Adebanji and Peter Brown at Messum's
There's never an end to learning and sometimes artists keep looking for inspiration everywhere. I find myself pouring through art books, artist monographs, art history books and books in libraries, walking through galleries for endless hours, researching on the internet and walking everywhere with my eyes WIDE open to everything and anything around me. This has always been my practice and it's fun, although it can be exhausting too. But of all the sources of inspiration for artists, there's nothing like meeting other artists, especially those you admire. It's even better when you meet them at their exhibitions and also meet them at work!
Peter Brown standing with a fresh finished piece of Alexander Place on the small easel-There were also pictures that showed his progress from start to finish
Well, for the first time I was opportuned to meet Peter Brown, He has always been one of my favourites. He has a tireless work rate and his paintings and drawings of life in the city and the suburbs are simply amazing! Just check his site to see the number of cities he has painted in and the works produced!
The show front
I got an invite from Messums to meet up with him on a Saturday morning, when all galleries on Cork Street where having an open day. Immediately I got into the exhibition I met him and we couldn't stop talking, about art and everything about painting outside and all that. I got to ask him one question I love to ask any artist I admire, and it was "Which artist has influenced you the most?" He said Ken Howard, Alfred Sisley and Walter Sickert and many of the impressionists.
He changes his hats as the sun comes in with blinding light
I also met him at work in Bath and got some pictures of him while painting on Gay Street. The great encouragement and buzz artists can have on each other can be amazing and after I met him I was inspired to do 10 pieces of 6" x 8" in ONE DAY, for my current Bath Marathon which I'll be sharing later this week. Stay tuned!
Little message of encouragement on his Exhibition Catalogue-who can read exactly what was written, there's a prize for the first winner!