Please help to keep Wimpole Gallery open by visiting the exhibition before the beginning of November and writing your name in the visitor’s book.  Please check that the gallery is open by contacting Wimpole Hall during the week, week ends will follow normal opening hours,  please visit the website for further information.

It’s almost impossible to explain what their works are about, but here goes:

Deanna has created a dozen exquisite pieces which encapsulate just a few of the most important influences in her life’s work, ranging from Boticcelli to Basquiat via Scarfe and Da Vinci. Yup, it’s a diverse collection but I would happily buy the whole collection as a single entity and be very, very happy!

John Lyons on the other hand has focused on a single influence, following a recent (and somewhat fraught, given Icelandic volcanic disruptions) trip to Cezanne’s homeland. The result is typically John Lyons: bold colours, geometric lines, sensuous shapes…and lots of references to the great man himself (Cezanne, rather than John!). Very desirable, very collectable. You just want to buy the full set. Mmmmm.

Enough daydreaming. I live and work in a chocolate-box. You need to come and taste its contents!

TWELVE is on from 3 to 15 September, closed Mondays (unless you’re lucky enough to find a CAM artist messing about in there!). Private View 6-8pm Friday 3rd.

See you soon, I hope!

Chris

Mayor Sheila Stuart and her husband Bruce chat with Chris Williams

Cambridge City Mayor Sheila Stuart and her husband Bruce attended the Private View of Switch-Swap at Williams Art on Thursday 19 August, where they met the three visiting artists from Cambridge’s twin city of Szeged – Eva Bubla, Nora Szakacs and Robert Markus. They also chatted at length with Julia Sieber-Boyd, chair of the Cambridge Szeged Society and many of the CAM artists.

CAM artist Deanna Tyson will curate the painting exhibition that runs from Monday 12th to Saturday 17th July, then Chris Williams, owner of Williams Art, CAM”S home gallery, will curate the professional photographer’s exhibition and the “Picture the World” photographic competition which is open to the general public, running from the 19th to 24th July.

Some of CAM’s international artists will exhibit alongside China’s “Fish King”, Chen Hong and the  Anglo Indian contemporary print maker, Natasha Kumar.

All work will be for sale with a percentage donated to the Haiti appeal run by CBM in support of overseas aid for the disabled.

The Picture the World exhibition also features an open evening on Monday 12th July at which artists and CBM will talk about their work. The event takes place at the Michaelhouse Café and Centre,Trinity Street, between 6pm and 8pm, to which all are welcome.

If you would like to enter the competition please visit the CAM websites. For information about the festival visit www.heartoftheworld.co.uk

They say time flies when you’re having fun – well it certainly doesn’t seem like over six months since my last post, when I was just starting out on my MFA adventure. Back in October, I was beginning to get to grips with conceptual art; now, I’m wondering why it took me so long to take the plunge. I love the way in which art can be a vehicle for exploring ideas, relationships and themes. Of course, this can still be done with oil on canvas, and I haven’t stopped painting. But finding and creating objects and placing them in new contexts opens up a whole new vocabulary of exciting possibilities.

So I’ve been using old books as raw materials: sorting, collaging, and photographing them to create new and unexpected combinations. For example, the official history of Sixties pop group The Mamas and The Papas may not at first sight seem to be a natural bedfellow for Samuel Johnson’s eighteenth-century travel journals. But their titles are just made for each other. And so I created ‘Go Where You Wanna Go (A Journey to The Western Islands of Scotland)’ and placed them together on the shelf, allowing me to ask questions about history, culture and all sorts of other things besides.

I’m participating in Cambridge Open Studios again this year, so do call in and take a look for yourself at what I’ve been up to. I’ve got a new series of ‘Splendid’ paintings, plus pictures of my ‘monster’ Flying Spaghetti Monster commission, a brand new ‘Collector’s Corner’ and much else besides. Full details in the Open Studios handbook (available free from CAM and many other Cambridge outlets) and on my website. I hope to see you!

The 35 or so artist members of the Cambridge Arts Movement, based at the Williams Art Gallery at Dales Brewery, Gwydir Street, are each donating a piece of artwork to be auctioned for the Haiti Disaster Appeal. Many well-known and successful artists will be represented, a list of these can be seen at www.williamsart.co.uk

The show will be mounted this Friday and will be available for public viewing and the taking of fixed bids until this Sunday the 24th. The auction will take place at 3pm on Sunday, so come along and get a genuine Cambridge original at a knock-down price.

More information from Nick Ellis on 01223 500506 or from Chris Williams, Williams Art, 5 Dale’s Brewery, Gwydir Street, Cambridge CB1 2LJ . Tel: 01223 311687. The gallery is open 10am till 6pm, Tuesday till Sunday each week.