Friday 7 February 2014

Julie Amos - Collection of Portraits


Our second reception exhibition for 2014 is Julie Amos.

Julie was the winner of the Portraiture Category for the 2013 Pendle Open Art Exhibition. Each category winner was given a solo exhibition in The ACE Centre as their prize.

 

Here is the winning portrait …..




Julie began drawing as a hobby and is a self-proclaimed doodler!
Over the last 6 months Julie has been working hard to develop her skills and techniques and is beginning to experiment more with oils in her drawings and is always looking to explore her art more. In the past Julie specialised in oil landscapes taking inspiration from growing up around her parents' art gallery.


'Bette'
 

Julie is really passionate about portraits and uses a mix of graphite, carbon and charcoal. The theme for this collection of works is Black and White Starlets and Works from the old Masters of Art, taking inspiration from Leonardo Da Vinci and Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer.



'Angel'
 
 

Julie has a specific process when it comes to working on her pieces, she begins with a photo of the original picture and completes a detailed drawing in light pencil, using careful measuring techniques to ensure the perspective and features of the face are accurate and in proportion.

Julie then works into the face developing the skin tone using various degrees of pencil and balancing it with carbon to give dark tones and blending colours with tissues and sponges to create depth. Lastly Julie uses black charcoal for the background to draw all focus to the face.



'Facade'
 
Taking inspiration from the original work, Julie tries to capture the mood of the person in the picture, she wants viewers to see what's behind the photos, she explained how she was drawn to 'Facade' the lady in this picture is beautiful, and appears 'fed up' expressing this by holding her face in her hands.
 
This was the first time Julie had ever entered the Pendle Open Art Exhibition or any competition for that matter and was very pleased to have won and hopefully plans on entering again! Julie has no exhibitions planned just yet but is looking to exhibit more in the future.
 
This is exhibition is on until 28th February at The ACE Centre and is well worth a visit and you might just see a few faces you recognise!

Hope you enjoy the exhibition.

Thanks

Carmela







 

Thursday 6 February 2014

Armageddon Time


Armageddon Time
By Paul Edmondson

Exhibition dates 3rd February – 28Th February

 

Paul is a multi-media artist working and living in Pendle, his work also includes film and over the years has appeared in many contemporary exhibitions around the world in Spain, London, Tokyo, and Paris to name a few.

This collection named ‘Armageddon Time’ comes from places he has lived and visited, taking inspiration from his journeys walking and from his memories of a place.
 
'Gasworks'
 
Paul developed his art after receiving some valuable advice from his art teacher Mr Harry Radcliffe at Nelson Grammar who saw Paul’s talent and told him to stop painting and read the books. Encouraging him to learn about the theory of art, which is something Paul has adopted throughout his profession.

Paul went on to study Art at Burnley College and completed a Bachelors of Art degree in Fine Art at Nottingham Trent University where he was able to concentrate and develop his art more in other forms such as Music and Conceptual Art and film.

 
'Cowboy at Blackpool'
 
 
It wasn't until Paul lived in Spain that he decided to begin painting again; he returned to the theory of art in books and re-learnt how to paint contemporary pieces. Marcel Duchamp, one of the founders of modern art was named as one of his favourite artists and famously known as someone who challenged conventional thought about artistic processes.
 
He works on various pieces at once with it taking anything up to a year and a half to complete one of his landscape paintings.
 
'Towards Skipton'


Paul likes to experiment with various techniques and never sticks to one media, letting the materials determine his artistic process. This enables him to work spontaneously without restrictions and uses everything from paint and sand to digital printing.
 
'Cowboy in Landscape'
 
 
'Cliviger'
You will never find people in Paul’s paintings but you will see animations and characters that make up his unique pieces.

 

'Untitled Landscape'



 
This abstract piece hints at urban desolation. Sand and grit mixed with spray acrylics and oils were used in this painting. The natural materials destroy the perspective of the flat pure canvas to fool the viewers' eyes.
Paul enjoys painting dark landscapes, the places you wouldn't want to visit and making it original showing the viewer a different side to art.
 
Lastly, I hope you get the opportunity to come and see the exhibition it is open until 28th February, free entry, at The ACE Centre, open from 10am until 4pm, Mondays to Saturdays.
 
Thanks,
Carmela