Summer Residency Update: 22.08.2024

I’ve just reached the halfway point of my residency here at the old Methodist Chapel in Wall and it’s been such a brilliant experience so far. I’m feeling inspired and excited about what’s in store for the next 7 weeks.

During the week I have been using the space as a studio and then throwing open the doors at weekends when people can come along and take a tour round the gallery.

I’ve loved welcoming visitors each weekend, whether that’s local people from the village, hikers traversing Hadrian’s Wall or art lovers who have made the trip out especially to visit the gallery. The support that I’ve received from customers has been incredible and it’s been wonderful to see how art can really put a smile on people’s faces.

The old chapel serves as a perfect space for painting, framing, priming panels and even painting my gallery signs. Simply spending time in this lovely old building has been inspiring. The combination of the high ceiling and light cascading in from both the north and south sides of the building creates wonderfully calm and peaceful space. Ideal characteristics for an art studio in fact.

I’m currently working towards a whole new body of work for an exhibition at the end of my residency which will focus on primarily on landscapes and the extra space here has been essential in allowing me to work on a larger scale. I’ve recently had a lot of interest from customers asking about bigger paintings, which is brilliant as this is exactly the kind of work that I want to make. It’s always a good thing when there's a correlation between what people want and what you enjoy painting.

There will be more updates on my upcoming show very soon but in the meantime if you would like to receive an invite to the private view please sign up to my mailing list at the bottom of the page. (Don't forget to check your junk folder to confirm the subscription).

So, just to wrap up this brief update I'd like to say a huge thank you to everyone who has visited the gallery, liked and shared posts on social media and of course bought paintings, your support is massively appreciated.

James