Tuesday 18 October 2011

Waiting for the next Leaf to Fall

I always find it very helpful to get feedback from my customers- especially when it comes to that perennial problem of deciding which of my paintings to have made into prints. So I've been showing my latest canvas to my "regulars" to gauge their response. The consensus seems to be "I want a copy once it's a print!" So that's good enough for me. 

But I hadn't expected one of my customers to observe, "It's very like a David Hockney. I love Hockney's work, but  I can't afford it... But I can still afford yours" I'm taking this as a compliment!
Thanks folks!  

Waiting For the Next Leaf to Fall- Autumnal Trees on the Banks of The River Coquet at Harbottle.

Wednesday 12 October 2011

Autumn Colour

As someone who loves colour and also loves painting trees, Autumn offers a very obvious opportunity to indulge in both of these favourites. This year I'm working on a series of "panoramic" paintings of vibrant woodland trees- ghostly white trunked birches with their yellow leaves, shimmering in the wind like golden coins- and magnificent, lyrical beeches that dance across the landscape crowned with a palimpsest of amber leaves....
Autumnal Birch Woods 
Acrylic on board, painted area 17.5 cm X 49.5 cm 

 Autumnal Beech Woods 

Acrylic on board, painted area 17.5 cm X 49.5 cm 


Large Autumnal Birch Woods 
Acrylic on board, painted area 30cm X 80 cm 

  Large Autumnal Beech Woods 
Acrylic on board, painted area 30cm X 80 cm 

These four paintings, plus some additional snow scenes are going off to be framed, so that they'll be ready to hang here in the gallery soon! I can hardly wait to see them against the lovely warm terracotta red gallery wall.

Sunday 2 October 2011

Shy bairns get nowt!

Yesterday evening I set myself the task of re-painting the long "display wall" in the gallery to match the fabulous new wallpaper. So once the gallery was closed I moved furniture, covered prints, prepared the wall and lined in all the edges, before setting to with a paint roller. Down on my hands and knees, I suddenly became aware of a persistent knocking on the door. Looking up I saw a man with a slightly apologetic grin gesturing to me. It turned out he wanted to buy a brooch on display in the gallery window!!

Having served him, I felt honour bound to tell him that he'd perfectly demonstrated the local saying "shy bairns get nowt"! 


 Paintings of Bamburgh Castle and the Northumbrian Hills in Winter

 Family History / Mining History paintings

Paintings of The Harthope Valley, Farnham Moor, Rothbury's Simonside Hills and The Cheviot.
 Also showing a selection of my own limited edition prints and etchings by Ali Read and John Degnan, plus prints by Sarah Taylor.

Saturday 1 October 2011

Hanging something “Truly Great”!


Every gallery owner must surely aspire to hanging something “truly great” in their exhibition space. Something remarkable that will capture the imagination of the viewer. Something memorable; something original and unexpected.... But “greatness” as we all know is a subjective term. So how could one ever be sure that one has achieved this aim?

Well I know for absolute certain that I’ve managed it this time.

Can I hear a sharp intake of breath at the audacity of this claim, given that I’m displaying my own paintings here at Crown Studio Gallery? Has the normally shy and retiring Lynda Taylor suddenly become unbearably smug and self satisfied? 

I hope not!

But I do know I’ve hung something truly great, because I’ve just redecorated my window with this fabulously quirky wallpaper and what is it called? Why it's “Truly Great” by Holden of course. It's printed in seasonably warm bronze and russet colours and covered in a riot of swirling curlicues, crowns, lions, unicorns, tea sets, cake stands and roses. Everything that’s quintessentially, English!

 I like to think that’s a reflection of the art works I hang in the gallery too- a celebration of all that's best about Rothbury, Northumberland, England and Britain...

Of course if YOU think that my work’s great too I’d be delighted!

I hope you’ll come and have a look.