Looking forward to being part of this next week…….

MISSING NARRATIVE The Free Painters and Sculptors 2014 Members Exhibition  Private View 3rd June 6-9pm Exhibition dates  - 2nd - 14th June   The Menier Gallery | 51 Southwark Street | London SE1 1RU  | United Kingdom www.meniergallery.co.uk   WHAT YOU SEE IS WHAT YOU SEE...   Missing Narrative is the annual members exhibition by the Free Painters and Sculptors (FPS) and will be held at the Menier Gallery – London Bridge. This exhibition intends to investigate how visual arts often communicate something that is beyond vocabulary. ‘The painting is not a surface, but on a plane which is imagined. It moves the mind. It is not there physically at all. It is an illusion, a piece of magic, so what you see is what you see.’  Philip Guston – Abstract Expressionist – 1913 - 1980    EXHIBITING ARTISTS Alberta Bamonte | Alex McIntyre | Alexandra Harley | Annabel Cullen | Anna Cocciadiferro | Anette Sykes Bruni Schling | Bettina Reiber | Camilla Bliss | Caroline Cary | Dijana Bekvalac | Gabriel Parfitt James Reynolds | Joanna Ciechanowska | Jody Little | John Parfitt | Malcolm Franklin | Mary Jane Jones Marco Alessi | Mel Cole | Owen Legg Pasquale Cesare | Pete Murry | Pete Roseman | PIKY | Sally Buchanan Zoe Landau-Konson FEATURING GUEST ARTIST Miranda Donovan DEDICATED TO ROY RASMUSSEN 1919-2014 ABOUT THE FREE PAINTERS AND SCULPTORS FPS is an artist lead organisation that supports and promotes artists to develop their work on their own terms. The group builds long-term relationships with artists and promotes the dialogue and exchange of ideas within the visual arts through annual exhibitions and events. Established in 1952, FPS was originally associated with the ICA (Institute of Contemporary Arts). Founding members featured many high profile and influential artists, including Roy Rasmussen, Lyall Watson and Maurice Jadot. FPS played a significant part in the establishment of abstract art in the 1950's and 60's and was the first of a number of post war movements that freed artists from the orthodoxy of rigid and purely technical judgements.  This ethos continues today and we welcome applications from talented artists at all stages of their career. LINKS   FLICKR | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | LINKEDIN | BLOG CONTACTS Lead Curator and Exhibitions Manager: Gabriel Parfitt | info@freepaintersandsculptors.co.uk | 07786865356 Graphics: Mike Garland | me@mikegarland.com General: info@freepaintersandsculptors.co.uk | www.freepaintersandsculptors.co.uk

Coot

I have spent the day in the studio hurrah, hugely enjoyable and great stuff but spookily felt that I was being watched. I discovered the buddleia bush outside my studio door had a coot in residence, beautiful plumage. The Honourable Coot was quite comfy for the day, perched on a low branch and entirely unperturbed by the builders next door who were making quite a racket filling a skip. I was under scrutiny all day, I hope I met expectations 

Nail biting and a happy dog

I am delighted that The Royal Academy has shortlisted both sculptures for this year's Summer Exhibition, hurrah! Getting them there was not 'Hurrah' as it was last week when there was a tube strike so the roads were chokka. It took forever to drive the short stretch across London made somewhat better by being buoyed up by several hours of radio 4. We made it eventually and Polly the apprentice spaniel jumped out straight away, she really need to stretch her legs apart from the fact she is incredibly nosey.  The lovely team of young men helping unload sculptures promptly downed tools to roll around with her, she had the biggest fuss which she see as her due entitlement. One man tried to be officious saying that Polly would have to be 'confiscated'. After that he was really friendly playing with her so I think she would have been quite happy to go with him. There will be no need to post if I am selected, you will hear the cheers! Meanwhile, I have no nails while I await the outcome

Bamboo sculpture

Bamboo sculpture, the first, Japan was so brilliant I plan to return. Sorry for the delay in posting these and for the less than ideal photos, I shall be getting some decent ones soon and this was the best I could do when I was there.

Lacquer

I didn't think I liked lacquer but a trip to the amazing workshop of Yuji and Yoshio Okada just around the corner from the house has changed my mind. Father and son are both international prize winners with work in major museums

The studio, on the right are old lacquer boxes waiting for repair, the bowls contain water with charcoal blocks for making stuff shiny

He can carve too, all one block of wood!

Last night at the gallery there was a Jizocarving class for students to 'carve the figure of the Truth'. It was a very calm class with the men dressed traditionally, no mallets or clamps all by hand with a lovely tutor who sharpened the knives for his students. I hope my students back in London don't expect the same ! The wood -ki-is cyprus-ho nok ki.  This is a demonstration model by the tutor.

Kyoto temples, the inside story

I am here with Raquel in Kyoto and she has the extraordinary knack of finding things out. There was an amazing ceremony in our local temple tonight and we were invited. It was stunningly beautiful, both the ceremony, gentle drumming and chanting as well as the building and it was a work out standing up and kneeling down a lot. No one minded that I seemed to get out of sync and that I wasn't  entirely certain what was going on - so not really the inside story as mentioned in the blog title, but it was absolutely brilliant none the less. I have never met such lovely people, so smiley and the monks all asked if I was on Facebook.