Candy Mountains at ARBEIT

Spent a couple of days in the studio, working on some new abstract works, which I'm very excited about.

Also very thrilled to be part of this exhibition.

Candy Mountains at ARBEIT

Art during birthday week.

Well, it was my birthday last week. Had lovely presents, mainly books on how to make money as an artist and designer - very much required reading! Anyway, for my birthday treat I wanted to see the Threadneedle Fine Art Prize exhibition. Having not been selected for the last three years, this year there seemed to be a lot more decent work than I have seen previously. So we walked to the Mall Galleries, it was a lovely warm Wednesday last week, and lo and behold when we got there the gallery was closed for the prize giving! Never mind, we thought, the ICA is next door - and were installing their next exhibition. Oh well, not to worry, I'm happy, it's my 41st birthday. Let's go to Mason's Yard and check out the Raqib Shaw exhibition.

Wow! What a pile of utter toss. I mean, I know that I know he didn't make those sculptures - I know the company who does, but really?? Were the frogs supposed to be dripping with hot glue from a glue-gun? Or was that supposed to be spunk? After the dreadful anodine sculptures upstairs (although the painting of the flesh was quite good on the feet), we went downstairs...

Well, after that appalling exhibition, I thought it might be nice to pop into the always magnificent Alan Wheatley Art opposite. I saw a wonderful painting in the window. Who was that? Was it a Patrick Heron or a Peter Lanyon that I didn't know? No, it was by Alec Cumming, a 25 year old painter from Norfolk.

April 2011, Alec Cumming, Oil on canvas.

The exhibition is on until 21st October. Trust me, just go and see it. Made me glad to be a painter again. The mark making, the colour, just the use of space - everything is wonderful.