Artist talk tomorrow!

"Order & Chaos" : Copyright © 2012 by Martin Herbert

In my experience, if there's one thing artists (at least representational artists who do stuff that's a bit 'wierd') get asked more than any other it's "Where do you get your ideas from?"

"Functional Pumping Heart Model (Self Portrait 2011)" (Detail) : Copyright © 2011 by Martin Herbert

Well, now we have the means to answer this most important of questions - the Artists Talk!

"Pan in Ireland" : Copyright © 2012 by Martin Herbert

Accordingly, I will be talking tomorrow about my current exhibition at the Mid Wales Arts Centre in Caersws, addressing such matters as the inspiration behind the work, the techniques used in its creation, and a little about the meaning of each piece, as well as going on to talk about the latest project and where it's all leading! Want to hear the story behind "That Tracey Emin Says My Art Looks Like a Plane Crash"? This is the place to be...!

Not only that, but you can partake of a wonderful Sunday afternoon tea featuring MWAC owner Cathy Knapp's home-made cakes - Chocolate & beetroot, anyone?

Artists Talk by Martin Herbert
The Mid Wales Arts Centre
Sunday 6th April, 3:30

Free Admission

Click here for map.

Also on show is work by Julie Jones and Daniel Roberson, a rotating collection of work by other artists and the permanent collection of sculpture by Stephan Knapp.

Private View at the Mid-Wales Arts Centre - Sunday 23rd March

Invitation time!

As I start gearing up for the next project, "New Artifices", some of the work from the 2012/13 project "Synthesis" is going to be part of a 3-artist exhibition at the Mid-Wales Arts Centre near Caersws, Powys.

The show runs from sun 23rd March to Sun 27th April, and after the gallery's winter closure, they are reopening with a private view of all 3 exhibitions on Sunday 23rd March at 3PM.

You can read all about "Synthesis" (and have a look at some work in progress) on the website at martinherbert.com. The other artists showing work:

Julie Jones responds through painting to her relationship to landscape in all its forms, from the strange urban hinterlands to weather-beaten derelicts. Her studio work aims to develop approaches to painting alluding to both a feeling specific to a moment along with references to memory of an experience over time.

Daniel Roberson paints everyday in his studio located on a sheep farm perched at the top of a hill overlooking the beautiful Dyfi Valley in Machynlleth. A lifelong painter, he returned to education as a mature student in 2006, Daniel obtained a first class degree in Fine Art from Aberystwyth University, and a Masters degree with distinction. Since completing his education, as well as exhibiting widely throughout the UK, he has been teaching life drawing and oil painting at MOMA Wales. In 2011 Daniel was shortlisted for the Welsh Artist of the Year. He would describe himself as a painter who finds inspiration equally in both the people and places that surround him and the seemingly endless possibilities of colour and mark making.

Exhibition: Mid-Wales Arts Centre from Sunday 23rd March

Heads-up: While getting new projects under way, drawings from the last project, "Synthesis" will be on show at the Mid-Wales Arts Centre at Maesmawr Hall, Caersws, Powys, SY17 5SB from 23rd March to 27th April.  Selected works will continue to be shown there afterwards as part of the group exhibition for Powys Arts Month, which continues into May.

A chance for those who didn't quite make the opening at MOMA Wales last year to come and see the project. All works will be for sale. Private view details will follow soon ...

New year, new art, new happenings

Still from "Hollow Lands" - video project in progress - 2014

So here we are with a whole new year to play with. A couple of things to report on...

Firstly I spent a lot of time at the end of 2013 preparing a grant application to the Arts Council of Wales for a new production project following on from last year's successful R&D project Synthesis, only to fail to get the funding. It looks like my plans were a little to ambitious. However, the news isn't all bad. It looks like if I revise the plans and budget and get together a little more professional support, an updated application at the end of January is apparently likely to be more successful, so I'm going to be working flat out for the next 3 weeks putting that all together. I should know the results in mid-March. Meanwhile, I have at least 3 exhibitions lined up for 2015, so I'll be spending most of this year preparing work for them, with our without funding!

As soon as the grant application is out of the way, I have to follow up on some better news - it looks like I will get a place to do a part-time MA in Fine Art at the Art School of Aberystwyth University starting this autumn, so I need to get my application form and references etc. submitted during February. Now I just need to figure out how to pay for it... hmm... maybe I feel another crowd-funding campaign coming on...

So Happy New Year, everyone - here's to 2014, and I guess I'd better get on with some art!

Last chance to see ...

At the opening on May 18th. Photo by Arvid Parry-Jones for the Cambrian News

Don't forget, "Synthesis: Works on Paper by Martin Herbert" finishes at MOMA Wales in Machynlleth this Saturday 8th June! Don't miss the last chance to see the exhibition.

In the meantime, I haven't had time to prospect for other galleries to show this work, so to save it all being propped up in the corner of the studio doing nothing, anyone have a suitable space which is crying out for a ready-made exhibition of large-scale figurative drawings all framed and ready to go?

More private view news

Just so you know - the exhibition private view on Saturday 18th May at 12 noon also marks the opening of  2 other exhibitions at MOMA Wales.

The upstairs galleries will feature the annual exhibition of the Watercolor Society of Wales, while in the cafe there will be an exhibition of photographic work by Margaret Smith, so there'll be a lot to see!

We look forward to seeing you there! For full details click here.

Martin

Here's lookin' at you, kid ....

Poster for the show at MOMA Wales ...

Check it out! I have seen the new show and It Is Good -

General view of the show at MoMA Wales

We went by MOMA at the Tabernacle Arts Centre in Machynlleth the other day to deliver a new DVD (now up and running - hooray!) and a piece I had to re-glaze after a mishap on the way last week (now taking up residence in the gallery window), and found that gallery technician Peter has done a great job of hanging. Amazingly he managed to get all 15 pieces into the space available and it's all looking very splendid.

 

The exhibition continues until June 6th, and there will be a private view on Saturday 18th May at midday.

Photos by Vivi-Mari Carpelan.

Not my pic behind the desk - that's a Kyffin Williams from the permanent collection.  What illustrious company I keep!

New art! - "A Hat that Stirred Her to the Top of Rapture"

"A Hat that Stirred Her to the Top of Rapture" : Red chalk, ink, sepia ink & dry pigment on handmade Khadi paper : 70cm x 50 cm : Copyright © 2013 by Martin Herbert

Just finished the last piece for my solo exhibition "Synthesis" at MoMA Wales, Y Tabernacl, Machynlleth, which opens on 29th April.  This is one of the ongoing series of illustrations for James Stephens 1912 book of Irish mythology-based fantasy "The Crock of Gold". There will be a private view of the exhibition at noon on Saturday May 18th - please be there, and bring friends!  Mail me for further information.

In the meantime, to receive prints of art by myself and my wife Vivi-Mari Carpelan, (here seen wearng The Hat) in our brand new radical 'change-the-art-market' publishing venture - please check out our crowd-funding project at indiegogo.com/wowlookwhatigot !  Don't forget, the funding campaign closes on Monday 15th April, so please go check it out soon and if you can, contribute a modicum towards our small yet significant total!

More exhibition news soon ...!

Bye for now !

Martin

Last minute preparations ... phew !!

The last drawing for the exhibition in Llandrindod Wells rolled off the drawing board this morning and into a frame ready for hanging ...

"Crocodiles, Hens, Beetles, Armadillos & Fish (do not evince any remarkable partiality for man)" : 90cm x 70 cm :
Ink, pencil, gouache & transfer print on Khadi handmade paper : Copyright © 2012 by Martin Herbert

Last few prints just wrapped and ready for delivery.  The curator at the Radnorshire Museum, Will Adams, has been busy hanging things for the last 2 days, and (fingers crossed), everything is ready for tomorrow night's opening ... after which I will be taking a very well deserved week off before starting up the new business! (Of which more later, etc. etc. etc..... :-)

So remember - private view of the Project Synthesis exhibition at the Radnorshire Museum, Temple Street, Llandrindod Wells, Wales, LD1 5DL at 6:30PM tomorrow, Thursday 1st November!  Fourteen new large-scale works on paper, plus some of the older work which formed the original starting point for the project, and a video installation ....  All work is for sale.

If you can't make the opening, the exhibition continues until Sat. 12th Jan.  For a map and opening hours, especially over the holiday period, please check out the Radnorshire Museum website.

More information about the project, and link to a preview of the video, here:
http://artedstates.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/project-synthesis-exhibition-starts.html

"The Heart is the Fountain of Wisdom" : 90 cm x 70 cm : Ink, pencil, gouache & transfer print on handmade Khadi paper.
Copyright © 2012 by Martin Herbert

With the assistance of the Arts Council for Wales, and all these lovely people:

Having a bit of a tidy up ... found a dragon

Hi all, just a brief update this time, to say I'm having a bit of a search around the studio for neglected things in dusty corners.  Having rummaged through the large pile of mailing tubes I've accumulated over the years, one or two surprises turned up.  There are a few prints which I'd stashed away and forgotten about, so I figured I wouldn't be losing anything if I offer them at a knock-down price...

So a few things to put up on ebay ... starting with a copy of the Welsh Grand Slam rugby print "Mine" which I think the printers gave me in a '2 for 1' offer, and which I'd completely forgotten about ...

"Mine" : Digital painting 15" x 20" : Copyright 2008-2012 by Martin Herbert

Regular price £150 ... now up on ebay at a starting price of £35, with free postage in the UK!  Please feel free to go and bid - more offers coming soon.

"Mine" (Detail) : Digital painting 15" x 20" : Copyright 2008-2012 by Martin Herbert