Newark Paintings at Thoresby and Harley

I haven’t written for a while as I’ve been so busy painting, putting on an open studio and sending work to galleries. As Christmas approaches, I wanted to put down something about the pieces I’ve been working on during the latter half of the year.

I’ve been wanting to paint more views of Newark-on-Trent. Just five miles away, it is our local market town which we visit every week to shop and to use its cafes and occasionally its pubs. Newark is a beautiful townscape with a mixture of Medieval, Georgian and Victorian buildings together with a compelling ruined castle and an extraordinary market square. This year I have made a particular effort to focus my ideas on how to capture some of the essence of the town in my paintings.

Susan Isaac - Newark Castle from Trent Bridge

The castle dominates the western approach to Newark as you walk or drive over Trent Bridge. I made several views of this during the Summer. In the first of two shown here, I was struck by the pattern of light filtering through the railings of the bridge. The railings themselves seem to march across the river towards the stricken castle. I exhibited this in the Thoresby Open Exhibition in September – it was joint winner of the ‘Tony Wilkinson Prize’ and also the ’Solo Exhibition Prize for 2012′ which means I will be  hold an exhibition at Thoresby sometime in 2012 (dates to be decided). The painting is now on display at the Newfield Galleries in Newark.

Susan Isaac - Newark Castle & Trent Bridge

In the second painting I enjoyed creating a composition that contrasts the monumental bridge parapets with the more distant blocks of the castle. The interplay of light and dark was also a strong element in this historic juxtaposition. This painting has been selected for the first Harley Open Exhibition which will be running from 7 Jan – 5 Feb, 2012.

Newark Pop Up No More

The Newark Pop Up Gallery has now vanished. We did our last day yesterday (Saturday) and everyone removed their stuff today – you wouldn’t know we had been there!  It was a really good experience and I thoroughly enjoyed teaming up with the other artists. Michael photographed it for posterity before it all came down:

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Newark Pop Up Private View

Had our private view of the gallery last night. It went really well. No-one thought to make a note of numbers, but my daughter took a few photos and you can see it was busy.

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Newark Pop Up Gallery

Just finished hanging work for the Pop Up Gallery in Newark ready for the opening tomorrow. There really is an exciting mix of works. Bill Ming has some terrific new abstract collages, alongside the exuberant figure paintings of Nikki McKay. My own textural explorations of the urban landscape contrast with Chris Paris contemplative paintings of Lincolnshire landscapes, and I really love Patricia Ferguson’s lyrical and haunting portraits.

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Thoresby Open Exhibition

Really pleased that Thoresby has selected three of my paintings for the Open Exhibition. This year the theme is ‘conflict’ and I chose to enter two paintings of Newark Castle together with a view of Nottingham’s market square that contrasts the Council House and the very modern Ferris Wheel that was temporarily installed a couple of years ago.

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Proposed Pop Up Gallery in Newark

Bill Ming has asked me to join a ‘Pop Up Gallery’ in Newark with himself and three other artists, to take place in the latter half of September. It  sounds like an exciting opportunity – I really like Bill’s abstract work and its a very good mix of artists with contrasting styles (Nikki McKay, Patricia Ferguson & Chris Paris).

Newark Pop Up Gallery Poster

Staithes Gallery – Lifeboat Show 2011

This morning I sent off 6 paintings to the Staithes Gallery ready for their Lifeboat Show, running from 8 – 25 April. Colours are all tints and tones of powdery blues and rose pantiles in these Yorkshire paintings. Most of the paintings I’ve done are on a square format, although for the latest I have returned to a long landscape canvas, perfect for the horizontal emphasis in most seascapes, and one which allows a fresh take on the view onto the estuary. 

Susan Isaac - Early Morning Light, Whitby Steps (oil on canvas, 40 x 102cm)

Staithes is a place that would take a long time for me to exhaust.  Each time I approach a new painting,  even favourite views, there is always a fresh variation in emphasis to be found or a different format which allows a new set of compositional possibilities.  The more you look the more you see. This set of paintings is on the moody tonal side, in soft blues and grey browns enlivened by the red of the pantiles. The profiles of the buildings and the geographical features give enough interest without devising atmospheric effects. The two paintings of Whitby however were partly inspired by  the extremes of the daylight.  In particular the view from the swing bridge in which the light becomes shattered into splintering shards of pastel colour. 

Susan Isaac - Old Whitby from the Swingbridge (oil on canvas, 51 x 51cm)

New Paintings for Staithes Gallery Exhibition

I’ve been working on new paintings of Staithes to be part of an exhibition at the Staithes Gallery in April (Lifeboat Show 2011, 8-25 April). There is a rich source of compositional possibilities near the mouth of the river around the footbridge, which springs dynamically across the view, connecting the banks and reflecting in the water. I especially enjoy viewing the town houses and harbour through this device. It also has great personal resonance as my first and strongest impression of Staithes was from this footbridge looking onto a becalmed and moonlit harbour at midnight. 

Susan Isaac - Staithes Beck & Footbridge (oil on canvas, 51 x 51cm)

Southwell Minster Spring Fair

I’m going to be at the Southwell Minster Spring Fair on Saturday (5th March 2011) and have just started gathering things together for this. I will be displaying prints and art cards of my work alongside several new paintings, particularly of the Minster itself.  I’ve also been developing work on the ‘Great Houses’ of Nottinghamshire – including Rufford Abbey, Thoresby Hall, Wollation Hall and Newstead. The paintings are part of a range of works I have been working on over the last year and during the winter months.

Southwell Minster in Spring, oil on canvas (40 x 40cm)

 

West Front of the Priory Church, Newstead Abbey, oil on canvas (40 x 40cm)

Christmas Open Studio

In spite of the weather, I’m going to run a  Christmas Open Studio this Saturday, 11th Dec and again on 18th Dec.  I’ll be open from 10am to 4pm and, nearby, Lizzyz Coffee House will be open from 10am to 1pm and the Cross Keys pub will be serving lunches from 12 noon to 2pm. 

The West Front of Southwell Minster (oil on canvas, 51 x 51cm)

As well as my own paintings, prints, cards and ceramic sculptures, I will have some work on display by the potter Carl Gray and woodworker Mark Greene, who share a philosophy of sustainability.

Carl Gray owns and manages his own woodland and makes wood-fired utilitarian ceramic wares.

Carl Gray - 'shot cups'

Mark Greene creates individual hand-built furniture and woodcraft pieces using reclaimed timbers.

Mark Greene - small oak boxes