Three painters, one sculptor at Stapleford Granary, Cambridge.

 

We enjoyed our visit to Stapleford to deliver work to this vibrant venue near Cambridge this week. The exhibition runs from 3 February to 16 April 2023.

Three painters, one sculptor: An exhibition of paintings and sculpture from four artists, curated by Alan Kluckow Fine Art in collaboration with Stapleford Granary.

Paintings by Tom Benjamin, Susan Laughton, Philip Maltman and sculpture by Ian Turnock.

Stapleford Granary is an Arts Centre near Cambridge whose aim is to foster cultural understanding through education. The Centre provides an inspiring environment for experiencing music and art. It was a derelict 19th century farm and granary when in 2009 the charity bought the buildings and once renovated it was awarded a RIBA Regional East Award 2019.

Held in place, 40 x 40cm, Susan Laughton.

Copper Beech, 100cm, patinated brass, Ian Turnock.

Winter Annual Exhibition, &Gallery, Edinburgh

My painting Formation 6 will be included in this great group show.

Acrylic and pencil on framed plywood panel.

24.8 x 30 cm.

Annual Winter Exhibition at the &Gallery, Dundas Street, Edinburgh.

3 - 23 December 2022

www.andgallery.co.uk

All are welcome on Saturday 3rd December between 2-4pm for the opening of the exhibition. 

The annual end of year exhibition brings together the work of 31 artists who regularly exhibit in the gallery. Showcasing a variety of artworks on a large and small scale. 

Exhibiting artists: Rebecca Appleby, Joy Arden, Jonathan Barber, Andrew Clausen, Michael Craik, Joan Doerr, Liz Douglas, Hanna ten Doornkaat, Jana Emburey, Jeffrey Cortland-Jones, Gwen Hardie, Susan Laughton, Karine Léger, Elfyn Lewis, Jai Llewellyn, James Lumsden, Andrew Mackenzie, David Mankin, Ivan De Menis, Emily Moore, Mary Morrison, Frances Priest, Lorraine Robson, Anke Roder, Laura Jane Scott, Anna Somerville, Jon Thomas and JFK Turner.

 

Handpainted and gilded plywood sculptures inspired by architecture.

I have just been updating my online shop and I still have some of my lasercut plywood sculptures available. They are inspired by houses and industrial buildings. My drawings are lasercut into Poplar plywood, then I paint, gild and engrave one side.

The freestanding ones are 18mm thick and the wall hanging are 9mm thick. And 125mm or 90mm high.

 

My long standing interest in landscape and architecture has always inspired my drawing and painting. Vernacular buildings, both rural and urban, domestic and functional, have found a place in my paintings for some time, no doubt also informed by time as an architectural technician. I am particular drawn to the triangular form of the gable ends of buildings, whether they be simple sheds, northern terraces, suburban 1960’s bungalows, barns or giant warehouses. The move from painting to 3D forms was an instinctive urge, a desire for a more physical, tactile exploration. That exploration encompasses both the formal aspects of architectural, geometric shapes and what they mean in the sense of home, shelter, work and human endeavour and it’s impact on our external and internal landscapes. I think there is also an element of play involved in creating imaginary worlds, remembering the painted wood toy building blocks of childhood.

4th Anniversary exhibition, &Gallery, Edinburgh

In celebration of its 4th anniversary, &Gallery presents a special  exhibition featuring a selection of artworks by the gallery’s roster. This exhibition is an opportunity to reflect on the 4 past years and the superb exhibitions held at the gallery. I'm delighted to be included showing some of my new wall sculptures, such as Stowaway 2 shown left. Acrylic and copper gilding on lasercut plywood, 15 x 26cm.

The exhibition brings together a selection of available artworks by Rebecca Appleby, Joy Arden, Jonathan Barber, Helen Booth, Andrew Clausen, Michael Craik, Joan Doerr, Hanna ten Doornkaat, Liz Douglas, Jana Emburey, Jeffrey Cortland Jones, Susan Laughton, Karine Léger, Elfyn Lewis, Jai Llewellyn, James Lumsden, Andrew Mackenzie, David Mankin, Ivan De Menis, Emily Moore, Mary Morrison, Lorraine Robson, Anke Roder, Laura Jane Scott, Anna Somerville, Elaine Spears, Jon Thomas and JFK Turner

Since opening in 2017, &Gallery has established itself as a leading contemporary art gallery in Scotland as well as the rest of the UK and worldwide and organised more than 40 exhibitions.

Looking back: Sightlines at Salford Museum and Art Gallery, 2009.

When LS Lowry's paintings were moved from Salford Museum and Art Gallery to the new Lowry centre twenty years ago Salford Museum held various exhibitions in the gallery space. In 2009 I was asked to exhibit my work and also given the opportunity to select work from the gallery's rarely seen permanent collection. Although unfortunately I don't have great photos of the exhibition I wanted to share them.

"An exhibition inspired by the English Landscape, with paintings by Salford artist, Susan Laughton and a selection of works from Salford Museum and Art Gallery's permanent collection. The English Landscape has inspired and challenged artists for centuries. Works displayed from Salford's permanent collection demonstrate the artist's traditional preoccupation with the picturesque or landscape as a ‘view'. This exhibition illustrates how one contemporary artist has responded to the challenge and created complex work of sensitive simplicity. Work that speaks as much about our changing relationship with the landscape, as it does about the times we live in." 

Most of the artists I chose were also Northern but I was also excited to find a Prunella Clough (1919-1999) painting Recollection 1976, seen here with The Church on the Hill, Milnthorpe 1979 by Elizabeth Finn (1933- 2019) who was from Marple and on the left my Sodium sky 2006.

Below: Salford born artist Olive Bagshaw's painting Adams Hill, Winter 1978 with Cloudburst 2008 in the foreground.

Below middle: Bolton Parish Church by Brian Bradshaw (1923 - 2016), left: Vanishing point I & II 2009, right: Measured space I & II, 2009. Brian Bradshaw was born in Bolton, attended Bolton Art College and after WW2 was awarded a scholarship to the Royal College of Art.

Vanishing point, 2009 Susan Laughton

Below left: Faded glory IV & V, right Putney Window by Carel Weight (1908 - 1997) Weight became Professor of Painting at the Royal College of Art in 1957, and was awarded the CBE in 1962. In the following year he painted the mural Christ and the People for Manchester Cathedral, and in 1965 was elected RA.

Below left: Telegraphic I & II, right Landscape by John Ward (b.1935) John is based in the High Peak, Derbyshire and taught at Salford, Manchester and Stockport Colleges of Art and Design.

Telegraphic II, Susan Laughton, 2008

Below: second left Bickershaw No.4 by Roger Hampson (1925 - 1996) Hampson was born in Tyldesley near Wigan and is considered an important member of the Northern School. He taught at Bolton College of Art and Design and also worked as a graphic designer. Third from right: Sunlight and Mills by Rochadale born Harold Hemingway (1908 - 1976) 

The Art Buyer Autumn Show 2020 at The Upstart Gallery, Putney, London.

Exhibition news: I will be showing six new paintings in the The Art Buyer Autumn Show 2020 at The Upstart Gallery, 161 Lower Richmond Road, Putney, London from 8th October - 21st November.

Monday – by appointment

Tuesday to Thursday – 10.30am to 1.30pm

Saturday – 10.30am to 4pm

Sunday – closed

'Silvering time III' 40 x 40cm.

Little plywood architectural sculpture: houses, barns, huts

I have recently being working on these little lasercut 18mm thick plywood buildings. They are 12.5cm high, handpainted and gilded. I'm really pleased with the results! They are available from Gallery57 and I am also starting to add some to my online shop here.

My long standing interest in landscape and architecture has always inspired my drawing and painting. Vernacular buildings, both rural and urban, domestic and functional, have found a place in my paintings for some time, no doubt also informed by time as an architectural technician. I am particular drawn to the triangular form of the gable ends of buildings, whether they be simple sheds, northern terraces, suburban 1960’s bungalows, barns or giant warehouses. The move from painting to 3D forms was an instinctive urge, a desire for a more physical, tactile exploration. That exploration encompasses both the formal aspects of architectural, geometric shapes and what they mean in the sense of home, shelter, work and human endeavour and it’s impact on our external and internal landscapes. I think there is also an element of play involved in creating imaginary worlds, remembering the painted wood toy building blocks of childhood.

The Royal Scottish Academy Annual exhibition 2020

The Royal Scottish Academy Annual Exhibition is now online from 8th April to 10th May 2020. The Annual Exhibition is the core of the RSA’s exhibition programme, and represents the Academy’s commitment to promoting excellence in visual art in Scotland. In light of the current extraordinary circumstances, the RSA team has been working hard to ensure that the exhibition goes ahead in a new, entirely digital format. 

This is 194th year and I am delighted to say this year my painting Enclosure V, 40x40cm, has been selected.

www.rsaannualexhibition.org

I also currently have work available online with the &Gallery in Edinburgh and The Stratford Gallery in Stratford upon Avon.

Journey into Landscape, Bircham Gallery, Norfolk

I'm very pleased to have been invited to exhibit in the Journey into Landscape exhibition at the Bircham Gallery in Holt, Norfolk.
Fieldlines III is one of 10 paintings I will be showing alongside work by Nina Archer, Andrew Bird, Elaine Bolt, Celia Wilkinson, Keith Roper and Gordon Senior.
The opening of the exhibition on Saturday 7th March  from 10 - 5pm.
The exhibition then runs until 25th March.
Bircham Gallery, Modern and Contemporary British Art, 14 Market Place, Holt, Norfolk www.birchamgallery.co.uk

Sculptural paintings

About a year ago I started work on these ‘sculptural paintings’ but was then busy with commissions and a solo show. I’m returning to them now and have made the first ones available from my online shop here.

Artist Focus, &Gallery, Edinburgh

Resonance IV

40 x 40cm

Susan Laughton | Artist Focus | 24 - 30 January 2020 at the &Gallery.

During the month of January and the first half of February 2020, the &Gallery in Edinburgh will host a series of shows in the gallery's second room, while keeping a winter mixed show in the front room.

Artist focus will put a different artist in the spotlight each week and I am pleased to be featured from 24 - 30 January.

Winter exhibition: &Gallery, Edinburgh

Resonance II, 30x30cm



















I am delighted to be included along side a group of fantastic artists in the Annual Winter exhibition at the &Gallery in Edinburgh. A selection of drawing, collage, paintings, sculptures and glass pieces by artists who regularly exhibit in the gallery.⁣
⁣30th November - 21st December 2019⁣
⁣Opening preview 30th November from 2-4 pm.⁣
⁣⁣
⁣Artists include Rebecca Appleby, Joy Arden, Jonathan Barber, Helen Booth, Fiona Byrne-Sutton, Michael Craik, Liz Douglas, Jana Emburey, Jo Hummel, Jeffrey Cortland-Jones, Susan Laughton, Karine Léger, Elfyn Lewis, Jai Llewellyn, James Lumsden, Andrew Mackenzie, David Mankin, Annie Mulvey, Gillian McFarland, Mary Morrison, Ele Pack, Lorraine Robson, Anke Roder, Anna Somerville, Elaine Speirs, JFK Turner and Hanna ten Doornkaat.⁣
⁣⁣

Small Works at The Stratford Gallery

Small Works: exploring the power of small paintings at The Stratford Gallery. The exhibition opening is at 3pm on Saturday 7th September and continues until 28th September 2019. I have several paintings in the exhibition including Deep sleep 20x20cm (above). Being restricted to a small area or surface pushes the boundaries of what is possible to portray with impact.  Many of the world's most celebrated artworks are small in scale, big in stature.  This exhibition is a celebration of that sentiment. There is also work by Angela Lizon RWA, Philip Lyons, Anna King, David Storey, Zoe Taylor, Jane Ansell, Jo Oakley, Catherine Knight, Susan Laughton, Debbie George, Ruth Winding, Laura Wade, Gareth Edwards RWA,Harriet Porter and Anna Clegg.
www.thestratfordgallery.co.uk

FULLY AWAKE 5.6 exhibition, Freelands Foundation

FULLY AWAKE 5.6
72 artists who teach painting in the UK have been invited to select one artist they had taught and one who had taught them to exhibit alongside each other.
I have been invited by my former tutor Rebecca Sitar who has also invited her former tutor Mali Morris RA.
Fully Awake 5.6 is an exhibition that explores new ways to understand the development and variety of contemporary British painting. It offers an accessible but critically rigorous platform for audiences to better understand the impact that different generations of artists have upon one another.



Curated by Dr Ian Hartshorne and Sean Kaye.
Preview: Thursday 5 September 18:30–20:30
6 September – 3 November 2019, Freelands Foundation, London.

Enclosure V, Susan Laughton, 2019

The iteration at Freelands Foundation is the fifth in the cycle. The project’s approach to curating is distinct in that it offers audiences an unorthodox way to encounter the development of contemporary British painting by exposing the deeper levels of connection between generations of artists. The Fully Awake exhibitions are bringing together artists from different stages in their careers, affording younger artists the opportunity to have their work shown alongside established artists with international reputations, such as Sonia Boyce, Andrew Grassie, John Stezaker, Dan Hays, Vanessa Jackson, Estelle Thompson, Terry Frost, Basil Beattie and Alexis Harding.

Fully Awake is curated by Sean Kaye (British Higher School of Art and Design, Moscow) and Ian Hartshorne (Head of Painting at Manchester School of Art) with support from independent artist curator Harry Meadley. The curators bring extensive experience to the project and have developed the exhibition emerging from the activities of the national organisation Teaching Painting, of which Hartshorne and Kaye are founder members, with Magnus Quaife. The organisation has realised a variety of high-quality projects including conferences at the Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester and at the Royal Academy in London, as well as producing the publication Teaching Painting: How Can Painting Be Taught in Art Schools? and a symposium series at Manchester School of Art, which featured speakers including art critic Barry Schwabsky and artist Amy Sillman.

Artists include:
Brendan Fletcher with Tim Allen and Sarah Hardacre
June Forster with Carolyn Wallace and Tom Voyce
Martin Fowler with Kevin Phillips and Hessian Sachs
Robert Holyhead with Sharon Hall and Michael Irwin
Celia Johnson with David Ferry and Natalie Ramus
Vincent Lavell with Mike Knowles and Jay Chesterman
Rebecca Sitar with Mali Morris and Susan Laughton
Mia Taylor with Tim Stoner and Grace Payne
Sally Taylor with Gerry Davies and Kirsty Boutle
Freya Wright with Nelson Diplexcito and Helen Sayer

Balancing Act : solo show, &Gallery, Edinburgh

My solo show at Staithes Studios Gallery continues until the end of June 2019. Then on 6th July Balancing Act starts at the &Gallery in Edinburgh. You can see the online catalogue here.
The exhibition opens Saturday 6th July     2 - 4pm, all welcome.

Disguise II, 40x40cm.

Resonance V, 40x40cm

Solo show at Staithes Studios Gallery, North Yorkshire

One of the new paintings I will be showing in my forthcoming Solo exhibition at Staithes Studios Gallery, North Yorkshire from 1st - 30th June 2019.
Safe keeping III, 40x40cm, 2019.

Staithes Studios Gallery is curated to reflect a passion for the natural, organic and abstract, offering a hand picked range of contemporary fine art, applied craft, art materials and workshops. The Gallery is situated at the top of the slip way on the edge of the sea in the pretty harbour of Stithies in North Yorkshire. They are open Weds - Sat 11 -5pm (from April to October)

www.staithesstudios.com

Fresh Art Fair, Cheltenham

I'm really pleased to be one of the artists represented by The Stratford Gallery at this years Fresh Art Fair in Cheltenham. The fair runs from Friday 26th to Sunday 28th April 2019 with a Private View on Thursday 25th April from 5.30 to 9pm.

Image: The evening shimmers, 60x60cm

Enki magazine feature

Thankyou to enki magazine for featuring me in Volume 9 out this month. It is a beautiful publication showcasing contemporary design, architecture and interiors.

Unrestricted at the & Gallery, Edinburgh

I have a two paintings included in this group exhibition: Unrestricted at the & Gallery in Edinburgh which runs from 1st December 2018 - 12th January 2019 with an opening on Saturday 1st December from 2-4pm.

There will be a selection of large and small scale artwork by artists who regularly exhibit in the gallery including:
Rebecca Appleby, Joy Arden, Jonathan Barber, Michael Craik, Liz Douglas, Jana Emburey, Joanne Hummel-Newell, Susan Laughton, Karine Léger, Jai Llewellyn, James Lumsden, Andrew Mackenzie, Mary Morrison, Ele Pack, Anna Somerville, Elaine Speirs and JFK Turner.

Held in place, 40x40cm

Vale Artists Open Studios, October 2018

This weekend we are having our first Open Studios at Vale Artists in Congleton, Cheshire. We will be open from 11 - 4pm on Saturday and Sunday 13th & 14th October and then again on 27 & 28th. Five contemporary artists will be showing paintings, collages, glass and jewellery.