2022 in a few paragraphs

Well, my last blog in March was called 'on the road again' and I think I didn't get off the road this year! I love writing my blog but it has been the last thing in a long list of things this year so while I have a moment I will try and sumarise the year I've had.

After moving house and the pandemic things were very upside down along with working two jobs as well it was all a bit much but now, I've managed to just have one job and my art, but we are moving again!

This year started with me having time to create new works with a little bit of colour after spending a few years painting quite dark. Maybe we were all emerging from a dark time? I took part again in the Belper Art Trail, Derbyshire Open Arts, Haddon Hall and the Bonsal Trail and I was happy to be back at Cromford Mills Artisan Market again.

 After Easter I was excited to be approached to create nine commissions, eight of Ashbourne shop fronts and one personal. So, from then on, every week was taken up with those so it may seem I haven't painted many this year to those that are following me but I can assure you I have been super busy art-wise. Please visit Cafe Impromptu  Ashbourne where you can see all eight shop fronts on the wall as prints.

Cafe Impromptu Ashbourne, where you can see all eight commissioned paintings as prints.

Also, this year has been the welcome return of doing art demos at art groups it started off with everyone feeling nervous and wearing a mask but has ended with it being more like old times fingers are crossed it stays that way! 

Finished art demo painted at Hinkley Art Group

The year ends with me working on another commission, this time a house portrait, so I am very happy how my year has gone. It is nice to place a canvas on an easel and know you are working on something special.

Next year's plans are to exhibit with Peak District Artisans again as well as have my own exhibition of recent works at Banks Mill Studios. 

Oh yes we are moving house again! We left Belper a couple of years ago but we have missed being there so much so we are moving back on my website you will see I have painted the streets of Belper many times there is always something new to see so that is a very exciting thing to look forward to in the new year!

Please enjoy the Christmas period and hopefully, I will see you in the new year!
 

New work for 2022

 

Sunrise on the school run 40 x 40 cm acrylic on canvas.

How are you all doing? It seems the news gets crazier by the day to the point now where I'm listening to much more music to distract me from the buffoon in charge. Thankfully I'm of an age where I know that things come to pass and we come out the other side eventually it just seems to have been a bloody long decade!

We are lucky though if only we open our eyes and see the beauty that is all around every day, last week or maybe it was the week before who knows but each morning I was blinded on the way home from the school run by magnificent sunrises which alongside massive traffic jams meant I had plenty of time to absorb all the colours. This inspired me to get the paints out and put them all down at once onto the canvas with one of them being the above piece called Sunrise on the school run showing the view on the way to Kilburn.

My new job has sent me up some hills in Matlock Bath, and the surrounding area, here's one that I've just finished too.

Matlock Bath from the Jubilee Bridge.35 x 25 cm.

Along with the representational stuff I've just wanted to get the colour down so here's a few abstract studies, I love doing these very therapeutic.

30 x 24 cm

 10 x 8"

6 x 8"

30 x 24 cm

The colours all look better in real life so I hope you can come along and see me this year at the various events I will be doing around the area. See my website www.ruthgrayimages.com for details.

It was nice to see my painting in the background of this video the other day :) 

https://youtu.be/ZdEaLKpwzZ8 

Pathway Portrayals and Tales

 

High Peak Trail 1, Middleton Top.

I've started a new series of work, called Pathway Portrayals and Tales all located on the High Peak Trail between Middleton Top and High Peak Junction. A couple of years ago I did a detailed photographic study of the trail and the images have been sitting there waiting patiently for me to get to them. 

High Peak Trail 2, Quarry.

My new studio space is quite tight so I've decided to keep the works in a smaller format and I love this size which is 20 x 50 cm. I have 25 canvas boards all ready to be painted and I'm hoping that I can show them at either High Peak Junction or Middleton Top when they are finished.

High Peak Trail 3, Incline Begins.

There is no rush so I'm taking my time, the trail was opened to the public 50 years ago in 1974 but was in the process of being converted in 1971. So 50 years later I'm celebrating it in these paintings. Keep following my progress on my social media and see how I'm getting on. The tales part of this exhibition I'm hoping will come from the people that interact with the paintings, I've already heard from one lady who had a cycling accident on the trail many years ago and had to be rescued! Id love to hear more tales so leave your comments or get in touch via my website http://www.ruthgrayimages.com

The chip shop obsession continues

Well, I'm working on being able to touch my toes, and I'm nearly getting there! Who would have thought that me the queen of sitting would be jumping about in the living room trying to do keep fit! I will spare you the actual image of this it's a strictly curtains drawn event! But progress has been made I can sit down on the floor and get up unaided! Silver linings eh!
Apart from my contortions in front of the TV, I have been contemplating what it takes for something to become a national icon and no I don't mean myself I mean the chip shop of course!
Last year I embarked on this mammoth project for my MA studies and I'm finally getting round to writing it all up. From my research it seems to boil down to a lot of us having the same emotions and memories, Chip shops have a continuity that goes back 160 years run by individuals, family businesses that serve us something that is unique to this country. Each area of the country have their different takes on it but essentially you can go anywhere in the UK and get a bag of chips to cheer you up. I know my Australian friends will insist that they have chippies but I can honestly say after I landed back in Blighty the taste of a soggy chip was the best day ever followed by standing barefoot on grass knowing there was no deadly spider underfoot!

Is this serious research I hear you ask? What is she going to do with a dissertation about chip shops? Well, I take heritage very seriously and I can tell you there's nothing more central to the British than the fact we are an island nation surrounded by the sea and full of green fields. In these apocalyptic times be comforted to know that potatoes will grow and fish will be caught and they will be battered and fried and eaten :) My research has uncovered the secret to us all surviving! Hey, it's not as far fetched as a dose of bleach followed by a quick sun bed session!!!!

So is she painting at all?
Yes, I'm painting I've just finished a lovely commission and started a new work a theme seems to be emerging again little back street businesses the sort you walk past they've always been there until they aren't.

Maycock's Butchers Overlane 40 x 40 cm

Clayton Engineering Belper in progress. 

So there you go a little update on all things in my world, yes I'm going slightly insane but in a good way! Keep occupied and carry on! Thank you for the replies to my chippy questions if you have any more observations or thoughts about what they mean to you please reply Australian fans if you have found a local chip shop that can make soggy chips I apologise and send my congratulations to the owner ... how hard can it be?
Anyway bye, for now, stay safe
Love
Ruth

Best Chip Shop in the World.

Chip shops who knew they could be so interesting, I've just painted number 8 and it was one my husband took me to see in Chesterfield, it looks just like a house no signage or any hint its a chip shop but who needs signage when you are 'Margaret's Chippy best chip shop in the world' according to facebook reviews, I found the website and Margaret ran it for 52 years and is now enjoying just greeting old customers while its run by a new couple. Regulars return and are prepared to queue for as long as it takes.
An interesting thought if your product is good enough and you are consistent no need to shout and cover yourself in neon lights! 

Margaret's Chippy, Duke Street Chesterfield 20 x 20 cm acrylic on canvas

If you have any chip shops you love let me know!

See all my other chip shop paintings on my website: http://ruthgrayimages.com 

Mapping it Out, New Work for St John Street Gallery

I sourced an old ordnance survey map of Derbyshire on line, to use as part of a new series of work for St John Street Gallery my intention was to literally tear it up into sections and stick it down and then see what happened next.

By chance I was left with a small corner of the map of the Staffordshire Moorlands and after layering ink and mediums on to the initial layer of maps I again tore up the corner and placed that on to the canvas and from that I looked at the names on those pieces and found some wonderful locations which I have painted below.
The surfaces are full of texture and character of the maps it was certainly an interesting way to create new work.

Near Calton Green

Detail of Near Calton Green

Devils Staircase

Detail For Devils Staircase

Ipstones Edge

Detail of Ipstones Edge

Near Kingsley Holt

Detail of Near Kingsley Holt

Weaver Hills

Detail of Weaver Hills

You can view the new pieces at St John Street Gallery Ashbourne from August 1st. They are all 30 x 30 cm on box canvas £300 each contact the gallery to make a purchase.

My last show before summer is a charity event at The Belper Games where I will be selling a range of greeting cards and my #100dayproject cards.

Up Coming Events

Mill Green Museum

I will be at Hall of Frames King Street.

Ashbourne Workshop in the Rain.

A couple of weeks ago I ran my workshop at St John Street Gallery in Ashbourne, in my head I had the idea that March would be the perfect time to get outside and do a bit of sketching!
Well as you all know its been brutal weather in Derbyshire and standing outside in pouring rain was not ideal.
Although actually looking back you get some interesting results and memories.
I managed to find us shelter in a doorway and we actually got some decent sketches and funny looks as we tried to capture the scene in front of us.
 Today I revisited the painting I started and totally destoryed it and brought it back again I think this captures how blumin cold and wet and freezing we were!

A Late Winter in Ashbourne by Ruth Gray.

The next date for a street scene workshop is June 12th details here hopefully not pouring down but glorious sunshine.

Id love you to book on so we can have a great creative day together.  Any abilities are welcome.

While you are here I have a brand new mailing list be great if you could sign up no more than six a year! Subscribe Here

Ten Small Paintings for January

Below is the results of my labours for January ten small paintings of various street scenes around Derbyshire and the UK. I've been struggling to find a consistent plan of action for a few months what with Christmas shows, birthdays, anniversaries etc.... so I've needed to find something that I can fit in around all the goings on and weekends away and visitors, kids you know life. I'm also struggling with my physical health so short bursts of work has been the plan of action.

These little paintings I am quite proud of  all together as a group I'm happy with them, some I'm not so thrilled with but that's inevitable and is at the discretion of the artist to know which they are.

I've decided for now to keep them unframed and for sale on my website at a cost of £150 each I haven't had a online show of works for sale before so its all new to me, but I figured out how to connect everything to paypal and we shall see. Prints are always available of any of my paintings too. If you are interested follow the link here

Its been nice to revisit some of the places I love and to spend a gloomy January imagining I am there. I've just come back from a weekend in Sheffield my husband is amused at how excited I am for a bit of dereliction and general urban decay!  It was our wedding anniversary treat and I spent it marveling at demolishion sites! I've booked a few days in Cleethorpes soon and I am more excited in a day trip to Grimsby Docks than anything else so I see my year kind of panning out in that sort of direction less pretty landscapes and more grime. Possibly not very commercial but sometimes you have to follow your heart.

Anyway leave me a comment below and let me know what you think of my months work.

George Street Hastings 18 x 24 cm on linen

Henrietta Street Whitby 18 x 24 cm on linen

High Street Rye 18 x 24 cm on linen

Market Place Chesterfield 18 x 24 cm on linen

Millennium Bridge Towards St Pauls 18 x 24 cm on linen

Niddry Street Edinburgh 18 x 24 cm on linen

Pelham Street Nottingham 18 x 24 cm on linen

Victoria Square Ashbourne 18 x 24 cm on linen

Water Street Bakewell 18 x 24 cm on linen

Wood Street Manchester 18 x 24 cm on linen.

Reflection,Workshop Cromford Canal on Birdswood

Yesterday I facilitated a workshop at Cromford.

 We set sail for a day of reflection on the historic canal boat Birdswood its fair to say we had four seasons in one day which perfectly illustrated the different effects the weather can have on reflections in water. 

We spent the 45 min trip up the canal sketching and observing, we then departed for half an hours walk in the rain noting ripple effects and had a leisurely trip back photographing and taking notes.

Once returned to the wharf after lunch we took our observations and used acrylic in a limited pallet to depict any part of our trip that we wanted to capture. It was very sunny and the acrylic paint struggled in the heat but we all came away with a painting and an awful lot of information to take forward for further work.

The photos explain better than I how wonderful this day was.