Prints are amazing things. The elements of design, drama and considered mark-making in printing are things that other forms of the visual arts struggle to match. They can also be extremely fragile. When a print is printed onto a thick cotton rag paper of good quality, they are a dream for a conservator to work …
The story of Psyche and Eros is based on a greek myth and has been the subject of artists since antiquity. Psyche, the most beautiful of three sisters, is adored by admirers making Venus jealous. Venus sends Cupid (Eros) to shoot her with an arrow which will make her fall in love with a monster. …
Greetings! To Karl Weschke from Sheila and Peter Lanyon, and Roger and Rose Hilton. These two little Christmas cards were sent to Karl Weschke and his then partner, Jan, from Roger and Rose Hilton, and Sheila and Peter Lanyon. Informal exchanges between artists show a moment of working practice – a gesture in a moment …
Paul Peter Piech, as well as having an awesomely alliterative name, was an excellent graphic artist. Born in New York in 1920, Piech worked as a graphic artist for an advertising agency before being posted to the U.K. in the Second World War. He continued his work in advertising, but in 1959 also set up …
Robert Brennan (1925 – 2018) was a self-taught artist who moved to St Ives in the early 1950’s. He was a member of the Penwith Society early on, when Herbert Read was President of the group. He showed work alongside Terry Frost, Karl Weschke, Barbara Hepworth and Roger Hilton amongst others, in the exhibition gallery …
Fernando Velázquez is a Spanish painter living and working in north Dorset. We have a selected collection of his studies in ink on paper. These will on display from Saturday 9th November 2019, at our Portland gallery. Fernando is an internationally collected artist. This autumn he has been represented by the Dragon Art Gallery at …
You may be forgiven for thinking that a conservator of paper would be pre-occupied with paper as a material. As I found out, although there is a whole world of paper geeks out there, this line of work leads to obsessions with some unlikely objects and materials*. Charlotte at PapberBack Conservation has introduced me to …
I am pleased that an etching of the Fire Eater is available to see and purchase at our Gallery at Portland H.Q. This print has recently returned home to Dorset after being on display in the Royal West of England Academy show Fire: Flashes to Ashes in British Art 1692-2019. The Fire Eater was in …
Is there something in a name? I was looking through the catalogue of artists that I have collected. I am beginning to think that having the name Anthony might imbue a person with artistic creativity – wrap them up in a cocoon of Anthony inspiration – which can then be liberally set free on art …
A couple of weeks ago I attended a general sales auction to buy some frames. I prefer, if I can, to frame the pictures that I find in vintage, antique or re-used frames. I find these when I am out and about, and a job lot of dusty, musty prints in frames had caught my …
