lisa sharpe contemporary art - a few of my favourite things

LISA SHARPE CONTEMPORARY ART  Igniting a Passion for Art

A FEW OF MY FAVOURITE THINGS 2015      

lisa@lisasharpeca.com www.lisasharpeca.com + 44 (0)1962 761480  

I am extremely fortunate to work with many wonderful artists who are creating incredibly beautiful works of art and I hope that you will enjoy this collection. This e-catalogue is a little more special than usual as I have pleasure in supporting The Prince’s Trust for Children & The Arts and 20% of all profits will be donated to the charity. The Prince’s Trust for Children & the Arts touches the lives of children who live in deprived areas where going to an art gallery, museum or theatre is just so not the norm. By experiencing paintings, sculpture, dance and theatre first hand, they are given the opportunity to understand self-expression and all the various forms it can take: creating happy memories and a lasting connection which can often give a deep personal resource on which to draw upon as they grow up. www.childrenandarts.org.uk With very best wishes Lisa

“As viewers, we can hardly follow the line of Draper’s thoughts along all the channels of his imagination, but we can wonder at the results, at the daring attempt to solidify wind, the colour of throbbing heat, the ambiguity of half light, the sensation of a wisp of air or the experience of being under water. His feelings are induced by his involvement with his work, and by his passionate response to the island. The reality of the landscape remains an important source of inspiration but his constantly stated intention is to transcend it.” Judith Bumpus, Catalogue for Royal Academy Exhibition, London.

Kenneth Draper RA - Moon River 2014 - Pastel on Paper - 35 x 40 cm - £4,250  

Kenneth Draper RA - Into the Sun 2014 - Pastel on Paper - 35 x 40 cm - £4,250    

“The Mediterranean island of Menorca where I have lived and worked for the last eighteen years, embodies the extreme universal energy of landscape which most acutely fires my imagination. Its sense of transience is paramount to my response to the physicality of the landscape and the very earth, wind, fire and water from which it is made. The prevailing north wind which is so ferocious in winter that it shapes the flow of the land from north to south giving the entire landscape the feeling of rhythmic sea. The sheer brilliance of the sun’s light at noon which dematerialises objects which are instantly recaptured in the darkest of shadows. Then there is the glowing, clear light of night, the moons translucent beauty which belies its gravitational power to move oceans. Apart from the conflicting forces found in nature, I am deeply moved by the penetrating scars of mines, quarries and excavations and the often tragic yet disturbingly beautiful aftermath of places which have been transformed by the industrial workings of man. The quarries in Menorca are deep limestone “cubes” hand cut and hundreds of feet deep from which entire towns have been built. Now they are abandoned chambers full of reflected light which have the scale of Cathedrals containing the most mystical of energies. With an almost reticent shyness there also exists a myriad microscopic environment of detail where plants and flowers defy the extreme elements in a struggle to survive, creating an inner world of intimacy to which I am increasingly drawn. The way a small cavity in a stone gives shelter to an embryonic growth within the rock which protects it.” Kenneth Draper RA

Kenneth Draper RA - Deep Lagoon 2014 - Mixed Media on Paper - 57 x 58cm - £7,500    

“For the last four decades my work has gravitated between sculpture and painting often spending long periods of time concentrating on one or the other. The constant has been an obsession with landscape, an intrigue with ambiguity and paradox and the over riding energy of colour. The focus of the more recent work is to combine even closer the physicality of sculpture with the illusions more generally associated with painting. The works are made in steel, copper, wood and resins and the occasional “found object”, all of which are coloured with layers of paint and pure pigment. Although the works have the fluidity of painting it is the sculptural forms which slowly gain prominence floating from the surface, increasing the sense of scale and inviting the eye to explore another secret place. My overall desire is to make self contained worlds which simultaneously pay homage to, and express the power of nature in all its transient yet piercing beauty.” Kenneth Draper RA  

Simon Allen – Seascape -12 carat white gold and wood - 112 cm diameter - £11,500

Simon Allen draws his inspiration from the sea and his local Cornish coastline. Rhythm is a constant theme expressed through his unique ability to capture the fluidity and movement of light on water; carving into wood to make free and fluid sweeps which mirror waves and the timeless beauty of light dancing on water. Allen uses his skill as a master gilder to bring the carved surfaces to life: layer upon layer of gold and silver leaf to create a deep and magical ever changing dialogue between the viewer and the sculpture. “I like to explore the ever changing, transient light, on moving water, within a swimming pool or on the sea. I am fascinated by the ephemeral, and water embodies this perfectly. Almost always in a state of flux, it moves from wave to wave. The natural state for water is movement and rhythm, the more movement, the more alive the water becomes.” Simon Allen  

Jeffrey Kroll – Sumeria - oil on canvas - 64 x 66 inches 162 x 168cm £POA

“Jeffrey Kroll’s painting leads us into a sure place of wonder; it is wonder that erases doubt by spontaneously grabbing the heart and holding it. Kroll’s new body of work, with its finely controlled handling continues to layer our thinking through abstract imagery. If, as Plato said, the painter makes a dream for those who are awake, then in looking at Jeffrey Kroll’s paintings here and now, where they belong, we should be awake and ready to dream” Maggi Goren, poet and art historian. Jeffrey Kroll's work has been exhibited in many countries including Paris - The Louvre, London, New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Turin, and Mexico City. He has recently been working on dynamic mixed media projects with Samsung. This summer will see the start of Jeffrey’s touring exhibition of China – visiting many of the major cities.

Jeffrey Kroll – Isola II - oil on canvas - 40/40 inches 101 x 101cm £POA

Jeffrey Kroll – Phalo - oil on canvas - 40/40 inches 101 x 101cm £POA

Alison Rankin’s paintings are beautiful, surreal and ethereal, transporting the viewer into a state of calmness, re-interpreting still life compositions into refreshingly contemporary and inquisitive visual dialogues.  “My paintings now involve fewer objects and extend the genre by adding movement and dynamic relationships. I seek to introduce dramatic tension into the tranquil world of still life.”

Alison Rankin - Falling Apple Sliced - Acrylic on heavyweight Fabriano paper – 95 x 80cm framed £2,200

Alison Rankin – Falling Egg with Chinese Pot - Acrylic on heavyweight Fabriano paper – 95 x 80cm framed £2,200

Alison Rankin –  Hanging Feathers with Red String - Acrylic on heavyweight Fabriano paper – 95 x 80cm framed £2,200

Yanko Tihov – Black Haired Girl III – Charcoal and oil on linen panel – 40 x 40 cm £1,600

Yanko Tihov has been working on a continuing series of work called ‘Hidden London’ which explores the hidden lives found within quiet houses and streets around West London: exploring the concept of how the same houses can seem different in the dimly lit night time compared to the bright light of the day. “All you see from a distance is a traditionally painted hyper realistic house, but when the viewer approaches it closer you can see a different story... That second story I wanted to be more a dream-like memory of reality, comedy and surreal where some occupants have anonymous donkey faces or hidden under umbrellas. From a distance everything becomes realistic again and the ‘bothering elements’ become somehow natural.” These incredibly beautiful sketches, reminiscent of Degas, are some of the original studies for the Hidden London series.

Yanko Tihov – Black Haired Girl - II – Charcoal and oil on linen panel – 40 x 40 cm £1,600

Yanko Tihov – Resting – Graphite on Gesso panel – 50.8 x 40.6 cm - £2,200

Yanko Tihov – Back – Graphite on Gesso panel – 50.8 x 40.6 cm - £2,200

Yanko Tihov – Trafalgar Square – Oil on Canvas - SOLD

Since his early life-drawing sessions at art college, the human figure has been Al Saralis’ main source of inspiration. His fascination with form, structure and movement of figures is a constant throughout his paintings and continues to be central to Al's work today. Al’s works are stripped of obvious narrative, but lead us into our own enquiring thoughts and interpretation. “I use a restricted number of models to try and achieve my aim, which is to create something that is beautiful as well as interesting, contemporary as well as classical; something timeless.” Al Saralis Al was recently written about as one of the emerging UK artists you should know: http://uk.complex.com/style/2015/01/emerging-uk-artists-you-should-know/al-saralis

Al Saralis – Birdgerhl – Oil on canvas - 120 x 100cms - £4,200

Al Saralis – Birdgerhl 3 - Oil on canvas - 100 x 80 cms £3,700

Al Saralis - Girl with Birds – Oil on canvas 80 x 60 cms - SOLD

Al Saralis – Red Scarf - Oil on canvas - 50 x 50cm - £2,100

Johnny Morant - Reclining Nude - Oil on canvas - 70 x 130cm - £3,200

Johnny Morant’s evolving process explores the deconstructive analysis of traditional themes. "Playing on the border between clarity and suggestion my work prioritises the intuitive application of paint with an aim to capture the viscosity of light and insecurity of form." Whether it is his scenes around London, or his very early interiors, Johnny’s masterful use of light has always been a pleasure to observe – still in his very early thirties, his work goes from strength to strength.

Johnny Morant - Emerging Figure - Oil on canvas - 100 x 100cm - £3,200

LISA SHARPE CONTEMPORARY ART  Igniting a Passion for Art

lisa@lisasharpeca.com www.lisasharpeca.com + 44 (0)1962 761480