The Out of the Blue team are made to pause during their hanging day for photographer, Walter Allen. From left to right: Richard Glass, John Ashton, Henrietta Farleigh, Jeannine Allen and Ian Heard. All suitably relaxed but looking forward to a busy two weeks.
Out of the Blue: the team
Ian has two brand new water colours on show at the Harbour House Exhibition. Part of a growing series on painting the Tamar valley, the effect of light on water, these have proved very popular and only very recently sold one which was to be a centre piece in Kingsbridge. However, the two new paintings are gathering a good deal of attention with many viewers asking him: how does he do the soft, flat tones and still watery foregrounds. He intends to produce more atmospheric paintings of that river and others along the coast of Devon and Cornwall.
First light, watercolour by Ian Heard
Still river. water colour by Ian Heard
Illustrator, painter and designer, Ian Heard is showing new work at Out of the Blue. Along with watercolours from his most recent book, he will be showing a collection of oil paintings inspired by the light and space of the coasts of Cornwall and Devon near his home. He is drawn by what he refers to as “western light”, the glare from the sea, and the reflected colours of clouds and shadows. ‘I am exploring the effect of the clear, Atlantic light on the landscape as much as depicting actual landscapes,” he says. Some are a reduction of simple colour and shape. His watercolours remain a passion however and he is probably best known for his two books, Cornish Ports and Harbours, and previously Classic Boats of the West Country; Now in it’s second edition.
Cliff path. Oil on board by Ian Heard
Leaving the Yealm by Ian Heard
JEANNINE ALLEN
Jeannine was born in Paris and attended art college in Montmartre. Growing up in the centre of the city, near the Louvre and the Latin Quarter, she was influenced by fine art, architecture and sculpture from an early age. She subsequently worked in the Palace of Versailles with the architect of the Batiments de France.
“I have always loved colourful places, and I have been inspired by the brilliant light of Provence, Italy and Morocco, as well as the South West of England where I live now.”
JOHN ASHTON
Born in Somerset, John grew up in Brockley Coombe and was educated at Nailsea Grammar School. On leaving school his first job was as a taxidermist, after which he mainly worked as a lighting roadie for some of the world’s major bands.
He gave up his nomadic life in 1985 after Live Aid and took up a post as a graphic artist in South Devon. Since then he has worked as an artist, taking on many and varied commissions. He now concentrates on oil painting, and has had many successful exhibitions.
HENRIETTA FARLEIGH
This is Henrietta Farleigh’s first public collection, ‘Painting with light” is the way she likes to describe what she does. She bought her first camera a Box Brownie for 3d at a village bazaar, the start of a life long love of the photographic medium. Her artistic family and idyllic childhood playing amongst tidal creeks have framed her response to the natural and industrial landscapes that inspire her today. Her work has featured in magazines and she is now frequently commissioned as a portrait photographer.
IAN HEARD
Cornish painter, illustrator and designer, Ian Heard has worked for many publishers and clients for over thirty years. His paintings have successfully exhibited in London and other galleries in southern Britain and his works have found new homes in the US and in Europe. He has written and illustrated four books of his own and continues to explore all forms of paint. His new paintings are inspired by light and it’s effects on the coastal landscape; from the wide Cornish vistas to the estuaries and bays of south Devon. Misty watercolours also feature the Tamar Valley near his home.
RICHARD GLASS
Richard Glass was born in Plymouth in 1978. He studied Fine Art at Southampton Institute where he played around with projects involving light and transparency, using salt, fat and sugars for casting. This experimental work led him to an interest in glass… “as well as an apt last name … “. Richard relished the idea of learning a skill, feeling that craftsmanship validated his work as an artist.
Richard set up his own studio, ‘Fluid Glass’ in 2003 and in 2005 moved his studio to Teign Valley Glass at Bovey Tracey, Devon, where he is developing his own line of high quality decorative sculptural glass.
The Channel Markers by Ian Heard. Oil on board
Splash blue by Richard Glass
Seascape by Jeaninne Allen
Beach huts, Teignmouth by Henrietta Farleigh
Gannets by John Ashton
I was born in Paris in 1944 and attended art college in Montmartre. Growing up in the centre of the city, near the Louvre and the Latin Quarter, I was influenced by fine art, architecture and sculpture from an early age. I subsequently worked in the Palace of Versailles with the architect of the Bâtiments de France.
I have always loved colourful places, and I was inspired by the light and brilliance of Provence and Morocco, where I lived for some time.
My work may begin as photographs or sketches, and I make exploratory journeys through each picture, creating new realities and watching the evolution of images. For me, art is not what you see, but what you make others see, and I have been fascinated by the enormous variety of responses which the occasional ambiguity of my work has elicited.
I am a member of Drawn To The Valley, and I have been continually inspired by the wild beauty of the coastlines and moorland landscapes near my home in Plymouth. I often focus my attention on working boats, with their multi-coloured reflections and battered paintwork, and on harbours, with their sense of safety and permanence
Painter John Aston is preparing a nember of new paintings especially for OUT OF THE BLUE. These graphic oils are inspired by watching gannets diving off the south Devon Coast where he lives. These striking birds are ideal studies for his stylish approach. There will be other bird compositions on show at Harbour House from 4th October.
Pair of Gannets by John Ashton
Five diverse and skilled artists and makers have come together to put on an inspirational exhibition of paintings, photography and glass at the Harbour House gallery, Kingsbridge, Devon. Starting 4th October to the 16th. Open every day from 10.00 to 5.00 More info and artists profiles to follow.
Cornish Farm by Ian Heard
