Do your bit for art!

Ever wondered how it would be to to support an artist directly and help to bring their art out to the public.? Wayne Danting-Langdale, an illustrator, has just launched a kickstarter project that is an art book of illustrations and stories from the character Eagan D. Wynningdale, a travelling artist and researcher. It is heavy in viking/fantasy/steampunk themes.

The project is aiming for £2,500 to be funded, it is an all or nothing campaign which means if he doesn’t reach that target within 30 days then the project will not be funded and none of the money is taken from the backers so you have nothing to lose and maybe you get to be part of a wonderful new art project.

Take a look at the video, get inspired and take part by clicking here.

Mucha disappointed

The Walker gallery in Liverpool are currently hosting an Alphonse Mucha art exhibition and for the sum of £7 (£5 cons.) you can pop in and have a look around. It also includes a 5 minute video by his great grandaughter actress Tamsin Omond.

However, if you’re expecting to find a treasure trove of Alphonse Mucha original paintings in this art exhibition you will be sorely disappointed as most of what is on display are just prints, large prints maybe, but still prints, not the originals. The four originals included are three rough sketches and a study, hardly a collection worthy of such a great artist as Alphonse Mucha. The Alphonse Mucha exhibition is not massively large and clearly they ran out of prints, let alone originals, since a massive Burns Jones adorns much of the last part of the far wall … and there’s a Mackintosh artbook on the bench for some reason. Oh I see, that’s Art Nouveau as well so let’s throw it in. I was really very surprised to find a major art gallery hosting an exhibition by a famous artist like Alphonse Mucha with so little original work on display. The prints may be old but they are barely antiques by anyone’s standards and one or two have seen better days too.

Clearly it is all about making money nowadays and if we can get the public to pay for looking at a load of art prints why bother trying to get an exhibition of original artwork together? Pleasant enough to look at but ultimately rather disappointing and disillusioning. I think the Walker Gallery should really have done better than this.  In fact, you’d probably be better off spending your money on an art print you can keep forever by looking here.

Ed Org shows for the next two months

JUN 2/3/4 Wychwood Festival,
Cheltenham Racecourse, Cheltenham, Glos, GL50 4SH

JUN 9/10/11 Newark Retro Festival,
Newark County Showground, Newark, NG24 2NY

JUN 17/18 Detling International Antiques & Collectors Fair,
Kent County Showground, Nr Maidstone, Kent, ME14 3JF

JUL 1/2 Chalke Valley History Festival,
Church Farm, Bury Lane, Broad Chalke, Nr Salisbury, SP5 5DP

JUL 8/9 Tewkesbury Medieval Festival, Tewkesbury, Glos

JUL 18 – 30 Solo exhibition, Pop-up Gallery, New Brewery Arts,
Cirencester, Glos, GL7 1JL

If you are anywhere within a few light years of any of these places you really shouldn’t miss seeing this amazing artist in person. If you don’t know his art then just look here.

What is Mr Woods up to nowadays then?

Dan Woods was the first artist that Artists UK promoted and he’s still going strong although some things have changed. His mainstream was book illustration and album cover work for the likes of Captain Sensible and the Fish Brothers but nowadays he’s taking things a bit easier and returning to his roots with some bright and refreshing landscape artwork in his local Brighton area. His paintings are peaceful yet bright and evocative of warm breezy days. Here are a few of the latest paintings he has painted.

 

A few agents have already taken up rights on some of his work and others are selling at exhibitions around the south of England but if you are interested in owning one of his orginal paintings then let us know. The prices are very reasonable for the quality of the work and the size so they could also be a good investment.

If you are not familiar with Dan Woods or his art then you can have a look at some of his better-known work here.

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