Exhibitions!

 A look back at a few of my exhibitions over the last year or so!

RBSA Friends Exhibition Jan - Feb 2023

I started off 2023 with the Friends of the RBSA exhibition where I had an oil painting self portrait accepted!

RBSA Friends Jan - Feb 2024

I also managed to get two pieces accepted into the Friends of the RBSA exhibition at the begining of 2024 too! I was really excited to have two tiger collagraph prints accepted as I hadn't been able to do a lot of printmaking over the last few years. As due to a bad accident causing mobility problems these had been the first prints I had produced in a very long time so its was a good start to the year to finally show some new prints again! I also brought my printing plates in and did a little talk to Birmingham Art Circle all about my collagraph prints!

Birmingham Art Circle Selection Day Exhibition

In March 2023 I had a mini exhibition of my portrait paintings at the RBSA for judging by Birmingham Art Circle to be able to become a member of the society. I was very happy to get accepted to the Art Circle and try and get to their meetings as often as I can.

Birmingham Art Circle exhibition at the RBSA November 2023

Later in the year I had two oil portrait paintings in the Birmingham Art Circle exhibition at the RBSA gallery and the one of my mum even got a special mention in the speeches of the opening!

Art Yard Open Exhibition Sept 2023

Art Yard Open Exhibition Nov 2023

Art Yard Open Exhibition Dec 2023

Art Yard Open Exhibition Feb 2024

I've also exhibited quite a few times at the Art Yard, Cradley Heath. This is a lovely friendly gallery not far from me and they are always happy for chat, often with coffee and cake!

I've had steampunk cats, elephant oil paintings and hippo collagraph prints on exhibition at the Art Yard and I'm looking forward to exhibiting many more times with them this year!

Ikon Gallery Print Fair

I've got quite a few exciting upcoming exhibitions too. I've got a stall full of my prints at the Ikon Gallery Print Fair on 14 April 2024.

Two exhibitions with Birmingham Art Circle later in the year.

Print Fest Wolverhampton

I'm also helping to organise Print Fest Wolverhampton on 8 - 10 November 2024 at the Newhampton Arts Centre, and will have a stall there with all my prints. I will also be doing a bit of demoing of my printmaking practice too!

Clare x

Art Exhibitions

In these weird times the way we exhibit artwork has changed an awful lot. I have just entered three online exhibitions (keep your fingers crossed!) and thought I'd have a look back at some of my recent exhibitions.

I started off the year really well by managing to get one of my collagraph prints "Tiger Relax" accepted into a very difficult exhibition to get into, the RBSA (Royal Birmingham Society of Artists) Open exhibition. 

This exhibition opened in March and luckily I managed to see it before lockdown happened and the gallery closed. Sadly I didn't get to wear my posh frock as the closing party was cancelled! The exhibition is actually still on at the gallery, as it couldn't be taken down, and I'm hoping the building ghosts are enjoying their exclusive exhibition at the moment!

My favourite exhibition of last year had to be the Wolverhampton Society of Artists Centenary exhibition at Wolverhampton Art Gallery in December. I was very shocked to win first prize in the Selection Panel Choice and got to meet the Mayor of Wolverhampton who presented me with my certificate!

I also exhibited another couple of times at the RBSA last year. Back in March 2019 for the Open All Media exhibtion, where I exhibited an oil painting for the very first time!

And in July 2019 I exhibited my collagraph print "Tiger Feet" in the annual Friends exhibition and even got to do a 5 minute talk about how I make my collagraph printing plates!

I really have had a busy few years of exhibitions and hopefully soon we will be able to exhibit properly in real life again!

Clare xx

Exhibition Time

This week I attended the private view of the Prize Exhibition at the RBSA Gallery in Birmingham where I have had a print selected to be exhibited! There was lots of networking with other artists and it was great to see lots of familiar faces from my local art society Dudley Society of Artists who had got their artwork accepted too! The exhibition is at the RBSA (Royal Birmingham Society of Artists), 4 Brook Street, Birmingham, UK until the 13th June so plenty of time to go and have a look at the very high standard of work there.

This is my print that was accepted for the exhibition - Culture Vulture a limited edition collagraph print.

Culture Vulture Collagraph Print

It all started from when I visited Warwick Castle just after Christmas last year. We spotted the birds of prey on show there and I just loved the look of the vulture and must have got about 20 photos of it!

I decided to do a quick watercolour painting of him when I got home!

Vulture Watercolour

When it came to making a new collagraph printing plate I couldn't resist using my vulture images and he looked like he was just made to wear a top hat and I couldn't resist adding a bow tie to his ruffled feathers on his neck to make him look very cultured! 

I don't like using pure black ink when printing as it can come out a little dull so I usually mix another colour in with the black. When I came to print him he was supposed to be black with a touch of purple mixed in to get a hint of purple but I added too much purple to the black by mistake but in the end I actually really like him in this regal purple colour! 

Here he is hot off my printing press!

Mounted and framed and ready to be taken to the art gallery!

Me standing very proud next to my print!

I will be going back to the gallery next week with my mum and dad to take them to see the exhibition and to also have a proper look at the artwork as there was so much to look at, can't wait to see it again!

Clare xx