Drawing Ben




I had a great time drawing Ben at Doctor Sketchy's a few evenings ago. I felt a bit rusty as I haven't drawn from the figure for quite while but it didn't take long for me to warm up - such a great model!





Mill Valley Artwalk - Show Extended

New work at F.H.Allen offices in Mill Valley.

My new pieces - mostly works on paper - have been hanging in a show in Mill Valley for the past month. This show has now been extended until the end of March so once again I will be taking part in the monthly Mill Valley Artwalk:

Tuesday March 6th.
6.00 - 8.00
Frank Howard Allen
25 East Blithedale Avenue, Mill Valley, CA 94941.

There are several locations showing art in downtown Mill Valley, including Seager Gray Gallery and Robert Green Fine Art. There are also plenty of eating and drinking venues. I'll be sitting with my work and a couple of bottles of wine so please come and see me if you decide to visit.

The first painting completed in my new studio:



Pier Posts with Oil Drums. 60" x 48".
Inspired by the piers around San Francisco's Embarcadero


I started this painting in my old studio, and have just finished it in my new studio. I'm really enjoying looking at the old posts which support the piers around San Francisco.
This painting will be one of eight works I will sent to new York in April for a two-person show at the gallery in Chelsea which represents my work. I've finished three large pieces and have begun work on another two. I have a lot of work to do in the next two months! 

The show opens May 3rd 2012 - I'll post announcements before the event.

A New Studio!

Old studio - cleared and cleaned.

Today was my last day in the studio I’ve had for four and a half years. I received notice to vacate in early December as plans for building works within the space were finalized. A new ventilation shaft through the building will take up a sizeable portion of the studio and will make the daylight painting area too small to accommodate my work.

I have been very lucky to find an equivalent amount of space in a shared studio in the same building. Because it is on the lower floor and is South-facing, there are no leaks and it is much warmer. I have a different but equally “urban” view from the windows. And it is a shorter walk to the Coffee Bar!

But I still feel a little sad.

I got my studio in 2007 - a difficult time in my life. The space, and the artistic community in the building, represented a long-held dream. The expectations it created were also part of the dream. The financial commitment offered me a stark choice - I could sink or swim. And I learned to swim! My work has developed enormously over the last four years - having a large space has enabled me to experiment with scale and process. And I have supported myself totally through the sale of my paintings. The studio enabled me to discover my full potential. This is why I’m feeling a little sad about having to leave.

New studio. (No plastic on the ceiling!)

BUT…. the space I have moved into will be a new beginning. I no longer have to panic about floods when there is a storm, and I can work in a comfortable temperature. Clients will no longer see plastic bags and pipes catching water coming through the ceiling. I have big White walls just crying out to be splattered with paint. I’m confident that I’m going to have some painterly fun and that my work will continue to develop. So here’s to the future!