An artists view, exhibitions and opportunity

An artists view, exhibitions and opportunity

The Horton Community Arts centre in Epsom, Surrey. New venue for artist Rue Stanley and friends in 2024.

I had a great year in 2023. I exhibited at four venues and sold my art to lovely people in Epsom and Dorking. I also entered a number of art competitions to exhibit in London. It was my experience of these competitions that led me to the conclusion that I need to take control of my own career and create my own exhibition opportunities.

As an artist you can enter the competitions from £20 per painting and with some of these it appears a lottery for the artist and a money spinner for the organisers. Helpful software platforms have been created to manage the online process of submissions which are great revenue generators. The summer exhibition run by the RA charge over £30 to enter and have over 10,000 entries. One art society in London had the clever idea of inviting guest artists at a small fee of £15 a time. This contributes to the cost of their 4 private views in the first week with drinks and nibbles!

I was fortunate this year to work with two artist led organisations: First for Art run by the talented Susan Sheen and Arthouse Galleries run by Dilys Foster and Kate Winskill. This provided me with a great opportunities to exhibit and sell my art and I would like to thank them all.

I have decided that it’s time for me to take back control: No more art society competitions! No more of the lottery of the Summer Exhibitions and the Mall Galleries! I will organise my own exhibitions and invite artists to exhibit with me and share the costs between us!

I have been looking for a new venue for 2024 for a while. I am really pleased to have found The Horton Community Arts Centre in Epsom, Surrey. I will be curating my first exhibition there in June 2024. I will be exhibiting a large selection of new my work, plus prints covering 18 metres. I will be joined by 4 other talented artists : Lynn Toulson, Emma Champion, Sue Sheen and Photographer Laurence Berle.

Lynn’s work is inspired by nature and her surroundings. She works from her own photographs to create beautiful textured works in oil and acrylic in a realistic style that is beautiful and contemporary.

Emma is an experimental photographer and mixed media artist working primarily with darkroom materials and camerless techniques. The artwork she makes is a collection of fleeting moments, emotional responses, reflections and affirmations.

Sue paints her work in an eclectic style and her work reflects her mood and the light of the day. Her work can be figurative or abstract and is executed in acrylic and mixed media.

Laurence is a talented photographer and chooses a diverse range of subjects from wildlife to aircraft.

Rue is an experimental mixed media artist using a wide range of media and materials to create vibrant, sculptural tactile work that depict whimsical and unusual subjects.

The Horton Community Arts Centre, Haven Way, Epsom KT19 8NP 9.15am-4pm Free parking, free entry & cafe.

Rue Stanley & Friends The Horton 25th June to Saturday July 25th 2024.

Related Images:

New Work Exhibition Autumn 2023

Exhibition. This week (24/10/23-04/11/23) I will be exhibiting new work on aluminium at The Horton Community Arts Centre Epsom. All work is for sale and you can take it home from the moment you buy. Prices on new work range from £195 to £895.

STOP PRESS: The exhibition is now over, but you can still buy the work from my online shop

The Artists Shoes, my favourite shoes complete with paint of the month. On gold aluminium with acrylic and alcohol inks 14×16″ framed in black.

Alcohol inks on aluminium are vibrant and exciting. The colours can be opaque or transparent and it delivers a burst of colour, light and texture different to acrylics. I started using them with aluminium as an alternative to painting on gold leaf.

ORSI. Inspired by an Italian brand of steam tractor available Glazed and framed in dark bronze 60c60 cm.

Iridescent Dreams on gold aluminium with alcohol ink and acrylic. 14×16″ framed in black.

Autumn Exhibition New works on Yupo and canvas

Cat TV. My cats used to sit on the windowsill and watch the slightest movement outside for hours. Painted in alcohol ink, on Yupo ( plastic paper) with acrylic mixed media. Framed in black 50x50cm.

ORSI Symphony. Unique artwork depicting the ORSI tractor with an Art Deco influence. Acrylic, collage and mixed media. Framed in black 45x45cm approx.

My Online store is open now. You will be able to purchase my latest original artworks online as well as a selection of embellished prints on paper and canvas. There is 15% discount till 31st December on all order placed. see store page for more details.

Related Images:

Little Gems Collection,Contemporary Art Fair Surrey

Showing this weekend at the Contemporary Art Fair Surrey at Sandown Park. “It’s a Small World” started life as an experiment with gold iridescent paints and heavy gloss mediums. Layers and washes of gold have been applied over the surface. Which has been enhanced with bronze,silver and cadmium red. Look closely, you will see textures and something else…..
I have been delving into surrealism. Following a dream about goats going up the mountainside. I decided the goats deserved their own world. Welcome to pineapple goat world. The pineapple landscape has been created from paper collage which is a painted map of Reigate.
You can see the map more clearly in the leaves of the pineapple. The collage has been applied and then outlined with gold tube lining. The small goats are Toggenberg goats.
“It’s a Small World” is 28x33cm and framed.

If you are curious about the Little Gems Collection- I would love to meet you and answer your questions. I am exhibiting at The Contemporary Art Fair Surrey 2022 this weekend. 4th- 6th March 2022 at Sandown Park, Esher, Surrey

You can book tickets here SANDOWN CONTEMPORARY ART FAIR 2022. Use code SS-COMP for free tickets on Saturday and Sunday or code PV-COMP for the private view this evening. (Friday 4th March)
CLICK HERE TO SEE MORE OF THE LITTLE GEMS COLLECTION for sale this weekend.

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