simonsgallery art blog

It's what you don't see that makes the difference

2012-02-17T02:47:00.001Z

Let's face it modern cameras can make most people look good, but it's often what you don't see that makes the difference.

Very often I'll wait for hours in the same spot just waiting for the light to be right or for a bus to move ionto the field of view, or out of it, or a crane to move. Here's a good example.

I waited for an hour on Waterloo Bridge for the light to change to take my first shot, 2 minutes later the light had gone and so had the shot. Whilst I was waiting several people walked past and were snapping away. They all missed their opportunity.

It makes a great deal of difference to plan the shot properly and if you're wondering how I manage to take such good images, well now you know, patience and planning and whilst you can get lucky by beng in the right place at the right time, the more often you put yourself there and the more patience you have, the luckier you get.

View from Waterloo Bridge

2 minutes later

For this shot of Battersea power station I waited 8 weeks! To get the reflection I had to wait for a high tide on the Thames and this had to coincide with a clear weather window with little or no wind to avoid ripples in the water. In addition I'd calculated at which time of year the sun would be at the correct angle in order to create the reflection and not to place the building in shadow or silhoette.


Battersea Power Station

So next time you wander past a man with a camera in London who's still there an hour later staring at the same view, waiting for the light to change.. say hello it could be me!

www.simonsgallery.com

London 2012

2012-01-28T15:45:00.000Z

Probably the best painting of London you'll have seen so far in 2012. A bold statement? Not really as there aren't a great number of original paintings of London and not many as good as this and after all we are still only in January. This is my first large cityscape of 2012 and continuing on the London theme I hope to paint more this year as I love the style and subject and with the Diamond Jubilee and Olympics 2012 is an important year for London.

Painted from one of my own photo images in a photorealistic style this stunning piece can be yours at www.simonsgallery.com I hope you enjoy it and look forward to sharing more with you as the year progresses.

5 reasons to buy Original Art Direct from the Artist

2011-12-26T14:59:00.001Z

I create art you can actually live with and works you'll pleased to hang in your home. You'll not find any unmade beds, dustbins, bricks or cows in formaldehyde here, I'm not trying to change the world, just simply decorate it.

Some good reasons to buy art direct from the artist

I live and work as a full time artist in Windsor, England. I Sell my art through my website www.simonsgallery.com which I write and maintain myself. To put it simply this is the best place to buy my art as there are no additional website or gallery commissions to pay, which can be as high as 50%, here you're getting art direct from the artist.

You Like it... well this is probably the most important and the place to start when thinking about purchasing any kind of art.

You can afford it... I cover a wide range of price points with my art from as low as £25. Buying original art online direct from the artist means there is no additional commission unlike other online or high street galleries who may charge up to 50% fee. This is art direct from the artist at artist prices.

Quality... all of my art is finished to an extremely high standard, it's my profession not my hobby, so you can be assured you're getting the best not something that's been randomly hashed together on a Kitchen table... it happens.

Personal approach... if you're looking for something individual to fit into your lifestyle and space, I'm more than happy to help you achieve this... Just get in touch.

The WOW factor... original art does what mass produced art just can't do, when a friend walks into your room and sees Simon's art... they generally go WOW! It's unlikely you'll achieve that XFactor and individuality with a mass produced print from IKEA or the High Street.

www.simonsgallery.com

More art sales in December

2011-12-15T06:34:00.000Z

Keeping the world up to date with my latest art sales here are my latest 10 sales from December. A busy time of year with lots gifts of art winging their way across the globe.

It tends to speed up a little at this time of year. This view on art sales helps me follow any trends in my work and also let's the world know that there is life in the recession! This time of year is usually busy with smaller works as its a traditional time of giving and I produce a wide range of small paintings and prints perfect for the art lover.

If you'd like to see more of my work for sale visit my website www.simonsgallery.com perhaps your art will be appearing here soon.

Latest Art Sales doing my bit for the trade balance!

2011-12-13T09:59:00.000Z

Keeping the world up to date with my latest art sales here are 10 more from December.

This helps me follow any trends in my work and also let's the world know that there is life in the recession! In these Sales 1 text painting was sent to the USA along with 2 framed works. 2 Text paintngs are on their way to India and the rest were to the UK. So all in all 50% of my work was exported, just doing my little bit for the trade balance :0)

If you'd like to see more of my work for sale visit my website www.simonsgallery.com perhaps your art will be appearing here soon.

5 Great Reasons to buy art online

2011-12-11T06:10:00.000Z

Buying original art online through simonsgallery.com is quick, convenient and enjoyable you can browse through a large amount of great art for sale in a matter of minutes.

1. More Original Art to Choose From

Unlike High Street galleries at at my website the wall space is limitless you can discover a whole host of paintings on sale from cityscapes, landscapes, abstract paintings and popart works in a variety of styles and themes across a range of price points, a collection of art that is larger than most galleries.

2. You Decide Where and When to Shop

One of the advantages about buying original art online is that you can do so at a time that suits you. What’s more, you can deliberate over a piece at your own pace. If you like it, you can buy it.

3. No commission makes art affordable for all

There are savings to be snapped up when buying original art online direct from the artist because there is no additional commission unlike from other online or high street galleries who may charge up to 50% fee. This is art direct from the artist at artist prices.

4. It's Quick

Once you have decided on a piece you like you are literally 3 or 4 clicks away from receiving it within 48 hours in the UK and 72 hours worldwide. I use first class post and courier services to deliver all my works safey and efficiently straight to your door.

5. Contact the Artist about Original Art

You can contact me directly, adding a more personable touch to the process. Feel free to ask any questions about my motivations and feelings towards the piece or if you’re still undecided, why not ask me for more photos for you to ponder over? Don't be shy I'm always happy to help and this is something you just can't do in any other gallery space.

To get you started, feel free to explore the great and varied original art for sale throughout my website www.simonsgallery.com and if you have any questions email me, I'm here to help.

2011-11-29T14:41:00.000Z

Lastest 10 Art Sales

Keeping you in touch with what style of art is selling at the moment from simonsgallery.com here are my latest 10 sales including photography, prints, and large landscape and seascape paintings

Popular themes this time are my contemporary smaller seascapes which are always in vogue as they make great gifts and add interest to those small places that need a focal point in your living space. Destinations include, the United States & the UK.

You can view a full range of my art on my website at www.simonsgallery.com and who knows your piece might be appearing here in the future should you decide to buy something.

The Great Wave of Kanagawa

2011-11-18T04:05:00.001Z

An image I've always wanted to create onto canvas is "The Great Wave of Kanangawa" by the Japanese artist Hokusai. Originally created as a woodblock print sometime between 1830 & 1833, part of his series Thirty six views of Mount Fuji, it's one of the most recognised images in Japanese art across the world. An image I've always admired and having got into it's details whilst painting it I can appreciate the brilliance of Hokusai in his original work carved into a wooden block.

Below is the finished work. Perhaps the only noticeable difference is the sky, I used a little artistic licence and decided that a warmer colour was more appropriate for my piece. In reality the the original print results did differ in colour too so I made the decision to create a warmer effect. It took me a long time to complete this work, over a three week period I spent something like 8 full days on it, but the effort was worth it. I haven't thought about a price for it yet, that's something I have to make a decision about so I am taking offers and in the meantime I'm extremely happy to have it hanging on my own wall. If you wish to make an offer just send me an email or give me a call. You'll find my contact details on my website.

An original print of this sold recently in at Bonhams for £75,650... I don't expect quite that much :0)

www.simonsgallery.com

My finished work

Working on the Painting

Hokusai's original design

Working on a canvas 52x36 inches with a small paint brush, trying to remain true to the original design, it took a long time to complete, but I have to say I'm very happy with the finished results and I hope you'll agree it was worth the effort, it does look stunning.

www.simonsgallery.com

Lastest 10 Art Sales

2011-11-13T06:13:00.001Z

Here's a further update on which art is selling at the moment just to give you some idea of paintings, prints and photography and styles are winging their way across the world from my studio. Here are 10 of my latest pieces of art which have sold recently.

Popular themes this time are my London Cityscape paintings which I need to paint more of as I'm exhausting my portfolio at the moment, and my contemporary seascapes which are always in vogue as they make great gifts and add interest to those small places that need a focal point in your living space

You can view a full range of my art on my website at www.simonsgallery.com and who knows your piece might be appearing here in the future should you decide to buy something. In the meantime thank goodness for the internet and the USA, as a large proportion of my art still goes via this route and the US market remains an important destination.

Last 10 Art Sales

2011-10-26T04:36:00.005+01:00

I thought it might be interesting to see what's selling at the moment just to give you some idea of which pieces of art and styles are winging their way across the world from my studio. So here are my last 10 sales to clients. Quite a mixture of photography, prints and original paintings.

Five of these pieces went to the USA and five to the UK. There are five prints and pieces of photography and five original paintings, a certain symmetry developing here! Seven were sold over the Internet and three via a mixture of galleries and face to face client contact.

You can view a full range of my art on my website at www.simonsgallery.com and who knows your piece might be appearing here in the future should you decide to buy something. In the meantime thank goodness for the internet and the USA, as a large proportion of my art still goes via this route and the US market remains an important destination.

Painting the Great Wave

2011-10-05T05:06:00.000+01:00

Working on a canvas 52x36 inches with a small paint brush, trying to remain true to the original design, it will take some time to complete but it should look pretty stunning when done. When finished I'll publish an image here, and of course on my website, in the meantime..... back to the wave.

www.simonsgallery.com

Optimism

2011-09-22T05:18:00.002+01:00

Two Paintings bringing a little positivity into the world

& heads up Politicians & News Media there is Light in the World.

"Happiness" & "Looking at the World in an Optimistic Light"

Two Text based paintings created as an antidote to those who would have us live in fear. There's a whole lot of negativity being spouted by politicians and the news media anyone would think the world is coming to an end. All I hear from them is doom and gloom. If they all lived with a bit more happiness and optimism instead of trying to terrify us with stories of pessimism and over dramatising normal life the world would be a much better place.

I notice that whilst they have an economic crisis to champion there's no mention of Flu epidemics, SARS, Tsunamis across the Atlantic, Global warming, nuclear bombs in a suitcase, Bird Flu, and what happened to the Ozone layer? Apparently there's an oil crisis too yet in actual fact there is enough oil to continue consumption at current rates for the next 40 years!

Doom mongers should each hang one of these paintings in their offices to remind them that normal people try to look to the future with optimism and live their life in happiness, despite their best efforts to the contrary. We've got rid of smallpox, routinely conduct heart transplants, live longer, no longer pour smoke out of our chimneys, we eat better, travel more and communicate and interact better that we've ever done and haven't had a world war for over 60 years, they used to be quite common you know.

So come on politicians and News Media a little more optimism please.

Optimism & Happiness are for Sale at www.simonsgallery.com :0)

Direct from My Easel to your Wall for £150 or less

2011-09-13T12:43:00.000+01:00

100+ original paintings for £150 or less

To prove that original art can be genuinely affordable I've created a gallery of over 100 original paintings across a variety of styles for £150 or under... and that includes delivery. This is your opportunity to add some original art to your collection direct from my easel to your wall for less than the cost of 2 tanks of fuel!

By buying online from simonsgallery.com you can view large collection of paintings, photography and prints, from the comfort of your home. With more art than you'll see in most art galleries dealing direct with the artist online gives you a varied chose of styles, colours, themes and sizes. All of my pieces of art are finished to a high standard and I take care to ensure that each painting is presented ready to hang on your wall, and that each print or piece of photography has a framing option available, all are carefully packaged for dispatch to your door anywhere in the world.

I'm always happy to discuss commissioning work to suit your individual needs and to help you create something special and unique for your home. If you have any particular requirements just send me an email to begin the process.

Thanks for looking.

real art direct from my easel to your wall

Quietude

2011-08-21T10:08:00.000+01:00

"Channel Coast"

Painting is a very solitary occupation, I spend a great deal of time alone in front of a canvas and miss out on a lot of things especially the comradery of working with colleagues in a shared environment. However, I feel that I'm very lucky to have the opportunity of attaining solitude which many have little chance to do in this noisy world. I wouldn't choose to do anything else now and my hope is that these gifts of art I produce bring a little joy, colour and perhaps some quietude to those who enjoy them.

"Horizon Sails"

Ever Changing London

2010-11-23T07:18:00.002Z

The London Skyline is changing so rapidly at the moment I'm holding fire on painting panoramic city views until later next year when new buildings such as the Shard are completed. Today apparently the Shard passed the height level of 1 Canada Square! I'm looking forward to it's impact on the skyline alongside the Helter Skelter and other proposed buildings around Blackfriars and of course to painting them in due course.

In the meantime there are plenty of classic views to be had, I'd call them protected views as it's unlikely that certain views of St Pauls and Westminster for example will ever be allowed to change.

On my to do list are more of the Gherkin, Greenwich & Canary Wharf, Tower Bridge and the pool of London, and like to continue on my theme of 100 views of St Pauls! I may never get there but it's worth having ambition. Whilst developing my London portfolio I'll also be getting started on New York and Manhattan as there are plenty of iconic buildings and views there, possibly more so than in London, and it's one of my favourite cities. Liberty and the Chrysler Building are on my to do list for early next year.

Watch this space, as they say, for more iconic views of my favourite cities. And if you're in the banking industry send some of your bonus this way and get yourself a piece of iconic cityscape art to wow your friends & colleagues before someone else snaps it up :0)

www.simonsgallery.com

From this to this

2010-10-18T06:32:00.003+01:00

Sometimes I'm asked to work from photographs supplied by clients or from my own photography to produce paintings of a favourite scene or subject. This is a great way to commission your own piece of art with a personal touch, perhaps of a favourite view which means something to you.

Here are a few examples to demonstrate how this has worked for clients. If you have your own view waiting to be turned into a piece of art let me know I'm always more than happy to create something special and personal to you.

View from Gabriel's Wharf ... Big bright bold popart styled painting of London. This is one of the best views of St Pauls and Blackfriars.

5th Avenue ... a view from the twin towers sadly no longer there, I still have happy memories of Manhattan and New York and they were captured through my lens and eventually onto this large canvas, now residing in Sydney, Australia.

Old Harry Rocks painted from one of my photographs for a client who lives on the South coast very near this view.

Alpine View ... I painted this alpine view from a photograph supplied by the client of their favourite view in the French Alps close to their chalet. They had been given some money as a wedding gift and wanted to capture some memories of a special place. It has been said that the painting is better than the original photograph, even though I say so myself I have to agree.

More of my work can be seen at my website: www.simonsgallery.com

When a Toaster just doesn't do it

2010-10-12T06:29:00.001+01:00

Some of my most popular works have been my text paintings based simply on words - on the theme of Love, sleep, happiness, some poetry or words that are inspirational and descriptive to a situation or place like a kitchen or bedroom.

These make fantastic wedding or anniversary gifts for those special occasions when a toaster just doesn't do it. In addition to having a deep meaning they are a sharp contemporary focal point for any living space. The above examples are from my stock texts with words from 1 Corinthians 13, a poem about love in a relationship and words which sum up the purity of true love.

I also create these paintings in a variety of colours. What you may not have considered is that these can be personalised to your favourite words of inspiration too. the examples below show how people have chosen their won words to suit their story, or have added a name and a date to make it a unique original gift.

It costs no extra to do this and I'm always happy create a unique piece to suit your narrative, theme or colour. So get writing and when you're scratching your head wondering what on earth to get for that special christening, anniversary or wedding gift, give them the gift of art with a little input from your own creative side. You will be the envy of all the other guests and let's face it, it will be more appreciated than a toaster!

Paintings are 20x20 inches and 24x24 inches in size and are made up of 49 and 100 letters respectively... enjoy yourself creating. For more art ideas visit my website: www.simonsgallery.com

Hanging out with Damien Hurst

2010-10-09T02:50:00.000+01:00

"Camden Market" & "Portobello Road"

on display at the Saatchi Gallery

Well I was at the Saatchi Gallery, as you do, with a couple of my paintings on display next to Damien Hurst, well a portrait of him at least. I have to say my art looked pretty comfortable alongside some of the more unusual works. I may not be a recognised name in the art world, but I like that you can hang my art in any environment without having to be controversial. Lets face it, certain body parts or a 10 ft high sheet of paint stained plastic are difficult to live with in any normal home... although the paint splashed carpet in my studio is looking pretty handy for the next exhibition!

It was all for a good cause and I hope that my paintings sell and make some money for the Michael A.Z. Art Fund. If you'd like to see more art you can hang in your home take a trip t my website: www.simonsgallery.com

Apologies to the lorry driver! and have your camera handy.

2010-10-07T05:54:00.003+01:00

"Rainbow over Glen Docherty"

Probably one of my favourite shots, Compositionally it has everything, a disappearing road, the sea, a croft, mountains, sheep, heather, and of course the rainbow. Short of a man in a kilt throwing the caber it could not get more Scottish?

Even without the rainbow it's still a pretty good image. Did I plan it.. well I confess no. I was driving along and out popped the rainbow sometimes you just get lucky, but when you do it's best to have your camera handy. Apologies to the driver of the cement lorry behind me who got the shock of his life when I screeched to a halt on this mountain road early in the morning. It's a good job he was awake.

If you like this you can always visit my website: www.simonsgallery.com