A turning point

Anyone following this blog will be forgiven for thinking that it had gone cold. The truth is that I've been waiting for a number of key things to happen, all to do with solving our biggest immediate problems; namely, the issue of what to do with the studio, its dry rot infestation, and the storage of Dave's paintings in the meantime. Up until recently this has all been in the hands of solicitors.

Until two hours ago. I've just returned from a series of meetings around Rossendale that have achieved the things necessary to move forward on each front. First, I've put the payment down for the purchase of Dave Pearson's studio. The sale should now be completed by the end of the month, or very shortly afterwards. I then met a building company who looked over the studio with an eye to quoting me for dealing with the dry-rot and any repairing and replacing any associated work such as flooring and plastering. Best of all they were able to start this work soon. A word of warning - I still need to see their quote for the work.

Finally I went to B & E Boys and put down the deposit and paid two months rent for a store to hold all of Dave's work while the building work gets done.

So - great joy! The picture above, by the way, is a typical view inside the studio. There are nine rooms, some larger than others, packed with paintings large and small, drawings and reliefs, as well as plan chests and shelves groaning with work.

Open Studio weekend

The weekend was really successful, with almost 200 people visiting the Boo to see Dave's paintings, and all the other studios and galleries reported the same thing. The feedback was unanimously positive, with people travelling to Rossendale from Manchester, Preston, Liverpool, Blackpool and so on. Usually the flow is in the other direction. 

Dave's paintings looked beautiful in the Boo's big cavernous space. There were 6 very large paintings, each nearly 2 metres high by 2.5 metres (for example 'Table Painting 1, above). These dominated the space and drew a lot of attention. One person came back the second day as they had made such an impact on him. Others drew comparison with Wilfredo Lam, or Outsider Art, but the recurring comment was that these paintings need to be in major galleries; that they were masterly and how astonishing it was to come across work of this stature from an unknown artist. We also showed three reliefs of from Calendar Customs, and a smaller oil painting as well as a few gouaches framed and unframed. 

New paintings on show

It has been a ridiculously busy day but the end result is a show at the Boo, in Waterfoot, Rossendale, for Open Studio weekend, containing several of Dave's large oil paintings. These have rarely been shown and look fabulous in the space. 

In Dave's studio it's almost impossible to see them as things are so cramped. But here, in the relatively spacious surround of the Boo, you can step back and take in the colours and details. For a few I've had to make an inspired guess that they are the right way up. 

I'm hoping the weekend is a success - which ultimately means well attended. All of the artist's studios in Rossendale have put a lot of effort into making this a special group event, so it's fingers crossed. At the Boo show, although it's an opportunity to see some of the larger paintings, there's also a few medium sized reliefs and oils, as well as really affordable gouaches, both framed and unframed. Don't hesitate - come along! There's free refreshments too....