Pop-Up Gallery - Jan Faulkner

Well, what an evening.

Today we held our first ever pop-up gallery to showcase some of the breathtaking work of local artist Jan Faulkner. We’ve had some of Jan’s pieces in the shop for a few weeks now and they’ve proved very popular, but we wanted to bring some of his larger pieces to the Rothley high street, and what a collection he brought to us. From large scale pieces with stunning olive green and gold hues, to a triptych of soulful blues and whites evoking the wild Irish seas, there was something for everyone.

The 'Tempest' Series

The ‘Tempest’ series proved popular, with two of the three pieces available sold. There was also much admiration of both ‘Spring Cove’ and ‘Burning Mist’ due to the brilliant juxtaposition of intricate textures and tones and chunky, statement frame. Just gorgeous.

'Spring Cove' and 'Burning Mist'

A stand out piece was ‘Dappled Light in April’ - a gloriously intricate tapestry composed of a delicate balance of plaster of paris and cracked gesso as base textures for a vibrant blend of greens with russet accents alongside metallic acrylics and inks, further accented by gold gilding wax and oil pastels. It needs to be seen to be believed to witness the incredible way the piece changes and the sunlight hits it, and appreciate the level of detail within.

'Dappled Light in April'

Interesting discussion was had regarding the impact of framing on artwork, and how the colour, thickness and style of mount can change the overall feel of the piece - in addition to the subject matter itself. It was fascinating to hear how everyone who came in could see different shapes and forms within Jan’s work, and that the compositions evoked different feelings and memories based in personal experiences. I often feel it is easy to feel ‘told’ how to feel by art and its creators, but this was certainly not the case here.

Jan Faulkner is one of the most approachable artists I’ve worked with, and is passionate not only about his work, but about the availability and appreciation of art in the world. He is keen to make art accessible, and is consistently looking for new and exciting ways to create feature and form in his pieces. He has even developed a three phase workshop programme for anyone who is interested in creating their own version of his works, on a smaller 180mm square scale. The workshops are formed of three sessions set over several weeks, and Jan will guide you through the techniques and processes to help you create something truly unique.

These workshops will run at the shop, and more information can be found on our events page.

Until next time,

B x