NOVEMBER 2024 Featured Artist: COLIN CARRUTHERS. Exhibition date: Saturday 2nd - Saturday 30th November

Bird Calling! February 19 2020

The discovery of a packet of clay in the back of a cupboard in early 2019 was the first step towards artist
Paul Robinson taking a wildly different approach to his art. 

Paul Robinson is first and foremost a painter, with his work included in collections worldwide. However, the thought of experimenting with a new medium was irresistible, and he loved the idea of trying something new.  

When he came to making the armature on which to build the clay, he found this initial part of the process of manipulating the wire far more fascinating than working with the clay itself, and so quickly decided to abandon the clay altogether. Although, that’s not say it won’t make a reappearance in the future! 

Each piece starts as a simple shape, and then begins hours of painstakingly forming each figure, working instinctively, and allowing the ideas to develop naturally, taking whichever direction they might choose.

We currently have sculptures and signed, limited edition prints in stock and there will be new paintings available by Paul at our 15th Anniversary Summer Show opening on Saturday 4th July 2020.

Click here to view Sculptures>>>>   Limited Edition Prints>>>


Changing Horizons January 31 2020

A Solo Exhibition by Colin Carruthers
Featuring a New Series of Acrylic, Oil and Mixed Media Paintings

Exhibition opening: Saturday 8th February from 10 am - 6 pm
Exhibition Dates: 08/02/20 - 29/02/20 

This new exhibition throughout the month of February will feature a series of acrylic, oil and mixed media works on paper, board and canvas, created following Colin's recent travels around the UK and Europe.

Colin was born in Antrim Town in Northern Ireland, where he spent most of his early childhood. He moved to Birmingham in 1985, studied Fine Art at Margaret Street and completed a B.A. Honours degree in 1997.

 


The significance of light and shade in creating an atmosphere, play an important part in Colin’s work and he is particularly interested in the interplay of light between water and sky.   Colin likes to make trips to the countryside and coast and continues to draw inspiration from his travels. Over the past fifteen years he has travelled extensively to the Scottish Isles, the U.K., France and Spain. 

View the Exhibition Online>>>


Still Life with Irises December 13 2019

Dennis Minchin trained at the Birmingham College of Art and the UCE. He has exhibited at various locations including the Ikon Gallery, the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition and Taksu Gallery, Malaysia. Prizes won include the Cadbury Drawing Scholarship and the Pastel Society ‘Inscribe’ prize. 

 
Artist Statement: "For this recent collection of my paintings, I have chosen to return to my life-long fascination with plants and flowers.  The endless range of vibrant colours, strong abstract patterns and textures that even the most common plants can offer, has long seduced me..."    Click here>>>  to view Dennis's available work


Just Arrived! November 29 2019

Just in!  - Sharon Winter has created four new lovely, endearing, mixed media paintings that would make ideal Christmas gifts for loved ones!

Artist, illustrator and teacher, Sharon Winter graduated from University College Scarborough with a First Class Honours in Fine Art in 2001. 

Sharon usually paints with acrylics and likes to experiment with new techniques including printing, collage and book-making. 

She
 paints from her imagination and loves to explore ideas from her sketchbooks.  She works by building up layers of paint, collage and gold leaf to create patterns, motifs and texture and her inspiration often comes from folklore, memory and family.      Click here to view new work>>>


Designer Jewellery by Fiona Hamilton-Walker November 28 2019

Fiona Hamilton-Walker trained at Queens Road College of Art in Bristol where she learnt a variety of different jewellery techniques. She is drawn to texture and shape and achieves this in her hand made jewellery, using hammers, drill bits, doming tools and a rolling mill.

Fiona hand makes each piece of jewellery using sterling silver jewellery, embellishing some pieces with copper or bronze. No two pieces are identical, making each piece a unique work. She uses a wide range of semi-precious uncut stones such as Carnelian, Lapis Lazuli, Garnet and Turquoise in many of her custom made pieces.

Click here to view Fiona's jewellery>>>


Still Life Paintings by Ann Armitage November 09 2019

Ann Armitage was Born in Yorkshire in 1959.  She studied Fine Art at the Canterbury College of Art and Design and graduated in 1987. After living and working in London for many years, she moved to the remote West Penwith peninsula in Cornwall in 2006.

Working predominantly in oil on canvas or board, Ann's painting is a direct response to her environment whether inspired by daily walks in the ever-changing elements of the Cornish landscape or by the quiet contemplation of flowers and everyday objects around her.     

Ann has exhibited her work at the Royal Academy, the Royal West of England Academy, the New English Art Club and at many galleries throughout the UK and has won awards, including The Discerning Eye at the Mall Galleries.

Ann's paintings will be available at our Christmas Exhibition which opens on Saturday 16th November 2019 and continues until 31st January 2020.

image featured: Aubergines, oil on canvas, 60 cm x 61 cm.  Available to purchase via the Own Art Scheme. Spread the cost over 10 months with an interest free loan at £220 per month.  Total cost £2,200. 


Seagull Automaton September 27 2019

Purple Gallery has recently received some unique metal sculptures from Whittle Design - one of which is a wonderful Seagull Automaton which is great fun to operate!

 Husband and wife team Kerry and Tilly Whittle, work together from their small studio in the Cornish countryside. They work with bronze and steel using heating, welding, forging and texturing effects that are only possible using low volume hand production techniques.  These techniques offer the opportunity to create unique, bespoke, individual pieces during the manufacturing process.

Whittle Design produce many hand made items for the National Trusts' Art Studio range and also supply galleries all around the U.K.    Kerry is a part time lecturer in Design at the University of Plymouth.

Image shown: Steel lacquered free standing  Seagull Automaton sculpture (movable lever to activate movable wings). Unique piece.  Size:  77 cm high x 30 cm wide x 27 cm deep approx.  Base 20 cm d approx.  Price £325


The Farmhouse Series by Victoria Linehan September 08 2019

Victoria Linehan is a silk screen printer and etcher. She trained at ‘Margaret Street’, UCE
Birmingham and currently teaches at Birmingham Printmakers in the artist’s quarter of Birmingham.

Victoria uses an etching technique which does not use acids or poisonous chemicals. Her etchings are a mixture of photographic images and hand painted marks.   Both colour and mark-making interest Victoria and she takes inspiration from surfaces of walls, architecture and graffiti.

There will be a wide range of Victoria's prints from The Farmhouse Series available at Purple Gallery's Autumn Exhibition which runs until Saturday 9th November. 


Canal Paintings by Colin Carruthers September 05 2019

Artist Colin Carruthers has recently been exploring Birmingham's canals which he has found inspirational. "Walking into the centre of Birmingham along the second City's towpaths, gives you an insight into the history of an industry from a bye-gone age.  Isn't it amazing", says Colin, "that you can be in a built-up City like Birmingham, yet walk a short distance down onto the local canal network and step into 'another world'. For me, it is wonderful to see the wildlife surrounding the canals.......Herons and other wild birds along with wild flowers by the water's edge.  It's also a delight, to get an insight into the life of people living in the narrowboats that frequent the waterways. It's like being transported into another world".  

The significance of light and shade in creating an atmosphere, play an important part in Colin’s work and he is particularly interested in the interplay of light between water and sky.   


The first series of Colin's canal paintings will be available at the Purple Gallery Autumn Exhibition which runs from Saturday 7th September until Saturday 9th November, 2019.

image featured: Ox-Eye Daisies, Bournville


Elsie and the Three Naked Trees August 28 2019

"The man on the radio said there'd be just a slight breeze; tell that to Elsie and the three naked trees"!

We've just taken delivery of 8 fabulous new paintings by Paul Robinson -  in readiness for our Autumn Exhibition which opens on Saturday 7th September. 

Paul Robinson grew up in the Cumbrian village of Lazonby, in the heart of the Eden Valley. Moving to London, he became a successful illustrator, working for many publications including The Sunday Times, Radio Times and Time Out magazine, whilst also exhibiting at The Thumb Gallery in London’s Soho.   Eventually moving away from the world of commissioned work, Paul began to develop his own projects, pursuing his fascination for the City (of London) and its workers. 

Having moved to Norfolk in 1999, he now has a whole new world to explore; in contrast to the City with it’s high rise office blocks to the Norfolk landscape consisting of an immeasurable expanse of sea and sky, Paul admits it proved quite a challenge. 

But with not a city worker in sight, he has now turned his attention to the subjects on his door-step to fuel his imagination - the result being a wonderful new series of paintings which give us a quirky and humorous snapshot of everyday life on and around the North Norfolk coast. Paul Robinson’s work is included in private, corporate and public collections, worldwide. 

Some of Paul's signed, limited edition giclee prints are also available at Purple Gallery. 

 


Supermoon! August 20 2019

We have just returned from a trip to visit Dionne Sievewright, to collect  new paintings for our Autumn Exhibition. 

Dionne was born in 1973 in Perth, Scotland and graduated from Duncan of Jordanstone, Dundee in 1997 with BDes. (Hons.) Degree in Illustration and Printmaking.   The influence of her wide experience in illustration and design and in particular working as a textile designer in the Italian fashion house, Missoni, can be detected in her approach to landscapes and still life paintings.  

A love of colour and texture are obvious in Dionne's  vibrant and dramatic paintings -  inspired by the changing seasons seen in the landscape of Scotland, South West England and South Wales - where she now has her studio.   Dionne considers herself very fortunate to be fulfilling her dream... dedicating time to painting - which she loves so much.

image featured: Supermoon by Dionne Sievewright; mixed media on canvas; 50 cm x 50 cm, £1,350. Available to purchase via the Own Art Scheme.  

The Autumn Exhibition opens on Saturday 7th September and continues until Saturday 9th November 2019.   There will six new paintings available by Dionne plus paintings, prints, ceramics, jewellery, craft and sculpture by other Purple Gallery artists.


New Ceramic Clocks by Iveta Goddard July 27 2019

Iveta Goddard studied ceramics in the Czech Republic from 1991-1994. She moved to England in 1997 and has been making ceramics ever since. 

All Iveta’s pottery is hand-made in white earthenware or stoneware.
Her pots are hand thrown on the wheel and she also hand-builds using sheets of white clay.  

Iveta uses techniques such as engraving, carving and stamping and she likes to emphasize the natural colour and texture of the clay. Her work is decorated with oxides and colourful glazes and the work is fired in an electric kiln to 1020°C or 1240°C.

Starting an Art Collection? July 18 2019

THE OWN ART SCHEME facilitates the purchasing of original artwork with an INTEREST FREE LOAN over a 10 month period with no hidden costs. You may borrow from as little as £100 up to £2,500.  For example, if you want to purchase an oil painting priced at £550.00, the cost would be £55 per month spread over 10 months.   A deposit would not be required and the first payment would be taken from your bank account via direct debit,  one month after you take out an agreement. 

If you live in the U.K. but can't make it to the gallery, we can email you a link to complete an agreement yourself and then we could courier the work to you once the agreement has been completed.   

image below:  Daisies in a Little Green Jug by Dionne Sievewright 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For further information about the scheme, telephone 0121 459 0941 during  Gallery Open Hours or email enquiries@purplegallery.com 

 

 

 


On the Loose....A Dog Called Houdini July 17 2019

LIMITED EDITION PRINTS BY PAUL ROBINSON.
Paul Robinson grew up in the Cumbrian village of Lazonby, in the heart of the Eden Valley. Moving to London, he became a successful illustrator, working for many publications including The Sunday Times, Radio Times and Time Out magazine, whilst also exhibiting at The Thumb Gallery in London’s Soho. 

 
Eventually moving away from the world of commissioned work, Paul began to develop his own projects, pursuing his fascination for the City (of London) and its workers.    Having moved to Norfolk in 1999, he now has a whole new world to explore; in contrast to the City with it’s high rise office blocks to the Norfolk landscape consisting of an immeasurable expanse of sea and sky, Paul admits it proved quite a challenge. 

But with not a city worker in sight, he has now turned his attention to the subjects on his door-step to fuel his imagination - the result being a wonderful new series of paintings which give us a quirky and humorous snapshot of everyday life on and around the North Norfolk coast. Paul Robinson’s work is included in private, corporate and public collections, worldwide. 


IMAGE: On the Loose  "On the loose, a dog called Houdini.  He belongs to Fenella in the green polka dot bikini."    A signed, giclee print; limited edition of 200; mounted and cellophane wrapped; external size 46 cm x 42 cm approx

 


Summer Exhibition June 26 2019

Our Summer Show will open on Saturday 6th July from 10 am - 6 pm.  
Refreshments will be served throughout the day.  The Exhibition will run from
Saturday 6th July to Saturday 31st August inclusive.