Back in the gallery

The shows are over for another year (Harlow Carr Exhibition ends tomorrow), so i'm back in the gallery...and it's freezing! My washing up liquid had frozen!

I'll now be here every day (except Sundays and Mondays) from 10-4.30 if anyone out there is looking for Xmas present ideas!! If they haven't sold, the last 2 hare originals will be returning to the gallery tomorrow!

Running Hare 2

'Running Hare II'
Size approx 16x11"

Well it took working on what was to be my first Sunday off in a long time, but the running hare is complete.  Just need to get it mounted and framed ready to take to the exhibition tomorrow! 

Exhibition

Currently trying to get this running hare drawing complete in time for next week's RHS Harlow Carr Christmas Exhibition.  If I manage it, this will be going along with the last hare drawing and a few other originals, prints and greeting cards.  

The exhibition runs from the 26th November until the 9th December.  I will be manning the exhibition on the 27th Nov and 7th Dec (the only days that i'm not also exhibiting in York!)

And here is a Very poor photo of the hare - not sure i'll make it by Monday!

Young Hare Framed

'Young Hare' - Framed

Just got the last original back from the framer.  I've stuck with the same moulding and mount colour, but gone for a thicker under-mount and a nice v-groove with this one.  Finishes it off quite nicely I think!  This has ended up a little larger than usual at a frame size of 18x24". 

"Young Hare"
Size approx 18x13.5"

Finished this guy up yesterday. I wanted to make this hare look young, not quite a leveret, but still young. Size finished up around 18x13.5"

About time for an update

I haven't been here in a while!  I'm noticing a lot of bloggers slowing down their posts - Do you think facebook is killing off the blog?

Anyway, here is this weekend's work.  Yes, it's another hare.  I have drawn quite a few different pieces since the last hare, just forgot to add them here!

I'm working a little bit larger than usual here and using a different paper (although i can't for the life of me remember what it is called - I had better remember as i'm really liking it!)

Another Hare!

'Poised Hare'
Size approx 12x17"

Just finished this piece up whilst demonstrating at Hawes yesterday...and yes, it's another hare!  Size approx 12x17".  This will be spending the week at the gallery before joining the others at the Harlow Carr exhibition

Donkey

'Donkey Study'
Size approx 16x11"

Just finished this up today - it's already mounted and framed to join the rest down at the exhibition at Harlow Carr tomorrow. 

This is a local guy, living in Reeth.  He seems to share a field with another donkey and a sheep that thinks it's a donkey!

Framed Swaledales

Having completed the second Swaledale sketch this morning, they are now mounted, framed and ready for me to try and find time to get down to Harlow Carr to get them hung.

Swaledale Sketches

Another 'quick' sketch here.  Although my sketches are beginning to look less 'sketchy'!  - I still managed to keep it below 3 hours, so still 47 hours quicker than my usual larger drawings.  Size approx 11x8".  

This will be off to join the others at the RHS Harlow Carr Summer Exhibition.

And here is Swaledale sketch 2 - As you can see, still a little work to do on this one, but they will both be complete and framed up tomorrow. 

Summer Exhibition ready to go!

I have just dropped my originals, prints, and greeting cards off at the RHS Harlow Carr Summer Exhibition.  At 12 weeks in length, it's by far my longest of the year.  Originals will be changing throughout the 12 weeks as they sell, and there's a great selection of work by some very talented artists.

The exhibition begins tomorrow and runs until the 9th September.  The details are:

RHS Harlow Carr Summer Exhibition - The old Bath House, RSH Garden Harlow Carr, Crag Lane, Harrogate.  www.rhs.org.uk/gardens/harlow-carr
Open daily from 10am to 4.30pm

Finally completed this 2-hare piece.  As you can probably tell, i'm not getting much drawing time at the moment, with shows, galleries to stock, as well as running my own gallery.  With an exhibition coming along in just a few weeks, I have managed to start work on the next piece though. 

Not the best shot, but here is what i'm currently working on - i'm not getting many chances to draw at the moment, with shows, the gallery, and supplying all the new galleries with work.

I'll hopefully get back to this some time next week!

Finally got the signs up!

A few shots of the gallery as it's gradually taking shape.  I'm hoping to finally be able to open the doors to the public tomorrow!!

THE GALLERY!!

So a slight change of plan....  THIS will now be 'The Nolon Stacey Gallery & Studio'.

It is located at 'The Reeth Dales Centre' in the Yorkshire Dales village of Reeth in Swaledale.  As you can see from the photo, it's not a bad spot!!

This space is 4-times the size of the previous place we considered, so plenty big enough for a gallery AND studio/work space.

The lease is signed, the furniture/hanging systems/ etc, have all been bought, and we should be collecting the keys next Tuesday.  Unfortunately, i'm then off for a 4-day show Friday to Monday, so i'm not sure when we will officially open!

Lying Hare Sketch

Another quick sketch while waiting for a delivery of larger watercolour paper.  I hadn't realised that I had run out, so was all ready to begin my next drawing, went to dig out a sheet of paper but they were all too small - big enough for this little fella though!  Framed size 14x11"

'Curlew' complete

'Curlew'
Size approx 11.5x15.5"

The Curlew is finally complete.  Having started this piece back in November, and then ignoring it for over 2 months, it's been a long time coming.

Again, apologies for the phone photo - I will scan it when it's complete.

I'm still working away at the never ending feathers, going one at a time.  I've now mapped them all out, so it's literally a case of moving from one to the other until they are all present and accounted for.  I will adjust the tone across the body once they are all complete.

Hoping to finish this today, but we'll see.

Not a hare!

I haven't had time to get a good scan of the progress of this piece, so i'm afraid it's a dodgy iPhone photo.

I thought it was time that I got back to the Curlew.  These feathers are already driving me a little crazy, so i'm not sure that i'll finish it before moving onto something else.  We'll see how the next couple of days go.

Boxing Hares Sketch

'Boxing Hares' - Sketch

Another quick sketch, size approx 11x8".  This was an idea for a drawing that was eventually replaced by the boxing hares in a more upright, portrait orientation drawing that I completed last year.  

Back to full size drawings now!!

Last of the Limited Edition

'Hare Study'

Well I thought this limited edition print of 500 had sold out, but I have just collected some prints from a gallery that has closed down and they had one left!

So here is THE LAST PRINT of this edition - The first of all my hare drawings, mounted and framed in a solid oak frame (frame size 16x20").

Anyone who missed out on this print and is interested, just let me know (collection only though, due to the frame and glass!)

SORRY.  NOW SOLD!!

Sketches

 I just thought i'd share some sketches with you.

For every completed drawing, there are probably 4 or 5 sketches drawn - normally these are drawn on cheap printer paper and thrown away once i'm done with them (or sometimes even given to children at shows to colour in!).  Some of them never make it to the 50-hour drawing board, like the sketch on the left.








I've always wondered if I could do anything with these sketches, so the last two I did, I made sure they were on my usual quality drawing paper and I spent a little extra time on them than is normally necessary (they are usually only used to give me an idea of composition and how I plan to tackle the full drawing) - probably an hour each, rather than the 50 hours for a full drawing.

Anyway, here are two of them, both image size around 8x10".  I thought i'd frame one to see how it looked.

'Crouching Hare'

'Crouching Hare'
Size approx 30x40cm

Hare number 3 of the year is now complete.  May need a bit of tweaking but it's pretty much there (I can see that I need to adjust the scan a little). 

Maybe something different next... a Hare maybe??

'Running Hare'

'Running Hare' - size approx 30x40cm

NOW SOLD

Hare number 2 of the year is now complete - assuming I don't fiddle with it anymore!

Do I continue with the hares, or do I take a break?  Maybe one more!!

Another Hare

Here is hare number 2 for 2012.  I've gone for a slightly different feel to the background/foreground with this one.  Almost given it a watercolour look - no idea why, it just kind of happened!

I hope to have this complete within the next 2 days.

Hare - 'Alert'
Size approx 30x40cm

Just finished this one.  Something I wouldn't recommend doing, but you may notice that I have completely changed the light source from the last upload. I had actually finished the drawing before deciding it needed something else - added an extra 2 hours or so to the job, but there you go!!
NOW SOLD

New work for 2012

This time of year always gives me plenty (actually, a little too much) drawing time - the shows don't tend to kick in until Easter, so it's time to get scribbling!

I thought i'd post some of the initial sketches of planned drawings.  I'm in the mood for a bit of a Hare blitz, so here are 4 planned hare drawings.  They are not the best scans, but should give an idea of the feel and pose of each piece (you'll notice that even when sketching, I can't help but add more detail to the eyes than is necessary for a sketch!!)

I receive more enquiries for hare originals than anything else and, as my hare originals sell very quickly, I never have them for very long.  So anyone out there interested in any of these, even at this early stage, let me know and I can always give more details and first refusal on the finished piece.

Hare 1

Hare 2

Hare 3

Hare 4