New Mixed Media Painting Workshop

Experimental Mixed Media Painting Workshop 18th April 2024 10.30am to 4.30pm. The Horton, Epsom, Surrey

Cornucopia horn of plenty plus goat

In the last year I have been asked by visitors if I hold classes. I have given this a lot of thought, and I have designed a class from which I hope you will get value.

Mixed media is a challenge to deliver in one day. So, you will work on 3 projects which should provide you with enough knowledge to get you working effectively in these exciting materials.

The class will be held at The Horton Arts centre in Epsom which is a delightful building with a café and free parking.

Booking is direct with The Horton, click here to BOOK NOW , or see the end of this article for the link.

Would you like to have some fun and unleash the power of your art?

If you value choice of expression in your artistic journey and would like to experiment, then this workshop is the perfect fit for you. Guided by Rue you’ll explore the possibilities of materials and techniques that allow your imagination to flow.

Embark on a journey of creative expression as you start with an explanation of some basic principles of colour and acrylic mixed media. Followed by the opportunity to experiment with materials and start the first of your three artworks of the day.

In the second half you will learn more about the materials available to enhance your experience and creativity using acrylic paint. You will use some unusual products such as alcohol and gold leaf to complement your work.

Unlock endless possibilities with an array of materials at your disposal including coloured gesso, acrylic paints, Isopropyl alcohol, acrylic liquid medium, metallic paints, and shimmering metal leaf. Your creativity will soar as you explore the options.

Please bring photographs, magazine cuttings for reference and if you have product at home that you would like to explore creative uses for, bring that too.

During this class you will:

  • Learn about surfaces for mixed media and how to pick the best one.
  • Learn hacks professionals use to make creation easier.
  • Learn how to overcome Painter’s Block.
  • Enjoy a discussion and demonstration of art mediums and novel products.
  • Learn to create focal interest and layering.
  • Learn to use metal leaf.
  • Understand the importance of sealing, drying time and how to varnish your work.
  • Learn how to frame your artwork professionally.
  • We will equip you with the knowledge and a painting kit for you to continue experimenting at home.

You will receive your own mixed media painting kit to use during the class and to take home. Consisting of 12 tubes of acrylic paint colour, 1 small bottle of liquid medium, pipette, 2 sheets of metal leaf and 2 brushes. Additional materials will be available for your use.

Knowledge required:

Beginner friendly, not suitable for under 18’s

What to bring:

Reference material Inspiration and any art materials you might like to use.

Where? The Horton, Arts & Craft Centre, Haven Way, Epsom, Surrey KT19 8NP

How to book: Click here to book your place on The Horton Website

Pictured: Rue working on Cornucopia in her studio in 2022. See more about Cornucopia here.

New Work Exhibition Autumn 2023

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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:

Floating Saunas in Oslo 2020

Floating Saunas in Oslo 2020
 

 Floating Saunas in Oslo 2020

This painting was inspired by my Christmas cruise of 2019 to Scandinavia. On the quay at Oslo harbour were floating saunas and I could see the back of a couple who were having a great time.

The saunas were advertised on this rack of canoes. When I got home I found out the company was started by a young man who needed a bath! Having been out sailing he was surprised that on arriving in Oslo( a bit mucky) there were no saunas so he decided to provide his own for travelers and revelers.

My couple are having an especially good time having discarded their bathing suits and polished off a bottle of wine.

In the background you will see the Oslo skyline- completely ficticious except for the opera house on the right and the triangular sculpture.

Floating Saunas in Oslo, outline drawing

The sea and an additional Floating Sauna starts to appear.In the summer, they float them out into the harbour and people jump off.

In the harbour

The canoes are added and the crackled quay.After this photograph, I got so involved in the painting I forgot to take more pictures. I can tell you I spent a good deal of time decoration the sauna, finding the loving couple and throwing paint at the skyline.

Finished picture

Floating saunas in Oslo

If you have enjoyed Floating Saunas in Oslo you can see more in the July issue of Surrey Life and visit my exhibition at Denbies Wine Estate from July 19th 2022. Prints are available from £22.

Company Promo Video at Floating Sauna’s in Aker Brygge – Oslo Fjord Spa – YouTube

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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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Five things you didn’t know about artist Rue Stanley

In Rue’s Studio at Tattenham corner, Epsom

Open studio is now closed. You can see new works now at Rue’s Artwork Store

1)How did you start painting? I did O level art at school. I was keen, so I would have other projects such as painting and pottery which I did at a local youth club and the art room at school. While I was working, I would paint a couple of abstract paintings a year. I love colour so these were unsophisticated efforts which were just an excuse to fling paint at the canvas. When I retired, I went to an experimental art class at a local college. This started me off experimenting and developing my skills. I started a painting group at my house for a few friends who encouraged me to start exhibiting.

2) How did you manage to get your first exhibition? I went to Denbies and got to know a fantastic lady called Sue Sheen who said that I could exhibit with her group- First for Art for a small fee. This was in 2018 and I have been exhibiting with her ever since then.

3) Who buys your work? I have sold work at Denbies to people from around Surrey and London, to tourists from Australia, America, and Poland. My work Is eye-catching – it’s bright and tactile. This is because I use acrylic, gold leaf, glass, collage and mixed media.

4) Where do you paint? I started in painting in what used to be my office in my house. I have an antique desk and carpet on the floor- so I had to be careful as acrylic is messy! The antique desk was covered with a plastic tablecloth, and I invested in a daylight bulb lamp. The carpet is now embellished with purple acrylic ink. When I tripped over the lamp and nearly brained myself, I thought it was time to get a studio. Luckily, my husband was quite encouraging, so I decided to build a log cabin at the bottom of the garden and join Open Studios.

What is Open Studios? Surrey ArtistsOpen Studios is organised by the Surrey Artists Open Studios program. It runs in June, and October. Local artists pay a membership fee to join and open their studios to the public. The program markets the artists studios through leaflets and their website. Members of the public can visit the artists studios and see their processes, materials and buy finished works.

Rue Stanley Art (surreyopenstudios.org.uk)

5) When is your studio open, and what will people see?  I am opening for 5 days in October at weekends: 2nd,3rd,10th,17th,24th October 11-5pm. There is no need to book you can just turn up. I am in Tattenham Crescent so very local.

My work is semi-abstract inspired by the natural world and my travels. No travelling this year so I have travelled in my imagination: my latest collection features a series of abstract landscapes. I have also looked for inspiration in the garden and nature.  

At my studio you will see paintings, jewellery & prints created from: collage, acrylic, mediums, glass, gold leaf, watercolour and polymer clay. Original unique artworks are from £20- £800. Plus, prints, jewellery and gifts from

Email: ruestanleyart@gmail.com. Website: www.ruestanleyart.com

Related Images:

In the studio 19th May 2021

18 days to Open studios starts from 6th June 2021

I am delighted to say that Marc the electrician has done a great job! Late starting the carpentry so no storage unit yet….

I decided to move in anyway and have spent some time working on my first project

Varnishing my picture of the Mars Glacier.

I have started a new collage- inspired by the aerial view of glacial fault lines on Mars.

Great news, Sam the carpenter started work today!

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Escape to Brazil

I had two luxury holidays booked for this year. Although neither were for really exotic destinations, I was really looking forward to them both as an escape from the day to day activity. Now the day to day activities of going out with friends or to an art gallery feel like luxuries. I have managed to do them occasionally, but not as much as I would like.

So, I decided to escape to Brazil– I was inspired by the story of Antonio Bolivar Salvador from Brazil. Sadly I only knew his story through his obituary in the Economist Magazine.

Antonio Bolivar Salvador Obituarywhen he spoke of the Jaguar, lord of the forest, the embodiment of power strength and violence, he would begin to growl deep in his throat. Antonio’s head would move around warily as if he were on the prowl himself. When he mentioned Anaconda the great snake god his hands would slither, swim and twine round each other, getting faster, until still smiling-he might leap from his chair and fling his snake arms around whoever was listening to him.” Extract: The Economist May 30th 2020

Jaguar, Lord of the Forest. Available as an embellished canvas print.

As a child, I was fascinated by the people of remote places such as Borneo and spent hours in the library reading about them and seeing their pictures. I found a book on Maori myths and legends which was beautifully illustrated and showed people with very defined features and sculptural tattoos. Antonio Bolivar Salvador’s face reminds me of my childhood.

so, I escaped to Brazil in my imagination. I have embellished my paintings with stories of Anaconda and Jaguar Lord of Forest. I researched the butterflies and the birds and included them too.

You too can escape to the place of your choice- the libraries are open, so are the art galleries.

This post was published in 2020

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