Unique Ceramic Bowls and Vases

Open Leaf Bowl by Sally Mareike £30

What a busy week at Artery Gallery! We have had several new artists join us, and lots of new items delivered by so many different artists.

We have had two new deliveries of handmade ceramics from two different artists - Sally Mareike, and Jenny Barlow.

We have had collections of work from Sally in the past - including her pretty, seashell-imprinted vases and 'atoll' dishes - so summery, it's like a walk on the beach! Sally's new work is totally different to her summer work, but she still features a seasonal theme. Her ceramic bowls and designed in the shape of inter-woven and over lapping leaves, glazed in earthy, Autumnal colours. To get a realistic and unique effect, she collects real leaves and imprints them into the ceramic. This collection features mostly bowls, but she has some pieces which would be useful over the festive period such as cheese plates and biscuit plates.

Jenny Barlow is a new artist to us, who features stunning crackle glazes on her work, combined with a unique effect - wrapping wire around the ceramic work, and then firing, to melt, distort and oxidise the metal wire. As the wire melts during the firing process, it drips and runs into the glaze, creating a molten stream of colour around the piece of work. Her collection includes candle holders, little pots, bowls and big, bold vases, which would make stunning centre-pieces.

Short Pot by Jenny Barlow £40

Both Sally and Jenny's collections can be viewed on our website, along with all our other ceramic work - a really diverse collection!

Take a look at www.arteryuk.com

Paintings of St Andrews (with a funky new twist)

St Andrews, Winter £140

St Andrews is one of the most painted towns of Scotland, with artists of all genres favouring the town's beautiful West Sands beach, or the famous 18th Green of the Old Course.
One of our artists, Martin Devine says that St Andrews is one of his favourite subjects to paint, but with his unusual technique, and different outlook of the town, it gives the traditional St Andrews paitnting a fantastic modern twist.

St Andrews is a town which is steeped in history and tradition, and paintings of St Andrews often follow the traditional route, favouring golf scenes, lush greens and fairways, or images of the town's castle and Cathedral. Martin on the other hand paints St Andrews from a different angle, looking down into town from the East Sands direction, or looking into St Andrews as though you are out at sea. His unusual technique with watercolour only serves to update the traditional St Andrews image even more.

Martin uses watercolours, building up the colour, to get rich deep, pure tones and colours, and then he picks out the outlines using Indian ink, making the pictures almost 'pop'. The traditional idea of watercolour, is soft, pale, and watery, so this vibrant new take on a traditional medium really brings it into the 'noughties'.

Martin says that painting St Andrews is a pleasure - it's one of those towns that is so easily distinguishable, that even with a little artistic license when painting it, it is instantly recognisable. His other paintings also depict Scottish scenes, featuring rolling landscapes and quaint buildings - all with that modern twist.
All of Martin's paintings can be seen here http://www.arteryuk.com/artists/Devine,Martin/1/ or viewed at Artery Gallery, 43 South St, St Andrews

Something Old, Something New......

Antalya Wool Rug

Those who are familiar with Artery Gallery will know that we are always looking for something new and different to display here as it's always great to bring new work into the gallery, alongside our regular firm favourites. Discovering a new artist for our gallery is one of the most exciting aspects of working within the art world, and looking for new artists and different styles is something we all do here, not only as a matter of course, but as a passion.

We have found something new for Artery again, while on our travels - we now have a collection of beautiful hand woven Turkish woollen rugs and silk rugs.
I suppose hand woven rugs aren't art in a traditional sense, but the creativity and skill required to produce these, make them one of the finest art forms possible. We have two types of rug - those made from sheeps wool, and those made from silk.

Our woollen rugs are spun from wool taken from the sheeps soft neck, chest and belly area, as it is the downiest wool on the body. Many woollen rugs from other countries tend to use wool from the back and flanks of an animal, which is courser textured and gives a sparse and hard texture to the pile of the rug. Rugs made from soft belly and neck wool have a very dense and downy texture. The rugs have different designs on them, some depicting scenes, and some with patterns, which mean something, and are specific to particular areas of Turkey. Turkish women can spend anything from months to years making a rug, so sometimes sometimes a lifetime is expressed in designs, symbols and patterns on a rug, it also means that some of the rugs can be many years old.

Our silk rugs have a glorious soft sheen to them, and my own thought is that they are so soft, they feel like the back of puppy dog's ears! It's wonderful to have a piece of art which is so tactile. With silk, the colour of the rug can change, and shimmer depending on which way you look at it, because silk is a light-reflecting material. Turkish silk rugs are reputedly the finest in the world as there are over 200 individual knots per square inch, make it one of the most difficult handmade works to produce due to the attention to detail it require. As with the wool rugs, the silk rugs either depict a scene or pattern, which can tell a story, or denote the area they come from. Unlike the wool rugs, the silk rugs are brand new, and although the colour will mature on them, the vibrancy and 'brand new' appearance is maintained in silk.

All Turkish rugs use natural plant and vegetable dyes as opposed to chemical dyes which are often used on imitations, and in rugs produced in other countries. Plant dyes change with age, but mature and mellow, maintaining their vibrancy, but developing an aged look (a bit like humans!). Chemical dyes can fade, and the colour can be stripped out altogether, or worse still, totally change colour. Turkish dyes are all natural, and each strand of wool is dyed entirely from end to end, rather than perhaps having several different colours on the one strand.

Stop in to the gallery for a look (and feel) of these beautiful works of art.

St Andrews Has a Fours Star Arts Venue.....Us!

We have reason to celebrate this week at Artery - we have just been given the prestigiuos award of Four Star Arts Venue by VisitScotland!

We are delighted to receive this award, in recognition of all our hard work and attention to detail over the years. We also think it's great to be able to bring this accolade to St Andrews - we can now boast that St Andrews has one of only sixteen four star arts venues in the whole of Scotland.

VisitScotland award star ratings to different types of establishments such as hotels, restaurants and museums and these star ratings are used to give customers and tourists a guide to what to expect from an attraction. Every detail is scrutinised such as pricing, cleanliness, appearance, customer service, and consideration of children - everything!

Artery's selection of interesting and unusual artwork - everything from clocks, to ceramics and paintings - and our clear and sensible pricing structure were a particular positive for us, pushing us into the four-stars category.

We'll continue to push ourselves to bring our customers the best in contemporary art, great customer service and a different class of gallery altogether.

It's All Coming Up Roses (well, Irises) For Derek Collins!

Irises In The Rain (yellow)

Artery Gallery regular, Derek Collins, has just delivered two of his new style, garden inspired paintings.

Derek is famed for being 'The Flaming Artist' - setting his paintings on fire to acheive the unusual paint effect he favours. Derek's technique is unique to him, and helps him create a look which cannot be reproduced. He applies paint, and then puts on a liquid resin, to give a glassy, 'puddle' effect, and then puts on an ignition fluid (sometimes using his best malt whisky!) and sets it alight. His work have ranged from his 'lava' themed pieces - http://www.arteryuk.com/Abstract+Paintings/Golden+Lava+Diptych/ to his love heart themed paintings - http://www.arteryuk.com/Abstract+Paintings/My+Heart+ii/.

Although Derek has supplied us with flower themed works before, he is using a new technique - using glass inks and dyes inside the liquid resin - it looks as though the colour is captured in a pool.

Irises In The Rain (blue)

Dereks full collection at Artery Gallery can be viewed here: http://www.arteryuk.com/artists/Collins,Derek/1/

Colourful mixed media paintings by Monica Paton

Fife artist Monica Paton has just delivered more of her extremely popular mixed media, box-canvas paintings. Monica has been working with Artery Gallery for around four years now, and her paintings attract more attention than ever - sometimes selling out within the week! Her canvases are intended to be left unframed, and are around 20cm x 20cm, selling at £70. At this size they are great to fill an empty spot on a wall or can stand on a shelf.



Monica's brightly coloured works of art, entitled 'The Field' are inspired by the Fife landscape and coastline, and this time she has also included some of her rarer, more unusual pieces such as 'The Wish' and 'Forest'.
More of her work can be seen here http://www.arteryuk.com/artists/Paton,Monica/1/

Unusual smoke-fired ceramics pods

Smoke-fired 'Pod £80, by James Stead

We have another new artist at Artery Gallery - James Stead - ceramic artist. James is a graduate of the University of Cumbria, and is now a full-time art teacher.

James makes beautiful ceramic 'Pods' with a smooth, smoke-fired, burnished finish, broken up by glazed designs on the surface.

We had never seen a finish like this on any ceramics or earther-ware before, and James explained that it was a fairly unique process to smoke-fire ceramics work after the glaze has been applied. You can read more about this unique technique on James's information page on our website.

Portrait of Colin Montgomerie at Artery Gallery

Artery Gallery is currently exhibiting an oil painting of someone who is very familiar to St Andrews!

Golfer Colin Montgomerie is the subject of one of artist Andrew Reid's hyper-realism portraits for which he is becoming very well known. Andrew takes an unusual approach to painting a portrait - likening the facial contours to a landscape. He takes great interest in capturing tiny details on the surface of a face, such as age lines, hairs and eyelashes - seeing these as the building blocks to make up a face. He also enjoys the challenge of reproducing photographic effects, such as soft-focus backgrounds and colour bleeds.

Artery Gallery set Andrew the challenge of painting a famous Scottish face, and his meticulous approach has produced amazing results in this life-like portrait of Monty. It also pays homage to St Andrews title of 'The Home of Golf.'

Andrew is available to paint portraits upon request, at no extra charge. Just stop into Artery Gallery, and we will arrange that for you.

Summer success for Joia Glass Art

'Waves' wall plaque - glass on white-washed wood

Summer may have been a bit wet and wild this year, but it hasn't dampened our summer tourism. St Andrews has been busy as usual, despite the lack of sunshine!

Two of our artists - a husband and wife, working together as design team 'Joia Glass Art' have had particular success this season, with sailing and sea themed glass.

Joia Glass Art originally joined Artery Gallery last summer, and have had sell out success with each collection since - and have continually expanded their collection of work with us.

Recent additions to their glass sculptures have included tealights and wall plaques. Both are a unique design - the tealights are split into two parts, so can be used as one large or two small tealights, and the wall plaques feature their glass 'Regatta' sculptures mounted on fresh white-washed wood.
Their full collection of work can be viewed on our website, or in our gallery in St Andrews

www.arteryuk.com

New 'St Andrews' painting by Jackie Gardiner

'Moonrise, St Andrews'

St Andrews is in full 'summer swing' at the moment, with lots of holiday makers from the United Kingdom, Europe, and across the world.

St Andrews is somewhere which is instantly recognisable to people from all corners of the globe, which is why we are delighted to have another beautiful oil painting of St Andrews by our regular artist Jackie Gardiner.

Jackie Gardiner has been a successful artist for 20 years now, and her work is featured in personal art collections such as The Earl of Strathmore's, Ernst and Young in Edinburgh and Karademir House. Her paintings have sold all over the world - travelling to places such as Singapore, Canada, South Africa, and of course, the UK.

Artery Gallery had been lucky enough to consistently exhibit Jackie's work for the last four years, with many keen followers regularly visiting to see her new work.

Artery Gallery, St Andrews, is open 10am - 5pm Monday - Friday, 10am - 5.30pm on Saturday, and 12 - 4pm Sunday.

www.arteryuk.com

Dreamlike Landscapes from Ashley More

"Enlightenment"

The paintings of Ashley More present emotion-fuelled views of romantic, dreamlike transported landscapes which interpret nature in a poetic semi-abstract way, both atmospheric and expressive, exploring the effects of light and colour.

View her new work exhibiting at Artery Gallery here at www.arteryuk.com

British Craft Trade Fair - Award Winners 2009

Our congratulations go out to Mike Hunter and Daniel Kavanagh, two of our exhibiting Scottish artists who have both recently won awards at the British Craft Trade Fair in Harrogate.

Mike Hunter’s highly skilled process of ‘Zanfirico’ glass blowing, earned him the 2009 BCTF Award for Excellence in design, innovation and creativity. This is the Selkirk based artists second accolade for excellence this year.

Daniel Kavanagh from Nairnshire won the Best Newcomers Award, which was presented in recognition of the quality, design and craftsmanship of Daniel’s work. He was also presented with a Highly Commended Award at the ceremony.

It's the Wedding Season! Register Your Wedding Gift List With Artery Gallery

An art gift from Artery Gallery is not only a beautiful addition to any home but can also be an investment for the future. Artery Gallery are able to organise your wedding gift list, so you can be a little different and receive a memorable wedding present that you will cherish for years to come.

As the bride and groom, you can choose Artery Gallery as one of your wedding gift list venues. Guests can purchase the selected art you have chosen in your list, whether they buy individually or club together in groups.

Alternatively, the bride and groom can request guests to buy Artery Gallery gift vouchers. These can be purchased individually by guests, and then collected together by the happy couple at the appropriate time. The gift vouchers can then be brought into either of the galleries at a time to suit themselves to choose their favourite pieces of art.

Our wedding gift registration service offers you the opportunity to commemorate your wedding day with a list of gift ideas for your friends and family to choose from.

Anything from clocks and sculpture, to paintings and wall hangings are available, giving you the inspiration and opportunity to build your own collection of unique, original artwork.

When registering your wedding or civil partnership, you receive a catalogue of ideas and suggestions from us, which you can also add your own choices to. When you have chosen all the gifts you hope for, we will complete your registration by adding you and your partner-to-be to our website – with a web-page of your very own. This will include photographs, dimensions and prices of all the items you choose, with a secure, online purchasing function. Your friends and family will be able to browse the pages of your gift list before deciding on their purchase.

Friends and family can even combine their finances to purchase a larger item such as a painting, which can be reserved for your list by paying a deposit of 20%.

Create you own unique wedding gift list today here at Artery Gallery.

www.arteryuk.com

Sculpture - Stone, Steel and Glass

We have always had a an interesting collection of sculpture here at Artery Gallery and at the moment we probably have the widest selection ever, so here is a break down of just some of the sculptures we are currently exhibiting:

"The Golden Fish" by Alexandros Arabatzoglou

This stunning Golden Fish sculpture is hand carved from stone and built into a bronze frame. The techniques Alexandros uses to create his sculptures are unique only to him, which makes his work all the more special.

Alexandros comes from an art family and right from being a child, he was involved in the art of jewellery making through his father. He was designing and creating unique pieces and he was selected as one of the finest modern Greek artists by the BBC. Soon he discovered his passion for harder materials, and he started to work with bronze and different kinds of stones, clay and glass. After many years of work, he has managed to match these materials together, and create his own style in modern art. All his pieces are unique (editions of one). He has taken part in many exhibitions all around the world and many of his sculptures are in private collections.

"Horse's Head" by Whittle Design

This intricately designed steel horse head is created using individually cut and shaped steel panels.

Husband and wife team Kerry and Natalie Whittle work form a small workshop in the countryside near Plymouth.

They currently create a wide range of objects including sculpture, mirrors, wall panels, clocks and bowls from distressed steel combined with bronze. Particular interests are the creation of colours, textures and forms in metals by developing unique heating and forming techniques which are only possible through hand made production.

"Boy and Dog" by David Keenan

Working as a glass artist in Cheshire, David has also spent 8 years working on a glass artwork project in the West Indies, during which time, he developed the style of contemporary art glass that has dominated his work. David has built up a strong reputation for his glass sculpture and has in the past been commissioned to design several sculptures that have been gifted to royalty, including Her Majesty the Queen.

"Nine Walking Figures" by Frank Wilson

The nine figures are all created individually by building layers of molten steel, then each figure is welded together either by their hand or by their foot, making one singular sculpture.

Whilst in medical practice, Frank Wilson developed an interest in metal, which sprang from his work in orthopaedic surgery where very special, sophisticated steels are used to perform life-enhancing operations.

As a contrast to such high performance materials, Frank developed the use of any steel he could lay his hands on which was weldable electrically. Frank's work grew in quality and variety over many years and now his main interest is creating minimalist human relating pairs or larger groups of figures. Each piece is individually made so there are never two exactly alike. He has been making steel sculptures for over thirty years since he was a doctor in Yorkshire.

www.arteryuk.com

Celebrating Our 3rd Birthday In St Andrews

Over the Bank Holiday weekend, Artery Gallery in South Street, St Andrews is celebrating an exciting and enjoyable three years in the town.

There has been great excitement and enthusiasm from the many UK and overseas visitors along with tremendous loyalty and support from local people who have claimed it as their own favourite shopping “hot spot” since the opening in May 2006. The continued growth and variety of local, national and international artists has been the major factor in Artery Gallery’s development from the early beginnings of the Crieff gallery, to the expansion of the St Andrews branch, through to its award winning website, www.arteryuk.com which brings orders and artists from across the world.

2009 has started off very bright and busy thanks to Artery’s philosophy of providing art that is more affordable and accessible, with an increase in purchases of paintings which could be a result of less people moving house and instead wanting to wake up their own walls and living space with fresh, new art.

Contemporary paintings from exhibiting artists such as Derek Collins, Colin Carruthers and Jane Duckfield continue to prove popular purchases as well as newcomers Susan Lincoln and Robert Ryan amongst many others. Thought-provoking paintings from popular artists such as Steve Johnston, Andrew Baines and Scott Carruthers continue to inspire and attract collectors from far afield.

The Director of Artery says, “Despite the gloom out there, artists are producing some of the most exciting and vibrant work we have ever had. It makes for a really promising year ahead”.

Artery is constantly bringing in quality handmade art and craft, which means there is always something new. With birthdays, weddings, graduations and anniversaries all year round, there is increasing demand from people who are looking for unique handmade art gifts as opposed to high street mass-produced items. Scottish artists such as John McPhail, Ronna Elliott, Rob Mulholland, Daniel Kavanagh and Mike Hunter are all proving that Scottish craft is as strong as ever.

Handmade jewellery has continued to show great popularity in the St Andrews gallery with Artery exhibiting works from nearly 20 different designers, all very different and unique in techniques, materials and style. Wedding jewellery has also seen a huge increase this year with many St Andrews couples having their entire party bedecked in individual and memorable pieces from Artery.

Artery Gallery has become part of the fabric of St Andrews, and like the town, is full of great character, style and individuality and if the last few years have been anything to go by, it will celebrate many birthdays to come.

Artery Gallery at 43 South Street, St Andrews (01334 478221) and 22 King Street, Crieff (01764 655722).

www.arteryuk.com

*New* David Keenan - Handblown Glass Sculpture

We are proud to introduce glass artist David Keenan as our latest exhibitor to Artery Gallery in St Andrews.

His sleek, slender figures are formed from hand blown glass and finished with a smooth frosting effect that gives his work a wonderful feel of contemporary elegance.

David is an international glass artist, whose work has been in numerous specialist glass exhibitions, including New York, Puerto Rico, and London. His contemporary glass artwork is held in prestigious collections all around the world.

"Ribbon Dance" - £85

Training as a glass artist at the mark studios in Cheshire, David also spent 8 years working on a glass artwork project in the West Indies, during which time, he developed the style of contemporary art glass that has dominated his work. David has been commissioned to design several sculptures that have been gifted to royalty, including Her Majesty the Queen.

Each glass sculpture is individually handmade and signed by David.

We think you will agree that his work is absolutely stunning and really does have to be seen to be fully appreciated.

www.arteryuk.com

Mike Hunter's Award Winning 'Zanfirico' Glass

Mike Hunter - Zanfirico glass bowl

The highly collectible work of multi-award winning glass artist Mike Hunter of Selkirk, really is of the finest quality, each beautiful piece is hand crafted and intricately designed with great care and attention to detail. He has a real passion for working with glass, which shows in the quality and defines his years of experience gained from working with some of the finest glassmakers, including Wedgwood and Perthshire Paperweights.

The Zanfirico glass blowing technique, is a highly skilled process and a specialty of Mike Hunter’s that has earned him the 2009 BCTF Award for Excellence in design, innovation and creativity.

‘Zanfirico’ is the more commonly used term for the extremely technical glass blowing process of Twisted Filigree (Filigrana a retortoli).

Filigree, is a general term used to describe embedded threads or ribbons of coloured glass, either in parallel or network patterns. The Filigree cane is melted into the glass mass and re-pulled, often twisting as the cane is stretched.

Mike Hunter has been taught by some of the worlds greatest glassblowers and has developed his own unique style. His work includes both functional and decorative pieces.

Mike has received high recognition and exhibited his work throughout Scotland and England, most notably at the Victoria and Albert Museum. His beautiful creations are stocked at the most exclusive outlets in major cities such as New York, London, Hong Kong and Paris and of course right here at Artery Gallery in St Andrews.

www.arteryuk.com

Buying Handmade Jewellery at Artery Gallery

Handmade jewellery has never been as popular as it is now. We all have our reasons for buying handmade, rather than mass produced jewellery – we want to be seen to be supporting our local producers during a precarious financial situation, or we want to be seen as part of the cool ‘eco-chic’ bunch that we see in magazines, we like to be different and unique in our style, or maybe we just love to follow fashion.

All of these reasons to buy handmade jewellery are explained and discussed in so many women’s glossy magazines just now. We want to look unique, and feel morally satisfied with our purchases, we want to stay ahead of fashion (instead of just keeping up!). Here at Artery, we understand that all of these reasons are important, and we have handmade jewellery to suit every reason behind a purchase.

You want to be at the forefront of fashion…..

So, your buying handmade jewellery because you want to be seen in what’s on the catwalk, rather than what’s in the shops. This is every trend-setter’s hurdle – what we see in magazines and fashion shows, is not yet in the shops – so where do we find it? Handmade jewellery often takes inspiration from international fashions shows, in terms of colour and theme. Jewellery designers are always looking for a direction in which to take their inspiration, and the catwalks give them that. As handmade jewellery is relatively quickly produced (because you’re not making 5000 of the same item) the hottest styles are ready for the public much quicker than mass produced jewellery. Also – why bother chasing fashion, if you’re going to end up wearing something that every third person on the high street is wearing?

Our jeweller designer Angela Learoyd has her finger on the pulse when it comes to trend setting (rather than following!).

Her handmade African Jasper and silver concertina necklace @ £130 is totally unique – and taking the catwalk ‘tribal’ trend to another level. The beautiful green/blue hue of this stone is a key element of the tribal look – seen in African inspired fashion, and ‘Navajo’ themed jewellery. The difference is that with this, you know you have something that nobody else has, as it’s made from natural products, each is unique and can never be reproduced, and because of the quality of materials, although it’s a fashion forward item just now, you know it will become a much loved classic item over the years.


You have your own style…..

So you are the opposite of the dedicated follower of fashion! You have your own style, and you love it. Buy what if your own style is not what’s in the shops just now? Then buy it handmade! This way you can find a jewellery designer who matches your style and commission a piece to your own specifications, or purchase a piece of theirs ‘off the peg’.

Chunky, bold jewellery is in fashion just now, but what if you like something delicate and feminine? One of our designers, Angel Neal, specialises in feminine, pretty, delicate jewellery, so while the high street is awash with chunky wooden beads, you can stand out from the crowd in one of Angel’s delicate crystal bracelets, or pretty pearl necklaces. Or design your own feminine crystal necklace for Angel to make for you.


You want to feel morally satisfied with your purchase….

This is something that just a few years ago didn’t concern, or occur to us. Today’s media has made us painfully aware that our purchase-power has a dramatic effect on the global economy, and it raises all sorts of questions – do we want to be responsible for child labour in Asia, or do we want feel guilty about oppressive diamond mining methods every time we look at our engagement ring?

Fortunately, as we have become aware of this, so have our jewellery designers – and they now strive to provide us with beautiful handmade jewellery, which hasn’t compromised anybody’s integrity or ethics to source and produce it. Our silver designer Patricia Gurgel-Segrillo, based in Brazil, uses only ethically sourced silver, and other materials that support, not degrade her community and country. Patricia’s silver designs are made from Fine silver rather than sterling silver, which has a higher silver content, and lends itself well to her unique, woven designs.


You want to support your local economy……

You want to buy handmade jewellery to support your local economy, rather than the huge ubiquitous mega-stores of the UK.

If you buy a piece of handmade jewellery you could be supporting a small local business by doing this, and in turn, supporting a local designer. Many of our jewellery designers at Artery are from fife and we love to be able to support handmade goods from our own area. There is never any point in complaining that our high streets have become one in the same, and bland, then popping into a chain store to buy something that is made in the thousands.

We have local designer Elizabeth Scott, whose hometown is not ten miles from the gallery. Much of her jewellery is inspired by her local countryside and sea views, using colours in her jewellery to represent that.

So you can see that whatever your reason is for buying handmade jewellery – you will find something to suit you at Artery Gallery.

www.arteryuk.com

Scottish Seascape and Landscape Oil Paintings by Jackie Gardiner

"Nightfall, Near Boddin"

Jackie Gardiner studied at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art in Dundee from 1976 - 1980 and there she gained her BA. She completed her post graduate year in conjunction with Dundee University and then worked in design and advertising for five years.

Jackie has been a professional artist now for nearly twenty years and in that time has exhibited her work at some of the most prestigious fine art galleries in Scotland and in London.

Here at Artery Gallery, we have been selling Jackie's oil paintings consistently for the last four years and her wonderful seascapes and paintings of St Andrews in particular have proved a huge success with our customers.

Jackie lives in Arbroath where the sea and its ever-changing colours and moods provides the inspiration for her work. All of the emotion her surroundings give her are portrayed beautifully in every painting she creates.

"St Andrews Beach"

Jackie's work can be found in the private collections of The Earl of Strathmore Glamis Castle, Karademir House Urla, Angus Fine Art, Bruce Douglas Marketing, James Keiller Estates, TVI Europe, Watson & Philip, Ernst and Young Edinburgh.

She also has work in private collections in Orkney and throughout UK, Turkey, Australia, USA, Portugal, South Africa, Canada and Holland.

www.arteryuk.com

Beautiful Mixed Media Landscape Paintings from Monica Paton

Sometimes the best things really do come in small packages. These small 20cm x 20cm box paintings from Monica Paton are one of our most popular artworks we have here at Artery Gallery, so much so that they are never in the gallery for very long from the moment we put them out on display.

"The Field 4"

Monica graduated from Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art in 2001 with a first class Design Degree in Printed Textiles. Her work has evolved from the inspiration and techniques she developed during her time at Art College and has involved the exploration of screen-printing onto fabric and manipulating surfaces using batik wax and dye.

The inspiration for her work is nature and the surrounding landscape and the imagery and designs she produces are drawn from the shapes and patterns found in this environment. She is particularly interested in creating designs using collage and combining this material with paint, pastel and inks.

"The Field 2"

The wild dandelions found in her garden became the source of her inspiration for the “Wish” series of paintings, using acrylic ink and paint. These paintings have in the past been created onto large box canvas, but now she has created these small versions in the same form as her popular "Field" series.

"The Wish"

The wild dandelions found in her garden became the source of her inspiration for the “Wish” series of paintings, using acrylic ink and paint. Monica is continually experimenting with different mediums and surfaces to explore their creative potential. The images are aimed at expressing a stimulating atmosphere which then captures the imagination.

Monica Paton is a wonderful artist and the expression she uses in her work shows off her personality beautifully.

And at just £70 these original paintings are a must have!

www.arteryuk.com

New Ceramics From Daniel Kavanagh * Now In *

Chlick here to visit Daniel Kavanagh's page on our website or visit the gallery at 43 South Street, St Andrews, Fife (01334 478221)

Fountain Vase by Daniel Kavanagh

www.arteryuk.com

Artery Gallery Weekly Treat Ideas

Swap your payday clothes binge for a transformation of what you already own. Add a colourful scarf to a pair of jeans as a belt for a bold statement, or tie a ribbon round the strap of a vest, as a big corsage to transform it.

Saving on a new outfit £80-100 , and buy a collectable, handmade Brown Monk by Manolis Patramanis for £85

www.arteryuk.com

Contemporary Landscape Paintings of St Andrews

Scottish artist Martin Devine has been painting the Scottish landscape for many years. Employing colour theory, Martin varies the use of tone and differing brush strokes to present a contemporary image of the landscape: inspired by minimalism, spare with detail, and encouraging a regard for simplicity. Using a palette of bright, bold and vivid watercolours, he catches the essence of the Scottish landscape beautifully.

Martin has now created a small series of paintings especially for Artery Gallery, capturing the distinctive skyline of the historic town of St. Andrews, and this collection shows off St. Andrews in all it's differing light tones, in his own distinctive abstract form.

Take a look for yourselves by clicking on this image that links to Martin's work on our website, or visit us at 43 South Street, St Andrews for a closer look.

www.arteryuk.com

Artery Gallery Weekly Treat Ideas

Wednesday 1st April

Monthly gym membership = £45 p/m = £540 a year!

Go for a run down the beach, or take a neighbours dog for a walk instead, and you could afford an original Derek Collins Golden Lava painting @ £500!!

www.arteryuk.com

Artery Gallery Weekly Treat Ideas

Wednesday 25th March

Make lunch at home, and take it into work instead of buying out for a month

Juice+crisps+sandwich from a Deli = minimum £3.50 a day! x 20 = £70

Treat yourself to a Monica Paton, original mixed media painting

£60

www.arteryuk.com

Original Paintings for Sale

Here at Artery Gallery, we have always prided ourselves on our eclectic range of original paintings on sale. With everyones tastes in art and paintings varying so much, it is very important to cater for these tastes and make available exactly the kind of quality, original paintings that our customers are looking for.

Abstract paintings, Landscape paintings, Seacscape paintings, Surrealism or Still Life realistic paintings, are pretty much all the main areas covered. It is then important to have a wide range of colours, themes and styles. Abstract paintings in particular are usually purchased because of the colours involved in the piece. Landscapes and Seascapes can cover locally related areas of interest or even just give the feeling of a particular area of note for the buyer.

Other paintings can offer something thought provoking and meaningfull within the painting, or simply give an uplifting feeling that can warm a room.

Abstract Paintings:

Derek Collins - Golden Lava

Peter Davenport - Red Breakwater

Contemporary Landscape and Seascape Paintings:

Susan Lincoln - Night Falls

Colin Carruthers - Loch Ailort

Thought Provoking Paintings:

Andrew Baines - Escape of the Corporate Battery Hen

Scott Carruthers - Chasing Rainbows

Photo Realistic paintings:

Bing Wang - Apples on a White Cloth

Alberto Bertoldi - The Last Energy

This is but a small example of the type of original paintings for sale at Artery Gallery. Artists from Scotland, England, Northern Ireland, Italy, Australia and China, all from varying backgrounds. but all creating works of art of the highest quality.

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Artery Gallery Weekly Treat Ideas

Everyone needs a treat every now and again – a little pick me up to put a smile on your face. Wouldn’t it be great to be able to afford little treats and luxuries more often though?

Every Wednesday, Artery Gallery will post a money-saving tip, to allow you to splurge on yourself.

Wednesday 18th March

Save on your morning cappuccino, and make one at work instead for a month

20 x £2 = £40

and treat yourself to a Sarah Anderson silver link bracelet with silver heart charm instead!!

£40

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New Andrew Baines Originals

"Escape of the Corporate Battery Hen" by Andrew Baines

We are very pleased to announce the arrival of 2 brand new original paintings by the much celebrated Australian surrealist, Andrew Baines.

In typical fashion, Andrew's work shows his usual element of humour mixed with day to day thoughts most of us undoubtedly have on our own lives, particularly when having to balance work and pleasure, or whether deciding on a career path, or even contemplating the tolls a career can have on oneself!

One thing is for sure about his paintings, a definite sense of calm can be felt when just looking at them. The soft tones and warmth within the skies provides the gentle ambience that anyone would welcome into a busy lifestyle.

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New Scottish Jewellery Designer Exhibiting at St Andrews

Joanne Timoney is a full time desginer-jeweller, working from her studio in Glasgow. Trained at Glasgow School of Art with a background in Retail jewellery, her work is unusual, but still wearable every day.

Her unique designs use precious metals, acrylics and resin, blended together to create quirky and modern jewellery for all ages and occassions.

As every item is handmade, no two are the same and all designs can be modified to suit the wearers tastes.

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Colin Carruthers - Scottish Landscape and Seascape Paintings

"Flowers on the Gauldrons" by Colin Carruthers

Exhibiting at Artery Gallery in St Andrews and Crieff with his new work is internationally selling artist Colin Carruthers. His seascapes and landscapes have been exhibited through Artery Gallery since the gallery opened in St Andrews two and a half years ago, and Colin has a great track record of selling out each of his works on every occasion.

Originally from Northern Ireland and now living and working in the West Midlands, Colin makes regular trips up to Scotland to capture its scenery and dramatise the textured poetry of the landscape in his art.

Colin says, “I regularly travel to Scotland, where I find the high drama of the Scottish Coast, a constant source of influence for my paintings. There's a challenge involved in my work. With every canvas I attempt, I am searching for something. Beyond simply looking at my paintings and gaining an aesthetic pleasure, I do think it's important that they offer up space for thought"

The strengths of his canvases lie in their versatile response to nature as he grapples with the relationship between memory, place and emotion. His work challenges our assumptions of the landscape and returns us to a new sense of engagement, both spiritual and practical, with our surroundings. His triptychs in particular, add that extra panoramic dimension to the image.

Colin explains, “People often value paintings of a place they have visited because they need to feel a connection with it and what to be reminded of where they have been. Lots of people have a longing to be by the sea, experiencing the freedom of being by the coast, the sounds, the smells, the sensation of being healthy and alive. I want my landscapes to share in that sensation”.

To view the work by Colin Carruthers at Artery Gallery, log on to www.arteryuk.com or visit Artery Gallery in St Andrews or Crieff.

Birmingham’s Arts and Business Awards recently approached Colin and in conjunction with the Sky Arts television channel, have made one of his images available for download. For your free desktop wallpaper of Colin's 'Flowers on the Gauldrons' painting, click here: http://www.skyarts.co.uk/skyarts/30th-arts-and-business-awards-downloads/

The China Effect - Painting by Sheer Numbers

There have long been complaints on the forgeries of all kinds of goods from designer fashion to golf clubs, and watches to CDs and DVDs, all pouring out of China. This is nothing more than copying Western products for Western consumption. A strange way for any society to grow and prosper but what does this really mean in terms of our own values?

China's low wages and hunger for exports have already changed many industries, the art world, at least art for the masses, seems to be next, and is emerging as a miniature case study of China's successful expansion in a long list of small industries that when added together represent a huge chunk of it’s economic activity.

With the art market seen as a lucrative area, China continues to rapidly expand its art colleges, turning out tens of thousands of skilled artists each year willing to work cheaply. In the village of Dafen in particular, just outside Shenzen, factories have been set up purely for these art students and graduates to work, where the assembly line paintings are produced and sold throughout the world via the Internet.

The artists working on the assembly line divide up the colour, each possibly only using 2 or 3 colours. Working their way briskly along a line of up to 20 identical contemporary-style paintings, the artists will apply perhaps a few strokes of brown, while the next worker along applies the red, and so on.

The fact that the country is producing hand painted copies of old masters is only a small part of it. The main push by China has been in the broad market for works that retail for anything up to £200, with painters who work from postcards or images on the Internet. Due to the amount of interest the original works gain, popular artworks on all levels from across Europe and the US, are being copied in China and then exported back into the Western market. China's ability to turn what has long been an individual practice into a mass production industry will no doubt affect small-scale artists, as well as many galleries and various art colonies in the West.

When someone purchases one of these ‘Original Oil Paintings’, they are acquiring a piece that could have been painted by 10 different artists. So what is the advantage of owning such a thing? If all you want is something to decorate the walls and something that has no individual meaning or worth, surely a £1.99 poster would suffice.

So what can be done about the influx of copies arriving from China? As an art gallery, we are always trying to take steps to protect our exhibiting artist’s work, but the volume of artwork on the Internet is staggering and realistically impossible to keep track on what is being copied. The main aims are to protect the artists that create the original work and help the buyers protect their investments.

Perhaps copyright laws need to be more stringent. Previous laws were set up prior to this mass-production industry, so the principals and practice of copying art in general has changed considerably. If the laws on copyright were to be updated someway then that could go a long way in protecting the artist’s work.

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New Works From Artery Gallery's Latest Success Story

We are pleased to announce that we have just taken in 2 new paintings from Perth based artist Scott Carruthers, exhibiting here at the gallery in St. Andrews.

"Out By My Side" - by Scott Carruthers

Scott’s paintings have attracted many admirers during his previous sell-out exhibitions at Artery Gallery, where his original style and thought provoking images have captured the imagination.

Largely inspired over the years by the art of Andy Warhol, David Hockney and LS Lowry, the biggest inspiration for his work has been his two young children.

The stories behind Scott’s paintings are based on the mix of nostalgia from his own childhood along with watching his two young kids grow up. Not necessarily making any comparisons, but being reminded of the nostalgic years and how their life today differs in these modern times, yet in some ways have some similarities to Scott’s own childhood.

Scott explains, “Each individual painting is telling its own story, however the description is only secondary to the image itself. I like to add my own thoughts behind the piece so that the viewer knows exactly what I was thinking regarding the particular painting and my reasons for it. Although this is designed to work alongside and compliment the image, I do find sometimes that the viewer has already made up their own mind anyway before they even know my written description. I am always fascinated by people’s thoughts on my work and their imaginations are understandably diverse”.

Last year Scott Carruthers signed a major publishing deal with one of the UK’s largest fine art publishers, which has resulted in numerous exhibitions of his original work and limited editions going on show across the country.

Scott adds, “It’s great to have my original work on show at Artery Gallery once again as it’s where I enjoyed my first success as an artist”.

Artery Gallery, based in both St Andrews and Crieff, has been a major supporter of contemporary artists over the years and continues to boost the profiles of up and coming artists, as well as the well established.

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Happy New Year 2009

Here at Artery Gallery, we would like to wish all of our customers, artists and readers of this blog, a very happy and prosperous New Year.

Opening Hours

Our Crieff gallery will be closed from today for 3 weeks and will re-open on Friday 23rd January. We hope this does not cause any inconvenience and any enquiries can still be made at our St Andrews branch.

However....

In St Andrews, we will be re-decorating the gallery and closed from Tuesday 13th January through to Monday 19th inclusive. Business will be back to normal from Tuesday 20th January onwards, with a nice freshly painted gallery for you to visit!

We would also like to mention that St Andrews will be closed on Sundays throughout January and February, opening again from the first Sunday of March at our usual Sunday hours of 12pm - 4pm.

Many thanks and we look forward to seeing and hearing from you.

www.arteryuk.com