Notes from the Pink Egg

DIGGING DEEP IN CARLISLE
DIGGING DEEP IN CARLISLE 29th September 2023 DIGGING DEEP Sometimes good things come out of bad.  Carlisle Cricket Club was badly hit in the terrible floods in 2015 after their site north of the River Eden in Bitts Park was very badly affected. Their clubhouse, which was damaged beyond repair, needed to be demolished and rebuilt. A team of  archeologists gathered in May 2017 to evaluate the site before planning could be considered. It quickly became obvious that the site, by a bend in the River Eden, very close to Hadrians wall, was holdi... Read More »»
CONNECTIONS
CONNECTIONS 7th August 2023 Went on a trip to Kendal last week to see what was happening at Abbot Hall after more than three years of closure. It is one of the best known and loved northern galleries What a surprise and a revelation. The once dark entrance hall was full of light. For the first time in the forty years I’ve been going to exhibitions there, the shutters were open revealing the eastern view across the lawns to the River Kent. What was even more pleasing as I looked down – there were people out there sitting a... Read More »»
THE BEST PAD IN TOWN 3rd July 2023 A cheerful addition to yesterday's newsletter. It's nothing to do with Percy but  it is art and it has really made my day.   It is the self-build home of a Great Tit and fulfils all the environmental building regs and more. Set in a elevated and safe position in a patio heater with excellent views it is built entirely with natural materials sourced locally; twigs from the beech hedge nearby, an insulating layer of dried moss from our lawn and a luxurious soft lining of Persian cat hair - the bes... Read More »»
THE WATERLILY
THE WATERLILY 1st July 2023 Apologies for the radio silence.  The last 2 months have been hectic in many ways with new writing, several new project options and a You Tube to sort out as well as family and social happenings and of course the usual  continuing battle in the garden with rabbits, deer, pheasants and now persistent mice. This is a painting of a waterlily pond by Percy Kelly which has come directly from the Percy Kelly Estate. Although Kelly is best known for his clear linear style in his drawings of villages, ... Read More »»
SMALL IS BEAUTIFUL
SMALL IS BEAUTIFUL 15th April 2023 I am so excited to tell you that I have added 10 small works (and 1 spectacular big one!) to the Percy Kelly  web site.  Each one has come directly from the Percy Kelly estate and has never been exhibited before. All the works are framed and the sizes in cms are shown below at the click on an image – first the framed size followed by the image size.    2 of the works are 2 sided.  I have illustrated  Railway viaduct, Harrington beside Red Door and Blossom on the other side.  Similarly  Gate, All... Read More »»
THE INVERTED LAMP POST - WHATEVER NEXT PERCY!
THE INVERTED LAMP POST - WHATEVER NEXT PERCY! 19th March 2023 I’ve just acquired this large Kelly painting. In the absence of a title (not uncommon with Percy) I have called it Harrington. You will have noticed that he had a tendency to do little pencil or biro sketches of some detail he wished to remember within a painting. This time it’s upside down on the left which is a novelty. Lamp posts and telegraph poles were a favourite of his because they gave him an important vertical to balance the work.  I have managed to identify the location of some of his ... Read More »»
SURPRISES AND DISCOVERIES
SURPRISES AND DISCOVERIES 4th March 2023 Its all over at The Beacon. The most successful exhibition ever for them in terms of both attendance and income. Percy has outdone Rembrandt in visitor numbers and not many artists can make that claim.  It’s sad to see it all come down. Generous lenders will get them back to grace their walls  again this week. The 2 lucky people who won the bid for 2 of those for sale (Interior Sekers Silk Mill and Parton looking South) will soon have theirs on their walls as well. The 3rd -  MT17 in Whitehaven... Read More »»
THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY.
THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY. 20th February 2023 Only six days to go before Percy Kelly’s Copeland exhibition comes to a close at the Beacon in Whitehaven. It has been a resounding success with hundreds of visitors every day since it opened in January. The wonderful front of house staff have really enjoyed being unusually busy in the quiet months of January and February. It has reached an all time  record in revenue and visitor numbers. Tony Calvin  who has done Tuesday talks and Sunday trails throughout and his wife Sal who has entertained sc... Read More »»
BBC local TV visits the Beacon 14th February 2023 Every day at the Beacon is a busy one at the moment. People are pouring in to see Kelly's Copeland and are not disappointed. Mark McAlindon was there today and recorded a piece for Look North which will be shown tomorrow (wednesday) between 6.30 and 7.00pm.  I and my co curator Tony Calvin guided Mark round the exhibition while his wife Sal did the meeting and greeting of all the people turning up.  It was Tuesday so Tony was back on duty at 1pm doing his lecture and tour  bringing the Exhibitio... Read More »»
PERCY ON AIR 5th February 2023 After another week of record visitor numbers I have just heard from Radio Cumbria that they are broadcasting the interview Tony Calvin and I did last week with Helen Millican as we strolled round  the exhibition. This is going out tomorrow evening (Monday 6th) between 7 and 8pm  If you aren’t able to listen then - here’s the BBC Sounds link, valid for about a month from 10pm on Monday evening  https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0dyfc78  (For those of you out of area this is the listen live lin... Read More »»