It's that time again - the Art Exhibition at the Holiday Inn in Kenilworth. This is an annual event organised by the Rotary Club which shows off local artists and raises funds for Charity - a great combination.
The format is similar to previous years - exhibits by the Coventry and Warwickshire Society of Artists, Kenilworth Artists, Kenilworth Art Society Kenilworth Art Club and some school art work. As ever I am always surprised by and love the huge variety of styles and media. There can be a preponderence of dull watercolour landscapes at some local art shows but here there was a real mixture.
My favourite was this intriguing oil painting by Giuseppe Pittarello. The colours and form are striking but so is the texture - really makes you lean in to understand a little more.
As a watercolourist and ink line drawer I really liked John Frith's small images of what looked like Cornish town scenes but painted in a fresh and fairly unsentimental way. I liked his confident palette but also the way he pares down the scene to make a decorative composition without being over-fussy, As someone who is easily drawn into detail there are some lessons here for me.
I've seen a lot of, and probably painted too many, scenes of Kenilworth Castle but I thought this Acrylic by Fleur Finch struck a chord. I love the fish eye sky with it's great colours and the foreground which really creates a sense of space that is missing in many pictures. I particularly like the purple in the sky echoing the colour in the walls and deep shadow.
Its also interesting how some pictures hit home while others miss the mark. The portrait of Esme III by E P Clare shone out. There is something about the plain background, the light and the eyes focussed on something which I really like - with the hair pinned back it almost could be from a different age. I also really liked her figure drawing/abstracts in a stark red and black - a real contrast to these portraits
Linocut is a dark art to me. This blackbird by Dee Luntley is a beautiful example though. She has catpured the posture of the male blackbird superbly and the simple choice of colours picking up the colour of the bill is really nicely done. She is another artist exhibiting different styles with some acrylics as well
Finally a mention for these silk multi-technique pieces by Barbara Kenny. The Jurassic Coast is a gimme for artists looking for a subject but these are something a bit different. I particularly like the top image of Golden Cap. The handling of the sky, the subtle stitching and the colour selection are great.
Mentions too for some intriguing prints by Hilary Roberts. The labels didn't actually specify what they were but some looked like photographs, others like paintings or collage. Whatever they were I particularly liked "Cat Cafe".
Julie Elliott's triptych watercolours were good - especially the more abstract ones with a more limited palette.
I also liked Qiancheng Meng's photographs - real pops of colour and images of everyday life from around the world.
I do appreciate the contributions from local young people's art clubs and schools. It is fantastic that they are exhibited on equal terms and quite rightly. I found it difficult to distinguish when choosing my young artist of the exhibition.
The show ends tomorrow - Sunday 19th - make a trip of you can.
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