Real art Direct from the Artist

With more and more things in our lives becoming mass-produced, it is becoming harder to find truly unique objects to which we have a personal connection. Original art provides you the opportunity not only to express your own unique tastes and styles, but also share that with friends and family who have the opportunity to see the art you choose to hang in your home.

Many people believe that owning original art is beyond their reach, this just isn't true. I try to make my art as affordable as possible and I cover a wide range of price points with my art from small gifts to larger works. Buying original art direct from the artist means there is no additional gallery commissions to pay unlike other online or high street galleries who may charge up to 50% extra. In my affordable art gallery you'll find over 200 works for less than £150. This is art at artist prices.
 
All of my art is finished to an extremely high standard, I put a lot of effort into finishing my pieces of art so they are ready to hang in your home. These are pieces that will look great and last. It's convenient too... from the comfort of your own home you can browse a huge range of styles to find and buy the right work for you in a matter of minutes. Trying to do this by visiting galleries or art fairs could take days and even then you still might not find just the right work.

If you're looking for something individual to fit into your lifestyle and space, I'm more than happy to help you achieve this... I often complete pieces to fit individual needs in terms of colour, style or size. Commissioning a piece of art from me is just a matter of giving me a call to discuss your needs and ideas, I'll help you through the process or creating a piece of art unique to you and your living space. 

The WOW factor... original art achieves what mass produced art just can't do, when a friend walks into your home your art is a reflection on you... It's unlikely you'll achieve that wow factor and individuality with a mass produced print from the High Street. When you buy an original work you are expressing your individuality.

www.simonsgallery.com 

 

Everything London.... well almost

I recently completed a London Skyline Cityscape painting for a commission delivered to Zurich, Switzerland. To say there is a lot of London in it is an understatement! The landmarks and buildings of the London cityscape are fairly well covered in this piece.

"London Skyline" acrylic on canvas 60x24 inches

Nat West Tower - Big Ben & Westminster - The Gherkin - Heron Tower - Eros - London Eye - Greenwich Observatory - London Bus - London Black Cab - Post Box - Telephone Box - Thames Barge - A Rower - St Paul's Cathedral - The Shard - Westminster Abbey - London Assembly Building - Battersea Power Station - Tower Bridge - The Millennium Dome - Guys Hospital - Tower Bridge - Canary Wharf - The Tower of London - GPO Tower - Nelson's Column - The OXO Building

I was really pleased with the results, some paintings work better than others and the composition and colours tones in this worked really well. It took a long time to complete but was worth every hour spent on it.... and the client's reaction.... "Over the Moon" was the phrase used which is even more pleasing.

www.simonsgallery.com

When it's Raining

When it's raining and the dark nights set in in the northern hemisphere I like to paint bright colourful things. It's been raining a lot recently and these seemed to do the trick :0)

 

Bright splashes of textured colour in these abstract cityscape paintings. Clearly light and fun pieces of art to brighten these dark winter days.

www.simonsgallery.com

affordable art direct from the artist

Oh God it's the Turner Prize again and not a painting in sight!

Well here we go again, before you know it the media will be all over the Turner Prize once again, more irrelevant art self publicising itself.

The prize is awarded each year to 'a British artist under fifty for an outstanding exhibition or other presentation of their work in the twelve months preceding'.... Well that rules me out :0)

This is your chance to discover what's new in British art now - goes the publicity - well actually it's not that because to most artists and people it's just a way of achieving publicity through controversy, and to me it's the worst manifestation of elitist art.

Past entrants & prize winners have included:

A sound artist for an installation that featured her singing three versions of a Scottish lament.... yeah I'd really like some old bint in my lounge bleating away all day.
An artist who uses make-up and soil to create sculptures unorthodox materials including lipstick, Vaseline, nail varnish and eye shadow - no I don't wish to have a pile of soil decorated with makeup in my house thanks.
Installations inspired by concrete trees... I prefer real trees!
Portrayal's of  construction sites using video screens.... I have a tv!
Damien Hursts formaldehyde cows ... can't see that working in my house
Tracey Emins unmade bed.... the best thing about this is that two Chinese students went in & made it :0)
A pile of bricks... can buy them at B&Q
Someone switching a light on and off... we can all do that!
Paintings made from elephant dung.... give me strength!

And this years choices.... some drawings of a fictional city, a trilogy of video installations, some people lying on the floor and some sculptures of turds.... and yes not a painting in sight.

So as an antidote visit my website where you'll find real art, for real people, living real lives, it's not particularly controversial, it's art you can actually live with and hang on your wall.

www.simonsgallery.com 

Breaking Waves

I often wonder about these waves I paint. When I look at them I can't help but wonder, how far they have come, where and when were they created and by which low pressure system. When they break on the shore after their long journey, does anyone see or hear them. Each is individual never the same, always changing, each has it's own story to tell.

www.simonsgallery.com

Love Art

It would appear that there's a great deal of Loving going on across the world at the moment. Five of my latest art sales this month have been romantically themed.

I have recently dispatched two Love Ewe prints, one to London and one to Belfast to clients who wanted  an anniversary for someone special.

In addition I have recently sent a Large text based painting "1 Corinthians" to Liverpool, another titled "Love" to New York and am just packaging another titled "Love Promise" for a client in Manchester who will be giving it as a wedding gift to special friends in London.

The theme of Love in art is as strong as ever, and long may it remain so after all Love isn't just for Valentines Day it's for every day!

All of these pieces are available on my website. The text based paintings are in the text gallery and there is a seperate gallery for smaller love themed gifts "The Art of Love". Just follow the link below and show someone special how you feel through the gift of art.

www.simonsgallery.com

Bring back the Sunshine

As the days begin to close in and the summer seems to be ended, I thought I'd create a little sunshine as an antidote to the dark winter days ahead. This little collection is all about the sun, it's warmth and the light. Intense yellows bring a strong focal point to any space, and raise the spirits in the darker days of winter.

 

All of these paintings are available on my website at a variety of price points.

www.simonsgallery.com

Going Underground

Time to add a little London Style & iconic culture into your Living Space. I have just begun a series of paintings of the London underground symbol. I painted one earlier this year and like my marmite paintings it just seems to be one of those images which invites comment and attracts attention. It is certainly an enduring image. Here are the first three in a series which I'll be adding to as the year progresses.

This first is outside London Bridge Station, painted from a photographic image I shot earlier this year. The next painting is in Piccadilly Circus and the third at Canary Wharf.

Incidently if you would like me to create a painting of a particular sign in London, all you have to do is send me an image, or let me know & I'd be happy to work on a commissioned piece for you.

www.simonsgallery.com

New Materials New Opportunities

One of the joys of being an artist is that you get to try new materials and mediums I can't help but get a little excited at the prospect of exploring the possibilities of my new acrylic inks. When I work away from my studio I require a more portable medium that will allow me to do some quick pen and ink sketches and at the same time completed pieces with the same intensity of colour which acrylic paints allow me to achieve. Humping a whole load of canvas, paints and associated brushes, pallet knives, varnishes and other materials is just sometimes not possible, or convenient.

I also want to revisit the style of my New York Sketches which were quick little studies completed on street corners in Manhattan in 5 or 10 minutes. I love the fun, naivety and freshness of these and will try to emulate this with views of London. The added advantage is that I can work in a fresh watercolour style too. My first finished work is a painting of a landscape at sunset, which for a first effort I'm very pleased with.

You can follow all of my art and progress at my website where you'll find many pieces of contemporary art across a range of price points. Affordable art direct from the Artist.

www.simonsgallery.com

How Long to Commission a Painting

In this instance over 10 years! My client had seen some of my abstract paintings at an exhibition over ten years ago and had promised that when she bought her first home she would treat herself to a piece my art. Sure enough having got on the property ladder this year she found me via google, we exchanged a few emails to discuss size, style and colour and 2 weeks later she has fulfilled her promise to herself.

This large red abstract painting now adorns the walls of her new home, and she is over the moon with it. Some promises are definitely worth keeping. Each painting tells it's own individual story and in this case it's a long one.

www.simonsgallery.com

Sailing Away

Small abstract paintings for all you sailors out there

 

I love painting these small abstract sailing paintings, they are bright and cheerful pieces to enhance a small space or make great gifts for all you sailors out there. For me they also serve another purpose. They allow me to explore shapes colours and tones before committing myself to larger works. You can find these on my website and for £45.00 which includes international delivery further proof that original art really can be affordable.

www.simonsgallery.com

Art materials from fire

I just can't help but be pleased with myself this morning. Fed up with ordering sticks of charcoal for my art at ridiculous prices I decided to make my own and what a success. It's really simple to do and exceptionally satisfying. All you need is a buscuit tin some twigs and a fire. Having had the tin in for about 3 hours here are the results.

I shall be using these in my next set of abstract seascapes which make fantastic little gifts or just bring a touch of colour to that small space.The other additional advantage of course is that you get to eat a whole load of chocolate biscuits too, doubley satisfying :0)

www.simonsgallery.com

I Love Marmite

Love it or hate it (as the advertising goes) these bright fun iconic PopArt paintings will certainly attract attention. I love creating these images they are the paintings which people cannot walk past without passing comment. These are certainly pieces of art with a huge Wow factor.

For the next few weeks I'll be up to my knees in Marmite as I create a large 60x60 inches painting of this iconic British brand, made up of 9 individual segments. Available to buy individually or as one large artwork you can build up your piece of art over time, limit yourself to three or four pieces, or buy all nine segments together. You can watch my progress on my popart page.

Popart Gallery - @ simonsgallery.com

Eros Piccadilly London Painting

 

Eros Piccadilly

My Latest London painting of Eros in Piccadilly Circus, a colourful center piece reflecting the vibrancy of London 2012.

Someone once told me that if ever you lost someone if you stood in Piccadilly Circus for the rest of your life you would eventually find them again as everyone visits Piccadilly at least once in their lives. An intriguing thought. Personally I'd use facebook or google them :0)

Eros, the Greek god of love and sexual desire (the word eros, which is found in the Iliad by Homer, is a common noun meaning sexual desire). The Roman equivalent was Cupid..... ooo....er!

www.simonsgallery.com

London Tube Map Painting

 

London Underground

Original London Painting by Simon Fairless

I had considered creating this as a more abstract piece leaving out the station names and other details. When I was painting it however I realised that this was going to hang probably in a London Flat and it might be useful to include the station names.

I've used it myself planning a journey before leaving for London and it's probably the most useful London Painting you're ever likely to own. It is a stunning piece even though I say so myself and and I'm happy to have it hanging in my home at the moment. I have considered carrying it around the tube network using it to guide me through London, it would raise a few eyebrows I'm sure as I got my not so convenient map out! I hope you enjoy a design classic which it certainly is with a twist of Simon Style.

View more great art at: www.simonsgallery.com

Less is More

How much information can you subtract from a photograph and still have it recognisable as a powerful iconic image of London?.... the answer seems to be a lot. In my latest London Painting I took my original photographic image on the left and created a two tone powerful popart styled  image of St Pauls, as seen from the OXO Tower.

Painted in contemporary cream and brown this is a stunning painting a timeless image for 21st Century Living in London. More of my paintings and artworks can be seen at:

www.simonsgallery.com

London View

My latest commission was created as a retirement gift, a view of London looking towards Tower Bridge from the river Thames. Whilst painting it i realised just how many landmarks there are in this view. Tower Bridge, HMS Belfast, Canon Street Station, BT Tower, Thames Barges, St Pauls, The Monument & St Katherines Dock. Quite a collection worthy of a painting.

Tower Bridge the painting

Original Photograph

The client... well they simply loved it, and that gives me the greatest pleasure of all, to create something memorable for a special occasion. You can commission your own view, or see more of my works at www.simonsgallery.com

It's what you don't see that makes the difference

Let's face it modern cameras can make most people look good, but it's often what you don't see that makes the difference.

Very often I'll wait for hours in the same spot just waiting for the light to be right or for a bus to move ionto the field of view, or out of it, or a crane to move. Here's a good example.

I waited for an hour on Waterloo Bridge for the light to change to take my first shot, 2 minutes later the light had gone and so had the shot. Whilst I was waiting several people walked past and were snapping away. They all missed their opportunity.

It makes a great deal of difference to plan the shot properly and if you're wondering how I manage to take such good images, well now you know, patience and planning and whilst you can get lucky by beng in the right place at the right time, the more often you put yourself there and the more patience you have, the luckier you get.

View from Waterloo Bridge

2 minutes later

For this shot of Battersea power station I waited 8 weeks! To get the reflection I had to wait for a high tide on the Thames and this had to coincide with a clear weather window with little or no wind to avoid ripples in the water. In addition I'd calculated at which time of year the sun would be at the correct angle in order to create the reflection and not to place the building in shadow or silhoette.

 

Battersea Power Station

So next time you wander past a man with a camera in London who's still there an hour later staring at the same view, waiting for the light to change.. say hello it could be me!

www.simonsgallery.com

London 2012

Probably the best painting of London you'll have seen so far in 2012. A bold statement? Not really as there aren't a great number of original paintings of London and not many as good as this and after all we are still only in January. This is my first large cityscape of 2012 and continuing on the London theme I hope to paint more this year as I love the style and subject and with the Diamond Jubilee and Olympics 2012 is an important year for London.

Painted from one of my own photo images in a photorealistic style this stunning piece can be yours at www.simonsgallery.com I hope you enjoy it and look forward to sharing more with you as the year progresses.