‘Under Ancient Skies’ Solo Show in Dorset from 23 March to 12 May
Exhibition now OPEN at Sladers Yard in West Bay, Dorset.
The nucleus of this show is an amazing residency I did in County Kerry, Ireland last autumn. With my car filled to the roof with paints, canvases and drawing materials, I drove west across England, Wales and Ireland to the far Atlantic coast. My base was a tiny stone cottage, part of an abandoned famine village, from where I was able to explore the wild, ancient landscape, drawing and absorbing the atmosphere. A 24-hour power cut during Storm Babet meant the cottage was lit by candlelight, a real link with how things would have been in the past.
I’ve also drawn on past trips to some of the ancient sites I find so inspiring – Silbury Hill, Dorset, Cornwall, Pembrokeshire, and the Scottish islands among others.
I’ll be doing an Artist’s Talk on Wednesday 10 April at 7pm (Doors 6pm hot supper available from the bar). Tickets: £12. Click here to find out more and book your space.
You’ll find a small selection of my paintings from the exhibition in the slideshow below. You can see the rest on the Sladers Yard website.
Exhibition News (Autumn/Winter 2023)
I’m delighted to have artwork in several group exhibitions this month. See below for images of a some of paintings that feature in the shows, along with photos from the private views, and links to find out more.
ING Discerning Eye at Mall Galleries, London, 17-26 November 2023
My three paintings in this exciting group exhibition were selected by Discerning Eye’s guest curator Ian H Watkins, aka H from Steps!
Find out more about the exhibition
View my paintings that feature in the show
‘Radiance’ at Slader’s Yard, West Bay, Dorset, 18 November 23 – 20 January 24
Also featuring artwork by Alex Lowery, Martyn Brewster, Vanessa Gardiner, Julian Bailey, Frances Hatch and Petter Southall
Find out more about the exhibition
View my paintings that feature in the show
RWA, Bristol, 170th Annual Open Exhibition
These two paintings of mine are in the RWA Open Exhibition in Bristol, which is open now and runs till 14th January 2024.
- ‘White light, dark land’, oil on canvas, 30x30cm
- ‘Squally clouds, St Ives coast’, oil on canvas, 30x30cm
Packing for a Painting Trip to Ireland
I’m very excited to report that I’m on my way to Ireland for a long-awaited painting trip. What with COVID and various other things it’s been a while since I’ve been able to do something like this.
I’ll be in the beautiful County Kerry, and it’ll be a solo trip so I can concentrate completely on capturing this amazing landscape in drawings and paintings. I’m staying near the Atlantic coast, and so looking forward to spending time there, responding to the changing light and weather over the sea and hills. And recharging my artistic batteries of course!
I’ve been to the same area before but don’t know it very well, so I’ll be thinking about adapting to a different terrain and looking at how that might change my palette.
As you can imagine, a trip like this requires LOADS of art equipment so I’ve been spending a lot of time making lists, preparing and packing. I’m bringing my drawing bag with watercolours, inks, water-soluble sticks, pencil, and charcoal, plus lots of sketchbooks of different sizes. I’ll take my oil paints of course, but also some acrylics and water-soluble oils to play with – plus some oil bars which I haven’t used for a while.
I’ll need quite a few canvases and panels, in pairs of sizes to make it easier to bring back wet paintings. I’ve recently discovered a genius hack which involves slices of cardboard loo roll used at the corners of the two wet paintings to separate them with (hopefully) minimal damage to the painting itself.
I always find I need to take lots of odd bits and pieces – old newspapers, kitchen roll, bulldog clips, wipes, and jam jars. And I’m definitely going to need my wet weather gear – wellies, anorak, waterproof trousers and woolly hat.
I’m so looking forward to seeing what comes out of my trip and posting the results. I’ll share a round-up when I get back (be sure to sign up to my newsletter) and I’ll be posting regular updates and images on Instagram and Facebook while I’m away.
Sláinte!
Louise
Past Exhibitions (Bridport and Bath)
These events have now passed. Here are the event details from the original posting . . .
One of my paintings currently features in a New English Art Club exhibition in Bath. And a selection recently appeared in a group show at Sladers Yard in Dorset. Details of both shows can be found below:
‘Capturing Life: A Century of the New English Art Club‘ at the Victoria Art Gallery, Bridge Street, Bath BA2 4AT
This exhibition combines work by current NEAC members alongside over 30 paintings by illustrious past members.
21 January – 11 April 2023, gallery Tuesday– Sunday, 10.30 am-5 pm. Last entry 4.30 pm. (Closed on Mondays)
‘Silence and slow time‘ at Sladers Yard Art Gallery & Cafe, West Bay Road, West Bay, Bridport, Dorset DT6 4EL (4 February to 18 March 2023). Features paintings by Louise Balaam NEAC RWA, Nicholas Jones, Alfred Stockham ARCA RWA, Furniture by Petter Southall
This exhibition has now ended, but you can still view my paintings from the show online.
Past Exhibition: John Davies Gallery in Gloucestershire (30 Apr-11 Jun ’22)
Past Exhibition: ‘Seizing the Light’at Cadogan Contemporary (21 Sep-9 Oct)
PAST EVENT: Cadogan Contemporary in South Kensington, London hosted ‘Seizing the Light’ a solo exhibition of my new original paintings from 21 September to 9 October 2021.
Past Exhibition: NEAC Annual Exhibition 2021
Four of my paintings featured in the New English Art Club Annual Exhibition 2021, which ran 25 June to 3 July at Mall Galleries in London. You can still view the show on the NEAC website.
Past Exhibition: NEAC Annual Exhibition 2020 (11-21 Nov)
Four of my paintings featured in the NEAC Annual Exhibition, 11-21 November 2020, at Mall Galleries in London. The show is now over, but you can still view it online here.
Past Exhibition: NEAC Exhibition at Thompson’s Galleries (11 April – 3 May 2020)
THIS EXHIBITION HAS NOW ENDED.
I have three paintings in a New English Art Club exhibition with Thompson’s Galleries running until 3 May 2020. The show also features work from 19 other NEAC member artists.
PLEASE NOTE: As the gallery is currently unable to open its doors physically, they have decided to continue the exhibition online. Click here to view.
One week into lockdown . . .
Well what a week (can it only have been that long?)
Time seems to have slowed down (or maybe expanded?) since lockdown started. We’re all struggling to come to terms with the extraordinary situation we find ourselves in. Like many (though not all) artists, I’m in the fortunate position that I can carry on working in my studio at home, and have found it a welcome refuge from the continuing anxieties and uncertainty.
In the week before lockdown, I spent an afternoon drawing outside which was pure joy. For minutes at a time, I could almost believe that nothing had changed. I’ve certainly become more aware of what an important role art can play in providing some respite, even if temporary, whether through making work or observing it.
I’ve been heartened to see so many online projects, as well as initiatives like the Artist Support Pledge, all aimed at supporting fellow artists & encouraging them to keep working in the face of unprecedented adversity. And it’s encouraging to see galleries continue to showcase and promote artists’ work online. Thompsons Galleries were due to open an exhibition of work by 20 New English artists next week (including three of my paintings) but I’m glad to say they’re proceeding with the show, albeit online only: view here.
Some of the things which I’m finding helpful –
• Noticing the signs of spring
• Making short drawings/studies
• Online yoga
• Phoning friends and family
• Trying to focus on small things, like birdsong
• Guilty pleasures: cheese and chocolate mini eggs
Despite having all this extra time, the house remains resolutely untidied, and the garden is as much of a mess as ever . . .
Let’s keep on making and enjoying art; and keep supporting each other.
Take care of yourselves and stay safe,
Louise