From my Florida Studio

Posted on February 19th, 2010

 

Working in the Florida sunshine is a delight.    I find that I can be even more prolific as the sun and warmth speeds up the drying process for my TextureScapes, which normally in Scotland takes several days.

As well as working for my up-coming solo show at Kranenburg Fine Art in Oban, I have become involved in an exciting project for an exhibition called Turn, Turn, Turn - a Synthesis of Vinyl to Art, which will take place at the Sydney and Berne Davies Arts Centre in Fort Myers, Florida opening April 2, before beginning a tour of other galleries and museums in the USA.    The creator and organiser of the competition, Rene Miville, former Vogue photographer and now Fine Art photographer had access to 60,000 vinyl albums and invited artists to use the records and record sleeves to create exhibits for the show.

In collaboration with renowned glass artist (and my glass teacher) Petra Kaiser, we are creating a Temple to Vinyl, a large installation piece combining sculpture, construction, painting, texture and glass.  

 You can see the bare bones of the temple here - decoration is in progress.  More pics later……….. 

  

 

 

 I have also been working on another submission for the show - an eight-foot long series of canvases called Synthetic Symphony.  Pop into the website next week to see images of the completed piece.

 

 

 

 

 

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YOU ARE INVITED TO……..two exciting events on holiday weekend

Posted on September 17th, 2009

 

 

You are invited to join us for a glass of wine at an Opening Reception for the Cowal Open Studios event on Friday 25 September from 6-8pm at Atelier 23, Holy Loch Marina in Sandbank, Dunoon

At the Atelier we will have on show a wonderful selection of paintings, prints, glass, wood, photographs, cushions and knits. 

We will be open also on Saturday and Sunday 10.30am -5.00pm

For full details of this exciting weekend of art, craft and music on the Cowal Peninsula visit the Cowal Open Studios website.

 

MEET THE ARTIST

 Ronnie will be opening his latest exhibition of new TextureScapes at TORRANCE GALLERY, 36 Dundas Street, Edinburgh, where you are welcome to join him on Saturday 26 September 11am -1pm

To view the complete exhibition visit Torrance Gallery website from Tuesday 22 September.

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ONLINE SHOP NOW OPEN!

Posted on August 18th, 2009

We are really excited to launch our new online shop!!

You have been asking us for this and it’s been a long time coming but finally it is ready!!   Our new online shop!  We are delighted to offer you beautiful signed Ronnie Ford prints which you can now order online.  There is a large selection of French, Scottish and American landscapes, as well as flowers and reflections.   There are also some limited edition prints.   We have over 50 products and we will be adding more regularly, including cushions and scarves by Carol and prints by other artists….coming soon!  

 The first 50 customers will be entered into our prize draw to win their favourite Ronnie Ford print. 

Click to visit our NEW ONLINE SHOP!  Have a browse!  Hope you find something that you like!

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Homes and Interiors Scotland Exhibition 28-30 August - SECC Glasgow

Posted on August 14th, 2009

The Homes and Interiors Scotland exhibition 2009 returns to Glasgow’s SECC for its fifth year, having firmly established itself as the leading interiors event in the country.  There is  a wealth of wonderful exhibits including designer workshops, wine tasting and flower arranging.  New this year is a dedicated Art Gallery section showing a huge variety of styles with something to suit everyone.

Ronnie Ford and the Vibrant Art Movement will be occupying stand K2 for the three days of the show, exhibiting new Ford TextureScapes, a selection of Vibrant Artists including paintings from David Acevedo from USA, illustrations by Jonathan Jay Lee from Hong Kong, graffiti art by Marcello from Switzerland and glass sculptures and jewellery from Petra Kaiser.  Also on show Cushy numbers - limited edition hand-made cushions by Carol Ford.  Original paintings and high quality prints available.

COMPETITION WINNERS

In our recent newsletter we offered 3 pairs of tickets to winners of our competition.  Lucky winners were:

R. Rivero from Glasgow; E. Lea from Dunoon; T. Mcindewar from Glasgow.

 

The show is open from 10 - 6 on 28, 29, 30 August.  Tickets for the show are available from Ticket Soup.

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Autumn Exhibition Schedule Firmed Up

Posted on July 22nd, 2009

A busy schedule of exhibition dates is lined up for Ronnie this autumn.   Scroll down to see what is in store……

STRATHEARN GALLERY, CRIEFF from 29 August

To whet appetites before his solo show in October 2010, Ronnie will show around 6 pieces in a group autumn show in this beautifully appointed gallery on the main street in Crieff.  The exhibition opens on 29 August and runs throughout the autumn.

HOMES AND INTERIORS SCOTLAND EXHIBITION, SECC, GLASGOW - 28,29,30 AUGUST

Following the success of his appearance at the show last year, Ronnie has a bigger stand this year which he is delighted to share  with a selection of invited artists who share his passion for vibrancy and colour in their work.  Visit stand K2 for a real treat for the eyes.

COWAL OPEN STUDIOS, ATELIER 23      25-28 SEPTEMBER

As part of this, the second Cowal Open Studios weekend, Ronnie’s studio on the Holy Loch Marina in Sandbank will be open to the public on the four days of the event from 10.30-5.   On the Friday evening, Atelier 23 will host an opening reception to which all are invited.  Wine and tasty canapes will be served from 6-8.30, to accompany a vivid palette of local and international art.  There will also be a competition to win your favourite Ronnie Ford print.

TORRANCE GALLERY, EDINBURGH    SOLO SHOW    26 SEPTEMBER - 10 OCTOBER

An exciting new collection of TextureScapes will fill the two galleries at this, Ronnie’s sixth show at Torrance Gallery.  Torrance Gallery was the first gallery to set up on Dundas Street, which has now become a mecca for art lovers with a plethora of galleries down its length and breadth.  It remains one of the friendliest and most accessible and has provided Ronnie with a large and faithful following of east and north-east coast clients.

KINGS ROAD GALLERY, LONDON AND CADOGAN HOTEL, LONDON  15 October and November

This solo exhibition will open in the London Gallery in Chelsea on 15 October and will move to the Cadogan Hotel in November.    Tanya Baxter, who was Ronnie’s art consultant in Hong Kong and with whom he exhibited regularly at LKF gallery Hong Kong, will curate the show and will also present several of the pieces at the Affordable Art Fair in Chelsea from 22- 25 October, where all art costs less than £3000.

IONA HOUSE GALLERY, WOODSTOCK            SCOTTISH SHOW    opening 10 October

A wonderful selection of best-known Scottish artists will be on show in this annual exhibition at well-respected Iona House Gallery, where the gallery profits go to charity - Scottish International Relief.   Ronnie was first invited to show in 2007 and this will be his third Scottish show with the gallery.  Earlier this year Ronnie took part in the gallery’s Ostrich Egg Auction where his TextureScape painting fetched £200 for the charity. (see April’s news)

RONNIE TO SHOW IN MILAN    opening 22 October  Jelmoni Studio Gallery

Jelmoni Studio, based in Piacenza,  is hosting an exciting and varied international exhibition featuring ten artists of whom Ronnie is the only representative from Scotland.   The gallery, who often take Italian artists to London, New York, Paris, Berlin has this time invited artists from abroad to show in their Milan gallery.   Ronnie will be showing a selection of TextureScapes for the first time to an Italian audience.

More details of each exhibition will be posted nearer the time, but meantime put the dates in your diary.

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New Vibrant Show at Atelier 23

Posted on July 2nd, 2009

Atelier 23 Today!  We have just hung a vibrant new show in our studio.  As well as Ronnie’s recent TextureScapes in summer mood, we are also privileged to show paintings from two very talented artists never before seen in Scotland.

“Supporting young artists who share my positive vision is one of my goals in life.  Giving what I never had, helping them on the road to fulfilment and success.”

Florida artist and winner of Lee County Alliance for the Arts Visual Artist of the Year Award, David Acevedo produces energetic portraits in vivid colours and dynamic textures, drawing the viewer to ponder and wonder. 

“I saw a world of fantasy through a surreal window.  Saw what I needed to see and embraced it.  It is clear in my understanding and vision.  It is abstract in essence, but realistic in message.  I explore this ethereal world and submit to it hoping to strip from the everyday ordinary.”

Just fresh from graduating from Parson’s in New York and recently returned to his home in Hong Kong, Jonathan Jay Lee is already making a name for himself in the illustration world.  Having already completed commissions for  Hong Kong Magazine, Kronenburg Beer and Marvel Comics,  Jonathan, who is a former student of Ronnie’s,  is showing a series of very limited edition signed giclee prints from his original illustrations.  They are fresh and funky, but above all show phenomenal drawing skills and insight into human nature. 

“My intention is to ignite a sense of emotion of some sort in the viewer, even non-art lovers, to perhaps encourage them to see something different in the world around them, perhaps inspired by the vibrancy in a piece of art, and give them the desire to think creatively outside of their normal boundaries. “

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New Sandbank village signs designed by Ronnie Ford

Posted on June 30th, 2009

Sandbank village, in Argyll, Scotland was enhanced this week by the appearance of new signs at both entrances to the village.  Ronnie was approached around 18 months ago to design new signs to be made by local blacksmith Finlay Currie.  Both Ronnie and Finlay have a long family history in Sandbank and it was appropriate that they both devoted their time to this exciting project.   

 

After creating around 15 design ideas, Ronnie got together with Finlay to discuss technical practicalities and put the final 6 designs on display in the village hall for residents to vote.    Funding was procured by the Sandbank Village Council and the project has finally come to fruition.

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Still Life Show at Kranenburg Fine Art

Posted on June 3rd, 2009

“GILDING THE LILY”  a mixed still life show opens at Kranenburg Fine Art this Friday evening - 5 June at 6.30pm.

Though known for his textured landscapes, Ronnie welcomed the opportunity to create 5 still life paintings for this exhibition.

“Painting a still life is a great exercise,” says Ronnie.  “For me it is an opportunity to hone my observation and recording skills and experiment with new ideas, but as always I like to try to find a new approach.  I chose some of my own personal collection of Asian artefacts and interpreted them with an unusual perspective, exploring the three-dimensional quality of the wrapped canvas.”

“Tiger Screen” features a carved lacquer screen, purchased in Hong Kong, which explores the ancient and modern characters and symbols for the tiger.  The screen forms the main part of the composition creating a background, foreground and midground which focuses the viewer’s eye to the still life on the table.

The teaware featured in “Beijing Tea” was bought on a visit to the Chinese capital.  Red is an auspicious colour and contrasts sharply with the vivid green of the teapot.   The composition explores the space and shapes in a more abstract way.

Lilies on a Vietnamese gold lacquer bowl on top of a black opium table with the border of a tribal kilim, “Silence” refers to the ancient Chinese character on the wooden box, as well as the silence of the still life study.

The show runs till 27 June.

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Ronnie to show at Islay Whisky Festival

Posted on May 22nd, 2009

Kilchoman Distillery will be the venue for an exhibition of Argyll artists during the Islay Whisky Festival of 2009.  From 22 - 30 May the island will be packed with lovers of all things whisky, Islay, Scottish.

For this show Ronnie has been inspired to create three Scottish TextureScapes in his unique style.

Autumn Sandbank.  “Nature celebrates the season’s wedding, dressing the landscape in fine colours and spreading her confetti like jewels floating on her breath.”  RF

Mid-Winter Gloaming.  “The setting winter sun kisses the landscape goodnight as the moon casts her spell over the snow-covered mountains”  RF

Summer Gloaming.  ” As the summer breeze begins to whisper goodnight the last warmth of the setting sun sets the scene aglow.”  RF

contact us for details

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One Night Only

Posted on May 22nd, 2009

YOU ARE INVITED  to  One Night Only - an one-off opportunity to view the new works by Marcello at Atelier 23 in Sandbank - come and have  glass of wine and meet the artist on Thursday 28 May from 6.30- 8.30, before his return to Switzerland the following day.

Following the success of Marcel Meier’s previous sell-out show in Atelier 23 in July 2008, we are delighted to host this exciting new exhibition which includes new abstract and graffiti canvases, some of which are previewing at Atelier 23 before going on show in Switzerland next month.

All enquiries to Atelier 23.  Tel@ 01369 704817

contact us for details

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