Merry Christmas!

Hello Colin ,

I spoke to Moira on Thursday morning and she mentioned you. I explained I am in the middle of getting to grips with some new programs , one of which is a mail card program. As you can see I haven't progressed very far! Time is running out so I am resorting to email instead.

Hopefully next year I shall keep in touch better and use a proper card to update people about my work. I am hoping to balance a bit of social life with my paintings which I am selling for IRCC Ukraine Fund. I shall be applying to join the RGAC again and will try my best to get down more often.

Meanwhile Susan & I want to wish you a Merry Christmas and a peaceful New Year for 2023.

The painting is an original titled "Wastwater Late Spring", acrylic on 20in x 16in canvas 2022

Kindest Regards

Please feel free to circulate it if you wish. There may still be a few at RGAC that remember me.
Alan & Susan

p.s. Sorry to be the bearer of bad tidings but an email I received "from you" a few days ago had some dodgy looking text & link which suggests your email may have been hacked. I thought you would want to know.

"Spanish Harbour Sunset", oil on canvas, 2014

The blog seems to have been overhauled so I shall continue to post on it for the moment but still retaining Facebook as the main outlet for my work & thoughts.

This post is another from the vaults called "Spanish Harbour Sunset #2", oil on canvas, 2014. It was an attempt to catch the colours of a peaceful harbour at sunset. I personally find the colours very soothing and created it in a semi abstract manner which I think suited the subject.

I have other works on my Etsy UK shop.

MAIN BLOG Now RELOCATED to Facebook

 There have been some technical problems with this blogsite so to be on the safe side the main content of this blog has been relocated to Facebook . There has also been a doubt as to whether Blogger will go the way of Google Plus and be terminated at relatively short notice as was the case with thousands of Google Plus communities.

Also it has proved difficult to be able to post a working link from other social media platforms to this blog.

However out of loyalty to Blogger I shall continue to post here periodically pending such an occurence. I have also left all the historic blog content of Curly Bob's adventures available for as long as this works.

Meanwhile to celebrate the opening of my remodelled Etsy UK site here is "Ferme Provencale", an oil on canvas from 2014

Exhibition Cancelled !!!

As you will know after 3 months of painting and 4 months of Social Networking my exhibition opened on Sat 14 March with 23 paintings of my paintings on show. The morning I was "in residence" went well and quickly. Most of the time was spent finishing off my display and cleaning the common surfaces in the gallery.

It was booked  over 6 months ago but on the opening day I was of the view that it might not run its full 4 week cycle due to the spread of Coronavirus. Sadly I was told on Monday 16th March that Eccles Community Art Gallery was closed immediately and would not open until the coming crisis was resolved. It is not yet decided how this will be sorted after "The Gallery" reopens but I shall keep you posted. Meanwhile my works are still hanging which was the safest option. I hope to be around to continue supporting this great community space and its wonderful volunteers. Community galleries don't just happen, they exist and run by people who care about others.

Having an exhibition requires a lot of energy, preparation and hard work. It is an emotional thing. Any artist that has done it will tell you it is a whole lot more than if you were reselling something from the cash & carry. I have also missed the opportunity to try and raise funds for our chosen causes. I only mention this to explain to all of our supporters because I was so sickened by the timing. If you run a full show and don't sell anything then at least your work has been looked at by the public and that is different than the online experience. That is why I haven't mentioned it on Social Media before now. Also I have been concentrating on spreading some good news, where there is any to cheer my friends up a bit.

Having explained that I have to say the decision to close was absolutely the only safe choice to protect artists, "The Gallery" volunteers and of course the public. Salford Royal Hospital had enough to do , even then, without us rustling up some trade. Art will always have its place to lift the soul & spirit and it will be sorely needed during his nightmare. There will be an awful lot of sadness and misery for most of us in the weeks and months to come.

Most people have much more pressing matters to think about & spend their money on than buying paintings at the moment. However I  believe that we shall come through this and return to something different than what we had before. So Curly Bob & I shall keep plugging away on facebook etc to be ready when that moment comes. I shall post the gallery images here and on Facebook. The individual works there will be published on a daily basis , health permitting. I have posted a selection of images of my work, in situ, separately here and on Facebook.

Here is "Sunset Antarctica", oil on canvas, circa 2014

"Sunset Antarctica", oil on canvas, circa 2014

Open at Last!

Despite fears to the contrary we actually opened yesterday at Eccles Community Art Gallery. Amazingly there were still a good number of people about and we had several visitors during the morning I was in the Gallery.

2 good friends came down to have a look and support my efforts which was very welcome. Curly Bob is self isolating(more on that later). I was pleased with the display and all the help given my the Gallery organisers , especially Hilda Kirkman, who looks after me extremely well.

Soon I shall be posting  a video(assuming it works) on my Facebook timeline and Curly Bob's Art Emporium page when I fathom out how to do it. 

Meanwhile thank you to everybody who has been or will have been to see the works in the Gallery. It is run to showcase the work of artists of many types including those involved in producing crafts as well as traditional artworks.

As far as I know the Gallery will be open for the foreseeable future unless changes in circumstances alter that. needless to say Bob & I shall keep you informed.

Always having an eye to a business opportunity, Bob had suggested that if we offered a free loo roll with every painting sold it would improve sales. I had to explain that it might well create a health hazard with  crowds expected. It would also lower the tone of the Gallery. He is thinking about this for the moment.

For now here is one from the archives " Evening Light #3", oil on 50cm x 60cm canvas, (Sold). This was one of 5 similar semi abstract works I did for therapy reasons.

" Evening Light #3", oil on 50cm x 60cm canvas, (Sold)

For some reason known only to Google the link www.vanbear7.blogspot.com may not work from Facebook and you may have to type in the address above in the address box of your browser. Other times it works..go figure as our friends across the pond might say!!!

www.curlybobsartemporium.etsy.com

www.vanbear7.blogspot.com

https://www.facebook.com/aluitios.vanbear

https://www.facebook.com/Curly-Bobs-Art-Emporium-112276986889837/?modal=admin_todo_tour

https://www.facebook.com/ArtsInEccles/

2 Days to Opening!

Most artists open their exhibitions with mixed emotions. They are wondering whether it will be a success, will anything go wrong, are they happy with their work once they see it on the gallery wall etc, etc.

I am happy with what I have produced for this show but have also used it as a marker to see where things can be improved with my next paintings.

As already stated it is probably one of the worst times I can think of to have a show but there it is. Artists are like the rest of us. Some are optimistic, others not so much so. I plan to keep going and hope some people will come out and have a look as long as it is safe to do so.

Thank you to everyone who has supported our project by liking and / or following me & Curly Bob. We really appreciate it and wish you all a safe passage through these trying times.

Bob, with his usual modesty has mentioned that as Donald Trump has made a statement today, he is obliged to do the same. He will be posting tomorrow....

Meanwhile here is a work that is in my exhibition at Eccles Community Art Gallery until 4 April 2020.

This took me several months to paint due to distractions with other projects. "Mas En Provence", acrylic on 60cm x 50cm canvas, 2020.

www.curlybobsartemporium.etsy.com

www.vanbear7.blogspot.com

https://www.facebook.com/aluitios.vanbear

https://www.facebook.com/Curly-Bobs-Art-Emporium-112276986889837/?modal=admin_todo_tour

https://www.facebook.com/ArtsInEccles/

"Mas En Provence", acrylic on 60cm x 50cm canvas, 2020.

"