April Jarocka and Chocolate

I recently framed the most stunning and delicious paintings for a lovely artist from County Clare, Ireland.

April Jarocka had a series of perfectly executed chocolate paintings, and they actually made my mouth water, as I was framing them!!

The paintings were framed as a collection in matching frames, and April chose a black frame, with a gold inner bevel detail, which worked perfectly in highlighting the chocolate wrappers and pulling the paintings together as a collection.

Here’s more information on April and her artwork, including how to view and buy her art online:

April Jarocka

Born 1971 in Plymouth, having lived in High Wycombe 1992-1998, I now live in County Clare Ireland where I work from my studio at home.

I am self taught and took up painting in 2006 after my mother died in 2004.

The bulk of my work has tended to focus on my inspiration from the seashore, particularly on the detail of stones and pebbles, which constantly fascinates me. I paint in oils & acrylics in a style that is photo-realistic and inspiring. Sometimes I paint other things, like chocolate, and this year I painted 10 popular branded chocolate bars, which are now currently on exhibit at Opus Art Gallery, Newcastle Upon-Tyne and can be purchased through them.

I am currently working on a new series of stone paintings that I hope to bring to the UK in 2012.

Some of my paintings, limited edition prints of stones, and drawings can be purchased through my website. Other prints and cards of all my work can be found at Redbubble.com

Email April: serenityinstone@gmail.com

Website: www.apriljarocka.com

Buy art: http://www.opus-interiors.com/artists/AprilJarocka/5783

Buy art: www.redbubble.com/people/apriljarocka

April’s facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/April-Jarocka-Fine-Art/220562337984112

Landscapes and Seascapes Art Exhibition- Bucks artists exhibiting paintings, drawings, photography, sculpture, glass, ceramics & jewellery

Well folks, our latest exhibition is now open and ready for visitors!!

The gallery is crammed full of stunning artwork, from local Buckinghamshire artists and a few selected artist from further afield. All very unique, desirable and waiting for a new home.

I am very pleased to welcome a number of new artists to Emerald, including Wendy Fowler- a ceramic artist from High Wycombe, who is showing her Beach hut range- www.wendyfowler.com and Julia Hayward - a glass artist from Marlow, who has a number of beautiful glass pieces available in the galllery space- www.juliahaywardglass.com



Please spread the word and I hope if your nearby, you can pop in to say hello and have a look at all the amazing artwork on exhibition :)

Don't forget we are open Tuesday to Saturday from 10am to 6pm.

Traditional restoration and gilding

Check out this video for a brilliant demonstration on how to traditionally restore artwork and picture frames. Includes a glimpse of the art of gold leaf application. Now that looks like fun!!

http://youtu.be/O88y2GzPZs4

This is Marc Sterken, a Belgium framer, who offers a fantastic, creative framing service. I would love a few days in his workshop!!

Marc Sterken, Master Framer-gilder, studied Visual Arts. He studied drawing, aquarel, charcoal and pasteltechniques at the Academy of Visual Arts under the guidance of Frans Smets and Raoul Chanet. Oilpainting under Artur Renson, Georges Francis, Ri Coeme and Oscar Poelmans.

Traditional framing-gilding under the guidance of Paul Wuyts. Restoration of Paper with Ir Etienne Mahieu.

Additional studies with Maitre-Doreur Antoine Palomares at Versailles (France).

Marc Sterken teaches Gilding at te Vizo Tongeren and is a Member of Art Restorers Association.

Here's Marc's website details if you want to see more!

www.kunstrestauratie-atelier.be

Football crazy!

Well aren’t people lovely......

I was commissioned to frame a Welsh football shirt signed by Ryan Giggs a short while ago and I visited the customer in their house to discuss the picture framing project. The item was to be framed as a gift from father to son and both were present to discuss how to frame the prized shirt.

On discussion, it was discovered that the customer also had a photograph of the footballer signing the shirt, a scarf that he would like displaying with the shirt and also would be keen to have a plaque detailing the memorabilia and the date of the signing. The colours and frame were chosen by the customers, to match the Welsh team colours and to pick out the colours within the collection being framed.

It was all framed to their specifications and the certificate of authenticity was attached to the back of the frame, should it ever be needed in the future (always good to keep it with the item it represents).

It was, as all my football shirts are, framed with convservation in mind, and the whole process is fully reverseable, should the customer ever wish to take the items out of the frame in the future.

So here’s the finished article:

And afterwards I received this lovely testimonial from the father:

“I commissioned Cath to frame a valuable signed football shirt of an international player.
Cath was extremely knowledgeable and offered excellent ideas, including adding the national team scarf and a plaque. Cath was also very patient as it was the first time I had arranged a framing.
The end result was stunning. Far superior to any framed items I have seen in halls of fame, in specialist studios, and amongst specialist framing companies on the internet.
The project was completed in less time than quoted. The price quoted for the commission was fulfilled - no extras - and offered fantastic Value For Money! The cost was below any other quote and the workmanship superlative.
I have not been in touch with Cath since the commission was completed, do not know her personally, but would recommend her without hesitation as a true professional, who deals with her clients - in my case - with empathy, patience and a desire to achieve her client's wishes.” July 23, 2011

Top qualities: Great Results, Expert, Good Value

R Goodwin
hired Cath as a Professional Bespoke Framer in 2011

I love it when my customers are happy :)

Mosaic Fun at Emerald!!!

This Friday, we had the pleasure of hosting a ‘make and take’ Mosaic workshop, by Teresa Mills.

As part of Bucks open Studios, Teresa was at the Emerald gallery space all day and bought along heaps of mosaic kits, shapes, tiles and sparkles.

With a wide range of people taking part, from retired ladies to our youngest mosaic artist of the day ( aged two !), everybody seemed to have great fun and created some mosaic masterpieces to take home!

Using pre-made templates, it was great and accessible fun for all to get creative and make beautiful mosaic's. Watch this space, as we hope that Teresa will return for more workshops in the future.

In the interim, you can of course by Teresa's stunning mosaics, such a 'love' pictured above from the Emerald gallery, as well as some larger and smaller pieces including her fabulous Mosaic kit brooches and badges to take away and make at home.

Find out more about Teresa here : http://www.teresamillsmosaics.com

Bucks Open Studios has began!!!!

First Day of Bucks Open Studios- Ruby's ceramics

So, the first day of Bucks Open Studios went very well, with lots of new little pots in the world that didn't exist before Ruby spent the day in the gallery with her wheel.

(Everybody who threw a pot, Ruby will fire them and return them to the Gallery for collection in a couple of weeks :) )

If you missed it, Ruby is back for a further two full days (10 TIL 6), to let you visit and have a chance to try your hand at pottery- she at the gallery the last two days of Bucks Open Studios at Emerald- That's Friday and Saturday the 1st and 2nd of July. Hope to see you there:)

Please find examples of Ruby's beautiful pottery that’s being exhibited at Emerald as part of the Bucks Open Studios and if you can make it, call in and see all the lovely stuff that’s bursting out of the seams at Emerald's Gallery.

Natasha Newtons Paintings in the Gallery!!

Okay, now contain yourself...I am very pleased to announce the arrival to the gallery space of four new canvas paintings from Natasha Newton. Her work is truly stunning and I don’t think they will be around for long!! Highly desirable and collectable, these paintings are beautifully detailed and so precisely painted. If you love art, you’ll love these.

A wee bit about Natasha:

Natasha Newton is a professional artist and illustrator living and working in Suffolk, England and Paris, France. She has exhibited with many galleries throughout the UK and her work has been selected several times for major shows in London, including winning an award at The Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolours Annual Exhibition.

Her inspirations and influences are wide and varied, but her recent work centres around her love of nature, birds, and a deep fascination with the moon and the stars. Her artwork - once described as 'simultaneously charming and edgy' - often has a slightly surreal or dream-like quality, and has been compared to the work of artists such as Charley Harper, Maurice Sendak and Edward Gorey, among others. Her paintings are in private collections in the UK and abroad, including France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Cyprus, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Ireland, USA, Canada, Australia, and Dubai.

So now you know I have these delightful paintings on exhibition, please pop over and enjoy them, before it’s too late(and they are sold)......Form an orderly queue please!!