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.

The inspiring Katie Piper

Almost a year ago I read an incredible article in Hello magazine. It featured the tragic story of ex-model Katie Piper who seven years ago was the victim of rape and acid attack by a ex boyfriend.

Katie Piper featured in Hello magazine, 31.3.2014

At the age of just 24, Katie survived a brutal sulphuric acid assault, which almost claimed her life, causing savage burns to her face, neck, arms & hands and left severe scarring. The acid also blinded her in one eye.

Katie spent two months at London's Chelsea & Westminster Hospital in an induced coma, underwent more than 100 operations and still needs regular surgery. For two years Katie wore a plastic pressure mask for 23 hours a day as part of her treatment.

Having known other victims of violence I felt particularly strongly about Katie's horrific experience. I understood, as many victims can, the pain, violation & despair that comes about not only from an attack but also the end of Katie's life as she had previously known it.

'The attack ruined Katie from the inside out. Like many, she believed her life was over now that she was a 'burns victim', Hello magazine, March 2014.

In the intervening months, I followed Katie's story, read her autobiography & watched the Channel 4 documentary 'Katie: My Beautiful Face'. Throughout I admired her inspirational determination to re-build her life.

Katie Piper (from www.katiepiperfoundation.org.uk)

After intensive burn rehabilitation in France, Katie established a Foundation to assist others with severe burns & her autobiography, translated into several languages, sold around the world. More personally she now has a loving boyfriend & beautiful baby daughter, Belle Elizabeth.

I believe Katie is an inspirational role model for our time, well deserving the title of 'Woman of the Year 2011' in The Pride of Britain Awards. I am delighted that following the horror she has had to endure that she has found both happiness & success.

Shaun the Sheep to follow Aardman's Gromit on major art trail!!

Shaun the Sheep

Aardman is at it again! Some time ago I blogged about the Bristol 'Gromit' trail and now, having just been voted the nation's favourite children's TV character, it's Shaun the Sheep's turn to shine!

The Gromit trail around Bristol was tremendously successful, visited by 
some 1.2 million people!

Shaun first appeared in Wallace & Gromit: A Close Shave, in 1995. Such was his character and popularity that in 2007 he was given his own TV series. Now he's to appear across Bristol and London in his own major public arts trail to again raise funds for the Bristol Royal Hospital for Children.

Shaun the Sheep as we're more used to seeing him, from Aardman

It's anticipated that up to 120 giant sculptures of Shaun will appear across the two cities, decorated by artists and celebrities. Yesterday Aardman creator, Nick Park, launched the project, which looks FANTASTIC!!! 
Another element of Aardman's 'Grand Appeal' for the Children's Hospital, the project is called Shaun in the City and will be taking place across the two locations in 2015, London in the spring and Bristol in the summer. 
Following the Gromit Unleashed trail, the sale of Gromit sculptures raised £2.3m for the Children's Hospital and even greater things are hoped for the sale of the Shaun the Sheep models after Shaun in the City! 
Look out for lots more news and great pics of Shaun's flock in colourful action in the months to come!

The first Shaun the Sheep sculptures for Shaun in the City, launched yesterday, 8 August.

My Chelsea experience at Parallax Art Fair!

Parallax Art Fair at Chelsea Town Hall

Phew! The Parallax Art Fair last weekend was amazing! And exhausting! It poured on Friday evening, which made transporting watercolours treacherous, especially since parking was almost impossible - even the local NCP was packed.

Lizzy,still putting up paintings
at the private view!

Squeezing into a tiny Pay & Display spot around the corner, Max and I had only an hour to get everything into Chelsea Town Hall and to put up all the paintings in my designated exhibition area.

Two hours later we were still at it! I'd prepared a scaled drawing of the space but the paintings seemed to hang higher than expected. I wasn't the only artist who discovered this. With no time to re-hang, I believed my pictures couldn't be viewed at their best :(

Lizzy with cousin Graham Barker & art agent, Celia Purcell

With no time to make adjustments, Max and I dashed for the car. Thankfully the place we were staying was nearby. With less than an hour to get ready for the evening's private view I wondered if I could possibly make it in time. Somehow I did it, fishnets, high heels and all, and we cabbed it back to Chelsea Town Hall arriving just a few minutes late.

As my hair frizzed in the heat and humidity of the exhibition space, something I'd have to get used to over the next two days (take a portable fan if you're attending Chelsea Town Hall, people!), I wondered anew if exhibiting at Parallax was such a sensible idea. 

Sandra Blaz, interested in a future commission

Then the lovely London art agent Celia Purcell came walking towards me, wide smile on her face, and I relaxed. I'm always pleased to see her because she's particularly enthusiastic about my 'quirky style'. She loved my exhibited drawing of ‘Notre Dame’ and wants me to paint more for inclusion in her own exhibition nearer Christmas! Celia, I will, I will!

Saturday - before the rush!

Over the two days of the Art Fair many lovely guests from around the world visited my stand and YES! On Saturday I sold my painting, ‘Girl on a Motorcycle’. That made the event for me! The cute watercolour references the 1960s, Vespa scooters and Marianne Faithfull in 'Girl on a Motorcycle' and has long been one of my personal favourites.

Lizzy with Bruce Withington in his Chelsea garden, with 'Girl on a Motorcycle' - SOLD!

Bruce, who purchased the piece, had bought his son Ollie along to the Art Fair. It was Ollie who spotted the painting and wanted it for his bedroom wall. Ollie also happens to be the name of a character in ‘Made In Chelsea’ and I told Bruce how I adored the programme and would love to have my own Chelsea experience. Just like that Bruce invited Max & I to his Chelsea home for Pimm's & strawberries! What a great guy!

Loving my Chelsea experience and totally star-struck (Neil Tennant of Pet Shop Boys' fame lives a few doors down the road) Bruce took us on to the Phoenix Geronimo Inn, which also features in ‘Made in Chelsea’, where he treated us to cocktails. This fabulous chap gave me my own wonderful Chelsea experience, so thank you Bruce, you're an art lover, thoroughly lovely man and a star!

Parallax Art Fair underway and already there are lots of visitors

Plenty to see & much to talk about!

Artist Bozena Czyz with her work

A closer look

So much to take in across Chelsea Town Hall

Heading home

Silent contemplation. Will she, should she?

See you at Chelsea Town Hall for Parallax Art Fair, next weekend!!

Have been SO BUSY getting pictures ready for Parallax next weekend! The Art Fair in Chelsea Town Hall next Saturday & Sunday is a huge event and it's wonderful to be exhibiting in London again!

Parallax is a huge craft fair with work of a very high calibre and I was dead chuffed to be allowed to be a part of it this year. It means I'll meet lots of new artists and have my work seen by a big, new audience. Which will hopefully mean sales!!

See Lizzy & her work at Parallax Art Fair, Chelsea Town Hall, London on 26 & 27 July

As much fun as exhibiting is, for an artist showing work is about building visibility & reputation but primarily about selling. Only a few years ago I'd get so excited about having my work on display that I'd forget what I was there for and miss sales opportunities through sheer inexperience. No longer!

The business of displaying pictures at exhibition is a minefield one enters with caution! Where a picture is selected by a gallery it is hung where and how the gallery or show curator wants it seen. If it ends up tucked in a corner near the floor, well, that's life. Being accepted to have space at an art fair is quite different.

Chelsea Town Hall - Parallax Art Fair venue, London

Despite having to have one's work evaluated, an art fair is more about selling that a gallery or exhibition. One pays to take a space which one is then told how to fill. Sometimes the requirements are precise; all works will be fixed with mirror plates, or be no less than 10cms apart, for example. This keeps the overall appearance consistent, as in a gallery. And it pays to obey the rules since pictures look so much better when displayed well.

This time I'm taking Max along with his trusty drill & spirit level! As befits a one-time photographer, Max is great at detail. With Max in charge of hanging, pictures are positioned EXACTLY as planned! And credit where it's due, while I'm busy getting anxious, Max always makes a great job of the business end of exhibitions.

Inside Parallax Art Fair, Chelsea Town Hall, London

For Parallax I've bought a couple of little display units for the postcards commissioned by Visit Leicester, which I still feel are among my best work. Those too can now be displayed to best advantage. And at the suggestion of a friend among my bits and pieces I'm taking Tippex to cover mirror plate screw heads. Plus ready-mounted replacement pictures so that sales don't result in unemployed exhibition space. My attitude really has changed!

However, once the exhibition closes I shall still enjoy the nightlife London has to offer. I'm sure there will be photos of the weekend to share with you in due course..!

I do hope I'll see many of my readers at Chelsea Town Hall on 26 & 27 July - it's going to be an excellent event and I'm already excited! There will be LOTS to see and while I hope you make the most of the quality art & craft works on offer, please don't be a stranger; make yourself known and come have a chat. I'm looking forward to meeting you at Parallax next weekend!

Made in Chelsea!

C4's TV show logo for 'Made in Chelsea

I love C4's 'Made in Chelsea', the lives and loves of an elite Chelsea set (will Binky ever end her heartache and break up with the love rat Alex?)!
Set in real Chelsea locations and some of my own favourite London haunts, I'd adore to spend more time in the champagne bars, Bluebird or JuJu, discussing latest love entanglements with 
my girlfriends!

The Albert Bridge, linking Chelsea on the North shore & Battersea on the South

For me Chelsea and the King's Road are really all about celebrity and creativity; in the 1970s Malcolm McLaren & Vivienne Westwood Had their 'Sex' boutique and Vivienne remains there still with her eponymous own label.

Sex, Malcolm & Vivienne's King's Road shop

There's the delight of artisan chocolatier, Rococo Chocolates, VV Rouleaux for ribbons & trimmings that are out of this world and the very necessary (to me at least!) Green & Stone for the best artists's materials.

An infamous location

Another historic Chelsea street and home over the years to a long list of celebrities is Cheyne Walk. Sylvia Pankhurst lived at No 120; No 4 was for a time the home of George Eliot. In 1851 the painter JMW Turner died at No 119; Dante, Rosetti & Sir Paul Getty all resided here; and in 1968-69 Keith Richards & Anita Pallenberg lived at No 3 while Mick Jagger & Marianne Faithful resided at No 48.

The Saatchi Gallery, London, by Clara Molden

Outside Mick & Marianne's house, No 48 Cheyne Walk

Walking tours are a great way to explore an area. Chelsea has several and 'Made in Chelsea' has its own Brit Movie Tour. Check it out!
Last year I used a great little book, 'Walking London: Thirty Original Walks In & Around London' by Andrew Duncan, to navigate my way around the Chelsea area. It was a delightful walk which took in the Saatchi Gallery, Physic Garden, Albert Bridge, Chelsea Old Church and the Royal Hospital, home of the Chelsea Pensioners.

Lizzy on Cheyne Walk, the street of her dreams

King's Road has lots of interesting goings on for the art lover

The Ingenious Thomas Heatherwick - on BBC iPlayer now!

Thomas Heatherwick

The BBC has once again delivered a corker of a TV programme in Alan Yentob's Imagine series. This one features the multitudinous talents of Thomas Heatherwick, architect, model-maker, sculptor and designer, probably best known for his rising copper cauldron for the 2012 London Olympic & Paralympic Games.

The programme, which features the development of his 'Garden Bridge' across the River Thames, brings into sharp focus the diverse talents of the man who's been called 'the Leonardo da Vinci of our times' by no less a figure than Terence Conran.

Mayor of London & new Routemaster bus

I had no idea Heatherwick was behind London's new Routemaster bus, or the Rolling Bridge at Paddington Basin. In fact I first heard of Heatherwick when his extraordinary Seed Cathedral, the UK Pavilion at Expo 2010 in Shanghai, won RIBA's Lubetken Prize. 

Seed Cathedral / Expo 2010 / Shanghai

His work for UK and overseas institutions, transit authorities, tourism centers and hotels have until recently gone unnoticed by all but those in the know, but with a studio of around 100 specialists in London and offices overseas, Heatherwick's reputation and presence are growing, controversy notwithstanding.

He makes furniture, interiors, urban infrastructure, has designed the forthcoming Teeside Power Station, and Laverstoke Distillery, as well as an astonishing 'Learning Hub' for Singapore and a strategic new frontage for Guy's Hospital in London. 

The Unstoppable Thomas Heatherwick; on BBC iPlayer for another 3 days. Or look out for the Imagine repeats showing on BBCTV later in the year. One way or another, don't miss it!

Thomas Heatherwick's cauldron for the London 2012 Olympic & Paralympic Games

All that matters is that you get up ...

My painting, 'A Right Royal Street Party' has not been selected for the Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours exhibition at the Mall Galleries in London in April after all. 
After taking the painting down to the hand-in last weekend and being so excited at the possibility of exhibiting in London, I'm hugely disappointed. Still, as Ben Affleck pointed out as he collected his Best Picture Oscar this week; it doesn't matter how you get knocked down in life, that's going to happen. All that matters is that you get up.
I shall find another exhibition, one which has a better match to my own style, and enter that. In the meantime I have a commissioned artwork to finish. Up and at 'em :)

Journey to London's Mall Galleries

Heading for London's Mall Galleries exhibition hand-in

Yesterday Max and I drove down to London to hand in my Diamond Jubilee painting, 'A Right Royal Street Party' at the Mall Galleries. It's the first time I've ever thought to exhibit any of my paintings, taken up as I am with commissioned artworks.
Actually, it was quite an adventure, hiring a van and the two of us taking my carefully prepared and wrapped painting to the hand-in. And as it was a Saturday we were able to drive around the capital without the extra expense of the Congestion Charge. 
I've always loved London and took photos of the journey to give you a taste of our day :) Now I need to get back to my ongoing commission work whist anxiously waiting to hear if my painting is selected for the Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours Spring Exhibition. Fingers crossed!

And our pictorial journey ends with yet more art :)