Reunion Gallery was there (as we have been each year) and it was great to meet, speak to and sell to so many people. See picture below of the stand (before the rain came and we had to pack up a bit early!).

A quiet moment at Art on the Prom 2011

Verena also had an installation based on the ‘Bodies on the Beach’ theme. She did 3 wire figures enjoying a typical beach day out. See pictures below.

Wire family enjoying the Beach at Art on the Prom

To celebrate our 10th year of business we are showcasing 10 of the artists who have contributed to the success of the Gallery over this time.

Selected artists are Jazz Green, Pat Todd, Pippa Darbyshire, Richard Kimmerling, Alison Malcolm, Colin Slee, Ivan Quarton, Honor Surie, Verena Daniels and Wendy Brooke-Smith.

This month here is a preview of Honor Surie’s work featured in the exhibition.

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Honor says “ I love the rivers, bordered with reeds, mud flats and reflected lights.

I absorb the feeling of these areas. I look at local places, draw them, and using this reference, push the images around in my sketch book, developing them into compositions that please me, which is why I find myself painting mainly landscape.

I am open to working with all types of materials if it helps achieve the desired outcome. I paint very figurative works that gradually became simplified into abstraction, and sometimes it works the other way round. ”

Selected artists are Jazz Green, Pat Todd, Pippa Darbyshire, Richard Kimmerling, Alison Malcolm, Colin Slee, Ivan Quarton, Honor Surie, Verena Daniels and Wendy Brooke-Smith.

Here is a taster of Wendy Brooke-Smiths work showing currently.

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Wendy Brooke-Smith is a landscape artist who works in acrylic and oil, and draws her inspiration from the docks, rivers and beaches of East Anglia.  Often with an eye for the overlooked, Wendy’s work explores ideas of contrast and incongruity, particularly the impact of man-made structures in our natural environment.

She says “I must admit to being fascinated by the cranes of Felixstowe, such a dominant landmark in our region and visible from my home near Harwich, and particularly by the drama and scale of the docks, and the unexpected aesthetic qualities of this coastal industry”.

Wendy graduated in Fine Art from University Campus Suffolk in 2008.  The demolition and regeneration of the Ipswich Waterfront was the subject matter for her Degree Show paintings, as well as further commissions for Bidwells Property Consultants and UCS.

End of the trail

Trail Ahead

In addition to theSea Front Gardens exhibitions at the Reunion Gallery, selected work has been reproduced and forms part of an art trail in the gardens. The art trail is in support of the public consultation on the future of the gardens for which the Reunion Gallery is working conjunction with the Suffolk Costal District Council.

Why not try and follow the trail yourself and experiance the art work together with the actual view it represents.

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Artists exhibiting include Verena Daniels, Steve Griffin, Antonia Hockton, Linda Kingsford, Alison Malcolm, Ian McDermott, Ann Faiers, Steve McTigue, Anne Ravenscroft, Dorothy Stokes, John Talman, Pat Todd, Harriett Todd and Jevan Watkins-Jones.

This summer the gallery is working with the Friends of Felixstowe Seafront Gardens and Suffolk Coastal District Council to promote the restoration and renovation of one of the town’s most valuable assets.

The Gallery has commissioned work from a number of artists who have used the Sea Front Gardens as inspiration for new works for an exhibition, which will run at the Gallery and Bonnets Cafe during July and August 2010. In addition to the gallery exhibitions, selected work has been reproduced and forms part of an art trail in the gardens. The art trail is in support of the public consultation on the future of the gardens for which the Reunion Gallery is working conjunction with the Suffolk Costal District Council.

Mike Todd who is the exhibition’s organizer says “I am delighted with the response of the artists to the brief. They have applied their imagination and skill to create an interesting and informed body of work. I am sure that everybody who visits the exhibition will be impressed and that the work will sell well. The additional attraction of the art trail will ensure the exhibition creates a great deal of interest.”

A selection of the artists’ work from the exhibition is also on show upstairs at Bonnets Café and Chocolaterie in Hamilton Road.

Here is our list of award winners for 2010.

Graphic Design: Nicki Cockshaw, Luke Hall, Tom Oliver.

Fine Art: Sarah Castle, Simon Hawker, Susanna Miller, Max Winsdale.

Photography: Mark Barrett, Tracie Falcucci, Shanna Yarnell.

The purpose of the Professional Development Award is to assist new visual arts graduates from University Campus Suffolk to take a first step into the commercial world by hosting a two-week exhibition of selected work from the disciplines of Fine Art, Graphic Design and Photography. The exhibition will be entitled ‘Graduate Impressions’ and will run from 7 to 18 September 2010 at The Reunion Gallery, Felixstowe.

The criteria for the judges selection were: artistic merit, potential for further development, nature and size of the work relative to the exhibition space, and the willingness of the student to work with the Gallery to develop, display and sell their work.

Oil Paintings by John Nichol  featuring views of the local shoreline

Reunion Gallery’s current exhibition showcases the work of John Nichol for the second time. For this exhibition he has created a set of pictures depicting everyday sights that can be seen along the shorelines of the local area. This has allowed John to indulge in his love of recreating sea and sky, framed by that fantastic light that can usually be seen by those lucky to be out and about along this coastline.

John was born in Cornwall and educated in the city of London. He then sailed the world in the Merchant Navy before returning to the UK to study art and graduated from Epsom & Ewell School of Art with a First in Fine Art.

He has exhibited successfully in London and the Home Counties as well as producing paintings for high profile patrons including the BBC (for use in their drama productions). Before painting full time he worked as a resident artist in a number of organizations and was involved in restoration, decorative designs and mural paintings for them.

Verena Daniels, Reunion Gallery’s co owner says “It is great to have John create this new body of work for us. We know that he has many admirers within the regular clientele of the Gallery and we are sure that no one will go away disappointed after viewing these pictures”

Examples of his work for the exhibition will also be shown in the upstairs restaurant of Bonnet Café and Chocolaterie.

We would also recommend that regular customers pop in and see us now our refurbishment is complete and perhaps stay for a ‘Coffee in the Courtyard’ that can be enjoyed in our new covered area if desired.

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