Stephen Collins Painter
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A Unruly Brush With Life

10/4/2015

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Well, this is rather shameful, my latest one man show and I finally get round to updating this site. It's so easy to get on with a painting, so hard to promote yourself. Anyway on with the task.
The show opens at the Malt House Gallery, The Town Mill, Lyme Regis, Dorset, U.K. and runs from the 20th. November to the 2nd. of December 2015.  Opening 10.30am to 4.30pm every day.  If you've found this, then your very welcome to come to the private view on the evening of the 20th. 6 till 8.
If you can make it to the show great, but if not I will be putting photos of all of the paintings on this site later this month.
 I've added my publicity blurb below. Any thoughts on it please feel free to comment.
 
An Unruly Brush With Life.
 
While the mind ponders what the eye perceives, the heart runs away with the hand to dance a merry jig across the canvas. This is not to say the mind has no say in my painting, rather its role is specific.
It is the heart that first exclaims with joy “Yes, that’s the one” when the eye is caught by a scene. The analytical mind then decides the composition and first cut colours.
The initial coat of paint goes on with a rush. Hand and heart going for it full bore with no quarter given. Mistakes and misrepresentations abound. This is important as they are to play a crucial role in the painting later.
In the second stage of a painting the mind catches up a little and the debate between the head and the heart begins. The hand interrupts with sudden impulsive gestural flicks. This dialogue slowly works towards harmony or erupts into a destructive frenzy when parts and occasionally all of the painting are obliterated.
Whether heart or head, whichever has the stronger case is allowed to lead. What works for the painting comes first.
 
Is this a sensible way of painting? Probably not, but its origins go back some thirty years.
I was a precision engineer by trade and painting offered me an escape from the exacting demands of that occupation. In painting I found two things. A way of expressing my love of nature and a freedom I found nowhere else.
Ideas or projects hold no charms for me. I paint from life, or the imagination, only that which takes my fancy.
This may sound arrogant, but as a self taught painter I have only my inner voice to guide me.
This may be good or it may be bad, it is for you the viewer to decide.
 
 
Stephen Collins.       2015.
 
 

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Up and running, well maybe wobbling.

11/21/2014

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And I thought curating was easy. Not with blank walls and over eighty canvases it's not. Where do you begin, what stays, what goes. Phil the resident curator was great. He bullied me into getting the paintings there the night before hanging day, then insisted we got one wall temporarily up. What a good move as it took till eight the following night to hang the rest. In the end we finished with fifty six paintings. Some I thought good ( which ones do I think are bad?) had to be left out as they didn't fit well with the three themes of, landscape, domestic (my house, mainly kitchen) and abstract.
So far visitor numbers are modest, about twenty five today, but the response has been very positive. The two favorite paintings being one of my table and the other abstract.
Picture
Picture
Tomorrows the start of the weekend, so we shall see what that brings!
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Meandering

11/12/2014

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I've just got my first one man show at the Malt House gallery in Lyme Regis, Dorset UK. It starts on the 20th. November. A little daunting but, mainly exciting. I'm finding painting easy, publicity I need to find a big stick to beat myself with to do it, but dealing with this site and a blog, nigh on impossible. Age I suppose, but I know, or at least think I know, it will come. Tried loading my flyer, but it just won't do.  Whoops
, take it all back, it just did. try my photo next. Well its arrived, not where I expected, but if you bear with me I'll probably improve.  Flyer text is below. Hanging day on the 19th Nov. I'll let you know how it goes. Strange this, talking to myself, England calling, ah well, trying to get modern.



  web.        www.stephencollins-painter.com email :     steve@stephencollins-painter.uk

Stephen Collins - Meandering.

What I have learnt of painting and drawing has been gleaned from the doing of it and looking at the work of artists past and present.
I paint my life.
I enjoy the way things jostle and intermingle on my kitchen table. Marmalade, marmite, old wrinkled apple, water, dinner plate and discarded glasses.
I love the haphazard placement, the spatial relationships, everything placed without thought, just used.
Is there chaos here or harmony, meaning or chance?
This is the way I paint.
Paint first, think after.  The Buddist “Leap before you look”.
Disorganized, colourful and impulsive.
A meaningless mess?   Maybe, maybe not.
I believe a painting “should” ( horrible word ) reflect who you are. Not because you are interesting or special, but because you are all you have, so for better or for worse, speak your piece.
When painting your eye sees, your mind interprets and your hand runs its own sweet path. If you can stand back and allow it all to happen without dictating or fear, you are fortunate. The reward has been in the doing.
If others find any value in what you have done, then you are blessed indeed.

Stephen Collins  20/11/2014.


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    Author

    My interests in life are walking, sailing, designing and thinking. All of these pursuits inform my paintings.

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