14th September 2011

New in...

Mark Johnston's

More of Mark's work can be seen on his page here, or come into the gallery to see all that we have available from him.

Graham Vasey's

26th August 2011

Just arrived...

Rob Ryan Laser Cuts

We have just unpacked 3 fantastic laser cuts by Rob Ryan; 'Our adventure is about to begin' is an edition of 500, 'Can we? Shall we?' of 1000 and 'I miss being a small girl' of 300. Just click on each laser cut to see them in more detail. If you would like any further details then please contact us.

22nd August 2011

New Sam Tofts are here!

Feeling ready to create a new body of work Sam Toft has created a new collection, some of which you may have seen in the gallery as originals. These limited edition prints feature Sam's now infamous characters, "The Mustard's", Ernest Hemingway Mustard and his dear lady wife Violet along with their much loved eccentric friends and pets. Using mixed media, pencil, oil pastels, coloured inks and her own idiomatic techniques, Sam depicts a seaside world of faded ice-cream colours where the breeze is always blowing and life is utterly delicious. With an edition size of 295 Sam says you 'get more picture for your money.'

To see more of her new work please visit Sam's page, and if you would like any further information do not hesitate to contact us.

16th August 2011

Q & A

Lou Harris

It is the turn of Lou Harris to select and answer five questions. Here's what she had to say.

What do you enjoy most about being an artist?

I love to create places that evoke a mood, a quiet place to escape to. I love the way you cannot help but put your character into painting. It's as if your soul trickles out through your fingers onto the canvas. I would like to think that when anyone sees my work they know it's mine. It is the greatest joy to me to think that there are lovely people out there who want a piece of me on their wall. Whenever a piece of work is sold it's like winning the lottery; I feel so proud and elated.

What first drew you to art?

From as early as I can remember I have always wanted to convey my thoughts and feelings into pictures. I wouldn't say that I was a natural artist in terms of ability as painting and drawing has never come easy to me. The desire to create has always been there though and that has been my driving force. I can remember feeling frustrated as a child because of that very fact. The desire was there but the ability had to grow and be worked on.

Do you live with your own work?

Living with my work would be like putting mirrors up everywhere. I'd find it a little narcissistic. Don't get me wrong, I love my work, but I also love other people to see it, especially when it's a piece that I'm very proud of.

Old or new?

Strange to say I think a mixture of both. Even though my work is set in the past and I rejoice in memories, I do utilise parts of the modern world to help me live in the present. The joy of life now is that you can be selective about what you do and don't embrace. We have the choice and I choose to use technology to my advantage but not to allow it to take over my life. We are in such a hurry to do everything now and time goes so quickly because we are not paying attention.

What is your favourite poem?

'The Soldier' by Rupert Brooke. I love Britain and everything about it, good and bad. It is my home and I am very proud of it. I have tried living elsewhere and I got terrifically homesick. This magnificent poem evokes that sense of pride, that sense of belonging and desire to be home. It always gives me goose bumps when I hear it.

26th July 2011

Gallerina welcomes Esther Tyson...

Born in 1973, Esther Tyson was brought up in a small town at the edge of the Lake District, Cumbria. She currently lives and works in Derbyshire. Esther studied at Carlisle college of Art and Design, Carmarthenshire college of Technology and Art and then Londons Royal College of Art. Esther has exhibited widely in the UK and her work has also earned acclaim in London where she was short listed for the Prestigious Hunting Art Prizes earlier this year.

Esther is a painter whose work reflects her deep feeling for the natural world, without being sentimental. Painting from life, she seeks to capture the essence of her subject. Her painting is a response to the smell, sights and sounds. It emerges from her reactions, feelings and thoughts toward both her subject and the marks she makes.

If you would like any further information please contact us

14th July 2011

Q & A(rtemis)

John Simpson

A stunning new John Simpson silkscreen arrived this week entitled 'Artemis'. This edition of 55 also came accompanied by some Questions & Answers from John.

How long have you been an artist?

I've been making work since I graduated in 1998 but became a full time artist 5 years ago. I left my last job and spent a season in the Canadian mountains - it was a very liberating experience!

How would you describe your style of working?

It's almost a hybrid of drawing and painting. The process is very important in my work. The Monotype print process adds a new dimension to mark making. It is often a fight to control the ink, but it is often this struggle which creates a new interesting surface.

Where did you learn the techniques you use?

Though I studied Printmaking at University, the process I now use is largely self taught through experimentation. It is a fresher, more immediate form of printmaking which doesn't rely on lots of traditional equipment.

Which artists do you most admire?

I love drawings. I have a particular interest in the two dimensional work of Sculptors - working drawings that exist as an exploration of a form. Alberto Giacometti was a master of this. Francisco Goya was a fascinating artist. He experienced life and work as a traditional court painter, but also behaved like a true modern artist, engaging with the world around him.

Three desert island discs?

Smog: I break horses
Arvo Part: Cantus in memory of Benjamin Britten
Pixies: Where is my mind?

8th July 2011

Two new paintings from...

Steven Lawler

Steven Lawler came into the gallery today to deliver two beautiful new paintings entitled 'Wanderer by the sea' and 'The Summoner'. For more details and to see them in full glory just click on the images below.

6th July 2011

It's women's talk

Lou Harris

Lou Harris came into the gallery with a new painting, accompanied by a short poem...

It's women's talk I just can't stay
to listen to them chattering away.
If I can make it down to you
here's what we shall do.
Instead of gossiping our lives away
we'll `discuss' the issues of the day.
Then I'll tell you about Sid
and how he's playing away.  

17th June 2011

Red & Blue

Henrik Simonsen

We have recently received a new silkscreen from Henrik Simonsen entitled 'red and blue'. Click on the framed picture to the left to see the silkscreen in more detail.

Henrik says, "When asked what I do I will tell people that I paint but I think that I should say that I draw. The main element in my work is drawing. The attraction to drawing stems from the directness of the mark making process and the simple, yet magical way lines on a surface create shapes and forms.

I do all my drawing freehand even if I repeat an element, as I feel that projectors or stencils take the life and strength out of the line.

My work has had nature as a central theme for years. There is a lesson to learn from how nature is able to vary simple forms infinite. It might sound clichéd to say that nature is your source of inspiration but I can’t change that. I think this is where my Scandinavian background becomes evident. Scandinavia has a long tradition for art, design and architecture inspired by natural forms. For me personally the draw of the subject matter is its inexhaustible richness and metaphorical ability to speak of human existence. Of life, passion and the brevity of existence.

The influence for this body of work has also been the 18th century. Or more specifically the period from between 1730 and 1765 now referred to as the Rococo. Rococo looked to nature for inspiration. It celebrated the sinuous, the organic and the sensuous. It embraces the bizarre and the beauty of natural phenomena. I am fascinated by its lack of structure, hierarchy and the fairytale like world that it shows us. It’s a world of beauty, freedom and just plain fun.

Like the subject matter the process of creating them is an organic process where the elements are allowed to ‘grow’ onto the canvas. The first mark will suggest others and in this way I will move around the canvas until it is completed. The canvas will have washed off paint poured onto it, graphite drawn on it, and oil paint applied to it. There is no set order to the process above and any of them can be repeated a number of times. The last few years paint and colour has gone from very minor roles to playing a bigger part. I also find that the application of paint, especially when poured or thrown at the canvas gives the drawn lines an important contrast.

What is very import to me when I work is the history of the piece. This is why I rarely attempt to erase anything completely on a canvas. I prefer to keep the drawing that I later abandoned, changed or worked over as a part of the finished piece. I feel this gives the painting a feel of having occupied a period in time because the layers allow the history of creation to be visible rather then reducing the piece to just an impenetrable surface."      

31st May 2011

Mark Johnston DVD Launch

We would like to thank everybody who managed to make it to the Mark Johnston DVD launch and made it such a wonderful day. Mark thoroughly enjoyed meeting you all and we hope you all had fun too. There are some photographs of the launch above for those who unfortunately could not make it. If you have any queries on any of the paintings you saw or can see in the photographs then please contact us. Thank you again to Mark and all that came.

23rd May 2011

Q & A

Paul Denham

A new feature on the news page is a monthly questions and answers with our artists to find out a little bit more about them. To kick start it off we have 5 answers from Paul Denham.

Which artists do you most admire?

Casper David Friedrich- for his luminous skies and expansive landscapes.
John Constable- beautiful painter and in my opinion just as ground breaking as Turner.
Zao Wo Ki- for his abstract markings and fusion of texture and smooth fields of colour.

What is your favourite time of year?

The warm spring days which follow a harsh long winter.

Growing up, what was your favourite children's television programme?

Button Moon.

What was the last book you read?

Red Sky at Night by Jane Struthers. A book about lost countryside wisdom.

What is your favourite poem?

Speak of the North! A lonely moor
Silent and dark and tractless swells,
The waves of some wild streamlet pour
Hurriedly through its ferny dells.

Profoundly still the twilight air,
Lifeless the landscape; so we deem
Till like a phantom gliding near
A stag bends down to drink the stream.

And far away a mountain zone,
A cold, white waste of snow-drifts lies,
And one star, large and soft and lone,
Silently lights the unclouded skies.

Speak of the North by Charlotte Bronte

10th May 2011

Mark Johnston Visit

Gallerina is pleased to invite you along to an afternoon with Mark Johnston. On Sunday 22nd May Mark will be in the gallery from 12-4pm to launch his DVD, 'Handwriting'. This will also be the first chance to see Mark's new body of work from 2011.

To have a peak of the trailer for this please click here. If you would like to attend this event please email us with how many of you will be attending. We hope to see you then.

6th May 2011

Rob Ryan Returns!!

The gallery has been fortunate enough to receive five silkscreens of Rob Ryan's paper cuttings. Four are shown here and can be seen in fuller detail by clicking on the image. The photographs really cannot do justice to the intricacy of these pieces so do come in and see for yourself. If you require any further information please do not hesitate to contact us.

4th May 2011

Art and Soul

James Paterson has recently had a full article about his portrait commissions in The Northern Echo. The newspaper visited James at his studio in Darlington to find out more about being a portrait artist. James has been painting commissions for some time now and some of these can be seen on his portraits page here. To view the article in full click here.

13th April 2011

Graham Vasey

Oak Tree

Graham Vasey has just delivered a new liquid light image to the gallery. This lone oak, standing in a meadow near the village of Romalkirk in Teesdale, was taken with an antique Kodak single element lens. Other new pieces of work from Graham have just been added to the website; click here to view his page.

Please contact us for any further information.

5th April 2011

Lisa Wilkinson

Tears

We have received a new self portrait from Lisa Wilkinson, entitled Tears #1. She says this piece '...is the first in a series of charcoal drawings which continue to explore themes of sadness which have informed much of my work to date. My work is generally based upon portraiture, and often self-portraits relating shyness, introversion and loneliness which I hope will elicit questions, empathy and an emotional response from the viewer.'

For further details on Lisa's work please contact us.

25th March 2011

Tom McGuinness

A Winter Scene- 1996

The second posthumous limited edition print of 25. Released by the McGuinness family, the print forms part of the Official Archive Collection. Visit Tom's page to see more of his work or contact us for further details.

4th March 2011

Out of this world!

A Striking New Suite of Original Paintings from Craig Davison

Craig's courageous little girl faces a whole new series of odds to overcome! These can all be seen on Craig's new look page, or contact us for further details.

17th February 2011

Lego landing!

New series from James Paterson

James states 'Like the paintings of bottle caps, the Lego figures are a simple way to explore colour, form and design. The familiarity of the imagery allows me to almost explode the image while still retaining it, something that I find is only possible with easily recognisable objects.

Also like my other recent work it focuses on an interest in the hobby of collecting in which the displaying of any collected objects (worthless or priceless) becomes more than its individual pieces.'

If you're interested in commissioning a piece of work, would like to be informed when more Lego paintings arrive or have a query regarding existing paintings please contact us. Also be sure to have a look at James' other work here.

11th February 2011

Arched Cloud, Cowgreen

Latest from Paul Denham

Photographs rarely do full justice to the atmosphere, texture and shapes found within Paul Denham's work, but we think you'll agree his latest piece looks truly magnificent.

With inspiration coming from one of Paul's many walks in the countryside of the North East, Paul describes this particular area as 'A beautiful relief to the sea of heather surrounding its shores. Cowgreen is a manmade stretch of water, but with your back facing the dam wall its flat luminous surface appears natural and timeless. A mirror to the sky, framed by the slopes of Meldon Hill and Herdship Fell, which most days funnel dark, heavy showers across its surface creating dramatic, inspiring landscapes'.

For further information please contact us.

7th February 2011

Art-official meets Graham Vasey

Out in the Howgill Fells

A new art-official film profiling Graham Vasey began production this week, travelling with him to see Graham at work in the beautiful, wind-swept Howgill fells. We will be following the journey these photographs take, through the processing to developing into wonderful imagery. The photographs taken on the trip will soon be available from the gallery so be sure to look out for them.

"For me the Howgill fells are a magical place. Bordered on one side by the River Lune to the west, and to the east by the River Rawthey they are a bold group of high grassy hills. The name Howgill comes from the old Norse "how" meaning hill and "gill" meaning a deep stream cut ravine, an apt description of these fells. Further east lie the fells of Mallerstang, Wild Boar and Baugh; these are massive hulks of mountains and though of a very different character to the rest, these hills are often included in the Howgill Fells. All of them stand between the Lake District and the Yorkshire Dales and are often bypassed by tourist and day trippers leaving these hills in their peaceful slumber remarkably untouched by time. I first discovered these incredible hills as a child looking out of the car window driving south along the M6 for our summer holidays. I didn't know their names but they filled my imagination with thoughts of secret valleys and windswept peaks. Years later my brother Chris bought a walking map of the area and together we started to explore the landscape. Since then I often return to take photographs, and enjoy the solitude of these wild hills." Graham Vasey.

Two of Graham's recent pieces can be seen here; just click on the image to see it enlarged. If you were like to see more of Graham's work please visit his page or contact us.

14th January 2011

First new artist for 2011

We introduce to you...Tim Cornley

Gallerina is pleased to present to you our first new artist for 2011; Tim Cornley.

Tim was born in 1977 and completed an Art Foundation course at Queen Elizabeth Darlington. He went on to study at Bretton Hall College of Leeds University, achieving a BA Honours degree in Fine Art Painting.

Working as an Art teacher with a passion for Art History, Tim's influences are wide ranging, from Velazquez to the contemporary Gerhard Richter. His portraits have an obvious photographic influence but also a painterly quality that there is no attempt to disguise, unlike the work of the photo-realists. Tim states that- `I admire realism in art but equally painters that celebrate the medium of paint and the gestural brushstroke such as Sargent or Bacon.'

There is also a thoughtful, meditative undertone can be found throughout his work. `In the past I have painted landscapes and abstracts but there has always been a constant throughout. My paintings have always been about questioning the world we see, our visual perception and its limitations.'

For further information please contact us.

6th January 2011

'Fox with Girl'

John Simpson's beautiful accident

'Fox with Girl' is a wonderful new silkscreen just released by John Simpson. With the bold red background it sees a change from his regular work. It was one of those accidental moments. The silkscreen tests were printed onto some left over red backgrounds and John took a liking to them. This is one of the attractions for John; the process is detailed and precise yet open to chance and discovery. The first image is just the beginning. After days of deliberation and experiment the final print is made up of seven layers in six colours. There is no 'original', each has to be made separately.

A selection of John's work that is available in the gallery can be seen here. For further information please contact us.

16th December 2010

Original Sam Tofts have arrived!!!

13 beautiful originals now grace our gallery walls. They are as wonderful as ever, and as usual we urge you to be speedy to avoid disappointment. To view all 13 of these visit Sam's originals page here. If you require any further information please do not hesitate to contact us.

14th Decebmber 2010

Gallerina welcomes Robert Ryan...

'All of the Words in the World' signed limited edition silkscreen print by Rob Ryan. Ryan created this piece for the British Heart Foundation's Mending Broken Hearts Art Appeal, and a share of the profits will go to the BHF. Ryan was given the theme 'mending broken hearts' from which to take inspiration. This intricate, whimsical and romantic composition is typical of his work, which always features text as the emotional key of the work. Ryan created an original paper cut of the image (which was sold at auction in aid of the BHF in April 2010), which he painstakingly made with a tiny scalpel. His unashamedly romantic interpretation of 'mending broken hearts' shows a couple opening their hearts to each other.

Click on the image to see it in its full glory. For more information please contact us.

25th November 2010

'The Gambler'

New Steven Lawler painting

"'The Gambler' is about the nature of reality and the choices that are either placed before us in life or alternatively that appear randomly and without meaning depending on what we choose to believe – hence the gamble aspect of the title. It contains an angel – a traditional symbol for good - and a goat that symbolizes evil. If we make a particular choice for instance are we heading for some kind of eternal damnation? Or eternal salvation? Or doesn't it matter because when you're dead you're dead and all of the moral rules placed around us are nothing other than man made constructions designed to maintain order in civilization and supress primitive urges?

The watch signifies the transience of time and the fact that it is an abstract concept designed to mark existence as man experiences it – from past to present to future . The curtain emphasizes theatricality and that the world is an illusion – as in the veil that separates this world from the other. The bell is an awakening – it summons people to worship and marks special events. Bells supposedly have some sort of connection with the Otherworld. I've also heard of people ringing bells to ritually cleanse an area. The cards have an ankh symbol on the back which symbolises eternal life – and cards are used in gambling of course. The notepad has the mathematical and algebraic formulas for the golden ratio written on it. The golden ratio is also known as the divine proportion or Phi. Throughout history, thinkers from mathematicians to theologians have pondered the mysterious relationship between numbers and the nature of reality. The number at the heart of that mystery: phi, or 1.6180339887 and magical properties had been attributed to it. It has shown a propensity to appear in an astonishing variety of places, from mollusc shells, sunflower florets, and rose petals to the shape of the galaxy." Steven Lawler

To view this and some of Steven's other work please click here.

1st November 2010

DVDs arrived

Craig Davison & Mark Johnston's films

The latest Art-official releases have been delivered and are available from Gallerina. The films give a detailed insight into their art; from their inspirations through to their day to day life. Handwriting was filmed predominantly in Brighton where Mark now lives, showing him in his studio and out in some inspiring locations. Il Artista, il Vernice, il Immagini is in a comic strip style, based around Craig painting in his studio in the picturesque north eastern countryside.

To view trailers for these DVDs click on the films below or visit the Art-official page.

24th September 2010

Number one!

Gallerina named best shopping experience in Darlington

Gallerina has been named the best shop in Darlington in a mystery shopper survey. The survey was the result of a partnership between Darlington Borough Council and Darlington Town Centre Traders' Association to find out which outlets offered the best shopping experience.

"We're very. very proud - but we're even more so because we're an art gallery. People tend to think they're a little bit more snooty, and we have tried really hard to not be that, so we're doubly happy."

The gallery has tried very hard to make the customer feel at home, from the layout of the gallery, to offering an interest-free installment purchase scheme and even arranging home visits.

17th September 2010

Gallerina welcomes Richard Stainthorp

For many years the gallery has been a great admirer of Richard's sculptures and we are pleased to announce we now have his work on display. An example of one of his wonderful pieces is shown here with more in the gallery.

Born September 1976, Richard was educated at Barnard Castle School in County Durham until the age of 15, when he won a scholarship to Millfield School in Somerset. There he studied both art and science, having a natural aptitude in both fields, especially sculpture and biology. Having produced several works of sculpture, which attracted popular acclaim, he then went on to study at Newcastle and Wolverhampton, and attained his honours degree in Fine Art, specialising in sculpture. Proportion and physiology shines through his works, which appear to defy the base materials they are constructed from; as though the steel and copper wire becomes bone, sinew and flesh. Each piece begins with a spine, hips, shoulders and a rib cage, giving the basic human torso. Then the arms, legs and head are built up, a technique of constructing which results in the finished piece. This process of building from the 'inside-out' ensures his pieces develop correct human proportions and life-like properties.

13th September 2010

Little Lous

New Lou Harris paintings...

Lou Harris has been into the gallery to deliver some of her new work. After many years of asking Lou finally gave in and painted four beautiful little character studies. These have just been magnificently framed so click on the pictures to see them before they fly out of the door. To see the the other two paintings unframed visit Lou's page here. For any further information do not hesitate to contact us.

16th August 2010

Brighton Bound

Mark Johnston at work...

As part of a forthcoming art-official production profiling Mark Johnston, Gallerina took a trip to Brighton to catch a rare glimpse of him at work in his studio; something not even his wife and children are allowed to do! We were lucky enough to get a chance to interview Mark, as well as film some of his inspirations, working practices and what he does to relax. To see the trailer for the film click here.

Some of the pieces that were painted during the filming have been brought back to the gallery, along with other new work by Mark. To see these click on the thumbnails above. Additional pieces from his new collection can be seen on his page here.

It's arrived!!!

The limited edition silkscreen by John Simpson has arrived in the gallery and is available for sale. Entitled 'Encounter with Omega', it is limited to an edition of 60. Click on the picture or visit John's page to see it in full.

For more details contact us.

26th July 2010

MR. MUSTARD RIDES INTO TOWN

Handprinted silkscreens by Sam Toft...

We have just received delivery of some wonderful new prints by Sam Toft. These have been handprinted by Angus and Sally in Hove and are a first for Sam. To see them all in their full glory click here.

There are also eight new limited artist prints available from the gallery, continuing the adventures of Mr. Mustard and his companions. See these and Sam's other work here.

22nd July 2010

John Simpson comes to Darlington!

John Simspon made the long journey north to bring us some fantastic new mono prints. John is also due to release a new limited edition silkscreen any day...so watch this space. To view these and more of his work in finer detail click here.

17th July 2010

Chum

New series by Craig Davison.................

Craig Davison has turned some of the sketches he brought to the gallery into a series of amazing oil paintings. Click the image to see the first in the series.

To view his other work click here

For more details on Craig's work and this exciting new series do not hesitate to contact us or pop into the gallery.

14th June 2010

New paintings just in!!!!

Here's a quick glimpse of some of the beautiful new paintings that have just arrived, with work from...

Lou Harris, Steven Lawler, Craig Davison & James Paterson

26th May 2010

A new painting by James Paterson...................

" 'Cherry Soda' is the initial piece in my latest series of work. These new paintings are a hedonistic reworking of commonplace objects. With small items oversized to bombastic proportions and bright, rich colour smudged with a gestural sweeping brushwork, these new works are a dazzlingly amplified look at the neglected objects of the past."

James Paterson

To view more of James' work click here

For more details contact us

21st April 2010

NEWS FLASH!

New arrivals..................

Mark Demsteader has brought some fantastic new oils to Gallerina this week.

To view them and other work click here

For more details contact us

Don't miss...................

Tom McGuinness 'The Return'

Exhibition 15th March - 1st June 2010

'The Return' is an exhibition that marks Toms works returning as a permanent feature of Gallerina. It is also a theme Tom used for many of his paintings and prints, depicting his famous stooped, bow legged figures in the 'return' shaft of the mine.

Tom used his paintings as a diary for his long working life as a miner, and in doing so shared so much more with us. This exhibition will include some of Toms oils, drawings, lithographs and etchings, showcasing him as the great artist and technician that he was. This will be the first time Toms family have made works officially available since he very sadly passed away in 2006.

We feel proud, as always, to show Toms work in the gallery and privileged to have a front row seat to this fantastic North East mining artists work. He is missed by us all, and remains our champion.

View the Tom McGuinness trailer

We hope you are able to join us.

One for the Diary.... 13th Feb 2010

Peter Blake Art Bus

Exciting news, Peter Blake's Art bus is coming to Gallerina!

Saturday the 13th February, as part of its 'Rock & Roll' tour, the art bus will be here in Duke Street Darlington for the day.

The 20 year old double Decker spent its working life on the Streets of Liverpool. A dream to convert the bus into something special became a reality in 2009, with the top deck converted into a contemporary gallery space complete with balcony, and the lower deck a 'lounge' area the bus really is something very special, a quarter of a million pounds worth of art in its own right!

Peter Blake, of course, designed the exterior of the bus in his trade mark Pop Art style, ensuring that its appearance is flamboyant and beautiful.

The Art Bus is free to visit, all you need to do is call (or pop into) Gallerina on 01325 363635 and book a time slot.

Imagine

BBC 1 Tuesday 1st December 10.35pm

Asked by the BBC would we like to take part in the imagine series we were thrilled and flattered to say the least. Gallerina was chosen due to its success using the Own Art Scheme and for our dedication to making our efforts accessible to all.

The programme meets some of our lovely customers and chats to them about how the Own Art Scheme has helped them achieve their art collections.

We were asked by Imagine to feature, as part of our involvement, an artist who is commissioned to produce work by clients using the wonderful Own Art scheme. We chose James Paterson, an exciting, up and coming painter. James produces a fantastic portrait commissioned by Regan Harle, a customer who has used the Own Art scheme over the years resulting in a fantastic collection of contemporary works.

We are very excited to be chosen for the Imagine programme and would like to thank all of our customers for their continued support both of the Gallery and the own art scheme.

Summary

There is a new breed of art collector on the block. No longer do you need to be fabulously wealthy to afford a Blake, a Banksy or a Hockney over your fireplace. Imagine meets a variety of people who are part of a small revolution in the art world. A factory worker, a pig farmer and a policeman are just some of those whose lives have been changed by an Arts Council scheme called Own Art, which has enabled them to take out an interest free loan to buy contemporary artwork.