very high quality. I was asked to write about the picture for the Society's newsletter, this is what I wrote - 

​The drawing  is of Tib Lane in central Manchester,  a well known pub, the Town Hall Tavern, is to the right of the picture. I lived in Manchester for 10 years and still visit when I can, I’ve drawn several pictures of the city all of them seem to contain pubs!  
Night time cityscapes often appeal to me because of the really strong contrast between dark and light, and with this street there was also the stark architectural difference between the modern glass tower block and the Victorian street below. For the references for this drawing I took several photos from different angles, that way, to suit the composition, I could edit out some things I didn’t want, such as cars and people with umbrellas, and still put in the detail they were hiding. I also rearranged some of the office lighting to better balance the image.  I wanted the street to appear deserted and have an air of mystery, so the viewer is left wondering what’s going on, or what is about to happen, as if it was a still from a film.
I kept the colour palette fairly limited, mostly using dark sepia and dark indigo coloured pencils, with some yellow ochre on the lights. I used some black on the shadows, I think every art class I’ve ever done has advised against this, but for me using black not only heightens the contrast but also gives a finality and depth to the shadows that complementary colours just don’t. Working in such detail as I do  I’m often asked ‘how long did it take you to draw that?’ many days, weeks, months, I don’t know, but there are no short cuts, no hacks, you just keep going till it’s done! 
   

I have joined the Cambridge Drawing Society and will take part in their Spring Exhibition May 31st-June 7th at the Pitt Building in the centre of Cambridge. I put forward 4 pictures and they took the lot! Including this one 'I'm In Trouble', of the entry to an underground car park in Manchester, which I don't think I've put up on the website before so here it is -

I will be exhibiting at Art Fair East in Norwich again this year, PV on Thursday 7th November, then all day Friday, Saturday and Sunday. If you need tickets let me know. It's at a new venue, The Assembly House, unfamiliar to me but should be well worth a visit as this one attracts lots of very good artists.     

I will be at Benenden Art Fair in Kent, PV is Friday 4th 6-8pm, then Saturday 10-5 and Sunday 10-4. Details of how to get there etc., are on the website.

https://www.benendenartfair.com/visit-us 
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I will have a bunch of drawings and prints with me with emphasis on Kent from my time living in Whitstable and Broadstairs. I'll have a smattering of other things too from other parts of the UK and USA.      

I will be at Bath Art Fair on Friday 23rd-Sunday 25th Feb. The second time I've done this one, a very nice venue and lots of good artists. I will have a range of stuff with me, including small paintings, prints original drawings framed and unframed. Drop by if you're in the area.  

​Details, tickets etc at www.bathartfair.co.uk

I now have an association with a gallery in Bury St Edmunds called Art In East Anglia. Lots of good local artists in there if you are visiting the area.

I am also selling some prints through Fisher's Creek, an excellent interior design company with strong eco principals.  

So I'm on this tonight, Sky Arts 8pm. Filmed quite a while ago in Compton Verney in Warwickshire, my one request was 'Don't give me green fields and a lake to draw', so that went well. The back of my head has already appeared in a trailer, it's all down hill from there! Nice people though.    ​

So the Turner Contemporary, in nearby Margate, a gallery so prestigious not only did it host the last Turner Prize, it actually appears on a £20 note, is celebrating its first 10 years by holding an exhibition of Kent artists, either trained in Kent or living in Kent. Out of 4500 entries 450 were chosen (or thereabouts), I have one picture included, not at all in my usual style, its actually a painting, but on the plus side they have printed a postcard of it, available in the Turner Contemporary shop. The exhibition runs from 23.10.21 until 20.02.22. This is the picture, Good Day Version 10, its of North Foreland lighthouse, at Joss Bay in Broadstairs. Link to Turner Contemporary site.