Over the past few months...

I seem to have been neglecting my blog somewhat, and I apologize, especially as I do enjoy doing it, but you know what it's like after you leave something long enough initially... you forget how to use it I'm embarrassed to say, but all is well once I'm in the swing of things.

Well what have we missed mentioning...

In October we held an exhibition of work for local established and popular artists, Sylvia Hughes Williams and her two step daughters, Becky and Rachel William. It went really well, and I enjoyed working with all of them, especially Sylvia, who I have come to consider a good friend, not only to the gallery but to myself. She is an angel (or possibly a little woodland fairy!)

Art classes ran up to the week before christmas and all in good spirits. I am very fond of my students and proud beyond belief at how they have come on in leaps and bounds, even if the skill was there I'm pleased to see that their confidence has increased no end.

Christmas was another mind blowing time for me as a new business owner, I boast no powers of prediction of what will be popular from one moment to the next, but this christmas paintings have been flying out of the gallery! so much so that a bout of the dreaded lergy over the festive season was actually time used to produce new work to fill the gaps the sale-arama left at the gallery until the artists could supply me with new work!, Believe me I had some fun with this and came up with some quirky pieces, it may have been my high temp and delirium, but i like them, ha ha.

January has come and with it new hours of opening, we are now closed sunday and monday and are open 9 am-5 pm the rest of the week, so far this has proved the correct choice, as visitors are many times more than double on a tuesday than they were Sundays's. That's a change for the better.

Subsequently all these changes are to be updated on the gallery website, hopefully this is being done as we speak, fingers crossed, My website designer, and old college fiend is Ben Powis, a very talented young man, who also fills his time with writing illustrating and drawing his unique range of underground books, do check it out if you get the chance, I will follow this blog up with info on his website details.

There's more to come, but it's quite late, maybe tomorrow.

Horses update!

Update on my horse studies, or 'Equine Studies', as I titled them. There's only one left now, so I'll have to get cracking on some more! The one left is my favorite actually ( though strangely) so maybe I'll keep it for myself. Im planning to do some more, as well as some more 3D pieces along the theme of home and correspondence. Watch this space!

Time for mine...

In the quieter moments at the gallery, I've been blessed with a certain amount of my own quality time to do my own work and a certain amount of creative inspiration! I've done a number of different pieces, these two stallions are just a few examples of some sketch ideas I have been doing, all ideas to work up to a final finished piece.

As ever I've been making a few new experimental jewelry pieces as well as greetings cards and some model making also, no quiet moment is left without taking full advantage of its potential to become a time to be creative! 

As probably all artists have, my head is full of ideas, and all I need is the time, opportunity and resources to make them a reality.

I'm currently exploring the route of photography also, using themes important to me from my childhood, specifically church, not that I my self can say that I am particularly religious, but my mother is an active part of the life of St. Anne's church Tal Y Garn, and the memories I have from growing up with this as a constant in my life have a poetry I      

thought it time to explore, so as in my previous post... Wish me luck! 

Any one interested in the Horses, they are currently on display at the gallery with my other work, and finer finished pieces are in the process of coming into existence, please feel free to enquire with me personally about anything at all.

It's been a while!

Hey all!

It's been waaay too long, which can hopefully only mean one thing... the gallery is becoming a roaring success! and no truer words were spoken.

Slowly but surely we are getting there on the map. Our final signs have all gone up and were well worth it, more people are finding us now, even I'm excited to say, tourists from out of the area, as far a field as Essex and Northumberland! With no family in the area, they have just discovered us themselves under their own steam, so the signs are definitely working and there is now no excuses for anyone who just doesn't know where we are!

A few changes have been made to the gallery now. Many new paintings and artists have joined us, and we have sold an impressive number of those that have been with us from the start. We have a new range of treen turned wood as well as patriotic based items such as wood carved and stone wear welsh dragons and love spoons.

We are also getting into the swing for christmas early as retail is where christmas happens first i hear. So more stock is always coming in, from stocking filler goodies, to blow out once in a lifetime gifts. We'll have it all.

August has been a phenomenal month and we look forward to the last run of the year but keep our fingers crossed for good weather as it only dampens spirits as well as everything else when its constantly raining!

Classes have been a huge success over the summer with a number of workshops and art club for kids. The resident Thursday group are going from strength to strength, trying new things and settling in to the areas they are good at. We have a new saturday art group now and I have the same aspirations for these determined individuals also, wish us luck!

Images of Earth and Spirit - Exhibition by Peter Birch

Images of Earth And Spirit
A series of pictures by Peter Birch

An exhibition at the Beth Giles Gallery in Pontyclun from
20th January 2008 for 2 weeks.
Private View 19th January 7.00 - 9.00pm

Visit www.gilesgallery.co.uk for directions

These original paintings explore the hidden energy of the natural world.
They look behind the scenes; they split things open; they focus in on the detail. They portray randomness and selection, excitement and energy, chaos and order. Things that are familiar become abstract. Images and impressions are combined with a mixture of colours, textures, shapes and symbols.
Sometimes it’s in the detail that the whole is seen more clearly and more deeply.
These unique pictures represent a different way of looking at things.

Please come along to the Private View, it would be a pleasure to see you there.

Well... HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Hope everyone isn't too depressed by the fast passing of the festive season?! As always, it went by way too fast. Well, the new year has brought with it many new challenges and frequent changes of plans... and it's only the 13th Jan!
Due to an terrible personal family problem, I have unexpectedly had to postpone all workshops at the gallery, my apologies to all my would be students for the last minute cancellations.
This situation, however, hasn't affected my ability to run the art program for the E3 project at Y Pant Comprehensive School. My first class went well, last Tuesday afternoon. A small show, but apparently to be expected in the first week back at school. It was allot of fun... and i have made a discovery that I do in fact like kids!
They are a laugh, and its hilarious to hear what's popular to kids these days (some song about a minger by Shaggy?!) and kids ideas in general... eye opening i tell you!
I met one of the other tutors, Jenny from Caerphilly, she's teaching fashion, we had a chat in our tea break, then when her first class started, she came running up to my room saying only 2 girls had shown up... and what she should do?! I said to wait a bit, but ultimately.. on with the show!
Well, first week back and a roller coaster of a couple of days... our very first day was busy! I never expected that, I assumed to expect no custom during January, what has to be the longer month of the year!!! But I have been pleasantly surprised. Framing is up and running again after our seasonal break. and going strong.
I have also joined the Federation of Small Businesses! If you do run your own business, I cannot emphasize how much this institution can and will benefit you if and when you join! They are a god send and receive nothing but praise from all and any who encounter them! I encourage you to look into it asap!
And we are now branching out into more specialized crafts materials here at the gallery, including cards making supplies and jewelery making supplies, as well as a healthy range of other alternatives.
I am even thinking of expanding the upper floor of the gallery, and extending the exhibition area, but we shall see... Watch this space!
Any way, lots planned for the new year.
And Im looking forward to all of it!

Merry Christmas!

The picture says it all... so I dont need to ;)

Merry Christmas