Alexandra Gallagher's monthly subscription Print Circle So what is Alexandra Gallagher's Monthly Print Circle Print Circle is a £20 per month subscription, but at its heart it's about something much simpler: slowing down and creating genuine connection through art. Each month, members receive: A signed A4 fine art print A personal letter from my studio A few carefully chosen little surprises tucked inside It's inspired by the letters we used to send; thoughtful, personal,

Kabuki Theatre, Izumo no Okuni and the Ichikawa Danjūrō family Japanese Woodblock Print depicting Kabuki Kabuki Theatre Kabuki is a traditional Japanese theatre form that combines dramatic acting with traditional dance. Renowned for its highly stylised performances, Kabuki theatre features glamorous, intricately decorated costumes and the elaborate kumadori make-up worn by some performers. Kabuki is believed to have begun in the early Edo period, when its founder, Izumo no Ok

Provenance with regards art!? Provenance (from French provenir 'to come from/forth') refers to the history of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object. Initially, the term was primarily associated with works of art, but it is now applied in similar contexts across various fields, such as archaeology, paleontology, archival science, economy, computing, and scientific enquiry in general. The main goal of tracing the provenance of an object or entity is typic

Alexandra Gallagher's monthly subscription print circle. So what is Print Circle Print Circle is a £20 per month subscription, but at its heart it's about something much simpler: slowing down and creating genuine connection through art. Each month, members receive: A signed A4 fine art print A personal letter from my studio A few carefully chosen little surprises tucked inside It's inspired by the letters we used to send; thoughtful, personal, and something to look forwar

Overview of some paintings from my two favourite art galleries in the UK - The Courtauld Gallery and The National Gallery - 'Two dancers on stage' by Edgar Degas The Courtauld Gallery. Edgar Degas (Quick Bio) Edgar Degas (born July 19, 1834, Paris, France—died September 27, 1917, Paris) was a French painter, sculptor, and printmaker who played a key role in the Impressionist movement and was highly acclaimed for his depictions of Parisian life. Degas primarily focused on the

Overview of some paintings from my two favourite art galleries in the UK - The Courtauld Gallery and The National Gallery - 'Self-portrait with bandaged ear' by Vincent Van Gogh at The Courtauld Gallery. Vincent Van Gogh (quick facts) Vincent van Gogh (born March 30, 1853, Zundert, Netherlands—died July 29, 1890, Auvers-sur-Oise, near Paris, France) was a Dutch painter, widely regarded as one of the foremost Post-Impressionists. Van Gogh began his artistic journey relatively

Overview of some paintings from my two favourite art galleries in the UK - The Courtauld Gallery and The National Gallery - 'Winter Landscape' by Caspar David Friedrich at The National Gallery Caspar David Friedrich (Quick Bio) Caspar David Friedrich (born September 5, 1774, Greifswald, Pomerania —died May 7, 1840, Dresden, Saxony) was a prominent figure in the German Romantic movement. His expansive, enigmatic, and atmospheric landscapes and seascapes highlighted human vulne

Overview of some paintings from my two favourite art galleries in the UK - The Courtauld Gallery and The National Gallery - 'The Bar at the Folie Bergère by Edouard Manet at The Courtauld. Edouard Manet (Quick Biography) Édouard Manet (born January 23, 1832, Paris, France—died April 30, 1883, Paris) was a French painter who broke new ground by defying traditional techniques of representation and by choosing subjects from the events and circumstances of his own time. His Le Dé

Recent inventions that changed Western Art - The camera and subsequent photograph (1826) View from the Window at Le Gras (1826), the earliest surviving photograph - Wikipedia The first permanent photograph of a camera image was created in 1826 by Nicéphore Niépce using a sliding wooden box camera crafted by Charles and Vincent Chevalier in Paris.   Since 1816, Niépce had been exploring methods to fix images from a camera obscura. The photograph he successfully produced captu

Recent inventions that changed Western art?! - Portable French Box Easel (19th Century) An example of a box easel Field easels or plein air easels are specifically designed to be portable and facilitate the creation of artwork outdoors, a practice known as en plein air. This method of painting allows artists to capture the natural light and atmosphere of a scene, which can be quite challenging to replicate in a studio setting. These easels are typically midsize or small, maki

Recent inventions that changed Western art?! - Portable paint tubes (1841) Before John Goffe Rand invented collapsible paint tubes in 1841, oil paints were typically kept in pig bladders and glass syringes. Pig bladders had been used to store paint since medieval times, but they posed challenges such as drying out quickly and being hard to seal. Glass syringes were another option, though they needed careful sealing to stop the paint from drying. The advent of the collapsible

The influence of Japanese Woodblock Prints on Impressionist artists. Van Gogh Japanese art, particularly Ukiyo-e woodblock prints, had a profound impact on Impressionism by introducing new techniques in composition, perspective, color, and themes. Impressionists embraced the tightly cropped compositions found in Japanese prints, which frequently cut off figures or objects at the frame's edges. Edgar Degas, for instance, applied this technique in his ballet scenes to convey sp

'Every second is a chance to turn it all around' - By Paul Connor (For everyone who lost their lives in the Twin Towers terrorist attack 09/11/2001) 'All the “I love you’s, that were left unsaid, All the “egg shells” where they feared to tread. All of the apologies that were never made, All the ghosts that were never laid.' 'All the dreams that were never fulfilled, All the friendships that they tried to build. All the words in anger to late to be withheld, All of the grandch

Tomikichiro Tokuriki ' Kiyomizu Temple under the full moon' Series: Woodblock Prints of 15 views of Kyoto and the Outside Title or Subject: Kiyomizu Temple under the full moon Date: Not Dated (1950's) Paper Size: 11 x 10 Inches Impression/Colour/Condition: Good/Good/Good Condition Details: Attached two corners to original folio backing, faint mat toning lines, minor foxing Good State Kiyomizu Temple (Present Day) Kiyomizu Temple (Overview) Kiyomizu-dera is a Buddhist temple l

'Death? Why does it frighten and bother us so?' By Paul Connor Goodbye by Lora Zombie I've discovered that discussing death can be quite challenging, particularly in the West where it's nearly a taboo topic. I hope this blog doesn't offend or upset anyone, as that is not my intention. However, it's still a subject that requires research and discussion. First, I want to take this opportunity to express my condolences to those who have been left behind, those who have lost love

'Realistic and achievable goals in Nine Chapters' by Paul Connor Chapter 1 'Let tomorrow be the day we put down our mobile phones and tablets, switch off the television and the game station and talk, listen and share our thoughts with partners, family and friends". Chapter 2 "To stop living our "lives through fictitious characters and celebrities and leave the house, explore this beautiful planet and create memories and history of our own". Chapter 3 "To be thankful for what

'I live in a world and I hope to live in a world' by Paul Connor ‘I live in a world where there is the ugly and there is the pretty’ ‘I live in a world where know-one is quite sure if they are sad are they are happy’ 'I live in a world where if the majority says it to be so, then it has to be that way, 'I live in a world where, some think that heterosexuality is still 'normal' and it is still 'abnormal' to be gay'. ‘I live in a world where there is the big and there is the

Japanese woodblock prints - Carving techniques (Overview) Carving tools Today, we will focus on the carving stage of the woodblock print production process. However, let's first quickly review all the materials required for creating the print. Artists involved: The artist responsible for drawing or sketching the image. The individual who carves the image onto the woodblock. The expert who applies the colour. The publisher who oversees the entire process and markets the comple

'Information and Action expressed in an image' by Paul Connor 'The Universe consists of two energies: knowledge or information, which is omnipresent in space and constitutes 99.9999% of the universe, and matter, which is energy manifested as action and comprises 0.0001% of the universe. The non-material part of the universe possesses complete knowledge but cannot act, while the material part can act but lacks knowledge. Thus, every being is knowledge in action, responsible no

My 'top five artists', some comments, exclusions and reflections. Berthe Morisot Preamble: 'This wasn't a self-centered endeavour to showcase 'look at all the art I like' by listing my top five artists and discussing them. I genuinely believe that humanity is at a critical juncture, and we are losing our connection with art, artists, and what they symbolize: creativity, imagination, and the spark of the human spirit. I am convinced that art possesses the power, versatility, a

My top five artists (not in the gallery) - Jacob Van Ruisdael Jacob Isaackszoon van Ruisdael (1629 – 10 March 1682) was a Dutch painter, draughtsman, and etcher. He is widely regarded as the leading landscape painter of the Dutch Golden Age, a time of significant prosperity and cultural achievement when Dutch painting gained immense popularity. Ruisdael, known for his prolific and versatile work, portrayed a diverse range of landscape subjects. Starting in 1646, he created Du