Adebanji alade biography of martin
Go With The Magic - an inspirational short film
matt holt
Our latest inspirational short film is ‘Go With The Magic’ with guitar maker, Stefan Sobell. Master craftsman, Stefan has more than 50 years experience, making instruments for artists like Martin Simpson and Mark Knopfler. Our film gives an overview of his life and career as well as his advice to inspire creatives of all types.
“Don’t introduce stress.”
Filming on location in beautiful Northumberland, we were able to capture some of Stefan’s processes, but more importantly hear his nuggets of wisdom about carving out a creative career and following your passion. Stefan’s ethos on life and building guitars focuses around the idea of not introducing extra pressure or stress into an instrument or situation. It’s why he pursued instrument-making - even when facing financial difficulties. It’s always about the work.
“Go With The Magic.”
Stefan recognises wood is a special material and the sound it can make is truly magical. There are no rules, other than ‘Go with the magic’. Use your instincts and experience to hone whatever it is you’re creating. As filmmakers, it’s something myself and DOP, Matt Holt really relate to and it was a privilege to spend time with Stefan and tell his story. Watch the film and comment below to tell us how you felt about it and what your creative passions are. Stefan’s story will strike a chord with anyone. Sorry. I couldn’t resist.
matt holt
‘Life Lessons of an Artist’ is a new short documentary now available to watch for free on our YouTube channel.
In 2012 we produced a short eight minute documentary on the inspirational - and then relatively unknown - artist, Adebanji Alade. That was ‘Life Of an Artist’ - just one of our ‘Life Of’ series of YouTube documentaries, yet it went on to become hugely popular. At the time of writing, it has more than half a million views. Adebanji has also gone on to bigger and better things - including regularly appearing on Chris has a B.A. in Painting from the Slade School of Fine Art, University College London (1977-81), and an M.A. in History of Art from Birkbeck College, University of London (1988-90). At the Slade, where he was taught by Patrick George and Euan Uglow, he received the Monnington prize (1979) and the Taylor prize in Fine Art (1981) and he was awarded a Distinction in the History of Art examination by Professor Sir Lawrence Gowing. Having studied both painting and art history he now teaches both at Heatherley’s. He says: “There is probably some connection between studying past art and producing art now, but although it is not straightforward I do find this dual focus of my work interesting. Each aspect is revealing about the other, sometimes in ways which cannot be articulated.” At Heatherleys, Chris ran the Open Studio from 1986-96, he now teaches painting on the Diploma in Portraiture, and organises and delivers the art history programme of lectures. Having studied Italian art of the 14th century under Professor John White at UCL, and Professor Francis Ames-Lewis at Birkbeck, Chris has lectured for Birkbeck since 1991 specialising in Italian art from the Early Renaissance to the Baroque. He has also lectured at The National Gallery, The National Portrait Gallery, The Open University, Sotheby’s Institute, The History of Art Studies and for many other organisations. He has written for Art History, The Art Newspaper, and The Art Book. His publications on British figurative art include the Introductions to the exhibition catalogues Patrick George, Recent Work at Browse & Darby, London, 2010; Susan Engledow. The principle of tranquillity. Paintings and drawings from 1985 to 2015, (El Palacio de Congresos de Ronda, Spain, 2016), Patrick George: From Prose to Poetry, (Cobbold & Judd, Colchester, 2018) and the Introduction to The Likeness is in the Looking. Collected Writings of Patrick George, edited by Susan Engledow, (Sansom & Co
Gracie, Graphite/Oil Base Pencil, 13" x 9", 2009
This drawing is part of a study I did for a an oil portrait commission of this little girl for her parents. Why I love it so much is that it was just a way for me to experiment and find out different parts of her features that worked well for the final piece. Among all the sketches and studies I did before the main portrait, this is the one I liked best but wasn't the one her parents chose. They settled for a more frontal view of their daughter. Looking back at this piece which is now part of my collection, I really feel it opened up for me a great revelation-which was the ability to really investigate a little more detail in a face with my best medium of all-GRAPHITE- I always feel the potential and celebration of the ordinary pencil gets overlooked. I think colour is powerful and for some reason gets more attention than black and white pieces. But I must say I love What the pencil can achieve and I believe a day will come that it would only work in black and white!
NUMBER 37- AFTER THE RAIN II
After The Rain II, 48" x308", Oil on Canvas, 2011
This is a painting I did that was supposed to be a commission but the clients didn't have sufficient funding to give a go ahead. But since I had really given myself so much into doing it by taking almost 1, 500 pictures of the scene and trying my best to understand Rupert Street in Soho- Also with the encouragement of Enid Lawson, I went ahead to do this painting. My mission was the same as the requirements of the clients, to capture an evening scene at Soho, Rupert Street, with neon light signs, reflections and anything that reminds us of London-I decided to add the Rickshaw driver!
The reflections on the wet pavement was my key point in this piece. I had to study the work of Gustave Caillebotte, who painted a lovely scene of a Paris Street in Rainy Weather.
But what really got me absorbed in Staff
Dr David Starkey speaks about the history of the ROI and some reasons why the Institute gained it's Royal status.
I am happy to say that those two paintings in the middle of Dr Starkey and The President are mine......yeah!
The Exhibition runs till Saturday the 21st of December. If you are in London please try your best to get down to The Mall Galleries, it's a cracking show!A cross section of the crowd at the Private View
Every year I personally highlight a few paintings that caught my eye. These are just a few paintings that interest me! Apart from sketching and painting, I like to review paintings and say what excites me about them. So relax and enjoy a few of my ramblings!Adebanji with his painting Sloane Square, Summer Shadows
Above is one of the paintings I have in the show, It's of one of my favourite spots in London, "Sloane Square, Summer Shadows".
PETER BROWN ROI NEAC PS Hon RBA RPEarly Morning, Elephant Gate Udaipor, Peter Brown
I am always on the look out to see what Peter Brown has up his sleeves, as I am a great admirer of his work and his work ethic!
This particular painting of his above is just one of the rewards you get for waking up early and chasing the beautiful light! I can just imagine him working on this one! It has the force of a typical energetic "sketched plein air piece".
Everything is in the dark and mid tones apart from the source of that lovely Naples yellowy light peeping through the gate! It is not a common thing to see that he has not overstated the light but just apportioned the right amount of effect it makes on the surrounding environment!
I can almost see myself walking through that warm light into the distance!
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