A Hot Week!!!

What can I say? It has been one hot week! So much so that very few people came in - but those who did were very appreciative and it's always good to have a chat with like-minded people!

But then again it is the summer and in this hot weather people just want to sit out in the garden, drink cold beers and have a barbecue (and really - who can blame them?)!!

Yesterday we dropped our daughter off in Selby with a massive suitcase and her clarinet and saxophone as she is spending the week away at 'Band Camp'! She will practise music for 7.5 hours per day culminating in a concert on Friday at Selby Abbey! She was so excited and we are really looking forward to the concert!

We then met up with a friend on the M62 to swap over a signed limited edition print (he owns a gallery too!!) and then we went to Hull to do some clothes shopping (as you do) and then popped in to see family for a welcome cold drink before heading back!.

Our son had been invited skateboarding after tea so we dropped him off at his coaches house where he spent 3 hours skateboarding in the back garden (massive ramp - nice one Gary!)

Diane & I ended up staying to watch the boys on the skateboard and drinking!! (Only coffee for me though - I'm teetotal!)

It was the first time I had seen our son on the skateboard ramp and I was very impressed with him and also at Gary's patience and the amount of praise and encouragement he gave everyone.

It was a lovely evening, the company was superb and the boys didn't stop all night. We eventually dragged ourselves away at about 9.30pm.

Our son was very tired but very elated that he had managed to 'Drop In' and 'Kiss the bar' (skateboard terminology) and even though he has explained what it means it is still double dutch to me but Diane is 'digging it'!

Ready for the Weekend!!

It's been a busy week and we've had alot of people through the gallery and some good sales too!!!

Yesterday was a fantastic day as we sold our first Kevin Day Original! The gentleman buyer was very taken by the piece and bought one of Kevins very limited editions too! Kevin's work is superb and is getting alot of attention at the moment! This space is definitely worth watching!

Today has been an especially busy one as our newsletter has started to land on doormats and I have had a rush of people coming into the gallery to ask about the latest releases by Paul Horton, Jeff Rowland, Mark Grieves and Peter Smith.

The prints should be here within a fortnight although if we get them sooner then we will let you know - if you would like your name adding to the 'early warning' list then email us now!

Dylan is still causing a stir and I can reveal that (surprisingly!) Dylan was our top seller for the month of June. No other artist got a look in!!

So far this month we have the following in the top four spots:-

1. Bob Dylan
2. Peter Smith
3. Kevin Day
4. Alexander Millar

I think when the new releases arrive in the gallery at the end of the month we shall see a battle between Paul & Peter for the month of August!

I look forward to August with great interest. However we still have 10 more working days left this month. Will Peter pip Bob Dylan to the top spot or will Kevin come round on the outside to cross the finishing line first?!!

Ooh this is better than the Grand National!!

Life Is Full Of Surprises!!

It is only Wednesday and we have had 3 telephone calls from three artists and a surprise visit by an artist too!!

The first call came from Angela Smyth for an update!
The second call came from Mike Jackson for a chat!

The third call came from Paul James - a truly amazing animal and landscape artist. Many of you will have seen 'Winston' and 'October Afternoon' in the gallery.

Paul has some new releases available and we have agreed to have some in the gallery! I'm sure you will agree that 'Streetwise Charlie' is a real character, look out for 'Madge' too!

Paul is hoping to pop in when he is next over from Ireland so watch this space for news and updates on this talented man! Brochures showing his latest images are available now from the gallery and are free to take away!!

The artist who called in today was Philip Stuttard! Philip was really pleased to see that we have one of his originals called 'Warlords - Too Old To Grow Up' and advised us that it was his favourite piece! He was delighted that we had managed to get hold off it!



To the lucky buyer - a dedication can be arranged!!

We have also managed to send out 166 newsletters which include the latest releases from Peter Smith, Paul Horton, Mark Grieves and Jeff Rowland. The newsletter will be landing on doormats over the next couple of days but if you are not on our mailing list and would like to be included then please let us have your details.

I wonder what else the week has in store for us?

Will we get more artists ringing up for a chat or popping in for a cuppa?

I will keep you updated!!

Poetry At The Acorn!!

The Acorn Gallery hosted its first ever poetry evening on Friday 4th July 2008 in association with Simply Books as part of Pocklington's first ever Book Festival. The poet for the evening was Michael Hildred, a local poet and artist.

The evening started off with champagne and canapes, with Sara, owner of Simply Books, greeting the invited guests and introducing them to Michael.

After 20 minutes of chatting and browsing at the artwork on display Michael began his poetry recital.

The invited audience stood spellbound whilst Michael recited his poems from memory. He was very entertaining and we had tales of a boat, of foxes and of Lil his cat, all with acompanying artwork. The evening was a great success and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves tremendously.

Diane & I would just like to say thankyou to Sara for allowing us the honour of being part of the first ever Pocklington Book Festival and we wish her every success with future events!

Just another day ... or is it?

Well what can I say... people are still ringing round to get the last few Dylan pieces - we have only 4 images left but not for long I'm sure!

The gallery seems quiet now the mania of Dylan is finished, we are back to spending quality time with our customers!

Well, it's Friday and the sunshine is giving us one more tempting glance of what we're NOT going to get this weekend! A few people have been in this morning and everyone is happy and chatty in the summer sun ... but then...

... do you ever look at someone and think 'I know you! You were in ... on the telly!' but daren't say anything in case you invade their privacy!

Well we were priviledged to have a well-known British actor in the gallery today! He spent some time in here with his wife and we're proud to say that he seemed to like several pieces!

We did recognise him but everyone is entitled to shop in peace and we never were ones to leap on celebrities and demand autographs!

Well, if he is reading this then he will know who he is - and we'd like to let him know that he is welcome back anytime!

I wonder if we will have any more famous people through the door today?

Wow! Dylan - What A Rush!!!

Friday 13th June - Diane & I spent the evening moving the gallery around and hanging the Bob Dylan signed limited edition prints with help from our kids who, after being fed some very nice fish and chips from the Railway Street Chippie, we got stuck in with great gusto! They helped to unwrap the framed pieces and wrap up the pieces that we had taken down to accommodate the Dylan work. By 8.30pm we were finished!

Saturday 14th June - Diane & I arrived at the gallery early and shut ourselves in with the shutters down! We still had bits and pieces to finish off in readiness for the launch time of 10am. At bang on 10am we put the shutter up hoping to see a crowd but the street seemed no busier than usual - but the minute we opened the door the gallery filled up - I don't know where they came from! People had obviously been waiting to get in and grab their piece of Dylan artwork.

By 10.30am we were well and truly underway and the sales were coming thick and fast. People were loving his work and we had fans old and young coming in to have a look!

Before we knew it it was 4pm and the gallery had gone quiet for the first time so we took the chance to put the kettle on and try to grab a sandwich but before the kettle had boiled or we had taken a bite of the sandwich we were starting to fill up again!

By 6pm we had managed to close the door and sat back and just hugged each other! Our decison to be in on the Dylan launch - after only 6 months in business - had paid off! Sales for the day were phenomenal!

We had sold to France and Holland and even had someone trying to gazump a portfolio from under a customers nose such was the demand!

Monday 16th June - We got to the gallery to find answerphone messages from people over in the USA wanting us to ring them ASAP as they wanted to buy! One guy even said he didn't mind which pieces we had he just wanted one!

Due to our misinterpretation of time zones we rang a lady back only to find that it was only 5am with her! Nevertheless she was delighted to be in time to buy and promptly chose a superb selection of prints which will be winging their way over to her very shortly! (Thankyou Linda - for your business!)

We even had a message from BBC Look North who wanted to come along and do an interview - unfortunately they didn't have a VT man and had to put it off but are still hoping to come down later in the week (I'll keep you posted!)

So, now we have only a few Dylan pieces left and we think that even they will be soon gone! We have left only nine individual graphics and one portfolio! Anyone wanting to be a part of this journey needs to get on board fast!

Diane & I would just like to say a massive 'THANKYOU!' to all those people who bought and those who came along for a look and a chat! Many people were happy to simply buy a book or a brochure and I'm sure that even these will become very collectable! More books are on order and brochures are still available to buy!

To sum it up Dylan has been one hell of a rush and we haven't stopped grinning from ear to ear!

We can't wait for the next installment of Dylan mania!!!

Bob Dylan The Drawn Blank Series

I must apologise for the closure of the gallery on Monday this week.

We closed because we were in Birmingham at the ICC for the trade launch of Bob Dylan's much anticipated hand signed limited edition graphic prints from The Drawn Blank Series.

Before I mention Dylan we called in to the Head Office of Washington Green to collect a Nadeem original and had the chance to browse through all the originals that they have. I was like a kid in a sweetie shop, so much to choose from - I eventually chose two new Philip Stuttards - all I will say is ... fishing and conkers (but not together) - I hope you like them - I think they're cracking!!

Whilst there we bumped into Mark Spain who was dropping of some of his originals and saw the man himself - Glynn Washington - with whom we were able to have a chat later that day. He is very excited about the Bob Dylan launch and truly believes that this is the start of something very special!

Well, Diane & I had lunch and made our way to the ICC where we had a champagne reception (orange juice for me as I don't drink!!). Had a chat with some friends who were there who also have a gallery and then we were ushered into the room where we sat spellbound for 3 hours listening to the story of how this collection came about.

At the end of the presentation we were ushered down to The Halcyon Gallery in the ICC to see the images in the flesh - wow, we were blown away with them! What a collection - some favourites it must be said but something for everyone!

We both looked at each other and realised that we needed to top-up our order as this has the potential to be the biggest thing to hit the art world in years.

The amount of worldwide press attention focused on this will be huge and we wanted to put The Acorn Gallery and Pocklington not just on the map but on the world map!!!

As I write this we are one week away from the launch date 14th June and excitement is building...

...we have sent out over 200 invites and if you haven't got one and you would like one then please pop in, ring or email us.

Our Dylan campaign on Google is receiving massive hits and we have a list as long as my arm of people who have expressed an interest in this superb body of work.

This truly is a rare chance to own a superb piece of art by one of the worlds most iconic singer-songwriters - a legend in fact and to have it hand signed by Bob makes it even rarer!

We have had people from all over the UK ringing us to be a part of this - if you haven't yet done so then do please register your interest - even a £10.00 brochure could prove to be a collectors item!!

What A Month!!!!

First thing I must do is apologise for the lack of any new posts. I have been busy with sales - lots of them!! It has been a cracking month and my thanks go to all those people who have purchased from us. I would especially like to say a big THANK YOU to those people who saw a piece they wanted whilst away and waited to buy until they came back to us - we really appreciate your loyalty!

What else has happened this month..?

Oh yes ... we have been given the details for Bob Dylan's much awaited release of 29 hand signed images from his 'Drawn Blank Series'. It has been said that this could sell out on the day of release so watch out for further information and do ask if you're passing although the actual launch date is Saturday 14th June! Mark it in your diary - champagne will be served so do come along and join us!

We are so excited about this release - Bob Dylan is a music legend and for Washington Green to have negotiated the release of his artwork is a real feather in their cap!! More information and images will be updated on the website as soon as possible www.theacorngallery.co.uk. However if you are interested in this work then please contact us ASAP as it will be sold on a first come first served basis.

It was sad to hear about the death of Beryl Cook this week. She was a great lady who had a wicked sense of humour which is portrayed in her artwork. Her style is well known and easily recognised by many - in fact other work is often said to be 'in the style of Beryl Cook' such is her appeal!

If you have any of her signed limited editions then I would hold on to them as they will in my opinion go up in value.

And finally my daughter turned 15 (going on 30) this week which means she is getting to that age where it isn't cool to hold my hand or give me hugs and kisses any more but yet mum can have as many hugs and kisses as she wants!! Whats going on there then?

Philip Stuttard Preview Event

Well what a busy day we have had. Spent the entire day moving the stock around to accomodate Philip's work and I have to say it looks really good!!!

Diane and I would like to thank those people who attended tonight and especially a big thanks to Phil,Sam & Paige who travelled especially from Wakefield! We would also like to thank Philip Stuttard himself for coming along to say hello and for entertaining us with tales of his acrylic adventures!

His work has gone down well and we all wait with baited breath to see what he comes up with next! 'Mountains of Men' Just you wait and see what he's working on ...

We have received a few emails and texts to thank us for a lovely evening and those who won the raffle were especially pleased. £100 in gift vouchers went to a family from York, Peter Smith cufflinks found a new home in Wakefield and the bottle of bubbly went to another couple, also from York. Well worth turning up we think! Thankyou Philip for being the honorary raffle ticket puller!

Philips work is available to view in the gallery until 17th May 2008 and also on line at www.theacorngallery.co.uk. If you are unable to call into see the work in person but find a piece which interests you then don't be afraid to contact us - we love questions!

It's Been A Funny Old Week!!!!

We have had 76 people through the door this week and a lot of interest in a wide variety of work. Some people still don't realise however that when it says 'last one' it means 'last one'! I do try to make it clear to people that 'last one' means 'I can't get another' but this doesn't seem to help them in their decision making.

If everyone this week who seemed really keen had bought instead of going away to think about it then we would have had a fantastic week instead it has turned out to be frustrating!!!

Anyway ... moving on ... We have now got the castors fitted to our movable walls so we can at last move them!! Which means we can get on with planing the display of Philip Stuttards work for the focus week which starts Friday 9th from 5-7pm - champagne and nibbles will be in abundance!

I just hope people turn up as I forgot to put RSVP on the invitations, what an idiot!!! Fortunately people are already starting to confirm their attendance and so hopefully we will have a good turnout!

Unfortunately my daughter and her friends will not be in attendance to play live music as they have a prior engagement, maybe next time!!

With an extra day off we dragged the kids kicking and screaming to the Yorkshire Sculpture Park near Wakefield. The day started off damp and grey but eventually the sun shone through and the kids eventually enjoyed themselves!!

It got very busy but with 500 acres you were not on top of each other. It was a good day out however their map could do with some improvement as it wasn't clear which pathways were definite routes and which were merely mud tracks - information which could have been useful on a day like today! In the end we ignored the map and just went off to explore!

We saw a vast range of sculptures from small-ish to huge by many artists including Henry Moore, Nigel Hall, Anthony Caro, Barbara Hepworth and Antony Gormley creator of The Angel Of The North.

It started off wet this week, we have had lots of people in the gallery, not many sales and today the sun has shone whilst exploring the Sculpture Park. So as I say it has been a funny old week!!!