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