Farrow and Ball in the Frame...

We've all heard of Farrow and Ball... the company whose subtle colours adorn walls and doors all over the land in shades of Elephants Breath (229) and Breakfast Room Green (81).

Aberdovey (Original)

Well now you can adorn your walls in beautiful original paintings to match - literally!

Artist Louise Rawlings uses Farrow and Ball's beautiful range of colours to create her own unique style of paintings. She says that their mini-matchpots of household emulsion are exactly what dreams are made of and they fit her ideas perfectly!

Winter in the Village (Original)

Louise creates intimately detailed gardens and beautiful snowy villages using some of the most delicate colours known to woman (well, lets face it, it's usually us who choose the colour schemes, isn't it ladies?)

Treat yourself to a Farrow and Ball Original...

Vintage Caravan (Original)  

Compact and Bijou...

Today heralds the arrival of the first new pieces from the brand new Autumn Collection!

One of my favourite's is 'Al Fresco Living'. This is one of the latest pieces in a series of smaller sized (and therefore more affordable!) works from Paul Kenton. Usually Pauls work is done on a large scale and carries quite a presence on impressive box canvases. Lately the smaller pieces have given collectors the option to add other pieces into a room where one large statement piece already takes main stage!

'Al Fresco Living'

The new images come either as a compact box canvas or alternatively on paper, framed in black and they work really well!

'The Big Smoke'

Having Pauls work available at a more affordable level is also great for giving new collectors a fantastic starting point! There is nothing more frustrating than discussing his work with someone who loves the work but just hasn't got the room for a large canvas! It's brilliant to be able to show these smaller pieces and satisfy their need for something now!

Thanks Paul! This is exactly what your collectors have been looking for!

UK360 Team - Home at last...

Just a quick update - the UK360 team arrived home safely in the Wirral after a long and arduous ride back up from Cornwall. The weather was horrendous and they had time and fatigue against them!

I think it's safe to say they are a very special group of people!

We are still waiting to hear the total raised but in the meantime please buy a wristband for just £2 from their website. Click HERE.

Thankyou :)

UK360 Ride for Heroes...

Sunday 26th August 2012 - We would usually take the motorbike up the coast on a grand run out but today was different. Today we had decided to join a group of riders who are currently in the middle of an amazing charity motorbike ride to raise funds and awareness for Armed Forces Charities.

The group left the Wirral on Thursday 23rd August and gave themselves just SIX DAYS to ride around the whole of the UK! They headed north up the west coast of Scotland and over the top calling at John O'Groats for the the all important photo-call! From there they came down the east coast facing some of the most horrendous rain and wind that they ever could have thought up! Their support car was always on hand for emergancies and the Kawasaki Team at Kirkcaldy came in pretty useful too!

On the day we joined them they started from Catterick Barracks where they had spent the night on the floor of the gym on nothing more than roll mats! (Good job they are a hardy bunch!). The weather was much improved and they met us at Beverley right on time at 9.15am.

After introductions and a brew and a suitable amount of leg stretching we were off! Riding out of Morrisons Car Park in a long convoy - 40 motorcyclists in total with flags flying and Union Jack helmet covers  - it was a sight to see and a fantastic thing to be a part of!

There were sports bikes and cruisers, Harley's and tourers and even a Harley Trike! What an amazing collection of people all with one thing in mind - to support these guys on their fantastic challenge!

The sun shone down and the white clouds kept us company as we headed toward the Humber Bridge and the south bank...

The ride was steady and we were all in good spirits, the guys had said that this was the best send off yet - they were thrilled that so many of us had turned out to ride with them!

As we rode through the countryside riders peeled off and went their own way but whether they had joined in for an hour or a day everyone was honked and hooted in farewell!

After 3 hours in the saddle with only a brief coffee stop we arrived at Tesco's in Kings Lynn. Lunch was calling us but the guys needed to rest before they could think of anything else! All of a sudden the tarmac became a place to rest a weary head and the handlebars of the trike were a place to put your feet up! After such a draining few days these guys knew they had to take every chance they could to get a power nap!

 

We were turning round now and heading for home but these inspiring characters were going onwards to cover the whole of the south east ending up at Sandhurst for a photo shoot! What a long day this was going to be! The following day they were heading down to Truro and finally from Lands End (it's gotta be done!) back to the Wirral on Tuesday! What a ride!!

You can support these guys and their chosen causes 'help for Heroes' and the 'Royal British Legion' by buying a £2 wristband from their website www.uk360r4h.co.uk or make a donation if you choose.

 

 The red is for the blood spilled, the white for the bandages and the blue for friendly forces...

An amazing feat for them and a great day out for us!
No losers! Just motorcycle cameraderie and pride for our Armed Forces...

Click now to support

Big is Beautiful!!

OMG! How excited are we???

We have just arranged to show a fantastic piece of original art by Paul Kenton, well known for his amazing cityscapes! This new piece is just gonna take your breath away!

It measures 5 feet high by over 6 feet wide and is in the purest black and white line style for which he is best known!

This stunning view of our impressive capital city shows the view as though crossing the River Thames over the Millenium Bridge, from the Tate Gallery to St. Paul's (a walk we have done ourselves!).

'Across the Water' Original by Paul Kenton £3950

We dare you to send a photo of the place you would put this in your house!

Alne Afternoon with Rayford!

This weekend we took the opportunity to visit one of our most popular artists, Rayford, to see what is on his easel at the moment and what new prints he has for us to show you!

He has been working hard with new images of lots of local places... Castle Howard, Whitby and a fabulous Newcastle scene to name a few!

We've brought back a huge selection of new prints and replaced some of the ones we had sold so we are now fully stocked again :)

Following the sale of two of his originals last week we have also been able to acquire another gorgeous York scene to accompany the superb 'Tea with Yorks Mayor' which shows the famous Bettys Tea Rooms. The new piece shows the beautiful and infamous Kings Staithe, York.

Artist Rayford in his studio at home in Alne

Click here to see the new array of prints and click here to see available originals.

Breaking News! NEW Lost Impossimals Discovered!

Pompidoos French Fancy Filly

England, 1879

The Natural Twistory

Lady Pompidoo, one of the most respected French aristocrats and a direct descendant of Empress Eugénie who fled the Tuileries, held a passion for French pastries and sweets. The arrival of a new chef at her estate Pompidoo Hall was greeted with delight, finally she had managed to secure one of the most revered chefs and master of the new ‘fondant’ method first pioneered in 1877, Chef Charles Ranhofer.

Charles set to work in the extensive kitchens and produced some of the most magical creations of his career, from the huge Crème de la Mountain Fountain to the fabulous Choux Pistache aux Fruits Rouges with Rum Baa-baa et Flambé (I need to try that, don't you?). His crowning glory though was a delicate little cake filled with a fondant cream and decorated with four delightful colours each one to represent memorable characters in Shakespears plays. Othello was represented by chocolate, Desdemona by white, Lago was coffee and the fourth pink after Rosalind from ‘As You Like It’. A drizzle of a second colour set off the whole thing and they quickly became Lady Pompidoo’s favourite.

Lady Pompidoo amassed vast stocks of French Fancies which were kept securely in a special room called the Cakeararium, an exquisitely decorated room reminiscent of a pre Revolution French boudoir filled with rare and expensive furniture. Only Lady Pompidoo was allowed entry and she would sit for hours looking out over her vast estate delicately eating her beloved French Fancies.

Then one day she noticed that a gap had appeared in her precious stocks! Immediately she summoned her servants. It was impossible, not only did all the servants deny taking any but they also pointed out that Lady Pompidoo had the only key to the room.

After much discussion Lady Pompidoo allowed one of her most trusted maids to hide in the forbidden room whilst a tray of French fancies was placed temptingly on the table in full view.

Shortly before midnight the maid heard a noise sounding like footsteps and leaped out to surprise the thief. Instead she was surprised to find herself standing face to face with an ornate tallboy in the centre of the room and promptly fainted for the item was in fact a piece of furniture that Lady Pompidoo had recently acquired from a sale of items from Hamilton Palace.

The next day the maid told her curious tale to Lady Pompidoo who, whilst full of doubt decided to investigate. Holding a French fancy up to the tallboy elicited no response, neither did a full plate of fancies so she popped the plate on the table and made as though to leave... Only then did she hear the slightest noise of a drawer being opened... Turning around quickly she saw the drawer pulled shut!

Very slowly she took over the plate of fancies and softly spoke to the tallboy. After a few minutes Lady Pompidoos soft and reassuring voice elicited a response.

From out of the top draw came the most beautiful, furry pink-nosed head with amber eyes and the tallboy tentatively shuffled forward and took a French fancy in its mouth... Slowly the bottom draw opened to reveal two more woolly faces, this time with lemon and purple noses. Gently the French fancy was passed down to the drawers occupants who purred with delight.

Lady Pompidoo and her French Fancy Filly, as she called it, could regularly be seen at Pompidoo Hall sharing plates of French Fancies. It was a friendship that lasted many years and was commemorated in this painting. A painting which Charles Burroughs our renowned explorer was commissioned to paint and eventually formed part of a brief touring exhibition of his works. The painting inspired furniture makers of the time to adopt the French Fancy Filly’s delicate curves and detailing into their work.

Records show that the French Fancy Filly is still out there, so should you come across a tall white set of French drawers don’t forget to check all the drawers and of course always have plenty of French fancies available!

All For Charity!!

Charity Abseil - Art Auction

 

It was a challenge but WE DID IT!

Last weekend Diane and our daughter Emily abseiled 110ft down the Humber Bridge to raise much needed funds for the Royal National Lifeboat Institute.

Diane said 'the abseil down was fantastic, the sun was shining and the view across the estuary was stunning'! It was Emily's 19th birthday that day and she had been struggling with her fear of heights but after a rendition of 'Happy Birthday' from the team on the bridge and the spectators below she conquered her fear and completed the challenge! She admitted that she almost backed out but was really pleased with herself for going through with it!

I am so very proud of them both!

 

The Acorn Gallery has also been taking bids on a selection of artwork donated by the artists to support the cause. To see and bid on remaining items please visit www.theacorngallery.co.uk. RNLI collecting boxes will remain in The Acorn Gallery and Swirlz Ice-Cream Parlour for the next few weeks.

 

The pair have already raised over £400 and money is still coming in. To make any donation, great or small, please visit their fundraising page at www.virginmoneygiving.com/team/Wass

 

'A Walk in the Woods' by Jeff Rowland

It's raining today, the first rain we've had for a few days and it's really quite refreshing! The greenery is getting greener and the dusty shopfronts are getting a bit of a spring clean ready for the Diamond Jubilee this weekend!

Of course when we think of rain we think of Jeff Rowland, our very own 'Rainman'. This latest piece from Jeff stays with this theme but seeks out light and warmth from the colours of the leaves on the trees...

The golden shimmer of Autumn in this painting gives us a feeling of calm and quiet... a few moments away from the hustle and bustle of life around us... pure escapism... 

Just had a flying visit fom Andrian Melka who was out and about in the area so called in to say 'hi'.

He's been working over in St. Louis (Missouri, USA) sculpting a life size 'Neptune' in marble for a museum over there. The museum had one already which had been donated by a benefactor but which was very old and weathered so the benefactor had donated a sum for them to get a new one made!

Andrian had therefore been commissioned to make the new piece for outside and the more fragile version was to be moved indoors!

Top see Andrians work call in to the gallery or check out his page on our website http://www.theacorngallery.co.uk/a1-gallery2.asp?roomID=4272