Bay H, Purbeck Artisan Yard, Month 1 part 2i

Yesterday I gave the background stories to the four pieces on the top row of my main display wall. Today it is the turn of the next row down – 7 mounted pieces. The two prints on their own will be dealt with later since being moved on Friday March 16th.

Display and presentation of my work is a skill that I have been developing since AndyKnillArt started to sell work about 12 months ago. I have now used two printers for my art giclée pieces and generally I shall be sticking with my first choice, James at Art2Card in Upwey near Weymouth. Original work has been mounted using commercially produced mounts at The Range and other outlets previously but now I mount all of my own standard sized pieces using mount kits from Kadinsky Art based in Pembrokeshire. They were recommended to me by Sue Maclean of Badger Studio, Swanage. In the future I may buy a mount cutter so that I can create custom mounts too.

I am going to continue numbering the pieces consecutively from the four already described.

5) Shore Road, Beach Huts, Swanage

During December 2016 very soon after r signing from my job and the teaching profession and in a very low state of mind I went down and met some of the Artisans on the Beach 206/17 event. Sue Maclean (see Badger studio above) was very supportive and invited me to pop down if I just wanted to sit and draw. I took up the offer and sketched in my sketchbook and then decided to do a larger piece in an A4 marker pad. I sat on the wooden platform that had previously been built for the RNLI lifeguards, now left empty as their hut had moved to a new part of the bay to the north of the Banjo pier. I drew the Swanage Town Council Beach Huts which are distinctive with their brightly coloured doors. I was pleased with the piece but didn’t know at that point how significant this piece would become. In early 2017 I approached the Tourist Information Centre temporarily hidden under the Town Hall with my design which I thought would be a great image for a card showing their important asset that they rent out every year. I didn’t admit that it was my first ever attempted sale. They consulted and decided to order 100 cards up front. Then they also insisted that I should come up with 3 further designs. I was in shock, a very pleasant shock all the same.

Once the cards had been printed for myself and the council’s order I also had some giclée prints made. I shared these on the AndyKnillArt page as available for sale. Within only 15 seconds some education friends working and living in Qatar ordered one. This led to learning about packaging, international parcels and how important dimensions are when it comes to price brackets.

Since then a print sold in Purbeck Art Weeks 2017 (PAW) has gone to Belgium and the original sold at another event where the client was interested in the original piece rather than a print is now in Germany.

If you like the design you can buy a greetings card for £2 each or 3 for £5. A mounted giclée print in cellophane envelope that fits a standard 16″ x 12″ frame is £25. A framed print in a 16″x 12″ white wooden frame with glass is £35.

6) View from the pier

This was not taken up by the council for their three further designs but shows the Swanage Downs to the south of the bay that run up to the cliff above Durlston Bay. A feature not often shown in modern pictures of the bay. It exemplifies my idea as a new local artist at looking for views that are less common.

The original of this piece is available mounted and framed for £100. The card and giclée print options are the same as for (5) above.

7) Prince Albert Gardens and view across the bay

This exact piece was not taken up by the council but a modified version was drawn to their specifications. They sell this as a card in the White House TiC on Shore Road on the Swanage seafront. Before we moved as a family to Swanage we had visits and attended some events in Prince Albert Gardens, like (6) a feature of the Downs and a venue for many events within Swanage’s busy calendar. The modifications made for the TiC version loses the amphitheatre, so I kept my original drawing as well as their version.

My first drawing including the amphitheatre.

The TiC version.

Both originals are still available framed and mounted for £100 each. The card and giclée print options are the same as for (5 and 6) above, but only for the first drawing with the amphitheatre.

8) Looking East

Until the sale of Christmas cards during Artisans on the Beach 2017/18 this card held second place in popularity to the Shore Road Beach huts design. It shows the view east from the centre of Swanage Bay and with some judicious artistic impression each headland at Ballard Don and Peveril Point are included. This is the familiar view of visitors looking out as they walk along the seafront.

The original is still available framed and mounted for £100. The card and giclée print options are the same as for (5, 6 and 7) above.

9) Watersports off Ballard Down

During the year I take many photos when I also do not have time to stop and draw on location. The camera includes a zoom lens so I can get a clearer view of activities further out in the bay. One of the reasons I love living by the coast is the opportunity to take part in watersports. I am a member of Swanage Sea Rowing Club (SSRC) and have enjoyed rows in the bay and out as far as the tidal race at Old Harry Rocks and Dancing Ledge in the opposite direction. In this piece I have included three sports – rowing, sailing and diving; all common in the bay especially in the summer months.

This picture is an original and has not been made into a print or cards. It is for sale in its mount and cellophane envelop for £100 and will fit a standard 16″ x 12″ frame.

10) Peveril Point Coastwatch

Another piece drawn from a photo I took on my phone in 2017. Peveril Point to the south of Swanage Bay can be treacherous for water users in boats of many sizes. The headland (point) has a series of rock ledges (edges) protruding at a shallow angle through the waves. There is a Peveril buoy which indicates how far out boats need to travel for safe passage over the edges especially when they are obscured at higher points of the tide. With the reduction of manned stations for the Coastguard service, Coastwatch, manned by volunteers provide a vital safety role for shipping both commercial and leisure around the coast of the UK. In Purbeck we have the Peveril station and also one on St Aldhelms headland near Worth Matravers. This view is from of the former World War 2 buildings now used to host I formation boards about the geology and ecology of the area. In this piece I did not omit the railings as Coastwatch is about safety.

This piece is only available as an original in mount and cellophane envelope. It will fit a standard 16″ x 12″ frame and is priced at £100. When this piece sells I will donate £50 from its sale price to Coastwatch as a donation towards their costs as a charity.

11) Pre Swanage Sea Rowing Club Regatta June 2017

During the summer I have two commitments PAW as an open studio artist and my part time job as a boat hand. One of these clashed with the date of the rowing club’s annual regatta. I was able to visit the bay pre the regatta as boats arrived and were moored on the beach. I also returned late in the day to see the last races.

During PAW 2017 I did two original canvas pieces based on my observations and photos taken that day. The first canvas that this is linked to has not sold and needs some work in an area that has faded, it will go back n sale in its refreshed state for PAW 2018 at my open studio. The other, a piece showing the fleet of club boats was photographed as it progressed through my Facebook page which led to a sale before the work was even completed.

The newer piece on display here focused on the two SSRC boats and the use of the marked swimming area which lies over another set of edges (see 10 explanation) within the bay.

This piece is only available as an original in mount and cellophane envelope. It will fit a standard 16″ x 12″ frame and is priced at £100.

More bay and picture details tomorrow. Remember if you are interested in any pieces they are for sale in the Purbeck Artisan Yard, Church Street, Wareham or by contacting me directly

at andy@andyknillart.com .

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