Delivery of Paintings.

Tuesday saw the take down of my exhibition at The Crompton Tavern and the chance to collect two paintings that I sold on the opening night.  These are two small pieces, that started out as representational pieces, but I have to admit, they went slightly wrong.  However I did like the colours, so decided to see what they looked like if I chopped them up.  The result was two small pieces which really worked. 

I need to email the new owner of these paintings to see when I can deliver them and then take them over to her. I'm really pleased that these little pieces of serendipity will end up on someone's wall to be enjoyed.

N is for Nerves.

This weeks AlphabeThursday is N is for Nerves and I've got quite a few today.  You can follow the badge below for more entries.

Tomorrow is installation day for my next exhibition at The Crompton Tavern in Derby.  Its a lovely old pub steeped in history and the owner is an artist who lets other artists display their work.

For this exhibition, I've concentrated on paintings of Derbyshire and Wales, the two places that are special to me.  I based the idea around Thomas Hobbes's travels in Derbyshire where he named it 'The Wonders of the Peak' 

I've been busy framing, finishing off and trying to ignore the self doubt and worry.  Luckily I will have some help from a fellow artist and friend to install the work, straight lines are not my strong point and its likely the paintings would all be slightly wonky if left to me!

View towards Belper, Derbyshire. Mixed Media Painting.

I'm also showing some paintings for the first time, so I feel rather nervous about that too... However, I have my best Joe Brown dress ready and my friends, Red Ruff will be singing thier 3 part harmonies to entertain us all.  Follow the link for their My Space page where you can hear some of their beautifully sung songs.

Mam Tor, Derbyshire

Last week I drove out to Castleton and took in some of the breath taking views.  I decided to visit some of the '7 Wonders' of the Peak District, so named by Thomas Hobbes, which I am currently painting for my next exhibition. 

Mam Tor, Derbyshire

Its known as the shivering mountain and is constantly on the move, the road beneath it was closed in the 1970's because of repeated landslides which means that the only access from the north end of the Hope Valley is via Winnats Pass, which means 'Windgates'. 

This is some of the most stunning scenery in Derbyshire and it was incredibly cold when we visited.

Winnats Pass also has its own Murder Mystery Story about two lovers who were murdered for their fine clothes and £200 while eloping to the Peak Forest.  It all adds to the moody feel of driving down the sunless pass before emerging to the sublime views of the Hope Valley.

A very cold Winnats Pass.

 When I was 6 years old, I visited Derbyshire, travelling from Anglesey during one of the hottest summers, Ladybower reservoir had dried up and we visited all the sites, Monsal Head, Chatsworth and the Hope Valley.  On our arrival in Derbyshire, the heavens opened on our canvas tent and in true Enid Blyton style, we set about singing 'The sun has got his hat on... hip hip hooray!' and it worked, the sun came out and we were spent the next 2 weeks sweltering. (Thanks Mum, for remembering this!)

Next Exhibition

DE MIRABILIBUS PECCI

An Exhibition of Mixed Media Paintings by Christine Gray at The Crompton Tavern, Derby

In 1626, Enlightenment Philosopher Thomas Hobbes, toured the Peak District in the company of the Second Earl of Devonshire. He described the places he visited as 'Wonders' and was inspired to write the poem, De Mirabilibus Pecci, which was translated to English in 1678. This poem inspired early tourists to visit one of Britain's most popular destinations.

I have followed in Hobbes footsteps and explored the areas that Hobbes enjoyed, using a mixture of collage, paint and drawing, I have painted his favourite places in the Peak District. Hobbes's 'Wonders' included Chatsworth House, Peak Cavern, Tideswell and Buxton.

I have also included some of my favourite places in the Peak District and the UK, ranging from Belper where I now live, through Matlock to the White Peak, to some favourite places from my native Anglesey.

find me on Facebook here:

http://www.facebook.com/#!/ChristineGrayArtist

PREVIEW NIGHT

Saturday 25^th February, 7.00 – 9.00pm at The Crompton Tavern, 46 Crompton Street, Derby DE1 1NX. Opening times: 14.00 – 23.00 (weekdays) 12.00 – 23.00 (weekends). www.cromptontavern.co.uk  They also have their own blog here:  http://www.cromptontavern.co.uk/Exhibitions/forthcoming-exhibitions

Red Ruff will be singing their 3 part harmonies. Red Ruff is Jen Aitken, Sue Devine and Nansy Ferrett.

They got together early 2011 just because they all love singing... also because they love big boots and red hair!

Red Ruff do a mix of their own material and covers: folk, jazz, blues and rock. And make people smile! Go to their website to hear them sing:

http://www.redruff.co.uk/

Painting Progress

Progress is going well with the paintings.  I experimented with some water soluable oil paint on Thursday and was quite pleased with the result.  It also led to me constructing a washing line in the living room above the radiator so that they dried out just that bit quicker.

These were trail runs for the canvas's but I quite liked the results as they were, I will probably work into them further and see what happens.

I'm off exploring tomorrow to visit some areas of the Peak District for the De Mirabilibus Pecci Exhibition at The Crompton Tavern in Derb.  The plan is to head up to Castleton and see what lovely views we can find, hopefully the sun will shine and it won't be too cold.

Very Exciting New Year

I feel very excited at the moment.  I'm preparing for an exhibition at The Crompton Tavern(more information to follow) and got my cheque in on time for the Derbyshire Arts Trail in June.  I'm joining a group at Banks's Mill in Derby and showing my work there.

I've been reading some historical context of Derbyshire and some of the travel writing.  Daniel Defoe (ca. 1659–1661 to 24 April 1731) was less than complimentary, calling the Peak District a 'Wonderless Wonder' while Celia Fiennes (c.1662-1741) was very scathing of the beer in Buxton. 

'... the beer they allow at meals is so bad that very little can be drunk..'

My favourite writing has been by Thomas Hobbes(c.1588-1679), the philosopher who is credited with being the founder of English moral and political philosophy.  His most famous work is Leviathon, where he presents his thoughts on metaphysics, psychology and political philosophy.  He wrote De Mirabilibus Pecci after touring the Peak District and dedicated it the Second Earl of Devonshire and describes there being 7 Wonders of the Peak.  My aim is to visit and paint all these wonders over the next couple of weeks ready to show at the Crompton.