Kute Fine Art

Do not miss the divine Leonardo

2011-11-14T03:48:00.000-08:00

Leonardo Da Vinci: Painter at the Court of Milan at the National Gallery, London until February 5, 2012 provides the unique opportunity to look at some of his greatest paintings as works of art and to compare them directly.

We have mostly in the past been restricted to drawings from his scientific curiosity but this is the real deal. There are so few paintings by him and each of them is held so precious by their owners that to get an exhibition of such magnitude is nothing short of a miracle.

What makes Leonardo so great is his amazing powers of examination. He spent forever getting it right. He wanted to find out what the proportions of nature were, and laboured to produce an ideal beauty in his paintings. But that was his skill because the side that idealised the appearance of things and the side that struggled to observe with perfect accuracy and truth are infact in complete harmony.

If you miss it you will regret it for the rest of your natural.

Chris Sabian is a portrait artist with http://www.kutefineart.com and co-owner of http://www.paragonprints.co.uk

Desired Collection by Clare Walton

2011-09-29T09:02:00.001-07:00

The Desired Collection by Clare Walton - To be admired and adored.

Who doesn't desire something? A beautiful, enticing painting that possesses the je ne sais quoi...that mysterious powerful allure that attracts everyones eye like a magnet. The ability to entice, intrigue and inspire. This new collection by Clare Walton encompasses ambition and inspiration by delivering an elegant yet sensual look at peoples wants in a modern age.

Arriving soon at www.kutefineart.com

Wirksworth Festival 9th - 25th September 2011

2011-06-30T00:08:00.000-07:00

One advantage of living in the Peak District and indeed living in near Wirksworth is visiting the Wirksworth Festival without having to drive your car.

Wirksworth festival is an exciting annual event that offers sixteen days of contemporary visual art and performance across two un-missable highlight weekends. It has grown through the staging of an annual Arts Festival in September each year within the small historic market town of Wirksworth on the southern edge of the Derbyshire Peak District.

You can see inspirational work from international and national artists shown alongside the very best from the region. This year you’ll be able to explore even more of the town with work planned in churches, woodland, pubs, quarries and even in a railway carriage. It is a great invitation to see great art in some fascinating places.

The Festival includes a range of visual and performing arts, but is best known for the weekend Art Trails when local residents and businesses open their houses, shops, offices, churches and gardens for artists to display their work. 250 artists and 100 venues make a powerful body of exciting and rewarding art of every style and taste.

Highlights of the festival are:-

10-11 September: Trails Weekend
The fantastic opening weekend when art takes over the town.
The whole town becomes a gallery with more than 150 artists and makers showing their work in private homes, historic buildings, gardens, shop windows and churches. A great chance to buy affordable art, meet the artists and take a peek at some of Derbyshire’s best interiors!

17-18 September: Contemporary Focus
A weekend of inspirational performance events, artist film and video, exhibitions, workshops, guided tours and talks, exploring and debating contemporary practice and an opportunity to look at some of this year’s most exciting work.

25 September: Community Celebration
A spectacular finale event, where the towns creative community takes centre stage. A colourful procession will wind it’s way through the town followed by a spectacular finale of music, performance and light.

9 – 25 September: Performance Programme
World class performers to the very best home grown talent, over 2 packed weeks of exciting events, music, dance, drama and more.

Over the last couple of years Wirksworth Festival has clearly established itself as a key event in the East Midlands cultural calendar.

The Festival that has evolved today is a direct result of the creative energies and ambitions of the town, which is home to a range of innovative and talented companies and individuals. Wirksworth and the surrounding area has an unusually large creative community, particularly bearing in mind its rural location - around 5% of its population, or 8.8% of its workforce, is employed in the creative industries. The Festival remains part of this community, and will reflect and support new initiatives to encourage the development of the Creative Industries as a fundamental part of the economic life of the town.

Year on year audiences for the Festival have grown, with nearly 10,000 people taking part in 2010; at the opening ‘trails’ weekend, at one of the 30 performances, at one of the extensive programme of participatory workshops or at the fantastic Community Celebration finale.

Arts Council funding has enabled the Festival to develop an ambitious, high quality contemporary visual arts programme, that has helped the Festival grow in profile and now attracts applications from all over the world. Wirksworth Festival will receive £58,895 in 2008/2009, £60,485 in 2009/2010, £61,809 in 2010/2011 and £57,545 in 2011/2012. As a national portfolio organisation, Wirksworth Festival has been offered £58,000 in 2012/2013, £59,334 in 2013/2014 and £60,877 in 2014/2015. This is subject to a funding agreement being agreed.

Alongside this the Festival’s education and outreach programme has reached further into the local community and invigorated renewed interest from all sections of the community. We’re proud that in 2010 over 60% of local residents actively participated in the Festival.

And where did it all begin? The Festival’s historical roots are in an event called Church Clypping, which takes place at the town’s St Mary’s Church (founded in 653) on the Sunday following the Festival of the Blessed Virgin Mary on 8 September. This ancient ceremony, which sees the congregation join hands in thanksgiving to completely encircle the Church, continues as a Festival event today.

The Festival’s current form dates from 1995, when a group of local artists opened their own homes to display their work, and this part of the Festival has now become one of the Festival’s highlights, the highly successful Art and Architecture Trail. Today’s Festival encompasses a broad-ranging programme of visual arts and performance spanning 17 days, over three weekends annually in September.

The Festival is now becoming an innovator and promoter to encourage a body of new work each year, commissioned from leading artists, to leave a lasting legacy of public art in the town.

Chris Sabian is an artist with http://www.kutefineart.com and co-owner of http://www.paragonprints.co.uk

Top tips to improve your art

2011-05-12T04:05:00.000-07:00

My top tips to improve your art.

· Paint in a limited number of standard sizes and keep a supply of canvases in these sizes on hand to be ready to paint when that spark of inspiration strikes.

· Keep a sketchbook and a camera in your car so you will not miss that once in a lifetime scene.

· Cut cardboard templates in the standard 2 x 3, 3 x 4, and 4 x 5 canvas proportions to trace their dimensions for your source drawings in your sketchbook.

· Frequently imagine the scene before your eyes as the subject for a painting. It will improve your artistic eye and hopefully it will enrich your life.

· For painterly brushwork put generous amounts of paint on your palette, load your brush with paint, and lay it on the canvas with a single bold stroke.

· Paint some very small and some very large paintings to extend your painting ability.

· Paint like a professional artist by painting every day.

Chris Sabian is an artist with http://www.kutefineart.com and co-owner of http://www.paragonprints.co.uk

Chris Sabian's Pastel Top Tips

2011-05-11T02:07:00.000-07:00

· Paint lights over darks, soft pastel over hard.

· Overlapping creates depth.

· Work from the top.

· Maintain tonal range.

· Buy the best quality pencils you can afford.

· Use a very sharp trimming knife to keep pencils sharp.

· Be considerate of the framer and do not give him flimsy pieces of paper, but rather find stiffer boards to paint on.

· Plan, Plan, Plan.

Great Sheffield Art Show

2011-05-09T07:21:00.000-07:00

I have three painting exhibiting at the Great Sheffield Art Show - 8/9/10 July Octogon Centre, Sheffield.

Clare Walton opens her studio

2011-05-09T04:05:00.000-07:00

Clare Walton opens her studio

Portrait and wildlife artist Clare Walton will be opening her studio and exhibiting paintings and prints during Derbyshire Open Arts Weekend 2011. Clare will also be launching a brand new cartoon collection.

Clare's studio is at Via Gellia Mill, Via Gellia, Bonsall, Near Matlock, Derbyshire DE4 2AJ and her studio will be open daily, 10am to 6pm, from 27th May to 30th May, Telephone: 01629 825305; www.kutefineart.com.

For a free illustrated brochure or further information about Derbyshire Open Arts Weekend go to www.derbyshireopenarts.co.uk

Also exhibiting at the same venue are High Stone Gallery (photography by Ian Daisley), Liz Linell (pastel and ink panels on chipboard) and Netty Reddish (homeware, puzzles, pictures and jewellery).

TOP: Clare Walton Satisfaction Pastel 20"(W) x 16"(H)

Satisfaction Guaranteed

2011-04-27T01:08:00.000-07:00

"Satisfaction" is finished and available to buy as a print at http://www.kutefineart.com/photo_7704560.html

Satisfaction is progressing well

2011-04-24T06:43:00.000-07:00

This is possibly my best yet and I cannot wait to finish it!

A Cultural Feast for the May Bank Holiday Weekend

2011-04-21T08:26:00.000-07:00

Spring Bank Holiday Weekend 28th to 30th May Via Gellia Mills, Bonsall, Derbyshire DE4 2AJ

Who can resist a peek into the life of an artist? From May 28th art lovers are invited to meet Pet and Wildlife artist Clare Walton of Kute Fine Art at Unit 309 Via Gellia Mill. See her in action, learn about her skills and experience the surroundings that nourish her imagination.

Take the opportunity to browse Original Artwork, Limited and Open Edition Prints and brand new Cartoon Releases. Why not have a go yourself? There will be a variety of artists materials to try including pastels and many types of pastel paper, pen and ink, graphite pencil and oil paints.

Now in its sixth year the Derbyshire Open Arts has established itself as a firm date in the cultural calendar and Via Gellia Mill as an art venue isn't standing still. One of the great strengths of this rural setting is the sense of place, drawing on the rich vein of talent in the area and exhibiting work that celebrates local distinctiveness.

Only in such a rural space can visitors explore such a diverse event with so much fun.

http://www.kutefineart.com

Molly and Meg Pet Portrait

2011-03-19T05:33:00.000-07:00

My first pencil drawing pet portrait for a client. So far so good................

Molly the Boxer

2011-03-05T07:39:00.000-08:00

12" x 16" pastel painting on Fisher 400 paper. Molly the Boxer is a client commission completed and mounted and framed in record time. One very happy customer and that is what makes it all worth while!

Satisfaction on the Easel.

2011-03-05T07:32:00.000-08:00

New work in progress. Satisfaction is my new subject, let's hope it is guaranteed.

Introducing Serenity

2011-02-01T23:17:00.000-08:00

16" x 16" (40cm x 40cm) pastel painting on Fisher 400 pastel paper. Available as a limited edition print of 250 signed by the artist.

Latest Commission

2011-01-19T00:35:00.000-08:00

My latest creation starts to take shape. The photo I have been working from is so bland and to coin a phrase "faceless". So I hope I can show the children in their true light.

Tenacity becomes Serenity

2011-01-19T00:33:00.001-08:00

Stage Two.

Work in progress going into the New Year

2011-01-04T00:58:00.001-08:00

Firstly, my entry for BBC wildlife with a lot of work to do!! Secondly, Tenacity, also with a lot of work to do!!

Roscoe is finished

2010-12-21T07:14:00.000-08:00

Roscoe has been changed more times than I care to mention, but now it is finished to my complete satisfaction.

Wild Life Artist of the Year Award

2010-12-20T05:20:00.000-08:00

As from now things tend to calm down somewhat I have decided to enter two wild life competitions - BBC and David Shepherd. My first painting is on the board and progressing whilst I have two others that have been sketched out so far.

"Baxter" West Highland Terrier

2010-11-29T07:27:00.001-08:00

Read what people are saying about "Baxter" West Highland Terrier at http://www.painters-online.co.uk/gallery/picture.asp?addcom&text&id=34337 (Please cut and paste the link to view).

The snow has arrived!

2010-11-29T05:21:00.000-08:00

"Baxter" West Highland Terrier

2010-11-24T03:20:00.000-08:00

I have finished "Baxter" in good time ready to deliver him to his owner in Scotland. Before the snow comes! 15" x 18" (38cm x 45cm) pastel painting on Fisher 400 pastel paper.

Meet "Baxter".

2010-11-23T01:37:00.000-08:00

This my latest piece - "Baxter". Early stages and then when my eyes were too sore to continue!

Framed Work

2010-11-23T01:35:00.000-08:00

It has been pointed out that I have not shown any framed work on my website. So here is my latest piece.

"Benji" the Yorkshire Terrior

2010-11-09T02:22:00.001-08:00

My latest portrait is finished.

Scotland in the Fall

2010-11-09T02:21:00.000-08:00

I have spent the last two weeks in Scotland and it so beautiful at this time of year. Oh to be a landscape painter!

Benji

2010-10-18T10:32:00.000-07:00

New commission. 10" x 12" pastel portrait that I have just started today.

Roscoe Update Part Four

2010-10-18T10:29:00.000-07:00

Work in progress on a project that has changed somewhat since the original brief. For the better I might add!

New Project

2010-10-02T00:57:00.000-07:00

I have had on the drawing board a set of 4 oils which will form the basis of a future collection which will be featured at http://www.kutefineart.com/gallery_354544.html

This is the work in progress to date on the first two.

Roscoe Update Part Three

2010-10-02T00:49:00.000-07:00

Roscoe's portrait has been a constant worry to me. So in a fit of inspiration I have changed the background completely. This makes the portrait more dramatic and shows off his highlights better. The end zone is in sight.

Working conditions

2010-09-25T06:55:00.000-07:00

The studio has a wonderful view. If you cann't create from here GIVE UP!

Trip to Scotland

2010-09-21T21:53:00.000-07:00

I spent last week in Scotland. Talk about heritage - surely they appear to have far more than England.

Studio Update

2010-09-21T09:26:00.000-07:00

I am just in the process of fitting out my new studio with furniture. I have to admit to spending a small fortune at the weekend, but because I will be spending so much time there it is important to feel comfortable.

Comments received

2010-09-18T09:38:00.000-07:00

Many thanks for the comments made of my portrait of "Ayla"- http://www.painters-online.co.uk/gallery/picture.asp?addcom=&text=&id=31615

Mike Smith Wrote:
Just seen this. Fantastic work. I shall struggle on and hope to get somewhere near your standard

Marie Stewart Wrote:
beautiful work.

Robert Jones Wrote:
The animal's skin is like silk - I am utterly and absolutely rotten with soft pastel, so you have my unbounded admiration.

Beatrice Cloake Wrote:
This is a stunning piece of art!

Deborah Pugh Wrote:
This is terriffic and an inspiration to us all. Thank you for sharing it.

Sue Petty Wrote:
Wonderful wonderful piece of work, I haven't tried pastel but this makes me want to rush out and buy some.

Carole Swingler Wrote:
Brilliant pastel portrait.

Suzanne Carter Wrote:
I love your work, it is stunning!

Comments received

2010-09-12T01:50:00.000-07:00

Many thanks for the comments made of my portrait of "Jarvis" Chocolate Burmese- http://www.painters-online.co.uk/gallery/picture.asp?id=31219

Marie Stewart Wrote:
beautiful painting.

And of my portrait of "Ayla"- http://www.painters-online.co.uk/gallery/picture.asp?addcom=&text=&id=31615

Val Kenyon Wrote:
My favourite medium on my favourite support, I just wished mine turned out like this! Superb work.

william Dennis Wrote:
Wonderfull pastel , I have only dabbled with pastels for quick sketches and I cannot imagine being able to produce such a clean, sharp painting, you have inspired me to take some lessons in this medium.

Suzanne Carter Wrote:
I love your work, it is stunning!

Ayla is finished

2010-09-11T10:05:00.000-07:00

This portrait is probably my favourite of all time. Having said that I seem to say that everytime I finish one! But heyho onwards and upwards and onto the next one.

Ayla

2010-09-06T00:29:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned before about work for the Wirksworth Festival, Ayla is about 50% done. My deadline is sometime tomorrow so I am well on target.

Chatsworth Country Fair

2010-09-04T11:37:00.000-07:00

A day at Chatsworth Country Fair. £15 well spent? Well at least it didn't rain.

Society of Feline Artists

2010-09-03T10:41:00.001-07:00

Clare Walton is now an Associate of the Society of Feline Artists http://www.felineartists.org/

Rosco Update Part Two

2010-09-01T06:31:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately Rosco has not been on my easel recently due to more pressing portraits, with his owners permission ofcourse. But now I am into the final stages and one last push will see him finished. I'm looking forward framing as I have something rather special in mind.

Comments received

2010-08-30T11:00:00.000-07:00

Many thanks for the comments made of my portrait of "Jarvis" Chocolate Burmese- http://www.painters-online.co.uk/gallery/picture.asp?id=31219

Beatrice Cloake Wrote:
What a cuty, so very well painted.

Carole Swingler Wrote:
Love this, great work.

Rosalind Russell Wrote:
What a beautifully executed painting.

Bank Holiday Monday

2010-08-29T23:22:00.000-07:00

Bank Holiday Monday. I've decided to have a day off and spend time with my family, which consists of one dog, two cats, one horse oh and a bloke. I cannot believe how awful the weather has been for the last six weeks or so. I thought global warming suggested warmer temperatures not wetter weather or is that why it is called climate change now. The sun is shinning now so I may go to the "Roaches" (http://www.peakdistrictview.com/?page=place&placeid=757) and see if I cann't get some decent photos for a new project.

By the way if you like my website and my work you can vote for me by clicking on the link for "Commission a Portrait" at http://www.kutefineart.com/links.html

Freddie Portrait

2010-08-27T08:19:00.000-07:00

I finished Freddie and forgot to make it public. So here we have it http://www.kutefineart.com/gallery_354554.html

Overwhelmed

2010-08-24T13:08:00.000-07:00

I am totally overwhelmed by the kind words of Robert Jones about my painting of "Yogi" http://www.kutefineart.com/gallery_353874.html

"Met a Newfoundland some weeks ago; huge, friendly, amiable, intelligent - and I want one! But couldn't possibly afford to keep one or exercise it. You've caught all I saw in the dog I met; utterly superb animal. You've caught the tangled hair, but more important the soul of the dog (and if dogs don't have souls, I'm damn' sure we don't!)."

Many thanks for your kind words.

Jenson Button

2010-08-23T23:27:00.001-07:00

I have been reminded that before Christmas I started a pastel of the reigning Formula One World Champion Jenson Button and that it might be a good idea to finish it. So finish it I must. See the results soon at http://www.kutefineart.com/

"Tickles Please"

2010-08-23T09:58:00.000-07:00

"Tickles Please"

"Tickles Please" is now complete and will soon be available as a limited edition print. http://www.kutefineart.com/

Ashbourne Show

2010-08-21T10:05:00.001-07:00

I went to Ashbourne Show today at the Osmaston Showground. Fortunately I went early in the morning and enjoyed the best of the weather. The principle reason for attending was to see whether next year I should have a stand to showcase my art. There were a number of "competitors" present and after due professional analys...is of their offering I found myself very upbeat at attending the Show circuit next year.

Painters Online

2010-08-20T10:24:00.000-07:00

Clare Walton who represents http://www.kutefineart.com/ is featured today on Painters Online.

Kute Fine Art

2010-08-20T10:09:00.000-07:00

You can now follow us on Twitter http://twitter.com/ and search kutefineart

Kute Fine Art

2010-08-20T10:01:00.000-07:00

You can now find us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Kute-Fine-Art/109572302429830?ref=ts

Roscoe Update

2010-08-20T09:46:00.000-07:00

Rosco pastel is taking shape.

Digby the German Shepherd

2010-08-20T09:43:00.000-07:00

Digby is almost complete. This is a pastel portrait on velour paper which shows off the texture of the fur and is environmentally friendly.

Welcome to Kute Fine Art

2010-08-20T09:20:00.000-07:00

We specialise in highly detailed, traditionally hand painted pet and family portraits in oil on linen and pastel paintings and a specialist portfolio of limited edition prints by UK artist Clare Walton (BA Hons). Check us out at http://www.kutefineart.com/