John Connolly

Sunday, 8 March 2015

2015

I'm pleased to say that 2014 was my best year yet and look forward to a really busy 2015.

I was over the moon with the reaction I got for my first ever calendar produced for 2015, selling all 150 of the print run. Preparation for the 2016 calendar is underway. It will be for sale from September at Sheffields Art in The Gardens.

Having been ill for most of January, loosing nearly a month of studio time, I am now working hard to catch up as 2015 is going to be my busiest year yet.

Early Morning at Pendennis Point in Falmouth

My first show will be the Spring Show at Lyndhurst Gallery in The New Forest. I have had some excellent sales from Lyndhurst who have taken some of my larger canvases which are now in new homes somewhere in the South of England.

Early Morning Promise. 122 x 155 cms Lyndhurst Gallery

Autumn Firelight 122 x 155 cms. Lyndhurst Gallery

Here's some of the work destined for Lyndhurst Spring Show.

Springtime Walk 100 x 100 cms Spring Show Lyndhurst Gallery

Derwent Sparkle 30 x 40 cms or Spring Show Lyndhurst Gallery

'Light Shines Through'122 x 155 cms for Spring show Lyndhurst

'Godrevy Wave' for Spring Show Lyndhurst Gallery.

Spring Light 450 x 60 cms for Spring show Lyndhurst Gallery

Spring Time Blues 40 x 50 cms For Spring Show Lyndhurst Gallery

In April 25th and 26th I will be showing at http://www.readingcontemporaryartfair.co.uk This will be my 4th year at Reading and am once again looking forward to it. Meeting new people and seeing old friends makes it a great weekend.

In May I have a Solo show which I am calling 'Seasons' at St Johns Street Gallery in Ashbourne. The show opens 8th May to 31st May. Here's a little taster of what will be in this show.

Also on 5th and 6th May I will be running a 2 day workshop on Trees and Woodland at St Johns Street Gallery . To book a place on this course please contact the gallery using the link provided above.

Dont let the Bailiff Catch you.

Winter Sunset

Pendennis Sparkles

Untitled

Lizard

Snow Melt

Springtime Walk Study

Stanage Edge for SJS Gallery.

Derwent 100 x 100 cms For SJS Gallery

OPEN STUDIO I will be opening my studio to the public on the 30th May to 1st June. Here you can come and have a look around and pick up a bargain or two as I will be having a 3 day studio sale.

On 4th to 7th June, I will be exhibiting and demonstrating for 4 days at Patchings Arts Centre. It be my 4th year at Patchings and I look forward to meeting lots of like minded artists who collectors who visit the show.

Im back at St Johns Street Gallery July 7th and 8th July running another 2 days workshop. This one will be about Colour, Light and Texture in the Landscape.
AND on the 6th and 7th October I will be running a 2 day workshop on 'Dramatic Seascapes' at St Johns Street Gallery.

On 11th to 13th September I will be one of the Premier Artists exhibiting at Sheffields Art in The Gardens. My 2016 Calendar will be on sale fro the first time at this event which is one of the largest Open Air Arts fairs in the country with well over 100 very talented professional artists and crafts people exhibiting their work.

Last Years 2014 Art in the Gardens

On 4th to 27th September, Lyndhurst Gallery are taking several pieces of my work to Manchesters Buy Art Fair.

My second solo show of the year will be at Leabrooks Gallery in Somercotes, Derbyshire from 1st to 16th November.

November looks like being a busy month as I am exhibiting at Windsor Art Fair on 14th and 15th November followed by Harrogate Art Fair the following weekend on 21st and 22nd November. This is the first time I have done Harrogate so fingers crossed it goes well. It will be lovely to be back in my home county. :-)

As well as the above, I am extremely grateful to the following galleries who continue to represent me showing an ever changing collection of my work throughout the year. :

Leabrooks Gallery 36 Leabrooks Road, Somercotes, Derbyshire DE55 4HB

St John Street Gallery 50 St John Street, Ashbourne. DE6 1GH Tel: 01335 347425

Cromford Studio and Gallery Unit 4 Howards The Market Place Cromford DE4 3RE

Lyndhurst Gallery 68 High Street, Lyndhurst SO43 7BJ

No Naked Walls  6a Windsor Street, Chertsey, Surrey KT16 8AS Tel 01932 561758

No Naked Walls  24 High Street, Bramley, Guildford, Surrey, GU5 0HB 01483) 894466

D'Art Gallery.  4 Lower Street Dartmouth TQ6 9AJ Telephone 01803 834923

Jack Sevens Art Yard 23a Chestergate Macclesfield Cheshire. Sk11 tel 01663 740982

Old Courthouse Gallery Market Place, Ambleside, Cumbria. LA22 9BU

Gallery Fiftyfive High Street, Hartley Wintney. Hook. Hampshire. RG27 8NY

These galleries have also shown my work and may show more at some time during 2015

Harrison Lord Gallery 5 Bradford Road, Brighouse, HD6 1RW Tel. 01484 722462

Gallery Top Chatsworth Rd, Rowsley, Matlock, Derbyshire DE4 2EH, tel 01629 735580

Calder Gallery 20 Market Street, Hebden Bridge. West Yorkshire. HX7 6AA Tel 01422 843832

Thank you for taking the trouble to read my blogg and a big thanks for your continued support.

Wednesday, 17 December 2014

November.

November 2014 has definitely been my busiest month ever. I didn't just double, but triple booked myself by mistake during the first half of the month.

I had a solo show at Leabrooks Gallery which ran for two weeks, a solo show at Cromford Gallery which ran throughout the whole of November and during this I went to Windsor Art Fair for the weekend of 8th and 9th November. Think I need to employ a PA or a diary secretary to avoid making such a mistake again.

When the page likes reached 2000 on my Facebook page, I made a prize draw and the winner could commission me to paint a favourite place. The Month started with me presenting Myrilla, who commissioned me to paint a sun set over Lake Windermere.

Presenting Myrilla Cavanagh with her free Commission.

WINDSOR ART FAIR

This was the third year I have exhibited at Windsor, and once again I enjoyed meeting other artists and lots of people visting the Fair. Both Windsor and Reading Art Fairs are extremely well organised by Sarah McAllister and Deborah James and the publicity generates lots of business.

Windsor Art fair

WORKSHOPS

The Last three weekends of the month were taken up by workshops with the lovely Bollington Art Group followed by 2 weekends with the very talented and friendly Thringston Art Group.

I am running a series of workshops in 2015 so look at my website, www.connollyart.com for dates and further details.

Bollington Art Group

Thringston Art Group

15 paintings and 150 calendars found a new home this month.

I have been very pleased with sales this month, having sold 15 paintings which all found new homes around the country. One also went to Sweden and another to the US.

This year was the first time I have produced a calendar, so I was very pleased with sales. Its very difficult to know how many to have printed so I think my guestimate of 150 was just right.

Tuesday, 21 October 2014

Wow Its October already.

I just realised that I haven't written anything in my Blog since July.
All my time seems to be spent either painting, running workshops, teaching one to ones, keeping Face Book updated and running Ukartaid charity. (which has now raised £3000 plus £750 gift aid )

Since coming back from Cornwall in August, I spent a few days painting in Whitley Woods and at Hengistbury Head on the South Coast, producing a small body of work that was very well received at Sheffields Art in the Gardens in early September.

Art in the Gardens was much better for me this year as I was selected to join the premier artists and was given a small Marquee to myself, making it much easy to display work on boards rather than hanging paintings on palm trees in the Pavilion as I have done for the past 4 years. Sales were ok and I met lots of interesting people.

September and the first part of October has been the most hectic 6 weeks I have had since going full time in 2010. I knew I had to produce new work for OCG in Ambleside, D'Art Gallery, Dartmouth, Lyndhurst Gallery at the same time as getting work ready for shows with Leabrooks and Cromford Galleries. Bad organisation on my part having not checked my diary before saying yes to both.

I am pleased to say that I have managed to sort it all and have delivered to OCG and D'Art Gallery last week, Cromford and Lyndhurst this week, and will take work to Leabrooks next week swell as completing more new stuff for Windsor Art fair on 8th and 9th November.

In between all that I have run several workshops and taught 3 lots of 'one to ones' with some very talented artists and have just re designed my website www.connollyart.com so that each page represents a gallery in which I exhibit work.

Working in the New Forest.

Claire Jepson after a day in my studio.

Centre of England Art Group.

Julie Hyde Centre of England Art Group.

Centre of England Art Group.

Work done outside in Falmouth.

Early morning at Pendents Point in Falmouth

One of my friends, Mervyn Allcock showed me a painting that his 8 year old daughter Amelia had done at school. It was a superb watercolour showing a great deal of skill and talent. I offered to give Amelia a day in my studio in the school holiday. Amelia wanted to paint flowers and a painting about her holiday. Here are the results. She's coming back at half term to paint another flowery one. EVEN BIGGER this time.