Arctic Corsair

The Arctic Corsair is the last of Kingston-Upon-Hull's side-winder trawlers, efectively the last remnant of the city's fishing fleet. She currently lies on the mud in the river Hull by the museum quarter and is a museum ship herself. She has been there since 1999 (after the time I lived in Hull) but there is talk of moving her to a dry dock in the near future.

The painting is based on a couple of sketches that I made in January 2016. There is a little artistic licence in a few places - the riverfront warehouse on the right, for example, is a complete fabrication! The jagged red brick edifice in the background, in front of the cream-coloured Shotwell building, on the other hand, was there and was in approximately that shape when I drew the Corsair and her surroundings. It was partially demolished and looked rather like a post-industrial castle.

Arctic Corsair

Oil on canvas, 55 x 46 cm

£200

Landmarks

"Also notable are [Amanda Bates'] trio of small works, hung as a vertical panel: Thatcham's Bluecoat School, Donnigton Caste and Newbury Corn Exchange. The subjects are tightly cropped within the frame, with little context, giving them a palpable presence."
Newbury Weeky News: Lin Wilkinson

Three wooden panels, each 15  x 15 cm, painted over clear gesso so that the wood peeps through the thick oil paint. These three pictures were painted for, and are currently on display as part of, the Artikinesis Springtime exhibition at the West Berkshire Museum, The Wharf, Newbury - but only until Sunday 23 April.

The exhibition also features work by Rosemary Lawrey, Elinor Cooper, Adeliza Mole and Brian R. Marchant.

Thatcham Bluecoats / Newbury Corn Exchange / Donnington Castle

Oil on wooden panel

£50 each

T

Artikinesis set to exhibit in Reading

17 September – 1 October 2016

"Not far from the hustle of central Reading there is Blake’s Lock. Along this quiet backwater, five artists and a poet came, saw, recorded their findings and expressed their feelings.
"Now at the Riverside Museum’s Turbine House gallery, you can share their experiences and discover hidden Reading for yourself."

Riverside Museum at Blake’s Lock, off Kenavon Drive, Reading, RG1 3DH

(access through car park of the Bel and Dragon restaurant)

Exhibition opening times:
Every day 17 Sept – 30 Sept: 10.00 – 18.00
Final day 1 October exhibition closes at 15.00

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Artikinesis is a group of five artists: Adeliza, Brian, Elinor, Rose and myself. We're very excited to have Duncan writing poems as part of this project; the interplay between location, visual art and words promises to be very interesting.

The Pier (Royal Pier Gatehouse, Southampton)

Line and Wash on rough watercolour paper, approx A3

This is from an old photograph that I took in 2002. I'm fairly certain that The Pier had been a nightclub when I lived in Southapmton, but the building was unused at the time of the photograph. It's now been restored and is a Thai restaurant.

I used a fountain pen with a flexible nib (the Noodler's Creaper pen), loaded with Koh-i-noor black document ink, for the line work that preceded the watercolour wash. Both of these are new to me; the flexible nib allows for a more expressive line, while the document ink is apparently fade-proof and waterproof and (unusually for inks with the other characteristics noted) isn't going to damage my fountain pen.

Of course, I still like dip pens (which are often more flexible, and can be used with any ink without fear for delicate workings), but this combination is very convenient for working outdoors, and it seems to work very well.

Picture This - the pictures

Last October, this happened - but I didn't show you any pictures. So, here they are... along with the relevant bits of my cringeworthy parody lyrics.

All I want is red, yellow and blue
A sight worth seeing, a vision of New(bury)

From atop a car park with a view, oh-oh
Town hall clock, chiming the hour

Sterling cables, the telecom tower

Corn Exchange, chimneys and roofs, oh yeah

and

 Picture this... a day in October
Picture this... reasonable weather
Artists in town, wielding cameras and canvas
Is that someone painting the garage?
If you could only oh-oh  

Picture this... with acrylic and knife
Picture this... a Victorian gas works

Artikinesis and the Basingstoke Project

"Labyrinth of Commerce", acrylic on canvas, 50 x 70 cm

Artikinesis is a new artist's collective. Our new collective.