November Newsletter

​The air is growing chillier, the days are getting shorter and the town is getting quieter now that summer is over, but Christmas is most definitely on the way and our bright and colourful little gallery is getting fully stocked up for the festive season! From Christmas card packs to glass Christmas decorations we are displaying plenty of new and exciting items as well as lots of new fine art pieces, cushions and trinkets!

This month. . .We're currently in the middle of enjoying a fantastic joint guest exhibition of artists Belinda sales and Tom Marshall in the upstairs area of the gallery. But this month its all about the smaller things! Beautiful Purbeck themed Christmas tree decorations by Watercolour artist Gill Williams, these sparkly little baubles are a touch of our home countryside that will brighten up any tree. Glass artist Briony Maple has brought in a whole range of wonderful Christmas characters for your home. These delicate decorations are very affordable and so unique! We have snowmen, robins, holly wreaths, gingerbread men and many more to choose from. Also this month, we have new pieces of art on the walls from our resident artists as well as new cushions, scarves  notebooks and small bags.
Our Guest Artist for November is Belinda Sales . . . .

Nine years ago, I joined a pottery group in Weymouth. Since then I have been developing my own style and more recently, a range of hand-built Raku fired ceramics.

I now work from my own garden workshop in Weymouth, making primarily wall art for local art café’s and galleries.

My work is mostly influenced by the stunning local scenery such as Portland lighthouse and Weymouth Harbour and my lifelong love of wildlife.

My collection includes both costal and country inspired Raku fired pieces, such as Oystercatchers, Spotted Guineafowl and marine life.

My aim is to make unique bold pieces with an element of fun about them.

I love the unique rustic effect Raku firing creates, it’s always unpredictable and exciting as no two pieces ever come out the same.

I sometimes melt re-cycled glass into my work and often mount my ceramics on locally sourced driftwood, when I can get my hands on it!

. . . And Tom Marshall . . .

I make art because I love doing it. I like using my hands, and using my eyes. Doing art teaches you to do both. You can always get better, and there is always a challenge. Art has shapes and lines and tone and colour and three-dimensions and a whole lot more that can be explored. It's not boring unless you make it that way.

My art is inspired by simple things – I like the way that lady has to lean back at an angle to walk her dog, that man's beard would be fun to draw, I love the way the stripes on her coat change shape where they're wrinkled up, I'm interested in the bewildering mass of lines in the scaffolding round the church, I'm taken by how they're sitting together, I want to draw the motion in that cat, the wind in that flagpole, there is something about their long shadows that makes me reach for my painting stuff, and I think the colours of that whatever-it-is are really special, I want to draw the strut of that pigeon, the mood of that sky. I like capturing people or animals doing things together. I suppose my pictures are about life- I usually draw things I think are fun or curious or beautiful to me or have something to say. I also like doing pictures of ordinary life with a hint of the less ordinary mixed in- it's always there.




Belinda and Tom's exhibition will be running from the 29th October till the beginning of December.
Featured artist . . .
Our featured artist this month is Gina Marshall, lets see what shes been up to this month . .
 

This past month I have been working on putting some movement in my pictures. Up until now I've painted or drawn very flat pictures or tranquil scenes. As I'm always looking to try something new (I get bored easily!) I decided to arrange my fish and clouds into swirls and waves. I ike the effect and certainly enjoyed doing it – I just need to wait and see if my followers and customers do too.
Here is a work in progress:
First I sketch the picture from reference photographs that I've taken, usually several which I put together in my mind's eye. I also add things which I think should be there, rather than actually do exist, for example I always add Old Harry in views such as this. I also compose the picture carefully, positioning objects in places that please the eye and adding additional things like seagulls to add interest to the picture. Then I fill the pencilled areas with fish or clouds in different colours and patterns using various lightfast pens (so the picture doesn't fade).
Next I go over the pencil outlines with a thick black POSCA pen. These pens contain acrylic paint and are also lightfast and waterproof. The beauty of POSCA pens are that light colours draw on top of darker ones.
Finally I colour in blocks with thick coloured POSCA pens. I like the contrast between flat blocks of colour and the delicate fine patterns.

As gallery owner I'm in the gallery 4 days a week. Aside from drawing or painting I also have to think about the business side of things. I've been involved in creating the “Purbeck Gallery Guide” which is a leaflet identifying a trail of 19 different galleries in Purbeck. The philosophy is that working together makes us all stronger as businesses. I've also been asked to get involved with a similar project to create a magazine guide to interesting and exciting independent shops in Dorset – we are known as “Indies”!
I'm excited to have been asked to design the front cover.
As Christmas is near (in retail terms) I've been dressing the shop in a twinkly way and have lots of gift ideas and unique decorations with hopefully more surprises to come!
Here's hoping to see you soon, Cheers!

Upcoming workshops . . .
Purbeck Painters is now signing up new members! The club runs from the end of September up to Christmas and is a great opportunity to learn the techniques to master lots of new mediums. Monday morning and afternoon classes are available, please contact Nicky at [email protected] for more information.
The Isle of Purbeck Arts club is also looking out for new members. Gina Marshall is the chairman for this charity that supports and promotes art within the Isle of Purbeck. There are two art groups, Tuesday morning group and Thursday evening, sessions have an occasional guest tutor or you can work on your own thing. Exhibition opportunities are also available, contact Gina on our mailing address for more information!