Happy New Year!

Let me start the first blog of 2013 by wishing you all a Happy New Year and sending a big THANK YOU for your continued support. 2012 was a year of discovery for the Acorn, looking at what we do and how we do it and what you like and whether we tick your boxes... thankyou for your votes of confidence :)

Last year we introduced even more independant artists including Sarah Louise Ewing, Louise Rawlings and Kerry Darlington. We held the UK's first ever one man exhibition by Andrei Protsouk who is widely regarded as a genius in the making!

'Olympic Tango' by Andrei Protsouk

A celebration of 2012

We also showcased work by Louise Rawlings who works with household emulsion! Her beautiful pieces are perfect for kitchens and landings and all rooms Farrow and Ball!

'Alfie on the Beach' by Louise Rawlings

Another of our new names is artist Sarah Louise Ewing whose jewel colours and gold leaf artistry has caught many an eye! Each new colour has found new appeal and you seem to like buying them in pairs!

'New Beginnings' by Sarah Louise Ewing

Kerry Darlington joined us here at The Acorn in August and her stunning original work has found new homes all across England! Kerry has just launched an amazing series of limited edition prints, of breathtaking quality, all of which have been very well received! 'Ophelia' is our favourite - we have sold three in a month!

'Ophelia' by Kerry Darlington

One of the highlights of our year was being asked to be the EXCLUSIVE stockist of limited edition prints by the fabulous Toni Hargreaves. Toni is renowned for her cow paintings, usually working on commissions of individual animals. Now, Toni has responded to requests for prints by producing three beautiful pieces available on boxed canvas or on paper.

'Broad Maud' by Toni Hargreaves

We are also pleased to be working with the very talented Paul Oz, explosive portrait artist of household celebrities and favourite characters. Pauls work spans many subjects but closely follows the world of sport and especially Formula 1. His amazing work hangs on many famous walls and his recent portrait of Bradley Wiggins was also bought by the man himself!

'Bradley Wiggins' by Paul Oz 

(Commissions Available)

Diane and I are currently planning the year ahead and hope to build on 2012 and bring you even more of what you love :) If there is anything you would love to see here at The Acorn then comment below or email us... We'd love to hear from you :)

Burning Curiosity...

One fine day back in June we came across a piece of work which absolutely blew us away... It was like staring at the sun, the brightness of its white hot centre was so real that you could almost feel the heat...

Stephen Simpson is the man behind this exciting new creation... and these pieces really are just that... created from visions of time and space, taken from the burning heat of exploding stars and the powerful intensity of the sun...

'Beaming Light' Original by Stephen Simpson £695

We contacted Stephen through Twitter (@stephenpsimpson) and asked him how he captures this magic on canvas!

Stephen explained how he first adds layers of modelling paste onto the canvas, building up a fantastic texture and helping him to see just how this piece is going to turn out... he adds oil paint glazes for colour and finishes off with a layer of resin which he heats up with a blow torch... a brave and often nerve-wracking time but he assures us that as long as he keeps it moving then it simply makes the resin completely transparent and gets rid of any bubbles... the canvas does get very hot but doesn't (often!) set on fire!



When working he follows his instinct and lets the piece lead him... he admits he is often surprised at the final result!

Future Spectacle' Original by Stephen Simpson £895

Here at The Acorn Gallery we are delighted to have secured a selection of Stephens latest works, resplendant in red, which we expect in the gallery any day now!

Check them out on the website and if you are viewing on an iPhone or iPad (or other device with a shiny screen!) then you will get a taste of just how magnificent these pieces are...

Take a look for yourselves and if you are interested to know more about this exciting young artist then register your interest and we will keep you up to date with information and new releases as he sets off on what promises to be a brilliant career...

Paul Horton - Getting Excited!

Here at the Acorn Gallery we are getting very excited about Saturday's imminent appearance by the legendary Paul Horton!

Paul will be here to unveil his fantastic new 'Icon Collection'. This is a superb collection of five brand new and incredibly limited editions... with only 25 of each image being printed! 


Each piece celebrates one of Pauls central characters who appears throughout his work, each on their own journey...

The five images, some of the largest prints produced to date, will be unveiled one by one, by Paul, as he tells it's story to the waiting audience... 

This little bit of theatre will enthrall and entrance you and in doing so will help you to truly appreciate this stunning new collection!

So, come on down to the Acorn Gallery on Saturday, 11 June... Paul will be here from 12 noon and you can help us celebrate the launch of this fantastic new work with a glass of chilled bubbly and hopefully some summer sunshine...

Alexanders Angel...

We have just taken delivery of the brand-new Alexander Miller sculpture entitled 'The Angel'... 


This iconic piece is simply stunning and shows the much loved gadgie at his best! Nobody can ignore the link to the artists own background as a window cleaner and knowing this you can't help but see this piece as the cornerstone to any collection and it will certainly be an item of pride in years to come!


Of course the obvious link is to Anthony Gormley and his famous 'Angel of the North' but Alexander Miller's gadgie, with his good nature and his heart of gold, has captured our hearts and he is, in his own way, 'The Angel' of the North...

'The Angel' by Alexander Millar

Limited Edition of 150

£495

Apologies!!

Well, apologies are in order, I have been lacking in my duties to keep you fantastic collectors, fans and customers updated with the stats of our top sellers.

I hadn't realised that I had been so lazy and therefore if when you next visit us and you have the urge to chastise me then please do!!!!

Our top sellers for January are as follows:-

1. Paul Horton

2. Peter Smith

3. Paul Kenton and Sarah Graham

In January we sold a fantastic original piece by Paul Kenton - it was simply stunning and attracted alot of attention - especially as we kept it on the wall here for a few weeks until the customer was ready for it! We could have sold it four times over :-)

Anyway, back to business: Our top sellers for February are as follows:-

1. Peter Smith

2. David Bez

2. Joanne Panayi

Our top sellers for March are as follows:-

1. Peter Smith

2. Keith Proctor

3. Alexander Millar

In March we sold 5 amazing original pieces by Peter Smith, John Wilson, Mike Jackson, Nick MacKay and Bob Barker!!

Our top sellers for April are as follows:-

1. Alexander Millar

2. Peter Smith

3. Mark Edwards

In April we sold 2 stunning originals by Peter Smith and also a superb piece by Mark Edwards! Peter Smith is really on a roll - I wonder if it has anything to do with The Bimps? ! 

It is always good to see who is hot but it is good to see an independant artist in the top three along with a sculpturist too!

So, what's hot at the moment you may ask... Alexander Millars Working Man Collection - that's what! The two top sellers are 'Big River' and 'Evening Song' which are almost entirely sold out across the country! The demand for these two pieces is unprecedented and speculation about the secondary market is already spreading!

Watch this space!

Alexander Millars 'Working Man' Exhibition - A Virtual Tour

Alexander Millars fabulous 'Working Man' Exhibition hasn't finished yet but if you want a bit of a peek then click the words 'Virtual Tour' in the title above... :)

Of course it isn't a patch on seeing them for real but Alex gives a great insight into the ideas and feelings behind the collection...

Alexander Millar - NEW Exhibition Website!

Alexander Millar has now launched his BRAND NEW WEBSITE in connection with the forthcoming Working Man Exhibition!

Lots of news and a competition too!
Check out this link: http://www.working-man.co.uk/

Alexander Millar - The Working Man Exhibition

Alexander Millar has long been recognised for his 'Gadgies and Gals', the characters who, with their flat caps and big boots, head scarves and housecoats, have brought smiles to the faces of many...

Now Alexander Millar is to gain even more exposure as his acclaimed 'Working Man Exhibition' is due to open at the Hancock Museum (Great North Museum) in Newcastle-upon-Tyne and will run from 26th March 2011 - 8th May 2011.

Evening Song by Alexander Millar £495

This show is the latest in a line up of successful collections in Alexander Millars 10 year history as a professional artist! His work goes from strength to strength and his original paintings can be found in private collections around the world...

A collection of six prints and one sculpture has been launched to accompany the exhibition and the 'Working Man' Collection is available from The Acorn Gallery right now!

Two superb canvas prints have already arrived and you can view 'Evening Song' and 'Big River' in the gallery today!

Come and see them now...

Also available for a limited time: The opportunity to purchase a superb original oil - small enough to fit anywhere but large enough in presence to grace any collection!

Contemplation Original Oil by Alexander Millar

Ring the gallery for details 01759 307652



Hamish Blakely - Muse

Hamish Blakely is an artist whose paintings have steadily grown in popularity and stature and now he is to show an exhibition of over 30 original paintings at Harrods in London later this month!

This stunning collection entitled 'Muse' shows his extraordinary talents at their best and several paintings have already been sold in advance of the exhibition opening on 24th February!

To celebrate this outstanding collection Washington Green have produced six superb giclee prints in an extremely limited edition of just 25. Each of these breathtaking pieces has been chosen for its appeal and stunning depiction of the elegance of the human form... Professionally presented in a stunning gold swept frame, each of these gorgeous pieces will stop you in your tracks!

The Acorn Gallery is proud to be able to offer you these six images - and with only 25 sets available, worldwide, this is indeed an accolade!

If you are interested in receiving more details about this very special collection then call us now on 01759 307652 or alternatively pop into the gallery where we can show you the images available. Images will not yet be released online...

To read more about the 'Muse' Exhibition please click on the link below:

http://www.harrods.com/GlobalPages/EventArticle.aspx?Id=37b807e3-e563-4be8-ac41-6599584ecf78

NEW from Peter Smith...

Wow! What a weekend!

John and I have been to the ICC, Birmingham for the Washington Green Spring Fair - a chance for us to see the BRAND NEW images from all of their top artists!

None of the images have been released to the galleries yet for on-line viewing but Peter Smith has just updated his blog and included his fabulous five NEW images which we were priviledged to see this weekend.

Follow this link to read his blog and see the images:
http://petersmithartist.blogspot.com/2011/02/strangeland.html?spref=fb

Pre-ordering is recommended as this release is very strong - ring us for details on 01759 307652

Immortalised In Oils!!

'I Never Touched Him' by Peter Smith

Once upon a time there was a huge fan of Peter Smith... his name was John Wass. He loved to buy the prints and soon had quite a collection... Whenever Peter was due to do an appearance John and his wife Diane (also a huge fan) would attend to say 'hi' and have a chat about the latest releases!

One year Peter brought out a series of prints under the banner of 'Smithy's World Cup' and one of the prints was called 'I Never Touched Him'... The image was taken from a famous incident between David Beckham and the referee in an England vs. Argentina World Cup match .

John learned that he was the person being thought of for inspiration when Peter was painting the referee... with that larger than life character towering above the footballer...

Armed with that information John set about tracing the original to the print and finally managed to aquire it for his own collection!

This is the dedication on the reverse of Johns copy of the 'I Never Touched Him' print - showing the naming of the characters!

John is immensely proud of these two pieces and we both continue to be big fans of the work of Peter Smith!

With all the excitement surrounding 'The Bimps' Peter Smith is going to be a bigger name then ever so watch this space for news...

Top Sellers For 2010!!

January is here and we have reviewed the stats for the past 12 months. We can now reveal that the top sellers for 2010 are as follows:-

1. Keith Proctor
2. Peter Smith
3. Paul Horton

Congratulations to Keith Proctor - not bad for the new kid on the block! Top spot in his first year!! It was a close run race however with only 4 sales between 1st & 2nd place and only 2 sales between 2nd & 3rd places!

Our overall Top Sellers (since we opened in December 2007) :-

1. Peter Smith
2. Bob Dylan
3. Paul Horton

Peter Smith is still proving he has what it takes and we believe that he has lots more to follow! We are very excited about the 'Bimps' - new characters which Peter has shown us on his blog and on Facebook. We love them all, especially the dog and as soon as we know more about them then we will of course let you know!!

Not shown in the overall Top Sellers, but just biting on the heels of Paul Horton is Alexander Millar, who has a massive publicity push this year for his museum exhibition. This will be a fantastic show for Alex which will feature his famous Gadgies and Gals and rumours are afoot that he is planning a tour and a book! Watch this space for news...!

It looks like this year could be an interesting one and it will be very interesting to see if there are any changes in the overall Top Seller for 2011.

Whatever news there is you can be sure to find it here first - stay up to date by following the Acorn Gallery Blog!

You can also Find us on Facebook and Follow us on Twitter!

Keith & Jack Proctor Artist Appearance

We are sooo excited!!

As you know we are looking forward to welcoming Keith Proctor on Saturday 13th November between 12-3pm... but now we are delighted to announce that Keith will be bringing a very special person wth him...

JACK will be coming too :-)

Since Keith was launched in February 2010 he has taken the art world by storm and we are very lucky to secure an appearance as he will only be doing 7 appearances this year!!

The prints of these charming childhood scenes are totally engaging and the market for original oils is very keen! In fact the three pieces we have for this event sold in less than 12 hours!!

So come along and meet Keith and Jack in person! Come and chat about his inspirations and ask Jack what he thinks about being famous!!

Keith Proctor has consistently been in the top three for each month since he was launched here at the Acorn and shows no signs of slowing :-)

It was a forgone conclusion that Peter Smith would take top spot for September and October though as we always have a fabulous time when he is here and we are hoping for the same with Keith.

So, mark the date in your diary and come along and remember Keith, and maybe even Jack, will be signing anything bought on the day!

If you can't make it then ring and reserve your piece and we can have it dedicated in your absence!

We look forward to seeing you then!

Shop Local ...

Shop Local is a phrase which has been banded about for years, probably without a proper understanding of what it actually means!

The local economy depends on local support for the businesses who choose to set up in the area. Passing trade and the tourist pounds obviously make a valuable contribution but the lifeblood of a local business is the local people.

Now, as dramatic as that sounds, it can actually be used for illustration purposes: Money can be seen as the lifeblood of the community, flowing between the businesses, keeping them all pumping and supporting each other... keeping the Community alive!

Once money is spent outside the local economy then it never makes its way back, it seeps away like blood from a wound, slowing the pulse and potentially leading to the death of the local economy.

Now this black picture seems very dramatic but it is the chain of thought that goes through the minds of local businesses everywhere.

We look to support local economy whether it is here in Pocklington or away on Holiday in Scotland. We know that our choices will have a direct effect on the local community and it makes us feel good to know that we are doing all we can to support them.

Business in Pocklington has been tough this year however we are looking onwards and upwards to the Autumn Fair in early September where we will see all the latest work by your favourite artists!

We know you like to know everything as soon as we do so we'll be sure to get a newsletter out promptly telling you everything you need to know :-)

It won't be long before Peter Smith makes a welcome return to The Acorn Gallery! This will be Peters third visit here and although we will be sending out invitations nearer the time, we'd be delighted if you would pencil us in for Saturday 2nd October from 12-3pm :-)

We've not got around to telling you about the top sellers for the last two months so we've combined them together to show you the Top Summer Sellers:

1st Place ... Storeyteller Paul Horton
2nd Place ... Impossimalist Peter Smith
3rd Place ... The delicious Sarah Graham

So, watch out for the newsletter and look out for our new adverts in the Yorkshire Ridings Magazine, the regions fastest growing, paid for, quality magazine!

Oh and by the way... Think Local!
Thankyou :-)

Elephant Parade London 2010

At The Acorn Gallery we have been following this fantastic cause on Facebook and took a keener interest when we found out that Alexander Millar, Jeff Rowland, John D Wilson, Louise Dear, Paul Kenton and Peter Smith had been asked to take part.

WHAT?
The Elephant Parade was the largest outdoor art exhibition, displaying 258 life sized baby elephant sculptures, in locations all over the city of London. Created to support leading charity Elephant Family, each elephant is a unique piece of art hand painted by renowned artists and designers.

WHY?
With an estimated audience of 25 million, the campaign aimed to raise over £1 million for the endangered Asian elephant. It was an innovative fundraising and awareness campaign that shone a multi-coloured spotlight on the urgent crisis faced by the endangered Asian elephant. Elephant Parade’s mission is to become the world’s largest financial support organisation for elephants saving the Asian elephant from extinction in the wild.

AUCTION
After going on display in London, a select number of elephants were auctioned by Sothebys at a glittering event on Wednesday 30 June. The remainder were auctioned online and in a public event on Saturday 3rd July in the grounds of the Royal Hospital Chelsea.

We can now update you as to the amounts raised by our own Washington Green artists:-

Lover by Jeff Rowland £26,000

Iconic London by Paul Kenton £21,000

Tinkle by Louise Dear £18,000

Impossiphant by Peter Smith £13,001

Young At Art by John D Wilson £12,250

Nana by Alexander Millar £5,530

So, the 6 pieces donated by our artists raised an amazing total of £95,781 for a very worthwhile cause.

Congratulations to all the artists from Washington Green and we would just like to say WOW to the fantastic price paid for Jeff Rowlands elephant!!

Lover by Jeff Rowland

We are pleased to advise you that the sale of all the elephants at auction raised a total of £4,148,675 which far surpassed the target of £1 million which they were hoping to raise!

Long live the Asian elephant!

Lambing at The Acorn... and Pigs... and Cows...

Spring is in the air and here at The Acorn we have a delightful display of new lambs eager to meet you!

Meet Alfie...

... and Boo Peep...

and ... watch them walk in Grandmas Footsteps...

... and not to be left out we have Rascal Flaps...

... and the gloriously decadent Haute Cowture...

 

She comes complete with genuine gold leaf on her ears and is a truly stunning piece of work!

Come and meet them all in person at The Acorn Gallery NOW!

(...or if you can't wait that long ... click on the title of this entry to find out more!)

Coming Soon ... to a Gallery Near You!

We have just received our gallery copy of the NEW Fine Art Collector Magazine!
It looks fantastic and features the superb work of Keith Proctor on the front!!

There is an excellant article about the man himself and some super write-ups on fellow artists John D. Wilson and new artist Joanne Panayi.

See what is SEXY and SASSY!

Learn what part of the world has a special place saved in the heart of Hamish Blakely...

Learn how you can help Alexander Millar and Jeff Rowland to support

BIRMINGHAM CHILDRENS HOSPITAL!

This issue has some truly powerful pieces and we are sure you'll want to get your hands on it fast! So, as long as you are on our database then we'll be posting your copy out as soon as the boxes arrive on our mat!

  

It's A Man Thing!

Today was a good day!

It is always an uncertain time between having sent out the invitations, hanging the work and opening on the day of the event! Is the gallery clean and tidy? Have we remembered everything? Is the bubbly suitably chillled? (All the important questions!).

Well we needn't have worried! The first people came in almost as soon as we opened the door and we made a sale straight away! Jumping Jack was the first off the starting block!

A steady stream of people allowed us to spend quality time with almost everyone who came in and we are delighted to report that Jack the Lad has stolen several hearts today!

'It's A Man Thing' created quite a stir and we have had to order extra copies to fulfil demand! 'Bzzz' and 'Jumping Jack' were next in the popularity stakes! The oil on display was already sold but we've taken notes of interest from a few new people as a result of seeing it! Keith - I hope your brushes are clean and ready to go?

We had a few nicely timed lulls during the day - just enough to catch our breath and boil the kettle!

Everyone has been very impressed and we have had lovely comments. Sales have come both from those who came specifically and also from people who just popped in as they were passing! We have made sales across four counties and had visitors from all over - even a lady who had just flown in from L.A.!

Without a doubt we can say that today was a resounding success! Fifteen sales by the end of the day and that tells a story all of its own!

Today The Acorn Gallery was 'Bzzz'-ing ... 'It's A Man Thing!' ... and the man is Keith Proctor!

'I Have A Dream'

On Your Marks... Get Set...

Many months ago whilst surfing the web, we came across an artist whose work had an instant appeal... there was something about the innocence of the boy in the paintings... a charm which captured and held you... we followed the blog notes and picture posts with keen interest, finally approaching the artist to see if he would be happy for us to show some of his work... the artists name was Keith Proctor!

Tomorrow we are so proud to show you 'Jack the Lad' the first exhibition of work from Keith Proctor, published by Washington Green.

The collection comprises of three stunning canvases with four beautiful paper editions. Each image carries the figure of Jack, the completely charming young boy whose antics are sure to coax a smile from even the hardest of hearts.. he is a boy for all seasons with a charm for all ages and we hope his adventures will amuse us for years to come...

Ladies & Gentlemen... Keith Proctor with Jack the Lad!!

Excitement is building...

Well at last the images have been released from Keith Proctors debut collection 'Jack the Lad'! Follow the link in the title (above) to see his charming studies of childhood...

 Interest in this new work is building and we have had more requests than usual for original work by this artist! Original oils are very scarce and even pencil sketches are hard to get hold of but we will have one of each on the wall on the day of the exhibition! If you have an interest in these original pieces then we recommend that you let us know as soon as possible!

Also released this week are the images for the fantastic new Spring Collections by all your favoutite artists!

One piece which is long-awaited is 'I eat cake' by Peter Smith - those of you who read Peters Blog or who follow him on Facebook, will be well aware of the excitement created by this subject!

Another piece we'd like to mention is the Charity piece painted jointly by Alexander Millar and Jeff Rowland. These two are great friends and when Washington Green asked them to work together they were delighted. Jeff, who needs regular dialysis, was keen to try and use the venture as a fundraising exercise for charity and Alex happily agreed.

The image which they created is called 'Singing in the Rain' and features Alexander Millars classic gadgie with his umbrella, splashing his way happily down the road in the pouring rain!

Artist royalties from the sales of this print will be donated to the Renal Ward at Birmingham Childrens Hospital and Washington Green are delighted to match this sum which means a sizeable donation if both editions sell out!!

The print is available on paper for £375 or on canvas at £425 and looks stunning!! (For now the website image for both options shows the paper version as no canvas image has been provided but it will be updated as soon as we have stock in the gallery.) One of each will be displayed for you to admire!

  
All in all an amazing selection of new work for you to enjoy - including this stunning Paul Kenton piece entitled 'London Red'...

... and the Caroline Shotton classic 'Shit Happens' shown below... so follow the link in the title (above) and have a click around the website :-)