Kit Surrey exhibited at the Society of Graphic Fine Art’s 89th Annual Open Exhibition held earlier this year at the Menier Gallery in London, and won The Arquadia Award for the best work in monochrome and a Stabilo Award: Highly Commended.
We have two beautiful new pieces by Kit in the gallery at the moment, including Granite faces XIV: Atlantic Ocean wall, graphite and conte, pictured here.
James Campbell has just delivered a new series of pieces, pictured here. The flat jar ‘Night Landscape’ (top left, 15″ high) and the jug ‘Crest of the hill’ (bottom right, 11″ high) are wonderful examples of his work, with different images on each face.
James has also been experimenting with new shapes; the shield pot, ‘Towers by the sea’, and the more circular form of the footed pots, which are painted in the round. ‘Road by the sea’ and ‘The boat and the bridge’ are both 8 1/2″ high.
All five are currently on show in the gallery, and prices range from £ 375 - £ 650.
The gallery will be closed on Saturday May 1st for the Padstow May Day celebrations. 
Kim Bentley 'Safe Bathing' (detail)
These affectionate and delightfully observed textile pieces are the work of Kim Bentley. Inspired by people-watching on the beaches around Padstow, they are a combination of embriodery and fabric ink on silk taffetta. Kim is best known for her work as one half of the textile design partnership Bentley & Spens, which she set up with Sally Spens after they studied at Goldsmiths College together. They are represented in the V & A collections, and have created fabrics for many other fashion and interiors collections, including Paul Smith and Liberty. Kim escapes to Cornwall whenever she can and loves to take her airedale Tashi off to the beach for a canter and another chance to gather ideas.
Lots of new things to see at the studio this month, including this small canvas (Sarah Adams, Gulley at Harlyn, 50 x 40 cm, oil on linen), and several other studies including sketches of Constantine and Booby’s Bay, Tregudda and the dunes. We also have some fantastic new pieces by Lynn Golden, Alison Pullen and Mo Farquharson in the gallery at the moment.
Visitors are most welcome to see works in progress too, including a large ongoing series of panoramic caves and arches.
One arch has left the studio recently. Tall arch at Bedruthan (Sarah Adams, oil on linen, 180 x 120 cm) pictured right, is currently on show at the Royal West of England Academy Open Painting Exhibition in Bristol until May 9th.
We have a few rather special 19th Century Cornish and West Country pictures on show this month, kindly loaned by The Maas Gallery, London, and mixed in with a new collection of works by our contemporary artists.
This picture of Land’s End is by John Brett ARA (1831-1902), painted while he was staying in Sennen in 1872. Brett often worked in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, and also based himself in Padstow on at least one occasion, staying at Dennis House in 1889. This is a beautiful study, only 10″ x 14″, made in oil on board and painted on site (probably in a single sitting) and it’s a joy to have it here.
Sarah Adams, Buttress II, oil on linen, 30" x 72"
I was surprised and delighted to learn that my painting, Buttress II, exhibited at the Royal West of England Academy Autumn exhibition last year, was awarded the Viewers Choice of the Year prize, having received the most votes from visitors to the exhibition during the course of the show. I would like to thank the Friends of the RWA, who organise the competition, and everyone who voted for my picture.
We have two exciting series of new arrivals from Lynn Golden and Chris Thomas (left: ‘The Wave’, oil on board, 24″ x 24″) on show in the gallery for Christmas and New Year, as well as a good selection of work from other gallery artists. Lynn is based in the Roseland Peninsular, and is exhibiting a number of works including pastels of Porthcurnick, St Anthony’s and the Carrick Roads. Downstairs, Chris’s Bowithick paintings are on display.
The gallery will be open as normal, but closed for Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day. As always, if you are in Padstow and find the gallery closed, do hammer on the door!
We would like to thank everyone for your interest and support this year, and wish you a very Happy Christmas and a wonderful 2010!
Sarah Adams Spring Tide: study 5 oil on board 7" x 14"
I am delighted to say that Spring Tide: Study 5 was recently on show in the ING Discerning Eye Exhibition at the Mall Galleries, London, and was awarded the Meynell Fenton Prize.
The Padstow Studio is open again after a short break, hours as normal. We will be closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day, but if you are planning a trip to Padstow and would like to visit out of hours, please do call and we will open the door for you if we possibly can.
…. but these three pieces by Sarah Adams will be on show in the ING Discerning Eye exhibition at the Mall Galleries in London from 12th - 22nd November. For further information please visit www.discerningeye.org
The Padstow Studio will re-open, refreshed, on Thursday December 3rd, just in time for the Padstow Festival weekend.
