You can't help but be uplifted when you walk into HMS. Bernard's paintings provide the tonic you need when emerging from a dark period. With the Spring weather and colours that dance before your eyes, yesterday heralded a new, optimistic period for me.
The pv was a friendly and relaxed affair with many of the Airspace artists making the trip from Stoke.
And Bernard has installed the show perfectly. As an established artist, his experienced eye guides the viewer round the space …using the canvases and framed pieces like elements in a painting.
He extended the HMS boards to hang a 3m+ work that stands at the bottom of the walkway. I hadn't thought of doing that – but it works. It is a very physical painting. The layers of colours, marks, textures and forms ("Instability of Grids") just ooze the joy of paint. Pixilating work like this for the web reduces the experience to well – pixels!
I would like the house to hang this painting, but maybe I will consider the little framed works punctuating the space like jewels.
Bernard tells me he splashed out on expensive oil paints (which have a higher density of pigment) for the small paintings. It is easy to be precious with expensive gear, but Bernard's small pieces have the freshness and vibrancy which show no evidence of caution.
Bernard wanted to leave a couple of bottles of left over wine for the artists at HMS, but I said no – he was already leaving a feast. (He left a bottle anyway). Thank you Bernard!
To see the show by appointment –
Tel 07891 262 202
