URSULA McCANNELL painting for sale -The Spanish influence.

 "It's fairly easy to discover how writers like George Orwell or WH Auden or Laurie Lee reacted to the Spanish crisis, and I have to say that 'As I walked out one Midsummer Morning' by Laurie Lee has to be one of my favourite reads. But what Britain's painters and sculptors did is less well known."

The people of London were troubled by the growing tension in Europe in the run up to World War II  in the late 1930s, British artists reacted to the Spanish Civil War and the great crisis in European politics in the period before World War Two.The artists mostly supported the Republican side, which had been ejected from power by General Franco. Most of the artists are now dead  and indeed the youngest - Ursula McCannell - recently passed away but before she did she was interviewed about what she could recall of the Spain she encountered as a teenager in 1936

Ursula McCannell's paintings were inspired by the suffering she saw when her family visited Spain in the 1930s. McCannell was 13 at the time. Her father was Otway McCannell, a painter and teacher. As with many intellectual British families in the 1930s there was much discussion at home of the growing crisis in Madrid. She remembers her father worrying about the pressure the Republican government was under from the Nationalists under General Franco. Later in the war he would plot the two sides' changing fortunes on a big map of Spain, despairing as the Republicans lost control. Ursula recalled ,"Every Thursday we had Left Book Club meetings at our house and there would be people talking about Spain and politics. In truth, when we went to Torremolinos in 1936, it was partly to stay with a school friend. But I remember the suffering of the local people clearly. The sense of unease was obvious, even to a young person like me."

One of McCannell's paintings from this period is Family of Beggars. "I didn't paint or sketch in Torremolinos, which in those days was just a sleepy little village and totally unlike how it is now. I started the paintings when we got back to England. There were quite a lot of them but I sold some. In fact the beggars were outside the cathedral at Malaga. They were a pathetic sight but my parents thought I ought to see everything.When we got back I was interviewed by newspapers including the Daily Mail. They were fascinated that a 13-year-old had painted pictures of the Spanish poor. I wasn't painting the conflict as such, but they said I'd portrayed the suffering of refugees well. You couldn't help being moved." McCannell was among the last artistic witnesses to the crisis of Spanish politics in the 1930s. 

The visit to  Spain just before the Spanish Civil War and the experience had a profound and continuing effect on her work.Themes that she developed at this time, the atmosphere of unease and the depiction of people at the edge of society remained with her for ever. The influence of Spain continued during the 1960's and 70's when her family took their holidays in Cadaques , in Northern Spain. Cadaques was a beautiful village on the Catalan coast where Picasso spent a summer in 1910 and it was where Dali, Duchamp and Man Ray all had homes. McCannell painted the older inhabitants of the village , who had survived life in body but not spirit, the textures of the old plastered walls and the peeling whitewash paint textures that are mirrored in the haunted faces and twisted hands of the village dwellers.

McCannell continued to paint in Spain when in 1963 together with her husband she purchased a house in Cadaques. The influence of this country on her work was always there in her work and gives it a unique feel. It was while painting in Spain at this time that she started to explore new ways of applying paint and I was lucky to recently view one of these works where sand had been mixed with the oil to give a unique texture.Unfortunately, it  is now often found to have been subject to a degree of paint loss. All this said the work I examined was 18 x 12 inch and depicted the Farm House near their home in Cadaques, a lovely image that made a very healthy sum even at a small provincial auction, confirming that her work is still very popular and indeed the hardest thing is finding one available to purchase.In 2016 a retrospective exhibition of works by Ursula McCannell took place at the Fosse Gallery in Stow-on-the-Wold  where there were around 30 works, mostly oil on canvas apart from a small selection of drawings, dating from the 1980s and 1990s with some available to purchase, prices range from £950 for the drawings and up to £15,000 for the oils.

We are very pleased to be able to offer the fabulous work that we currently have from the RA Summer exhibition of 1977.

Cllifford Ellis painting for sale - 'The forgotten abstracts'

Clifford Ellis is not someone that immediately comes to mind when you think about the St Ives group or even the wider Modern British Art movement of the 1950's but he is someone that we all need to re evaluate.
Over the years Clifford and his wife Rosemary worked together on the book jackets for the famous 'New Naturalist' series but also produced a number of lesser well known , linear abstract prints influenced by their friends William Scott, Henry Cliffe and Howard Hodgkin. They also decorated tiles, made ceramics, produced mosaics and posters for London Transport, Shell BP and the Post Office. They were also responsible for the cartoon which they designed  for the entrance hall for The British Pavilion at the Paris International exhibition in 1937.
In 1936, Clifford Ellis took up a position at Bath Tech college and was appointed Head of the Art school two years later. They came to know many artists, including Paul Ashford, Lord Methuen who had himself studied under Walter Sickert and the Ellises also became acquainted with Sickert when he and his wife visited Methuen at Corsham Court in Wiltshire.
During the war the Bath Academy of Art moved to Corsham Court at Lord Methuen's invitation. The Ellises continued to engage with many talented young artists who came to teach at Corsham, a significant number would become key figures in the history of Modern British Art. These included William Scott, Kenneth Armitage, Terry Frost, Peter Lanyon and Howard Hodgkin, to name just a few.
Clfford Ellis was clearly influenced by their work and produced a number of abstract work much of which went unknown and unexhibited , remaining in the family possession until recently released . The work available here is on board and in perfect condition having been safely stored by his daughter. It has undergone a lite clean by a professional conservator , untitled but signed with initials and dated  lower left, this work is perfect and  ready to hang.
Contact us for further details.

Jo Taylor Artist - Horse paintings for sale

Jo Taylor is the choice for my first blog for Blondes Fine Art. Yes, I am joining my husband, Mark, in the Gallery on a full time basis and I have chosen these early pieces by Jo Taylor about which to wax lyrical.
The way we all relate to the horse is massively different from each other but in my case my passion for horses stems all the way back to childhood. Who would have predicted that in my middle age I would still spend several hours every day with one of these majestic creatures? Our now elderly lad is still with us and owes us nothing but we as a family owe him a great deal.Toby, our daughter's horse was a talented show jumper but particularly excelled in eventing. He quite literally brought our family together as we all established our roles within his routine... driver, groom, trainer and rider.The subject matter of these paintings by Jo Taylor resonates strongly and brings back memories of days spent watching at Burghley and Blenheim horse trials; conversations of aspirations and ambitions; Pony club and riding out with the hunt. Some dreams were achieved but many remained in the dream stage.
Jo Taylor's relationship also started at an early age. Born in Lancashire in 1969 she grew to be an accomplished horse woman and would often be spotted riding the fells followed by her trusty greyhound who has also been the subject matter of some of her work. In the late 1980's and early 90's Jo studied at the Leeds Metropolitan University, coincidentally the chosen place of study for our daughter who has made this Yorkshire town her home ever since.In the years that followed Jo became the artist in residence at The University of Liverpool in the department of Veterinary Science. Although Jo already possessed an instinctive and accurate knowledge of the physiology of the horse and was already producing work which demonstrated this through her unique and somewhat abstract style, her residency enabled her to develop an even greater understanding of the animal's anatomy, a talent rarely seen and only in work produced by the greats such as Stubbs.
Always drawing from real life Jo's passion has taken her all over the world.
These pieces are examples of Jo's work from the early 1990's. Their simplicity and complexity sit comfortably together. The blend of the three Eventing disciplines and the perfect flow of the animals are aesthetically pleasing and thought provoking all at once. The horses appear anatomically correct but we can see through them, muscle and tendon exposed. The riders are donned appropriately but they have no features. How can these images be abstract and almost scientific at the same time?  In short I am mesmerised by Jo's unique approach and her ability to bring the horse to life in a way I have not seen before.
They say that if you are privileged enough to spend time with this almost mythical creature they somehow get under your skin. In my opinion Jo Taylor has reversed this phrase and when looking at her horses I feel I am seeing under their skin. It's powerful. When I discovered this artist I half halted, momentarily spooked and then my emotions reared. She is a very talented artist and in these examples uses geometric shapes to enhance the horse, splashes of ink to represent the mud splashing and the colour of the riders and horses attire to bring the whole composition to life. 
Jo has gone on, in more recent times, to depict her equine subjects with a streaming fluency on often huge sheets of paper capturing the shapes and movement from the tautness of reined back impatience to the flow of an effortless pace. In Jo's work the viewer feels the relationship between horse and human. She went on to do exactly the same with the Bull and the primal theatre of the Bull ring. Its huge dark mass become almost a landscape of muscle. Jo captures the shapes and patterns and energy of these creatures with the same passion as the horse. She adds collage , and  lets paint stream to accentuate the movement and bulk.

So its seems that whatever the subject and medium Jo Taylor is now a highly skilled and highly acclaimed artist with great talent and passion. We are very happy to curently hod three subjects by her from the early period of her practise  so please contact us for more information.

Mark Hearld - Collage and Ceramics For Sale

Mark Hearld is, as any of you who follow our blog pages will already know, an artist of immense talent and someone who features in our own personal art collection.  He loves to create and has over the years been equally as happy making marks in oil paint, lino, print, collage, wood, and ceramics. We are delighted to have some of his very recent ceramic work available to buy and think that they offer remarkable value while they are sure to become collectors items of the future.

Mark Hearld's first ceramics were decorated blanks in a ceramic cafe where he decorated  bisqueware which then went for its final firing in much the same way that the great painters from the potteries worked in the 20th century. He went on to explore the use of scraffiti and slip trailing before collaborating with the great master potter , Terry Shone in Whitby.

Mark Hearld Ceramic Horse

In more recent times Mark Hearld has worked with a low volume pottery producer in Stoke on Trent . This came about when he was initially away in Berlin for a few days with Emily Sutton and they came across an old wooden horse that had wheels on its base and had been a child's toy. It was for sale in a flea market so , being the great collectors that they are, it was purchased and came home to York and then onto the potteries to be the model for a mould. The rest is history as Mark has now produced a small number of his ceramic horses in a hand full of batches each individually decorated by him and are of such great proportion that they make a feature and talking point in whichever room they are located. We here at Blondes Fine Art love the simplicity of form and nobleness of stance which when combined with Mark's decorative verve makes them a must have item.

The most recent output by Mark, in Stoke on Trent, are a new series of slipware platters which have been hand produced in small numbers and have designs inspired by his recent visit to the USA with birds such as the Blue Jay featuring strongly. Mark Hearld will continue to produce great work in all mediums and we very much look forward to seeing his latest output, a ceramic cockerel, which is still in the design stage. But for now we are delighted to be able to offer a selection of ceramic and other work by Mark Hearld and if you check out his artist page here at Blondes Fine Art you will find a few gems still available to purchase. Don't miss out !

Peter Biegel - Sporting Art

Peter Biegel is one of finest equine artists and Blondes Fine Art are delighted to have acquired two fabulous oil paintings dating from the 1960's. 
The smallest work is an oil sketch on board and has a real period quality about it and a very American feel due to the denim clothes worn by the lad. It has its original gallery label attached verso and details of its later sale in the 1990's to raise funds for the injured jockey fund. It is  really nice piece that would fit well into any equine lovers home.

Peter Biegel and his wife Dora were actually regular visitors to the United States and would go for a month every year to paint. They first went out in the 1960's to paint for Barry Ryan at Normandy Farm, Kentucky . Their host was an equine art lover and had works by Herring , Munnings and many others but was quoted in a magazine, Thoroughbred of California ,  as saying that Peter Biegel was' the best painter of the horse today'. Biegels work is still much admired in the U.S.A. and a draw for many a collector.
It is also fitting that these works that we currently have available were both  later sold for the benefit of the Injured Jockey Fund. Many charities benefited from Peter Biegel's generosity but it was the Injured Jockey fund that benefited to the tune of one hundred thousand pounds on a number of occasions from the sales of reproduced images in the form of Christmas cards. 

Please do view our new Sporting Art pages and contact us is there is anything that you are particularly looking for.

Gwilym Prichard - Welsh artist of painterly form

Gwilym Prichard  - or Pri(t)chard as he signed his work in his earlier life - is much less well recognised than some of his contemporary Welsh artists from the same post war period.

For me one of the absolute joys of being a Fine Art dealer is that I can indulge my passion for art on a daily basis by sourcing and purchasing the work that I personally enjoy. It matters little to me if a particular artist has been 'over looked' by the mainstream Art community , and indeed I see it as a distinct advantage when looking to find new gems. The early work of Gwilym Prichard is perhaps one such example. He is well known in Wales but much less so elsewhere and I am always interested to hear from private clients who have his work from the 1950s and 1960s and are considering selling. I buy his work because it resonates with me emotionally, it has such vibrancy in texture and palette, yet communicates the bleak Anglesey landscape in a way that is hard to find anywhere else. 

As a child my sister and I would visit Anglesey on a regular basis to see 'Uncle Ivor' and to explore the wildlife of North and South Stack , watch the rock climbers navigate the cliffs and to search for Adders and Bee orchids on the sand dunes. They were , from my recollections, days of extreme weather and I recall being burnt from the sun and drowned by the cold rain on the bleak hills. I had , at that time, no knowledge of anyone called Gwilym Prichard and no knowledge of how he was recording my childhood memories at exactly the same time that I was visiting the places he painted. Penmon Priory was a regular subject of his work and often depicted Puffin Island in the background. Actually the bulk of his work was, for sometime focused in a triangle formed by Pentraeth, Penmon and Beaumaris  and it was while painting in this area that he really matured as an artist.These were also familiar places to me and I guess that is why his work has such a hold on me . But it is not just the subjects that are important but his painterly style and use of thick slabs of palette - knife and sweeping brush stroke to convey the boulders , buildings and beauty of his native land. In fact his colour and block work reminds me of de Stael.

Gwilym Pritchard was born in 1931 and would keep the spelling of his surname with the 't' until the 1980s when finding that his Great Grandfather had been a Prichard - without the 't'. He had a brother Arthur, who was also a talented artist and he married his childhood sweetheart Claudia Williams who is yet another talented Welsh artist. They lived in Anglesey for much of their early life and it was here , and the images of the local landscape, that gave Prichard the notoriety he deserved. He taught at the local secondary school for 11 years and managed to paint in his spare time building up a steady patronage.

He built up strong ties with leading galleries and was a regular exhibitor from the late 1950's with Royal National Eisteddfod of Wales , Bangor Art Festival and notably with Howard Roberts Gallery, Cardiff for a decade between 1958 - 1969.

 In 1956, when private galleries were rare outside London, Howard Roberts established his gallery in the Welsh capital. Roberts  was born in Cardiff attended Cardiff College of Art, and taught art at Tiverton High School before returning to the Principality and opening what was to become Wales' most successful commercial gallery. It concentrated mainly as one would expect, on Welsh art but also showed many British artists who included Henry Moore, Ben Nicholson, Barbara Hepworth, Graham Sutherland, Prunella Clough,  and Bridget Riley. Welsh artists exhibited included Augustus John, Morland Lewis and Alfred Jones. The gallery was also a considerable force in developing the careers of Kyffin Williams, John Elwyn, Ernest Zobole and Will Roberts amongst many.

However, by 1970, expenditure on new premises, competition from other galleries and rising rents forced the gallery's closure. The work shown above dates from the early 1960s and has a Howard Roberts Gallery label fixed verso. Enquires about this work are welcomed so do not hesitate to contact us here at Blondes Fine Art.

Elizabeth Blackadder flower paintings in oil

Elizabeth Blackadder has had a love of flowers since her childhood but they did not appear significantly in her work until the mid 1970's, when she moved to Fountain Hall Road , which had a large garden . Prior to that period she was however, experimenting in her style and mediums and flowers were a topic that seems to recur.

In 1963 John and Elizabeth moved from their flat into a house in Queens Crescent, on the South side of Edinburgh. They then had for the first time, a small garden which gave her access to a constant supply of flowers and it is in that period that we begin to see them feature in her work. In 1966 she produced a large pen and ink drawing of Lilies which is depicted on page 51 of Duncan Macmillan's book about Elizabeth Blackadder, which has some similarities to the work we, here at Blondes Fine Art, have recently acquired. The work shown below is signed but undated depicts a still life of Lillies in a vase and is I believe from the same mid 1960's period. Interestingly the period, gold, glazed, box frame appears to have been 'borrowed from her husband as it bears his name and the title of one of his works to the back.

During the early 1960's Blackadder lived near Anne Redpath and it was she that helped Blackadder to see the possibilities of still life and as a result she began to experiment in a way that shows a direct link to those still-life flowers of Redpath's. It is also clear that Elizabeth was concentrating on still life in oil and produced a body of work that have a very similar palette to the work shown above. Two such examples are 'Summer' an oil from 1963 and 'Still-Life with Grey Tabletop' an oil from 1965 both of which use the same loose style in greys and yellows. During this period she experimented with approaches and appears to be looking to find a new way of working and her own distinct artistic voice. She did , as we are all well aware, hone her skills in the painting of flowers later in her career but this work offered here , 'Still-life Lilies' in oil, circa 1965 is one of the first serious paintings of this subject matter.

Early oils of flowers by Elizabeth Blackadder are a rare find and this one is delicately painted and of a size that will fit into any home . please contact us if you would like further details or arrange to view the work

Blondes Fine Art Christmas Art Sale - featuring work by Kirsten Wilson.

Blondes Fine Art are a family business selling Modern British Art and are based in Widford near Much Hadham in Hertfordshire. Selling direct to collectors via the internet , we have also exhibited in central London at the 'Works on Paper' and 20/21 fairs. 
This year we  have decided to open our private gallery to bring quality Fine Art to rural Hertfordshire and will have work by Dame Elizabeth Blackadder RA, Sir John Arnesby-Brown RA, Lucy Kemp-Welch, Harry Becker, John Aldridge RA, John Houston RSA and the current 'Keeper of the RA' Eileen Cooper together with many more, all on show in our converted 'Stable Yard Gallery' .
Most of all, we are delighted to have an exhibition of new work by the highly talented local artist Kirsten Wilson.

Kirsten Wilson  is a  graduate in Fine Jewellery Design and Manufacture from Central St Martins College of Art.For several years Kirsten made three dimensional pictures, cards and clocks for retail outlets throughout the world, including John Lewis and also designed and painted back drops for Local Fund raising Events for the Isobel Hospice and Much Hadham Ball. Kirsten was raised in East Hertfordshire attending the local village schools in Widford and Much Hadham and still lives in this lovely rural area with her family. Kirsten has had  several children’s books published she works mainly in watercolour and ink, her drawings and paintings are humorous and individual. A more recently Kirsten has discovered a love for Printmaking, especially Lino cut and dry point etching.We are delighted to be able to show her work at our first show in our private 'Stable Yard Gallery' here in Widford and everyone is welcome on the weekend of 26th & 27th November and again on Sunday 4th December or by prior appointment.

We look forward to seeing you.

Fred Cuming RA 'Visual Intelligence' - Painting for sale

Fred Cuming and his use of light and colour have always attracted me to his work and I am extremely happy to have recently acquired a wonderful still life oil on board depicting a vase of flowers. Indeed, the last time I was at Bonhams for a sale, I watched two similar works sell for very good prices and have been searching for some time for the right work to come my way.

One of my occupational hazards is trying to read about three art books at once and at the moment I can recommend two. The first is 'The Visitors Book' which is so visual that I almost feel I was there with Francis Bacon, John Minton, The Roberts, and the rest of the Fitzrovia 'gang' in the drunken post war period of the 1950s. The book is about the lives of Richard Chopping and Denis Wirth-Miller and if you have not heard of them it is a must read book. I know I am digressing and need to focus on Fred Cuming but this is the other book that I am currently consuming. 'Another figure in the landscape' is also a must read if you, like me, love the work of Fred Cuming. He tells us all about his working and influences which I will not rehash here but is a collectors study staple.

So, where is the link between the two , I hear you ask? Well its something I have just read in Fed Cuming's book and its 'Visual Intelligence', which is a phrase I have not heard before. I am a great believer in Emotional Intelligence and much has been written on the benefits of such over IQ for example.  He talks about some people having visual acumen far ahead of their fellows, who are open-minded about what they expect to see and do not see art as merely a reproduction process. It is, he says , people with a willingness to become fascinated by the mechanics of just 'seeing' such as film makers and theatre directors, lateral thinkers, people with a commanding, even obsessive, drive and focus.

This made me reflect on Francis Bacon whose work was initially heavily criticised but he continued with his work despite these adverse reviews and also of Wirth-Miller who against the odds became a great , if not under recognised, painter of abstract landscapes. Both men where self taught with little formal training yet their Visual Intelligence was so strong that they succeeded in making a career in art . I think Fred Cuming is correct in his views and some people are just more open to visual stimuli and see and translate emotion in colour and light. Certainly, Cuming is one of these people,  his use of colour and light is quite wonderful and he is rightly considered to be the greatest living landscape painter of our time. But, it is not just landscapes where these skills are to be seen and in his conclusion to the book  says the following which illustrates this well.

" From my studio shed I see everything transformed by the angle of the light in autumn evenings, a magical half-hour of brilliant gold light against shadows and darker areas. The jam-jar on my window-sill holding dead flowers, thistles and teasels is transmuted into gold, a treasure from the tomb of Tutankhamen. And then as the light fades  different shades appear, gold turning to beautiful mauves and browns, dramatic contrasts reduced to subtle harmonies, the explosive sound of a huge orchestra dwindling to a gentle sonata of greys , mauves and pinks'

Now I know why the work of Fred Cuming resonates with me so much, its his Visual Intelligence.

The work shown above is currently for sale.

Julian Trevelyan Prints -Etchings, Aquatints & Lithographs

Julian Trevelyan has left us with some wonderful images that track his life, loves and passions, the earliest days of which can be traced back to his days at Trinity College , Cambridge in the 1930's. He was at this time, interested in Surrealism and eventually, in 1931, gave up the academic life and travelled to Paris where he where he joined S.W. Hayter at Atelier 17 . It was here that he learned his trade as a master printsman. He graduated from line engraving to textures impressed in soft ground etching and aquatint, which became his preferred methodology.

Julian Trevelyan worked at the Royal College of Art  between 1955 and 1963, where he became head of the Etching department and influenced the likes of Ackroyd, Hockney and Kitaj. His own personal style, particularly in the 1970's, developed into one of simplification and outlining which resulted in fresh, spontaneous and bold images with the use of little colour. He printed many of his Etchings himself at his Durham Wharf studio in West London , where he had a Kimber press installed in 1964. 

The image shown below is a fine example of Julian Trevelyans work from the late 1970's. It is titled 'Farndale' and is an Etching and Aquatint from a single steel plate 35 x 48 cm and dates from 1979. The work only uses one colour -black- and was printed by Trevelyan on Mouldmade, Arches 88 paper sheets 57x76 cm. Interestingly, this was to be an edition of 50 with a run of 5 Artists Proofs but only 10 of the edition were ever produced by him in his lifetime, making this a very sought after and hard to find image. Farndale , itself is located in North Yorkshire and is only a few miles from the farm the Trevelyans bought in 1974 called Hill top Farm in Spaunton, North Yorkshire.

Here in Hertfordshire, Blondes Fine Art continue to strive to source those special works from our greatest artists and if you are looking for a particular 'hard to find' work do please contact us and we will endeavour to help you locate it.

At the time of writing this image by Julian Trevelyan has just been reserved.

John Elwyn paintings for sale

We are delighted to have recently acquired some lovely work by John Elwyn. This self exiled Welsh artist is one of our firm favourites and his work has a great collectors following. John Elwyn was greatly admired by his contemporary native artists such as Sir Kyffin Williams RA who said , 'the work of John Elwyn will always stand out and be admired'. he was , of course, correct and he has , in recent years, come out from the shadows and is now rightly regarded as one of the greats.

Titled ' Welsh Farm'

John Elwyn trained at the RCA in London and was encouraged to stay in London by his friend and artist Ceri Richards , who put him in touch with various London galleries. By the end of the 1940's he was exhibiting regularly with the Royal Academy and in 1948 he moved to Hampshire where he lived until his death in 1997. His move out of London, was to take up a post at Portsmouth College of Art followed by one at Winchester College of Art . He lived at 5, Compton Road, Winchester ,  a lovely period town Villa and a photograph is shown below.

John Elwyn's home in Wichester

By the start of the 1950's his paintings were widely acclaimed , particularly in Wales where his figurative 'Chapel' and 'Miners returning home' paintings were much loved . By the end of the 1950's his figurative work had increasingly given way to pure landscapes which were more often than not depictions of Welsh rural scenes taken from his memories of Cardiganshire. The work we have available here at Blondes Fine Art is an example of such a landscape showing his characteristic geometric and patterned landscapes. All of which are executed in the vibrant colours that he loved to use. Vivid green, yellow and orange sunlit fields, imposing skies, white - washed barns , hedgerows, stone walls and a lane winding away into the distance. These were the recurrent themes in John Elwyn's later work and he painted many variations on the same theme with titles such as Welsh farm, Dyfed Landscape and Upland farm occurring numerous times.

John Elwyn left Winchester Art College in 1976 to become a full time artist and he worked from memory and sketch books. Often, he was not sure what they would look like at the beginning and inspiration might emerge during the painting, from perhaps poetry or the weather conditions. Like so many artist he had a love of gardening and painted plants at different times of the day and in all seasons so it, perhaps , could not be more fitting that it was in his beloved garden when he fell and sustained an injury that caused his passing on 13th November 1997.

During his life time he had multiple exhibitions and his work is held by private and public collections throughout the country. We are always interested in hearing from anyone who is considering selling work by John Elwyn.

Tom Merrifield - Sculptor, Artist and Dancer.

I first became aware of Tom Merrifield in 1990 when I recovered a stolen edition of his sculpture , Marion Tait " Fantasy" which had been stolen by means of Burglary from a North London house. I visited Tom in his Hampstead home where he was able to identify the sculpture and provide the details of the victim of the crime, thus allowing me to reunite it with the lawful owners. He was the most helpful and engaging of men who made time to tell me about his work and career.

I remember his house was full of his work with paintings and sculptures of dancers filling the rooms. He was keen to tell me about each work and I was fascinated by his story. Tom had been a dancer initially in his native Australia and later in shows, films and ballet in London. This made a great deal of sense to me because the bronzes had  a wonderful sense of movement that could only have been understood by someone who had intimate understanding of dance. The other thing I learnt was that Tom had never had any formal training in drawing , panting or sculpture which I found hard to believe looking at his work. He exuded a passion for dance , sculpture, drawing and indeed for his cats which were also a regular feature of his drawings. He also explained how he had been commissioned to produce the Society of West end theatre award which was a lovely bronze of a naked dancer.

 It was a privelede to meet him and when some many years later I had the opportunity to purchase an early bronze from a small edition in the late 1980's I jumped at it. The work we have on offer is " Lisa " 23 cm in height and an edition of 8. The work is actually depicted in the catalouge that Tom gave me when I met him all those years ago. The ballerina herself is none other than Lisa  Macuja-Elizalde who was  Prima Ballerina. In 1984, she became the first Filipina prima ballerina, and first foreign soloist to ever join the Kirov Ballet.

This is just one of a long list of the most famous ballerinas and dancers that have been sculpted by Tom Merrifield because they know that he knows how to ensure the work is accurate. In his early career he danced with the Borovansky Ballet in Australia and when the Biography of Borovanskywas written, some years ago now, Tom merrifield was described thus" His ws the most rarest of all qualities, the dancer's persona, the innate quality that attracts an audiences attention from the moment of entrance" 

Alberto Morrocco and his Mural Paintings

Alberto Morrocco was born into an Italian family who had very much adopted Scotland as their home. His mother was 3 years old when she arrived in Aberdeen and was raised speaking Scottish and, as Alberto recalled,  rarely speaking Italian to his father, who had arrived in Aberdeen in 1912.

One of my very favourite stories to tell any prospective Morrocco buyer is the fact that Alberto Morrocco was not his correct name . His father opened a shop in Aberdeen, an Ice-Creamery, but when he came to Scotland did not speak the language particularly well. So, Mr D MARROCCO, asked a sign writer to make a sign for the shop. Instead of spelling it with an  "A " the sign writer spelt the name incorrectly with an "O" and the rest his history. His father accepted the sign and from then on the family name has been spelt with an "O". Alberto Morrocco had a birth certificate spelt Marrocco but as for the generations thereafter I have no idea. Leon and Jack both spell their names with the "o" but I know not if they ever formally changed the surname. Perhaps you do - I would be interested to know!

It was the mid 1960's when Morrocco's stylistic approach to still-life and his Italian subject matter began to crystallise into his recognisable style. He had become well known and elected a member of the Royal Scottish Academy in 1962 and it was this that became the catalyst for him being commissioned to paint a number of murals by Sir Anthony Wheeler. Morrocco trained at the Grays School of Art in Aberdeen under James Cowie and Robert Sivell and it is perhaps the later who influenced his murals. While still a student Morrocco had assisted Robert Sivell on a large mural which is still to be found in the Students Union in Aberdeen. He went on to produce two huge murals in his own right during the mid 1960's. The first was Christ carrying the Cross for St Columba's Church in Glenrothes followed by two large murals for Liff Hospital in Dundee. In these works he was able to consolidate is work with Sivell in Aberdeen and produce his own style in a medium he had always been interested in through his link to Italian Renaissance art.

We are delighted to have two designs for murals for sale from the personal collection of Sir Anthony Wheeler , who was the commissioning Architect. One is by David McClure, a close friend of Morrocco, and was produced for the staff room at St Andrews University and the other is the original design by Alberto Morrocco, for the mural at St Columba's Church (Click Link to see the work) Both are in fantastic original condition and kept by Sir Anthony ,only becoming available when he passed away a few years ago. 

In 1983 Sir Anthony Wheeler became President of the Royal Scottish Academy and, as tradition has it, his portrait was painted at the end of his term of office - in the early 1990's. So who else did he choose for this but none other than, his friend, Alberto Morrocco. He had already painted a portrait of Lord Cameron for the University of Edinburgh in 1972 but the painting of Wheeler is painted more within the style of his still-life work of that 1990 period. His handling of the paint is very similar although the colour not as high in concession to the fact that it was a commission and needed to be recognisable. It was painted from life inside the RSA building under artificial light and what is resulted is a a warm friendly painting which seems to sit between a painting of a family member and a more formal work like that of Lord Cameron. 

Vincent Haddelsey - Yorkshire artist - painting for sale

Vincent Haddelsey comes from a family of painters, at least both of his grandmothers were gifted painters , and when he was eight his maternal grandmother gave him his own paint box, brushes and palette. He was born into a privileged upbringing attending Ampleforth School and hunting and beagling in the holidays. His father and his father and grandfather were all lawyers and Vincent was expected to follow suit. In fact, his parents did not encourage him to paint but actively discouraged him, since painting was not an activity they thought likely to provide a secure future. So Vincent learnt to draw by himself without any formal lessons recording the countryside in the area surrounding his home.

One skill he did learn from his upbringing was his horsemanship, which was to further develop over his lifetime and become the main feature of his art. At the age of 18 years he emigrated to Canada and became fascinated by the native Indians and their collective folk art. He developed this interest with trips to Mexico and the Indians living there before moving to Paris where he made his name as an artist and in 1969  won the International Grand Prix for naif painters.

Vincent Haddelsey has a nieve style and a simplicity of approach which are bound together with a warmth of colour that creates a complexity for the viewer. The background details are just as important to him as the main subject and this is the case in the work that we currently have for sale here at Blondes fine Art. " The Polo Match at Belvoir Castle " has Rooks alighting from the trees and a pair of hawks in the sky, it also has a group of onlookers to the right and a goal official by the posts, not to forget the distant Castle nestled in the trees. Another feature of his work is the attention to the detail of the patterns of leaves and grass which also evident in this painting but, the main subject of his painting is, of course , the horse and the horsemen. Whatever the scene these are usually central to the work and this is the case in this picture shown below.

Vincent Haddelsey Oil Painting " Polo Match"

Haddelsey played a lot of polo when he was in Canada , though never in England where he set this scene. He always played with number 2 on his back and that is a feature of all of his polo paintings and here number 2 is placed left of the painting.There is wonderful form and life like realism in the equine movement that shows his intimate knowledge of the horse. This expertise in painting all forms of horsemanship comes from having that experience himself. He not only rode in polo matches but show jumping, broncos, quarter horses, steeplechasing, and fox hunting, so he was a highly competent horseman.

The painting on offer is in excellent condition signed with initials  and again verso, it came from the studio sale of his work so has fantastic provenance and is great value. Please contact us for more information to arrange a viewing or to make an offer.

Sheila Robinson - Artist, Printer & Teacher

Sheila Robinson was a marvellous artist and member of the Great Bardfield group. Her lino cut print of 'The cat' from 1961 is full of colour and design that makes it unmistakably "Bardfield". Indeed the background to the work is in fact printed from one of her own wall paper print blocks.

One of the interesting things about Sheila Robinson is her acquired  love of gardening. This is something that she had in common with both Edward Bawden and John Aldridge who in turn were great friends with other artists sharing the same passion, such as Cedric Morris and John Nash,  who both lived nearby. I am a fan of all of these artists and there must be something in the eye of an artist and gardener that shares an ability to work with colour to produce beauty and balance to the viewer. She also had a love of cats which again Bawden and Aldridge shared  with each producing many images with the creatures centre stage.

However , it was Bawden that she was closest and this stems from a similar nature both quiet,reserved, hard working and with a  high sense of moral code. Neither thought themselves better than the other and despite their generational difference in age maintained a close relationship for over 40 years, not just professionally but as friends, Bawden would look after Sheila when she was unwell and ensure that she had food to eat delivering it to her door. She had originally been an outstanding student , progresssed to being his assistant and then onto a professional  equal. Certainly her work is of equal to Bawden and I think her lino cuts possibly better. She used Japanese paper and her printing was done without a press as her cottage was too small. She would stand on the blocks and walk up and down to produce an image on the paper. The technique was so time consuming that the editions were small and done in batches. She was also highly skilled in other printing methods including the use of cardboard cut out to produce the picture and used this in conjunction with lino print to build up an image.

Sheila Robinson was also a fine illustrator and was commissioned to produce work for the BBC and in then 1975 an edition of the book 'sons and lovers' . Like Bawden and Aldridge she was able to share her skills and ability with the next generation of art students when in the early 1960s she taught at Walthamstow  College of Art where she also experimented with more abstract printing and a few years later she took a post at the RCA teaching in the illustration department until her death.

So she was a talented artist , role model to her children , and loyal friend to Bawden. Sheila Robinson does not get enough recognition for her amazing work and we here at Blondes Fine Art rate her very highly indeed. If you happen to have one of her prints or indeed anything that she produced we would love to hear from you and to acquire a larger representative collection of her work , so drop us an email .

Work by Sheila Robinson is always WANTED by Blondes Fine Art !

Mark Hearld & Emily Sutton - Art & Design a way of life.

I have only met and chatted to Mark Hearld on four occasions and Emily Sutton twice, but it is clear from their home , their work and their love of all things design that Art for them is simply a way of life . It does not stop with a sketch , a water colour or oil on board put permeates every conceivable medium and oozes out of every corner of their home in York. Mark is a self confessed collector and fan of such greats as John Piper, Edward Bawden, Julian Trevelyan along with Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant , another two great artists who had an eye for colour and design.

We visited the house in York last weekend when Mark and Emily held an open studio and I was fascinated by, not only the quite wonderful art for sale but also, the eclectic collections of toys , corn dollies, Staffordshire china dogs, and folk art in its widest sense. In fact , I was so taken with it that I felt an overwhelming urge to buy a large water colour by Emily of the Yellow fireplace in the front room of their house. It has every detail in fabulous colour tones and shows Emily's work at its best. It is yet to be delivered by Mark but I just cannot wait to hang it in our home to add to our own very eclectic art collection. Mark will also be delivering our other purchases a ceramic horse and a fantastic collage of a pigeon called "Bo" and two Silkie chickens. It is not just ourselves who are fans of Hearld and Sutton, we arrived at the open studio only 15 minutes after it opened finding the house full of people and Mark  rushing around sticking red dots on work as quickly as physically possible. I could not help but reflect on the Great Bardfield open houses in the 1950's which were such a great success and helped put the art and design of those talented artists such as Bawden, Aldridge, Rothenstein ,Cheese, and Robinson firmly in the minds of the post war generation.

I am loath to link the work of either Mark or Emily to any one or two greats from the past but there is clearly a Ravilious influence in the shop fronts produced by Emily which are reminiscent of the High Street illustrations for the 1938 book by that title, and more than a touch of Piper and Bawden in the Collage and Lino cuts produced by  Mark. But it is impossible to categorise their work, and why would you want to, they are unique in their variety and thirst for new ways of expressing themselves in art and design.We feel privileged to have added their work to our own personal collection and find it both uplifting and colourful which is all one can ask for in a work of art and design. 

Mark Hearld & Emily Sutton Open Studio

A few months ago we attended an evening talk by Mark in Saffron Walden , and he gave a fantastic insight to his work and his inspirations . It was there that ,for the first time, I became aware of his ceramic figurative work. I was aware of his collaboration with the master potter Terry Shone producing some," to die for",platters and tiles but not of his ceramic horses which he had used when he curated his display in The Lumber Room at York Art Gallery. He explained how he had been on a weekend to Berlin, Germany and had found an old wooden horse in a flea market. He purchased it and on his return to York decided to use it to cast ceramic horses with the assistance of a low volume ceramics manufacturer in Stoke on Trent. Since the day of his talk we have coveted one, so it was great to find that Mark had produced another batch of 9 for his open studio and it took only a few minutes for the decision to be made and a red dot to be applied to the chosen one. They are, colourful, simple, and a new 21st century spin on an old traditional form of decorative art. His work is alive as is that of Emily's and the combination of influence from the greats of the past with the design needs of today, produces this fusion of  folk art,craft and tradition which still resonates with the modern world as some of us try to hang on to the "make do and mend" philosophy of the past.

To say we are fans of Emily and Mark would be an understatement , but do not just listen to my views go and seek out their work , it ranges from a few hundred pounds for a limited edition print, so is accessible to all . Their work makes me smile and feel better about the day ahead and that is a wonderful skill to possess and I can not wait to see what new work they produce in the coming months .  

John Houston paintings for sale - "Aberlady Bay Sunset"

John Houston became renowned for his wonderfully bold, expressionistic landscapes ,seascapes and moody skies and was a major contributor to Scottish art in the later part of the Twentieth Century. 

He was born in 1930 and studied at Edinburgh College of Art where he later taught and initially shared a class with Sir William MacTaggart. Indeed, Mactaggart was also known for his landscapes of East Lothian and some of his seascapes such as "Crossing the North Sea" have the same elements as John Houston's - the colour, texture and light. It is not a secret that Houston was influenced by MacTaggart and who wouldn't have been , working closely together sharing thoughts and inspiration there is bound to be linkage in there output. I seem to recall reading sometime ago that John Houston would get upset if the mood he was trying to paint was not coming through and he would paint it out and start again . I also recall that in a similar way MacTaggart said how he hated a blank canvas and found it hard to paint until there was something else there to work with. Having said this they both managed to produce stunning work that for me exemplifies the use of colour in landscape.

John Houston painted the places that he knew and loved and he was fortunate to live in East Lothian where ,lets face it , the weather is a feature that can change the conditions many times in the course of a day. Houston acknowledged the weather and said that it was a stimulant to his work , the different light and cloud formations making every day different. He also believed that it was his familiarity with the landscape that allowed him to see past the obvious and to paint the emotion. He returned time and time again to the Firth of Forth and painted those beaches and bays on both sides  of the Estuary.

So what was the reason the he returned time and time again to the same subjects?

John Houston was a keen sportsman and played for Scotland in under 21 football before he injured his knee. But throughout his life he continued to be a very keen golfer as well as fisherman. He played golf to a very high standard. But what of it , I hear you say, this is about art not golf! Well, actually it is an important aspect of John Houston's art and just for one moment we should look at Aberlady Bay, Gullane and North Berwick to the South shore of the Forth, and Largo to the North. These locations have featured time and time again in John's paintings where he depicts the different lights and times of the day and the reason is simple, Largo bay has Scoonie Golf Course, Levens Links Golf Course and Ludin Golf Course running parallel to the bay, while Kilspindie , Luffness, Gullane, Muirfield and Archerfield Golf Courses are to be found to the Southern shore. John would take his sketch book and watercolours to these familiar places and paint the emotion of the light on the sea and return to his studio to paint in his preferred medium of oil.

Whatever the reason was that drew him to these locations the fact remains that the resultant paintings are very much in the tradition of the modern landscape started by the Dutch painters of the seventeenth century who painted the North Sea with big skies , wide horizons and dramatic seas. Turner followed a couple of hundred years later and then William Mactaggart who continued in brilliant colour . So John Houston is in a very fine group of artist and I believe him to still be under recognised for his skill and use of colour, he is a great expressionist painter and we are delighted to have another wonderful work for sale here at Blondes Fine Art. The work is oil on canvas , 12 x 16 inch signed and dated 1998 with Mercury gallery (London) Gallery label verso. It was purchased by a titled lady at John Houston's final solo show in 2000 and depicts the wonderful sunset over Aberlady Bay and ,who knows, perhaps sketched having completed a round of golf at Muirfield.

If you do not have one of John Houston's work in your modern Scottish collection or are looking for one of his best and iconic works this is a great size will go anywhere in a home and the price is great value . Contact us for more details.

Tessa Newcomb paintings for sale - "A waltz with nature"

During 2010 Tessa Newcomb embarked on a series of paintings, often small in nature , that depicted the idiosyncratic, and carefully crafted worlds of allotments. There could not have been a better subject matter as her painting are, in a way, like allotments themselves. They are both places where all kinds of crazy eccentricities can be found side by side with the beautiful and the humorous. 

Tessa Newcomb's paintings are rooted in East Anglian tradition of her mother Mary and the likes of Mary Potter. They have a dream-like hazy realism that makes you smile whenever you pass one of her work. They hide an enigmatic narrative and often depict a simple act that  makes one recall such things as a summers day or childhood experience. She manages to keep the images so very simple in the most complex way. The detail draws you from one side of the picture to another and leaves you wanting to look again, and again to make sure you have taken it all in, taking the viewer on a waltz with nature.

The paintings from 2010, of what she terms "The Plot", are a wonderful example of her laser focused artistic eye's ability to capture the full range of human activity in what ,nowadays, is one of the last "common" areas in our modern world - the allotment. A place of individual personality where there are few rules other than those associated with the produce.The result is a place where you can find redundant cans of "Broadside Ale " ,upside down on canes, next to a scarecrow with a mask and pipe wearing an old Duffel coat tied at the middle with red bailing twine. Both there for the same reason, made by different men,- usually- and showing creativity they would be banned from displaying  at home.

And what of the shed? This is the curtained festooned wooden"castle" where the king retires to consider the finer points of life. Often these rudimentary shelters are made from discarded bits and pieces and have developed from the very things that they contain.We all need a shed,  otherwise what would we do with things we didn't know with to do with ? With a shed it is simple -" put them in the shed!"

Blondes Fine Art are pleased to be able to offer a selection of small oils by Tessa Newcomb , each with its own humour and narrative. Shown above are two such work -"From the plot " is initialled and dated 2010, depicts a simple vase of flowers and has been painted on a piece of discarded pine which no doubt came from a shed somewhere. The other titled "Welsh shed" a later work dated 2013 but both are of the very essence of Newcomb.

Tessa Newcomb was born, and now lives in Suffolk, only leaving between 1973 - 76 to study at the Bath Academy of Art. She has exhibited widely and is now very much a  firm favourite  in the East Anglian art scene. Click to see the other work by this artist.

Rose Hilton - Art, Painting, Exhibitions and the 1980's

Rose Hilton has been painting and exhibiting since  1988 . Her late husband, Roger Hilton, died in 1975 and it took her some 13 years to come to terms with the changes . She had a wonderful group of friends, who all helped to support her through this difficult time, such as Dudley Sutton , the actor , who in 1979 sent tickets for her and the boys to fly to the West Indies for 6 weeks while he was making a film with Michael Caine. Patrick Heron helped by providing a reference for a studio and in the early 80's she started painting with more purpose. This was coupled with her holiday to see Matisse's work in the Hermitage in 1983 and visits to see the Raoul Dufy show at the Hayward in 1984. It seems as if Rose was trying to find herself again and once she decided to keep her married name Rose Hilton, the new artist starts to emerge.

Times were still tough and she had little money, borrowing from the bank to get by, she took teaching jobs at Bristol and Falmouth. She stretched all her own canvases to save funds but then  started to show at the Newlyn and Penwith annual shows. That was the very start of her journey , her personal struggle and emergence as one of the finest and well collected Artist of the late 20th centuary. In 1987 she had her first one man show at the Newlyn Gallery.

These early works were generally decorative in nature and often set in the house at Botallack. The pastel blues and dreamy textures are to be seen in one of the two works currently offered by us at Blondes Fine Art. Titled "Afternoon Dreams" this bears a Michael Parkin Gallery label verso from 1988, and was purchased by the Artist John Pawle , for his own private collection. Talking to Diana Parkin recently she recalls the sale and at that time John Pawle was represented by their gallery . Rose  Hilton also had a show in Oxford that year and the following year she agreed to let Messums represent her work and has had countless successful shows there ever since, the most recent being in 2014. I can remember going to this show and seeing her large work "Red Studio" for the first time ,it was an interior design statement piece that was later exhibited at the RA and sold for £20,000. (See our previous blog dated September 18th 2015 for more details and link to the RA Summer exhibition). The show also had some paintings that had more than a nod to the work from the 1980's and one in particular took my eye as it reminded me of Afternoon Dreams it was a large canvas 120 x 190 called "Summer repast" in delicate blues , orange and white it had a calming magical feeling. Unfortunately, I could not manage the £28,500 asking price!

We are great fans of Rose Hilton's work and currently hold two works by her. They are great value , so if you are also a fan and would like to view them please contact us to arrange a viewing either by appointment in our private Hertfordshire Gallery or in your own home .

Carel Weight - "A Dreamer of Visions"

We like artists that make you smile - artists such as Patrick Hughes, Escher, Magritte, Spencer and of course Carel Weight - all artists that have been touched in one way or another by Surrealist ideas. Weight had in fact helped to organise a Surrealist exhibition in the 1930's and later Mervyn Levy wrote "Carel Weight is first and foremost an imaginative painter, a dreamer of visions, his pictures are often bizarre and haunted ..."

Of course Surrealist ideas can both amuse and disturb as they play games with our normal concepts of everyday reality, and this is very apparent in the work of Carel Weight. Once asked whether he considered himself eccentric, he replied:"I suppose [I am] out of the normal run of things ...... I feel myself a rather solitary figure with little interest in current art fashions". 

So he is very much an individual, his own man so to speak, who has always declined to fit in either with current trends or with the machinations of the art market - " I don't like the dealers and I don't like the critics". Once when he was approached by an eminent dealer who told him he could sell his work for 6 times more than he was asking (he sold most of his work from home or via the RA) he replied: "Good heavens, if you do that none of my friends will be able to afford my work". 

He was born in London in 1908 of German/Swedish descent, and as a young artist was friends with Lowry, Ruskin Spear, and Stanley Spencer. All artists who shared his idiosyncratic view of the world and who imbued everyday life with an extra dimension. It is probably with Spencer's work that Weight's resonates most. 

He enjoyed a distinguished career as a teacher joining the staff at the RCA in 1947 and becoming Professor of painting there between 1957-73 and thereafter Professor Emeritus. He was elected RA in 1965 and awarded a major retrospective there in 1982. His work is to be found in many major collections including the Tate, Arts Council, Imperial War Museum, Royal Academy, VAM, Asmolean and The Vatican!