The Cank Street Gallery closes in June 2019

I have been deeply saddened to hear the news of the closure of The Cank Street Gallery, 'the largest independent art gallery in Leicester.' Owner Dayle Flude and her team gave myself and many local artists the opportunity to exhibit our work, offering support and advice and giving us credibility to be in her gallery.  We all became part of a 'family', which I'll surely miss.
I don't think the Leicester art community will ever recapture that sort of atmosphere again and it's very sad walking past that area of town.  Just as the Leicester Mercury describes it, "it's hard to imagine now the art landscape of Leicester without them" and "Leicester will be a visually poorer place without this gallery."
A huge thanks to Dayle and her team for their tireless work and efforts to support us creatives!

One of my last paintings sold at Cank Street of The Globe, Leicester to art collector Steve Brewin.

The Cank Street Gallery Summer Open Art Exhibition 2018

  

The walls are amass with colour as creativity dazzled around every corner of the Cank Street Gallery at Thursday's Private View.  Hundreds gathered and drank the bar dry by 7.15pm as we arrived!  Tim, Anetha & myself captured a glimpse of the atmosphere on such a fabulous evening.

My entry 'The Globe,' £295

Anetha Hunte & Lizzy Hewitt

Lizzy Hewitt artist

Artist Sue Graham with her landscape

Lizzy Hewitt, Judith Linley & Anetha Hunte

Maryam Naraghi, Lizzy Hewitt & Anethe Hunte

Maryam Naraghi with her daughters

Tim Noakes

Gallery Staff Stefan (left) chats with artist Linda Sharman (2nd from right)

Artists Jim Griffiths (left) and Paul Barrand

Visitors enjoy an extensive selection of artworks

A visitor enjoys a view of 2nd prize winners work,
George Sfougaras for Yiayia (Grandmother)
 (centre)

 

Meet the Artist: Linda Sharman, Saturday 10th March 2018

Gallery panorama with Tim x2!

I took my friends along to see Leicester and LSA artist Linda Sharman at the Cank Street Gallery last Saturday.  It was a bitterly cold day so my friend’s enjoyed a hot drink and a piece of Linda’s homemade cake! (the chocolate marshmallow was to die for!)

Linda is such a lovely lady; we spoke about how her father, a successful artist, had inspired her technique.  Her exhibition ‘Visions through Light’ features a series of landscapes of Venice and Norfolk.  I’ve always liked the impressionistic quality of her work, which stands alone without any reliance on detail.  The viewer feels like they are there, present in the moment, underneath a vast expanse of sky or looking out from a Venetian bridge. There are remnants of the great impressionists Turner and Monet and like them she creates an atmospheric moment of time. 

‘Visions through Light’ exhibition runs until 21 April.

Artist's Linda Sharman (left) and Louise Ellerington

A New Day by Linda Sharman

Anetha Hunte, Tim Noakes & Lizzy

Leicester's Cank Street Gallery Summer Prize Giving, Thursday 8 June 2017

Cank Street Gallery was full to bursting for the occasion

Lizzy Hewitt with artist Louise Ellerington & Bev Hart

Lizzy with Dayle Flude, Cank Street Gallery owner

Max Ewen with Lizzy's watercolour entry, 
Sunbathers, Victoria Park

With Mark Hewitt, Lizzy's brother

Paul Berrand and his work, With Every Hour

Tim Fowler with his entry, Princess Leia

With singer, Anetha Hunt

Lousie Ellerington's, Equine Head Study in Red

Lizzy with Cank Street's Maryam

2016 winner, Christine Johnson-Hume, with this year's entry, on screen, Derry Crows in Flight

With mum, Christine Denoon

Lizzy, Paula Robinson & artist Max Berryman

Sue Graham with her paintings

2017 winner, Signpost at Burnham Deepdale, by Peter Clayton

Cank Street Gallery Summer Open Expo & Prize Giving Party, 6 - 8.30pm, Thursday 23 June

It's that time of year again! Summer means gallery exhibitions & competitions and Leicester galleries are no exception!

The Cank Street Gallery has its Summer Open Exhibition from 7 June to 30 July and BIG news, my work's included! In fact (BIGGER news!) my work is featured in the Gallery window!
How cool is that?!
I was SO chuffed that I took a photo... or two...!

But before I show you the photos and my paintings included in the show, I'd also like to tell you about the Invitation Only Prize Giving Party at the gallery, 6 - 8.30pm on Thursday 23 June. So once you've voted (you are going to vote in the referendum, I hope!) come along and meet me and all the other artists featured in this year's expo!

Info about the Summer Open at Cank Street Gallery, 
                      44-46 Cank Street, Leicester LE1 5GW 
is available at www.cankstreetgallery.co.uk

And now here are the promised photos;

Cank Street Gallery, 44-46 Cank Street, Leicester LE1 5GW

Kenny Jackson of Nottingham - & yes, that's MY picture he's looking at!

Here it is again - 'Hot Turkey Night' by Lizzy Hewitt! (If you look
closely you can see the reflection of yours truly taking the photo!)

'Hot Turkey Night', a painting of Leicester's Turkey Cafe by Lizzy Hewitt, 2016. On sale at £195.

Leicester City's Jamie Vardy prominently positioned in the window.

'Turkey a la Art Nuveau' by Lizzy Hewitt, 2016, can be found inside the gallery. £195.

It'll be TERRIFIC to see you at the Summer Exhibition - so DO COME along! All the details you'll need are on the Cank Street Gallery website, which also features a WONDERFUL sketch of Leicester City supporters at the King Power Stadium!

'As Yet Untitled' print by Simon Farrow, 2016. Featured at Cank Street Gallery, Leicester.

Lizzy's Art Showcase, Cank Street Gallery Open Expo, 6 - 31 October 2015

Lizzy Hewitt’s latest collection of architectural paintings go ON SALE at Leicester's Cank Street Gallery Open Exhibition, 6 - 31 October. The invitation-only Private View takes place on the evening of Thursday 15 October. The pictures are for sale from 6 October.

"This collection once again features Lizzy's signature style of street cool figures set in known yet quirkily whimsical city environments.

In Sacre Coeur, a strong yellow ochre sky shines over quivering church walls. In St Paul's, the perspective shifts to a position above the built environment where a blood red sky is made in brush strokes rendered with passion and energy.

After the undeniably quirky architecture, colour comes across as perhaps the primary focus of these paintings. Yet Lizzy has always enjoyed fashionably peopling her pictures, with characters in these artworks both crazed fashionistas and weirdly sober suburbanites.

Lizzy Hewitt's attention to detail & quality of line have always impressed and on this occasion her bold, powerful skies in sing-out shades of orange, turquoise and red, impassioned above vibrating buildings, prove she is moving ever more keenly towards her deserved 15 minutes of fame."

The Private View of Leicester's Cank Street Gallery Open Expo 2015 is 6.00 - 8.30pm on Thursday 15 October. The Open Exhibition runs from 6 - 31 October. Lizzy's paintings are ON SALE from 6 October. www.cankstreetgallery.co.uk

Sacre Coeur, Paris, yellow ochre sky. By Lizzy Hewitt.

Notre Dame, Paris, turquoise sky. By Lizzy Hewitt.

Notre Dame, Paris, orange sky. By Lizzy Hewitt.

St Paul's, London, blood red sky. By Lizzy Hewitt.

Lizzy working on Notre Dame, orange sky.

Richard III - Sanctuary for a King

A few days ago I was invited by the lovely people at Cank Street Gallery to the private view of Michael Harrison's exhibition, 'Sanctuary for a King'. Michael has been the artist in residence at Leicester Cathedral and recorder of events surrounding the re-interment of Richard III.

Richard (1452-1485), whose reign lasted merely a few months, from 26 June 1483 until his death at the Battle of Bosworth, was originally buried at Greyfriars, Leicester, where his remains were transported by horse from Bosworth Field following the final battle of the Wars of the Roses.

Richard was the last of the Plantagenets, the last of three kings of the House of York and his defeat at Bosworth marked the end of the English 'Middle Ages'.

From modern-day evidence, Richard III is now believed to have been blonde.

After the death of his brother, King Edward IV, Richard became Lord Protector of Edward's son and successor. The child and a young cousin were not seen after August 1483, which gave rise to the story of the Princes in the Tower, ostensibly killed on Richard's orders. 

For many years Richard III was remembered for this alleged act and also for his portrayal of daring-do at Bosworth, thanks to the lines William Shakespeare placed into his mouth, c 1592, via his play, Richard III; "A horse! A horse! My kingdom for a horse!"

Some five hundred years after his death the remains of Richard III were found under a Leicester car park. In 2012/2013 an archaeological dig by Leicester University revealed the location of the church of the Friars Minor or Franciscans, together with Richard's remains. The grave site has now been enveloped into the 'Richard III - Dynasty, Death & Discovery Museum' which opened in 2014.

With much pomp and in the presence of members of today's Royal family, in March this year Richard's remains were re-interred at Leicester Cathedral, events successfully captured in oils by Michael Harrison.

Michael Harrison's collection, Sanctuary for a King, based on the re-interment of Richard III,  
in exhibition at Cank Street Gallery, Leicester, until further notice.

An agreeably accessible artist, Michael discussed his collection of paintings, 'Sanctuary for a King', at the private view. He explained his compositional techniques, including some ideas from the Renaissance period, and his belief that the viewer interprets artwork more effectively when the artist has actually experienced what is being portrayed.

The vibrant exhibition, 'Sanctuary for a King' is on display at Cank Street Gallery until further notice. More about Michael Harrison can be found on the Cank Street Gallery website and on Michael's blog. 

I was impressed and encourage you to go along and experience Michael's powerful historical interpretations for yourself.

Michael Harrison (centre) with admirers, Crank Street Gallery private view, 5 May.

Michael Harrison meets Lizzy Hewitt at the Cank Street Gallery private view.