A gallery rehang and much new work!

New additions

As always, it’s been a busy time at Castlegate House, and beyond, driving up and down the UK either seeking out new acquisitions or delivering paintings off to new homes. It got me wondering how many miles we’ve driven in our fourteen years, and working it out, it’s in excess of 400,000; ouch.

All our latest work may be seen HERE (or click on the image). We have six wonderful paintings by the very talented Craig Simpson, along with a newly acquired painting from the late Sheila Fell (RA), a fabulous Newlyn painting by the late Ernest Proctor, a small mining scene from Tom McGuinness  together with more from within our affordable Mid Century Modern Alternatives selection.

Craig Simpson

Firstly, Craig Simpson. Without doubt Craig is an artist who just gets better and better. Each painting is painstakingly created, the product of often hundreds of hours at the easel, creating a colourful yet often muted depiction of himself, friends and acquaintances.  It’s hugely accomplished contemporary British painting that merges the current with the mid twentieth century. We truly believe Craig’s work is sublime and continue to be very proud to represent him in the oddity that is the “art world”.

My favourite is The Model Boat; a slightly stronger palette than usual, the composition is wonderful, with Craig’s trademark mix of perspectives, with the wonderful angle-poise lamp cutting across the composition.

Fabulously poignant

Picking another, I find On One’s Own a very strong and poignant painting. Tonally it’s superb, as it is composition-wise, with the eye’s looking curtain-left, the train and model signal box and the intriguing photo of a young lady affixed to the wall; wonderful.  

Sheila Fell acquisition from 1974

Next, Potato Fields towards Evening by Sheila Fell (RA). This was a painting created in 1973/74 and first exhibited (and sold) at the Royal Academy of Arts Summer Exhibition of 1974. Widely exhibited since, especially in recent years including at the wonderful Tullie, Carlisle retrospective of Sheila’s work, it has the most wonderful “Fell sky”; magnificent.

Newlyn School

We’ve also very recently acquired a quite wonderful painting of The Inner Harbour, Newlyn, circa 1925 by the late Ernest Proctor. We love this era of British painting, the whole Newlyn School feel, shared with the likes of Stanhope Forbes, Harold and Laura Knight, amongst others. Intriguingly with a Ministry of Works label to the back, so research pending on where it was stored and shown during the war.

Tom McGuinness

Another new acquisition is this small watercolour by the late Tom McGuinness. We've dealt for many years in the works of Tom McGuinness whilst simultaneously representing the estate of his peer, Norman Cornish, both from Spennymoor Co. Durham and of similar working backgrounds, but being very different in style from each other. At the Seam dates to 1977 and conveys the claustrophobia of the pit.

Finally, some Mid Century abstract

Finally, our art-travels often lead us to being unable to walk away from a Mid Century painting, and that happened this week with this example, from 1965. Symfoni by artist Henny encapsulates the mid 60s abstract era to the full and sits with many other pieces within our affordable Mid Century Modern Alternatives selection. In truth we don’t really make a great deal of money from these works, but it gives me another reason to fuel the hunt !

All for now, Steve and Christine