London Underground

 

I love painting images of London. often taking inspiration from some of my photography as is the case with these paintings themed on the London Underground signs outside of tube stations. I'm not sure if I'll manage to get all 270 stations completed but it's an interesting prospect.

As you can see these have proved a popular theme in my art and many have been sold already including Piccadily, Canary Wharf and Waterloo, I guess it's a great way to show you love London by owning one of these iconic images of London and certainly a cool way to express yourself in your interior design. I certainly enjoy painting them and if there is a particular station which has significance for you then I'm happy to come along & take a photo of it & paint you a very personal memory of London for you.

simonsgallery.com

art direct from the artist

Art Commission

A client had seen one of my earlier small works and emailed me to ask if I could reproduce a larger painting in the same style and colours. I was happy to oblige.

The original was painted onto an mdf panel and was an abstract landscape with the title "Summer Storm".

As the commissioned work was to be larger to hang in a space above a sofa I suggested that the new work be painted onto canvas, as the larger size would make using mdf too heavy.

I remained faithful to the colour palette of the original for this commission & tried, and I think succeeded, in achieving the same level of intensity, light & movement.

It's great to be able to create something individual for a client, and from their standpoint they get exactly what they want to fit with their interior design.

I have given the new work the title of "Summer Storm Passing", a promise of brighter horizons to come, and as for the client's reaction... in their words..... "WOW!"

As you can see from the images below it certainly was a lovely work and one I was very pleased with.

 

If you would like to commission a work of art for your space, then just go to my website and take a look at the various styles and individual works I've created past and present. I'm always happy to work with you to create something special for your particular needs which is unique to you.

simonsgallery.com

art direct from the artist

Spring has Sprung

The first warm days of spring bring out the blossom in the trees, a special time of year marking the end of darker winter days. I've been continuing to explore the theme of spring through April & May and my studio as a result has been full of blossom, really quite cheery. From the stark brown and black of winter in the hedgerows an explosion of white occurs early in the season and looks wonderful set against a deep blue sky. A few weeks later the leaves begin to appear and a flush of green is introduced to the palette.

I've also been experimenting with different background colours and it would seem that this style works with most tones. Here the blossom is set against brown and red and both work equally well.

Painted in abstract style, built up in numerous layers, these pieces of art will bring some spring colour and light into your living space with real style and will remind you of how wonderful this season is, even if the weather can be a little challenging at times. Feel free to give me a call or send me an email if you would like to specify a size or colour combination for your own commissioned blossom and bring a real wow factor to your interior design.

simonsgallery.com

art direct from the artist

London Old & New

 

I just love painting the London Cityscape, the mixing the new buildings with the old must be a tricky business for the architects and planners. Their efforts make for an interesting mix in my paintings. My latest work shows the Millennium Bridge, yes the wobbly one!, with St Paul's in the background and is a great example of how modern architecture can quickly mix comfortably with the older buildings in this ever changing landscape.

Painted in a photorealistic popart style I used a limited tonal pallet to create a striking piece of art bringing the urban cityscape to your living space and a little piece of iconic London for those that love this great city.

simonsgallery.com - art direct from the artist

the real definition of affordable art

There are any number of so called affordable art fairs around which claim that £40-4000 is affordable art. In my experience £4000 can hardly claim to be affordable and if that were the case 99% of the works in my site simonsgallery.com fall into this category. I realise that you shouldn't measure the value of art through it's price but I do think it's a little deceptive to call art priced in the 1000's affordable.

In case you don't have £4000 lying around for your "unaffordable art", the affordable art section on my website has over 200 works priced between £25-150. Just to let you into a secret, when you buy a piece of art from a gallery, nearly 50% of the price is made up with gallery commissions this is why I'm able to sell my work through my website at such reasonable prices, no gallery commissions, just art direct from the artist.

simonsgallery.com

Spring Blossom

The first warm days of spring have brought the blossom out here at simonsgallery.com Mixing the splash art style in a more controlled manner with the floral theme these blossom paintings just seem to work.

The inspiration came while cycling through the Great Park in Windsor one morning as the first flush of spring blossom lit up the hedgerows. I wasn't sure I'd be able reproduce the essence of what I saw, but I'm very pleased with the way these work, a great blend of style and theme and very satisfying for an artist.

I'm looking forward to experimenting with different colours and these paintings just seem to work perfectly reflecting the colours of the season against clear blue skies. They certainly are a great focal point for any modern interior design.

simonsgallery.com - art direct from the artist

Unique Art for you

Creating unique art from your images.

Commissioned for a client in Hong Kong who sent me an image from their vacation in Vancouver Canada, ( right) As I began to construct this piece I realised how challenging it would be. Getting the tones correct and working in such detail especially reaching into the middle of a large painting wasn't easy but the result was certainly worth it. I think I captured it well and as a result created a very powerful piece with a huge wow factor.

I'm always happy to create art to suit your needs, if you have an idea or some images you want me to work from, I'll help you to personalise your art and create something special and unique for you.

simonsgallery.com

art direct from the artist

Getting Framed

By way of adding further value to my art I've begun to add some simple frames to my paintings. I have always finished off my pieces around the sides ensuring that all of my work is ready to hang, and this is an additional enhancement to that process.

I often look at other artists work and find myself disappointed with the lack of finishing that goes on. Often their work is not finished around the sides, is unvarnished and just has a look of carelessness. It's almost as if they are trying to do the least amount of work for the most amount of money!

I have always felt that if someone is going to spend their hard earned money on my art, the least I can do is make sure it is ready to hang straight from the box. I spend a lot of time making sure my work is finished to the highest standards and framing some of my paintngs is just a way of furthering this process without adding any additional cost to my clients.

 

simonsgallery.com

real art direct from the artist

London Frieze - an artists perspective

The moment you buy you're ticket you know what this fair is all about... £34.40 which includes a booking fee and a transaction fee, yes it's all about money. 70,000 visitors around £2.4 million in entrance fees and that's not counting exhibitor fees and sponsorship. It's about being seen and being able to show that you can afford to be seen. If you're still unsure a £30 catalogue and more security than Heathrow leaves you in no doubt.

Then you realise there is a lane for VIP's and it's very apparent you're not in it as very pretty people dressed in black point you in the opposite direction to those that are obviously better than you, oops sorry I mean richer. You are a plebian and can't afford to be on that side of the rope, and presumably it's for the coffee tables of our betters the £30 catalogue is destined.


Then there is the art. There were some thoughtful , well crafted, sometimes amusing great pieces on show and it was worth a visit to enjoy these. Unfortunately they were somewhat overwhelmed by the 80% of badly created, not finished, little thought out works that dominate. A chain hung from a ceiling with sunglasses stuck to it, a bannister jutting out of the wall, and some tights filled with sand hanging out of a bowl are the kind of works that leave me cold, and as for the four people with their heads poking through a black cotton sheet with four holes cut in it, well it's plainly not my kind of art.

Okay I get it the controversial aspect is supposed to make you think. So I've thought.... so what. When you actually get close to the vast majority of badly produced paintings, chairs with a post-it note on, piles of brica-brac, rocks, old crates and other bits of evereyday rubbish masquerading as art you realise that the formula is really very simple, for most of the artists at least. Expend the absolute minimum amount of effort to achieve the highest price.

This article is for all us hard working artists who produce good pieces of art at reasonable prices that we labour over so as to make the damn thing look perfect for our clients. It's for those artists who clearly have a huge amount of skill and create beautiful objects and paintings, art, which is often hidden by the obvious tat that surrounds it.

It's not rocket science in any other industry badly produced trash would not survive, but because it's labelled art the art establishment get away with it.

So if you are an Oligarch or have just received your financial bonus and can afford some of this dross, wouldn't you be better off demonstrating you had real taste and buy some art from real artists who can demonstrate that the sole purpose of their passion isn't just to rip you off.

simonsgallery.com

real art direct from the artist

The Importance of Remembrance

REMEMBRANCE - Zachor

A client asked me if I would create a painting which would encompass the act of remembrance, for an annonymous donation to the Jewish Military Museum which is moving to Camden, London. In July 2013 I presented my finished painting to Lord Sterling, in front of an audience of AJEX members - The Association of Jewish Ex Servicemen.

This is for all of those who have fallen, and for those left behind.

Follow the link below to read a full and detailed description as to why I created this work and it's significance to the act of remembrance.

simonsgallery.com - "remembrance"