Ray Shuell

Christmas Gallery

2011-12-03T05:01:00.000-08:00

Hi all, looks like I'm not very good at keeping up with this blog thing. Still, better late than never.

As I paint better than I write, just a few words and then some new pics for you to see. More at www.aartvark.eu.

I've been getting quite a lot of contact from people who have bought my paintings over the years. Some of them have been people who bought my stuff in the 80s, really great to see some of the things I was painting all those years ago.

If anyone out there has any of my work from the 70s, 80s, 90s, or later, let me know. I'd love to here from you. In those days I was exhibiting in Manchester, England and for those of you who are familiar with that part of the world, it was with Bill and Dennis at "Platform One Gallery", Colin Jelicoe at the "Colin Jelicoe Gallery" and "Portland Gallery" with the great Tony Gordon. Hi Tony and all!

Christmas Gallery - click the link to go to my sight to view more images with prices.

I've been having fun with snow!

"Arctic Fox"
Watercolour

"Pandas In The Snow"
Watercolour

"Noah Takes A Bungee Jump Break"
Watercolour

"Red Fox Tasting The Air"
Watercolour

One last one, a commission just completed for John and Lyndsay.

"Life Is Full Of Choices"
Watercolour

As always, I do hope you like the new pictures. Feel free to leave any comments or ask any questions. More images at the links below.
Thank you.
Main Gallery, Christmas Gallery and archive available at www.aartvark.eu

This time it's been toooo long

2010-10-18T04:56:00.000-07:00

It's been far too long since my last update. I've just received a very subtle reminder from my good friend Cheryl in Canada, saying, "P.S. looking forward to an update on your blog :)" Well... what can a man do. Here it is.
This is a painting I produced on some Italian linen, primed and gessoed over a day or so, it was a lovely surface to work on. It was one of those paintings I could have just kept going on but all things come to an end and at least in this case, the end is also the beginning of a new work to be shown. I also wrote a few lines to go along with it that I have included below with the image.

And a big thank you to Cheryl for the prompting.

"Secret Window"
"Oil on Italian linen"

From death comes life in many forms

The seraphim and imps perform

To the ends of time and space I go

As they dance beneath my secret window

Here is where I now reside

Inside my head where I can hide

A world within but not without

Behind my secret window

You may dream from time to time

Until that damned alarm clock chimes

Awakens you from worlds of bliss

Veils drawn on your secret window

What do I see on this startling plain?

Too much of me, my joy and pain?

Stretched out on canvas for all to see

A glimpse into my secret window

These days I have no need for sleep

My stories in my head I keep

To close my eyes, is all I do

To reach my secret window

Long time ago I took a wife

For a while, the perfect life

But then she flew to a brighter sky

As I waited at my secret window

As time went by I found another

To me she was the perfect lover

Till life stepped in and left me sitting

At my secret window

And so I live from day to day

The final acts are still to play

My needs I know will be fulfilled

In the theatre of my secret window

A constant sound of angel’s bells

Or are they cries, the hoards of hell

I live and breathe this noise so shrill

Silence only in my secret window

I can’t say more, I’ve said enough

Life is good and bad, it’s tough

I live with what I haven’t got

And dream through my secret window

The secret window us our Self

For me there is no greater wealth

But think of others as we travel

Through our secret window

And for those who wear their heart on their sleeve

It’s for all the others we must grieve

For they’ll never ever get to see

The view from their secret window

We all have a place inside ourselves that is our and ours alone. Some will share this place, or portions of it, with others. It is the place where we have our greatest strengths. Those who share this secret place with others liberate the Self inside. This, I think, is what we humans call “LOVE”.

The level of the sharing is a measure of the love we are giving.

This is who I am.

This poem appears on The Inferno, writer's challenge and the painting you can find on The Artists Challenge

As it as been quite a while since my last update, here are a few more of my new works

"Fallen Angel"

watercolour and ink

"Fallen Ralph"

watercolour and ink

"Stilled Life"

oil on 'Gessoboard'

"Angel"

watercolour

"Pygmalion"
oil on canvas

"Kiss"
watercolour

"Desolation Row"
inspired by Bob Dylan's apocalyptic song and appearing on "The Artist's Challenge"
watercolour

"Kissing Stones"
watercolour

"Onward"
watercolour and body-colour

"Nightwalk"
watercolour

I hope you like them. Feel free to leave any comments or ask any questions. Thank you.
Gallery at www.aartvark.eu

Working to a theme

2010-06-25T14:29:00.000-07:00

"Lullaby"
Watercolour on Fabriano 5
From the song by The Cure

Embraced

Hi all. I've been having a lot of fun recently working on all sorts of things but I've still managed to find time to submit work to a fantastic site called The Artists Challenge run by Vikki North. The theme is given and artists from around the world submit work based on that theme to the site. This months theme is "Embrace" The original picture I did for it was a watercolour but then decided I could do a lot more with the theme and the painting using oils. For the oil painting I used a piece of Fabriano Pittura, a paper designed for oil or acrylic but best effects are achieved if a few coats of gesso are applied to it prior to painting. I used an olive green, acrylic ground as the painting's base. I've put both paintings in below. Hope you like them. While painting the oil I was inspired to write a few lines to go with it. Just a little poem. So many ways to embrace, here is my interpretation.

Lost Embrace

The meaning of love as elusive as clouds
Forming thoughts and emotions that know no bounds
So much invested in that soft embrace
All hope is delivered, the end of the chase

A dream is possibly all that it is
Fulfillment of longing a prayer or a wish
The meaning of love we may never know
Till like hard rain it falls to the green earth below

Love’s more important when it’s not there
Until it has gone we haven’t a care
So what are you left with what’s there to hold?
A cloud of a dream and a feeling so cold

The Paintings

"Embrace"
Watercolour on 'Fabriano 5' Not surface

"Lost Embrace"
Oil on 'Fabriano Pittura' paper with gesso coating

The previous Artists Challenge was "Midsummer Night's Dream", well worth a drop by.
Here is one of the paintings I submitted.

"Puck"
Watercolour on Fabriano 5 Not surface

As a possible point of interest I use Fabriano Papers, usually Fabriano 5 for the watercolours and always Winsor & Newton Artist's quality oils and watercolours.
For more pictures and information on my art classes and painting holidays visit www.aartvark.eu & www.paintinfrance.eu.

To get involved with the art challenges, either to view the galleries or enter your own work, visit www.theartistchallenge.com

Busy, busy!

2010-06-14T10:17:00.000-07:00

Well, it's been some time since my last blog, but my excuse is, I've been a bit busy! Apart from running my art classes I've just taken down what was my first one man show in around 30 years. It was a great success, lots of people and I sold a few as well,... always a bonus. See photo below.

Apart from that I've been painting and painting, also trying to get involved in some children's book illustration, something I've always wanted to do.
I've put in four new images, the first of which is called "Embrace" I've kept the colour pallet very simple, hopefully adding to the misty quality of the picture. It was painted for Vikki North's Art Challenge web site. Go and check it out, tons of art work, places to leave comments, pictures to buy. The theme was Embrace, hence the name of the painting.

"Embrace"

The next three are from another one of Vikki's art challenges. (The link is below) This theme was "A Midsummer Night's Dream".

"The Fairy Queen"

"Puck the Spell-breaker"

"Titania, Spellbound"

If you would like to buy a painting, please visit www.aartvark.eu lots more to see.

Try and visit "The Artist Challenge" for lots more art and a bit of fun; themed galleries, art for sale. A private art club for artists, art patrons and foolhardy souls.

2010-01-18T04:25:00.000-08:00

I have been spending some time trying to develop the more illustrative elements of my work. I always think of my paintings as stories in paint. Sometimes the message can be a little less subtle than that and then they become a moment captured, a smaller part of a longer narrative.
I've always admired the comic book illustrators of DC comics and Marvel, etc. together with people like Heath Robinson, Arthur Rackham and Edmund Dulac, they have remained some of my greatest influences.
Below are a few examples of what I've been working on. When I've scanned the rest, I'll post them as well.

Trouble

Meeting

If you would like to buy a painting, please visit www.aartvark.eu or email me at ray@paintinfrance.eu

Angel

2009-11-23T04:04:00.001-08:00

Thought one or two of you might like to see this new one. I think the character in the picture might be doing what we are all doing this time of the year... looking for a little warmth, perhaps?

"Angel", watercolour

If you would like to buy a painting, please visit www.aartvark.eu or email me at ray@paintinfrance.eu

New Paintings

2009-11-10T03:06:00.000-08:00

My first update for a while folks. But I have been busy painting and teaching and teaching and painting. Here are some new pictures, a mix of styles and subjects, but then, what's new?

If you would like to buy a painting, please visit www.aartvark.eu or email me at ray@paintinfrance.eu

"Lullaby", watercolour
Inspired by the song of the same name sung by one of my favourite bands, "The Cure"

"Water", watercolour SOLD
One of a set of four - Earth, Fire, Water and Air

"Silver Sea", watercolour
A romantic image of peace and tranquility. Indigo is such a wonderful colour.

"Journey's End", watercolour
A wintery tail

"White Rabbit", watercolour SOLD
One of two commissions for a lover of Alice in Wonderland

"Caterpillar", watercolour SOLD
Second commission, as above.

Your comments or questions are welcome.
If you would like information on our classes or painting holidays, please visit us at www.paintinfrance.eu or www.aartvark.eu or email me at: ray@paintinfrance.eu

"Hatchling"

2009-08-12T04:09:00.000-07:00

"Hatchling" Oil on board SOLD

Well, it's been well over a month since I posted last. I've been busy teaching and painting, doing the things I enjoy the most, working on new paintings and trying to develop my ideas beyond the sketchy, thought stages. "Hatchling" is a new painting based on a previous watercolour and I'm really quite pleased with it.
My good friend Paul Brown has recently introduced me to a new support/board called Gessobord, available from the states and I'm really looking forward to trying it. It has quite a smooth, completely non absorbent surface that he reckons is perfect for my style of work, so I'm just about to give it a try. I'll keep you informed.
Our art classes here in Hanc are still busy. If your in the area and would like to see what you can do, please get in touch. I'll try and make sure the next posting doesn't take so long to produce.

Your comments or questions are welcome.
If you would like information on our classes or painting holidays, please visit us at www.paintinfrance.eu or www.aartvark.eu or email me at: ray@paintinfrance.eu

"WATCHED"

2009-07-02T05:02:00.000-07:00

"Watched" Oil on board

Watched is now complete and I'm reasonably pleased with it. There will always be some elements of any painting that I feel I could have done better, but that's the incentive to do the next one,.. and the next, etc.
It has been a busy week here at "Les Jardins des Arts" where I live, paint and teach, with my wife Lynne, in the Charente, South West France. (Busy and hot, current night-time temperatures in the 20s). As well as our normal classes, our very good friend Paul Brown has held another one of his masterclasses in oils and once again it was a great success. The photos I have included, say it all.

"After a hard day's work"

"Watched" A Work in Progress...

2009-06-19T03:35:00.000-07:00

A new painting. This one, in oils, is to be called, "Watched" and is a work in progress.

New Paintings

2009-06-18T01:44:00.000-07:00

Some new paintings. Both watercolour, the perfect medium, I find, for this kind of image. I like working with glazes, swathes of transparent colour as well as utilising light and dark in dramatic ways. For me it's about drama, mood, atmosphere and story telling.
In future blogs I'm going to discuss what we do here at Les Jardins des Arts. I spend a lot of my time teaching watercolour, oil and acrylic painting as well as producing my own work. If you'd like any advice on your own work or ask questions about how I have produced a certain thing, please feel free to contact me.

"Eve", watercolour SOLD

"Watching and Waiting", watercolour SOLD

The First Post

2009-06-12T03:21:00.000-07:00

Welcome, thanks for dropping by. I will be adding more photos and information over the next week. Please pop back if you'd like to see more of my work and get some idea of what I do here in rural France. I have just installed the gallery to the right but unfortunately not had time to link the thumbs to larger images. Watch this space. Hope you like what you see!

"Vertigo", watercolour and gouache SOLD