Exhibitions

Ben Kendall - Artist

Ben Kendall – Norfolk Artist (Image supplied)

Press Release

From lockdown hobby to the gallery wall – Norfolk artist Ben Kendall to host debut solo exhibition

“A Norfolk artist who rediscovered his love of painting during the Covid-19 lockdowns is preparing to host his debut solo exhibition. It promises to bring you the East Anglian landscape as you’ve never seen it before.

Father-of-two Ben Kendall, 44, from Sprowston, has painted landscapes since a young age. But he was put off pursuing art as a career as he did not enjoy the formal structure of art at school – eventually scraping a grade D at GCSE art.

Since then he occasionally dabbled with sketching but struggled to find time alongside a full-time job and bringing up two young children.

But he moved from hobbyist to professional artist during the COVID-19 pandemic. Following a severe bout with COVID-19 which saw him hospitalised and suffering from long Covid, he reassessed his life priorities. The slowing pace of life during the pandemic allowed him to devote more time to his passion , ultimately leading him to establish his own studio in Norwich two years ago.

He now exhibits in galleries across East Anglia, was shortlisted for the Sir John Hurt Art Prize in 2023 and will host his debut show at Anteros Art Foundation, located on Fye Bridge Street in Norwich, next month.

Ben, who still works as a TV producer alongside his art business, said: “At first I started painting again to cope with a really difficult period in my life. Gradually I found myself developing a distinctive style which others seemed to enjoy.

“I began my participating in small open call exhibitions alongside other artists. Since then it has grown into a small business with a steady flow of sales.

“Mainly it’s still a passion for me. I love the idea that people enjoy my work enough to display it in their home and it feels like a real privilege every time somebody makes that investment in my art.

“I now have what I consider my best collection of work to date, mainly made up of coastal landscapes inspired by Norfolk and East Anglia. I’m really excited to bring my solo show to Norwich, charting my journey in art.”

Ben’s distinctive style is colourful and semi-abstract – he says this is the only way he knows how to paint.

“I’m colour blind and have a limited attention span, so tend to work quickly and spontaneously with an eclectic palette choice,” he said.

“I don’t want my paintings look like the world as it is, instead I want the world to look like my paintings.

“I try to capture landscapes as full of energy and as ever changing entities rather than static locations. That seems to capture people’s imaginations in a way they can relate to.”

Walk to Wells by Ben Kendall

Ben’s solo show – called The Way I See It – takes place from July 2 to July 18 at the Anteros Art Foundation, located on Fye Bridge Street in Norwich. An open view will be held on July 4 from 6 PM to 8 PM – anyone is welcome to attend.

You can find out more about Ben and his work at benpaintslandscapes.com.

Exhibition Details:

  • Dates: July 2 – July 18
  • Location: Anteros Art Foundation, Fye Bridge Street, Norwich”
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I have received notification of the annual printmakers’ exhibition at North Norfolk’s BIRDscapes Gallery at Glandford, Holt. Definitely worth a visit.

Printmakers’ Wildlife Exhibition

Starts midday Saturday 2nd September.
Continues daily 11 to 5, to Sunday 24th September
We are delighted to invite you to our Printmakers’ Wildlife Exhibition, with drinks and nibbles from midday Saturday 2nd September. As always, the gallery will be completely devoted to the printmakers’ artform, a celebration of the wonderful variety of printmaking methods. From etchings to woodblocks, from linocuts to mezzotints, we have them all!
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Landscape painter who rediscovered art during Covid lockdowns finds exhibition success.

Painting of Cromer by Ben Kendall

Below is a press release from Ben.

“A Norfolk artist who rediscovered a love of art during the Coronavirus lockdowns has begun selling and exhibiting his work across East Anglia.

Ben Kendall, 42, a father-of-two from Sprowston, had enjoyed painted all his life. But with work and family taking up much of his time, he rarely found the time to work on his art.

After being admitted to hospital with Covid early in the pandemic then joining the rest of the nation in lockdown, he decided to make time to develop his craft.

Now a hobby has become a second-career. He recently took part in his first exhibition at Merlina Arts in Earsham, Norfolk, and his work will soon be on show at the Art House Cafe, Cromer, in a two-month display. He has further exhibitions booked for the New Year and has also begun selling online, as well as at physical exhibitions, under the name BenPaintsLandscapes.

Ben, who works as a TV producer, said: “I wouldn’t say lockdowns gave me more time – I still had two young children and a full-time job to concentrate on – but like many people it made me focus on what was important to me.

“I had always regretted letting my love of art slip so made a conscious effort to set aside time every day to practise, develop my skills and find my own style.

“At first it was a struggle but I gradually started to like my own work and, when I found the confidence to share it with others, I was surprised by how much they also enjoyed my paintings.”

Ben’s work focuses on the Norfolk coastline and countryside and he seeks to capture its beauty and charm in a semi-abstract, contemporary style which is influenced by the post-impressionist movement.

“Like many artists I started by emulating my heroes, but as I grew in experience and confidence, I found myself developing my own voice and people seem to appreciate my unique way of seeing the world,” he added.

Ben’s latest exhibition takes place at the Art House Cafe in Cromer between November 28 and February 1. You can view more of his work online at instagram.com/benpaintslandscapes or benpaintslandscapes.com.”

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Blickling Hall Norfolk

Blickling Hall Norfolk

I have received this Press Release from the National Trust Blickling Hall.

“From Friday 30 September to Sunday 2 October, 11am – 4pm, the Loft gallery at Blickling will host the Blickling harvest book and stamp fair. Come and view over 2000 rare, valuable, and curious books for sale, alongside carefully selected stamps for the curious philatelist. 

All books and stamps have been generously donated, and every penny you spend comes back to Blickling to help us preserve this special place, for everyone, for ever. 

‘Out team of bookshop volunteers have curated the collection of books available for sale in the fair,’ said Visitor Experience Officer Kali Milburn.

 ‘These include first editions such as Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery, William Tell Told Again by P.G. Wodehouse and 1984 by George Orwell. Other notable rare and special books include The Picture of Dorian Gray, Autumn Songs with Music from ‘Flower Fairies of the Autumn’ 1900 by Cicely Mary Barker and Olive Linnell and A Fairground Tractor Engine.’ 

‘This is the second book fair we’ve held and we look forward to welcoming collectors and book lovers along to browse this new selection.’

 Find out more about autumn at Blickling and plan your visit at https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/blickling-estate”

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I am pleased to say that BIRDscapes at Glandford is opening an exhibition on the 1st of August featuring the works of David Cowdry.

“As we have already trailed, on the 1st of August we are extremely pleased, and relieved, to be welcoming David Cowdry back to BIRDscapes. As you will see from the invitation (click here to view) it will not be an “opening” in the usual sense of such occasions, and we will have to keep a close eye on the number of people that we have in the gallery at any one time.

For those reluctant to travel away from home, David’s new pictures, sized to be roughly in proportion to each other, can be seen by clicking here. Any of David’s  paintings may be bought by telephoning the gallery 15 minutes after midday, on Saturday August 1st when the exhibition opens, and paying over the phone. We will send out the prices as soon as we receive them.

We hope that we may see many of you over the fortnight of the exhibition, as David has a very keen following. Alternatively, you may prefer to book a visit by appointment on a Wednesday, when the gallery will otherwise be closed. We do understand that life is not that easy for some at the moment and we hope you are all well.

Best wishes,

Liz, Steve and the rest of the BIRDscapes team.”

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National Trust Stiffkey Saltmarshes Sign

The season of ‘mists and mellow fruitfulness’ has arrived and the main holiday season in North Norfolk has drawn to a close. We are now getting into the winter mindset, hoping that the ‘beast from the east’ won’t revisit. The lightweight walking shoes are cleaned and put away and the leather walking boots have been dragged from the back of the cupboard for their annual waterproofing treatment.

The area is still attracting visitors because it is half-term and we have been lucky to have some sun and warm days. Driving along the coast to Stiffkey recently I was surprised to see many cars parked at Salthouse Green and the Dun Cow public house was very busy.

Further along the coast road at the Norfolk Wildlife Trust Visitor Centre, the main and the overflow car park were full. I went inside and all the tables in the cafe were occupied. The place had a very pleasant ‘buzz’ about it. My experience is that ‘birders’ are sociable people and I love to see them making full use of the facilities at the Centre and, of course, enjoying the reserve.

The professional wildlife and landscape artist Steve Cale was exhibiting his very accomplished work at the Centre so I had a browse and – couldn’t resist – made a purchase.

I walked out across the marsh at Stiffkey – part of the Blakeney National Nature Reserve – navigated my way around the twisting muddy creeks, crossed the three bridges and reached the beach. It was warm and the sun was shining; I paused to watch a curlew – my favourite bird – busily preening. From the foreshore the vastness of the flat open space of the saltmarsh becomes apparent. Just standing still and listening to the birds and the sea while looking across the water towards Blakeney Point was wonderful. What an enjoyable walk it was. I intend to do it again soon.

If you prefer you could walk from Blakeney to the car park at Stiffkey along the coastal path. There is a Coasthopper bus stop in Stiffkey village so getting back to Blakeney is not a problem.

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John Threlfall SWLA is showing new works at the BIRDscapes Gallery at Glandford near Holt in North Norfolk. The exhibition opens at midday on Saturday, October the 5th and closes on Sunday, October the 27th.

From: Liz & Steve at BIRDscapes:

“John’s recent move northwards has put the Scottish Highlands on his doorstep and brought new perspectives to his picture-making. His birds remain as well-observed as ever, while the distinctive mark-making that John uses to portray their surroundings has been given a fresh boldness with his use of pure, pastel colour. We always look forward to hosting a Threlfall exhibition and we, and his enthusiastic following can’t wait, particularly as John will be with us for the opening.”

Some examples of the paintings can be seen here.

While there, why not pop in next door to the Art Cafe for a drink and one of the delightful cakes.

 

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The Water Mill at Glandford

Steve at BIRDscapes gallery at Glandford near Holt, North Norfolk, has forwarded the details of a coming exhibition of work by David Cowdry.

David is a naturalist and artist who paints wildlife and landscapes in a realistic style. He paints mainly in oils but does sometimes work in other mediums.

“Hello from BIRDscapes

We have yet another very exciting exhibition lined up for the summer season! Starting at midday Saturday 3rd August, we are thrilled to be hosting an exhibition of new works by David Cowdry. On the back of two hugely successful exhibitions on his home turf in Wales, David is bringing his talents east to Norfolk.”

See some examples of David Cowdry’s work.

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BIRDscapes Gallery Glandford

 I have received this information from Steve and Liz Harris at the excellent BIRDscapes Gallery at Glandford near Holt. Why not pay a visit over the Easter weekend.

“Hello from BIRDscapes,

For those of you who are interested in what is coming up in the year ahead at BIRDscapes, we have just finalised our calendar of exhibitions and events, better late than never! See here for more details. As well as the well-received gallery based exhibitions, there are a couple of new exciting events for the BIRDscapes diary.

Firstly, BIRDscapes is pleased to be supporting Pensthorpe’s new Bird and Wildlife Fair 2019 on the 18th & 19th of May at Pensthorpe Natural Park. We will be putting on an exhibition with the aim of introducing a new audience to the incredible and diverse talents of the UK’s bird and wildlife artists. Please see www.pensthorpe.com for more details about the event.

Secondly on the 22nd June, we are very pleased that the ever popular and highly talented ceramicist Karen Fawcett will be visiting BIRDscapes and giving a demonstration and talk with a preview of unrivalled new work. More details will follow.

Finally, we are delighted to have received 5 brand new original prints from Phil Greenwood RE. For any fans of Phil’s work, this will be exciting news, and for those who haven’t come across his prints before, they are well worth a look! What’s more, is that we are able to offer a significant discount for any of his new prints purchased before 24th April! Please see here to find out more.

To remind you, the Society of Wildlife Artists Exhibition, is on now at BIRDscapes, until the 28th April.

We hope you are able to come and see us at some point through the year ahead.

Best wishes

From all at BIRDscapes”

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