Saatchi Disclaimer

I received a phone call tonight from someone (C?) claiming to be from the Saatchi gallery with the claim that I was being outed as a particularly nasty character in the chatroom (Gouki?). I havent been on the Saatchi website for a considerable amount of time (12 to 18months) and my address etc has been posted in the chatroom. I am particularly annoyed as my reputation as an artist is clearly being undermined by a user called Z (I can supply the full name).

I cant get into the chatroom to verify this and I also tried to delete myself from the Saatchi website (with no luck) as i do not want to have any association with any part of this nonsense.

If anyone can help I would really appreciate it.
cheers

Queens Gallery show update

I thought I would post some images of the exhibition for those who cant make the show for one reason or another. There are 36 pieces of which a sixth have sold so far. Not panicking yet, as there are number of people still to visit and a few mulling over a sale, so hopefully the bottom line will alter with time.

Over all I am fairly pleased with the way the pieces interact, and the general idea behind the show works quite well. There are plenty of opportunities to see the connections between quite a number of pieces. Whether these are all obvious on the first glance I'm not sure, but they are there so look closer. The drawings and sketches are there to support the work, but a number of people think they stand up on their own right. I just wouldn't feel completely comfortable about putting them on the wall as items in their own right but if buyers do, then fine.

I hope you can manage down to see the exhibition, as I think the work stand closer scrutiny. I shall let you be the judge.

Hanging of Queens Gallery show

Example of the new framing.


Preparing the room.

Well its 2 days to go till my Queens Gallery show opens. Worried? Well perhaps more than normal. Not because the work lacks something. On the contrary, I am more than pleased with how the show is looking (although only at the initial hanging phase), and very pleased with the new framing. A very well done to Hugh Goring again.

Its just this economical climate that has put the chills up me! The work is very reasonably priced and I have made sure there is a huge range in sizes this time with the emphasis on slightly smaller and therefore more affordable. In this day and age its terrible that a compromise has to occur between work that will be comfortable to the viewer and therefore more saleable, and work that is more difficult to live with. Obviously the quality on show has to be up to standard, but the mere fact that an image may not appeal, actually enters into my thinking cant be a good thing. I most definitely try not to let it influence me, but it does nag away at the back of your head eating away at your decision making. All, is self doubt and natural.

If you can make it on saturday I will be more than pleased to see you. The work looks fine on the internet but getting up close and really scrutinising it is much more satisfying.

Wish me luck!

Insights

Angus McEwan RSW ARWS
Insights

Private view- Saturday 26th September 11am -2pm
The exhibition continues until Saturday 17th October

The Queens Gallery,
160 Nethergate, Dundee DD1 4DU
Tel:01382 220600
Email: info@queensgallery.co.uk

Work is for sale on receipt of this invitation and can be viewed on and purchased from the website
http://www.queensgallery.co.uk/


Artist statement

When putting together an exhibition for the purposes of selling in a gallery, there are a few self imposed “rules” which I normally adhere to. Call it convention, if you will. Keeping apart a number of works which appear similar, because they have been developed around a subject or theme is one. Not showing preparatory sketches, drawings, collages, false dawns, blind alleys etc, would be another.

You, the viewer, are being offered the rare opportunity see where ideas take off and change direction as new possibilities reveal themselves to me. Working in this manner, ideas flow continuously and there is never enough time to explore every facet. Some good ideas are never pursued and some are when they shouldn’t be, but that’s what keeps things interesting. That is also why the drawing, sketch, Maquette, is an essential part of the working process of an artist.

By omitting certain pieces from an exhibition, the idea or thread contained within a body of work can sometimes be missed or miss construed. It was my intention to allow the viewer an intended “Insight” into some of my preparatory ideas, sketches, etc as support for the main paintings. It is hoped that a little bit of the “hidden” workings will be revealed in the process.

An interesting aside to showing these support works is the fact that they can be viewed for the first time as works in their own right. There is often energy and vitality within a sketch or drawing that can be missing from the more polished variety. It is the carefree rather than careless mark that can imbue liveliness and simplicity that may be sacrificed in the making of the larger studio paintings.

If nothing else hopefully you go away with a little bit more of an “Insight” into the process involved in creating a work of Art.

Queens show looming!

" The stone speaks", watercolour,

" Vying for attention", watercolour

"Billbord altarpiece", Watercolour

Well my new show is almost ready. Do I know how it will look? In a word, No! I can only hope that it hangs together. The title of the show will be- "Insights". The basic premise of the show is to have a rare opportunity to see sketches, drawings, and collages alongside the finished item.

Some have more working drawings than others, some have none. Some are drawings in their own right and some are finished works without support material. I am hoping for around 35 pieces and rage from tiny to quite large for a watercolour (3' x 4').

As you can see the three paintings above all relate to each other. The first is my original idea for the billboard Maddona theme. The second explore the billboard as a collage of ripped poster then painted with watercolour. The last piece amalgamates the two elements together to create the large painting. Hopefully when hung together the theme of the show will work. Will it look ok? mmmm! your guess is as good as mines, ie I have no idea. I can only live in hope, again!!!

Who doesnt work from figures?

Strike a pose, graphite on paper

Art to wear, colour pencil on paper

Dutch shawl, neocolour on paper

Most of you who know my work, know that I tend not to include figures that often. Primarily because it doesn't always fit in with the subject matter I'm dealing with. It doesn't however mean I don't like to work with the figure but it tends to be a separate thing altogether. Recently we had a day at college where the lecturers worked with the figure without students. It was an excellent and productive day and allowed us to gain a little insight into the pitfalls of being a student. After all it has been a long time for most of us.

Here are a few pieces from that day. The first piece took 10 minutes, working with two models using line. The second and third pieces were 30 minutes in length and allowed me an opportunity to develop the images a little further. The second piece was produced with coloured pencil and the third made use of watercolour crayons (neocolour) which I am really enjoying at the moment. Anywhoo, I teach life drawing a lot, so this keeps me on my toes!

Eh! I'm still alive!

OK, Its been a while. I have been working quite hard actually, and just finished teaching on Tuesday for a while at least. Well the most significant piece of news, I believe, is my nomination to the Royal watercolour Society, London. So I am at the moment now an ARWS as well as an RSW (confused?). This will now involve me in being a lot more active in showing down in the Bankside Gallery, London.

I also met Prince Charles in Holyrood earlier this month in conjunction with the RSW. I managed to chat to him for a while about watercolour which was very insightful.

At the moment I am busy working towards my next show which will be in the Queens Gallery, Dundee on the 26th September 2009. The show will be entitled "Insights" and will include drawings, collages, sketches and finished pieces. I wanted to show some of my support work which normally never sees the light of day. Anywhoo, I will be back..........honest!