The Society of Graphic Fine Art at Mandell’s Gallery, Norwich
Date: 2nd- 30th October 2021 Open Mon-Sat 10am - 5pm
Location: Mandell’s Gallery, Elm Hill, Norwich, Norfolk NR3 1HN
+44 (0)1603 626892 info@mandellsgallery.co.uk www.mandellsgallery.co.uk
Contacts: Rachel Allen, Mandell’s Gallery Tel: +44 (0)1603 626892 info@mandellsgallery.co.uk
Mandell’s Gallery is pleased to host an exhibition featuring works by 29 members of
The Society of Graphic Fine Art.The Society represents the very best of contemporary drawing in the country and promotes drawing as a fundamental skill, in both traditional and contemporary work, in any medium bringing a huge variety to the show.The society has a long history and celebrated its 100 years in 2019.
‘Drawing is a way of seeing.When we draw something we really see it, and that is its great value. When we draw something we reveal its truth to all who look at our drawing.There is no substitute for this. Using a camera is a different process, valuable maybe, but different.’
Prof. Ken Howard OBE RA Hon SGFA (Taken from his forward in the SGFA Centenary Book ‘One Hundred Years- Society of Graphic Fine Art)
Before the First Word War there had been a strong revival in the production of fine art prints, however, there was no society for black and white drawings and prints of other methods. In 1918 Frank Emanuel, artist and tutor held meetings in a pub in Holborn and with student Edward Blaikley and others they decided to form the Graphic Society in 1919staging their first exhibition in 1921.There are now more than 130 elected members - professional artists from Britain and abroad who work in all drawing and printmaking media, many of whom regularly exhibit at the Royal Academy, Mall and Bankside Galleries in the UK as well as in museums and galleries worldwide.
Always moving forward with new imagery and techniques, their work is much sought after and has won many awards both nationally and internationally.Taking part in residencies, community arts projects, giving lectures and tuition, illustrating books, theatre design, painting murals, these artists have much to contribute, their imagery always rooted in drawing.
‘I feel very proud to be the Society’s President a Society which has such strength and depth of artists working in so many mediums and styles, yet all having at their heart drawing.’
Les Williams President of SGFA
Mandell’s Gallery is located in the historic part of Norwich on Elm Hill and has been operating as a Gallery for over 50 years. Originally specialising in The Norwich School of Painters the gallery now shows an eclectic mix of Traditional and Contemporary Fine Art.
TRADITIONAL & CONTEMPORARY FINE ART Elm Hill, Norwich, Norfolk NR3 1HN 01603 626892 www.mandellsgallery.co.uk info@mandellsgallery.co.uk
Les Williams President of SGFA
‘My work seems quite simple in comparison relying very often on the ‘plein air’ approach so that I can take in the landscape around me. My special joy is the landscape where I can take my old fashioned dip pen and wash to best effect. I’m not sure you would want to follow me in using Indian ink and especially Indian ink on a windswept day in an open location. Be prepared for disasters and some happy accidents with your drawing.’
Image: Les Williams Sunset at West Mersea Watercolour
A selection of exhibiting artists
Claire Sparkes
One of the fine artists exhibiting is Claire Sparkes RI SGFA,
a multi award-winning figurative artist whose work primarily focuses on people whilst also encompassing still life, interiors,
and landscape.At times her work crosses these boundaries interrelating and layering elements, which lead to the weaving of narratives that draw upon connections through time and place, as well as between cultures, individuals, and mythologies. Her work considers juxtapositions between aspects of modern society and the communicating forces of nature which persist.Techniques of drawing and painting merge within her art, and Claire employs a range of materials as appropriate for the subject and development of her work.
Image: Claire Sparkes Trinity Watercolour & Colour Pencil 80x66cm
Gary Cook
The thought-provoking watercolours and ink montages of Gary Cook RI SGFA are deeply emersed in the environment and explore our complicated relationship with and often detrimental impact on nature.These exhibited works are the combination of naturalistic painting and narrative script that characterise his watercolours are a direct result of his background in the newspaper industry where he was associate editor and senior artist for the Sunday Times for 26 years, winning many international awards for his illustrations.
Image: Gary Cook Earthwork edge Ink, watercolour and charcoal on board 28x20cm
Lucy Clayton
You can also view the beautiful work of Lucy Clayton which shows sensitivity to line and colour. Her subject matter is inspired by her fascination with marine life and visits to the sea. Often her images are linked to food as she is interested in how these senses can transport you back to a moment in time. One watercolour in the exhi- bition features a beautifully observed wasp as it feasts in a punnet of delicious strawberries.
Image: Lucy Clayton Punnet of Strawberries Ink and Watercolour 52x69cm
Jackie Devereux
Unashamedly obsessed with colour and empty spaces, Jackie Devereux PPSGFA composes her work directly from nature and a collection
of sketchbooks gathered during her career travelling the world as an artist. She works with luscious transparent watercolour, mixtures of ink and watercolour, working intuitively and spontaneously across the paper, sometimes layering, tearing, and creating wonderful 3D elements in the final image. Her fascination for paper manipulation knows no bounds, revealing a thoroughly contemporary style, which is exhibited, sought, and collected internationally.
Image: Jackie Devereux PPSGFA HonSGFA Ripped Off 3D Ink+Watercolour 50cm x 50cm x 4cm
Rika Newcombe
Originally from Tokyo Rika Newcombe MA(RCA) SGFA studied chemistry at university before moving to Cambridge and then studied printmaking at the Royal College of Art winning the Linklaters Printmaking Award, the first of many. During the first lockdown in 2020, she started drawing new leaves of jasmine, inspired by her view from her garden studio.‘I always try a lot of small sketches first and then place them in a grid structure which gives them a sense of order and also help understanding what they are’.
Image: Rika Newcombe Yellow Façade no.2 Ink on paper 28x41cm
Austin Cole
Artist printmaker specialises in the urban landscapes of cities such as London, New York and Tokyo as well as the landscapes of his native Pembrokeshire. Cole transforms his drawing and photographs into etchings using hard grounds and aquatint used by such artists as Rembrandt and Goya, Lucian Freud and Norman Ackroyd.
Image:Austin Cole SGFA Nics NY version 2 etching with aquatint 21x21cm
Barbara Sykes
Barbara Sykes MA SGFA creates artwork in her Yorkshire studio, drawing being its essence, she manipulates charcoal and graphite alongside acrylic paint creating nuanced, intriguing pieces. She has won many prestigious awards, the most recent being the Hugh Casson Award at the Royal Academy Summer Show 2104 and for Drawing and the Adrien Henri Memorial Award in the National Acrylic Painters Annual Exhibition 2015.
Image: Barbara Sykes The Big Hat Charcoal and acrylic 18x18 cm
Felicity Flutter
Felicity Flutter SGFA works from a small initial sketch and photographs often taken on the beach during a gale; back in
her studio, she composes her subject in Photoshop, splicing and manipulating her images and adjusting tone, colour, light and shade. She then starts painting, building up many thin glazes of transparent paint, using both wet into wet and wet on dry, giving a sense of colour and depth, often finishing with a dry brush and opaque white wave highlights and splashes. She also combines pencil drawing with her watercolours to create extra random marks.
Felicity has always been fascinated by the challenge of painting water, most recently finding great excitement observing wild weather and watching how the waves behave, with each storm highlighting different colours and shapes, creating endless possibilities for her artworks.
Image: Felicity Flutter Rock Fall Watercolour and Graphite Pencil 9 x 31cm
Maz Jackson
Norfolk native and a Mandell’s gallery artist, Maz Jackson has been an elected member of the SGFA since 1989 where she has won awards for her drawings and prints. She first exhibited at the Royal Academy as a student when at the Norwich School of Art and has been exhibiting nationally and internationally ever since, winning more awards abroad for her egg tempera paintings. She also regularly exhibits her miniatures at the Mall Galleries with the Royal Soci- ety of Miniaturists and at the Biennial International d’art Miniature at the Louis Carrier Exhibition Centre, Quebec.
Image: Maz Jackson Horse-Man wishing to kiss the moon Gum tempera on ges- soed panel 5.5cms x 5.5cm
Elena Degenhardt, PSA,ASGFA, IAPS-MC writes
‘Although created just a few months ago, the story of ‘Pandemic
dreams’ goes back to 2017, when my family and I moved to the island of Malta. Back then, I could hardly swim, held back by the fear of deep waters, most probably due to a childhood accident when I almost drowned. I began painting large wave closeups, bold, horrifying and mesmerising. Feeling literally sick to my stomach
at first, I noticed my fear slowly dissipate with every stroke and every wave I painted until one day I could swim in the open seas again, knowing the water under my feet was seven meters deep! Moreover, the sea became my shelter, my place of solace. Immersed in the sea waters, I now felt most deeply connected to my inner
self and the universe, relieved from physical pain and anxieties. Separation from the sea during this pandemic was therefore very hard for me. During the second, long winter lockdown, I was having repeated, extremely real night dreams of the Mediterranean.They became so unbearable in the end that I started painting them! Now, I am very excited to be showing two of my ‘Dreams’ at the beautiful Mandell’s Gallery alongside other SGFA artists! ‘Pandemic dreams. Anticipation’ has recently won an Honourable Mention Award in an international online juried pastel exhibition in the USA!’
Image: Elena Degenhardt Pandemic dreams. Anticipation Pastel on Ampersand pastelbord 25x20cm