Wednesday, 14 July 2021

Fwd: SALISBURY ARTS SCENE -WEBSITE ARTIST PAGE


  

My Profile



Below is an acrylic I painted at seventeen titled Suburbia. I believed I'd instigated a new art movement, 'Suburban fantasy'. In other words, I've been painting and drawing since childhood. My father said,"Yes, we know you can draw. Now get on with some maths and English." Which I duly did, ultimately becoming an award-winning London ad agency copywriter.

My wife ~ who'd only known me as a writer ~ was very surprised one day to see me drawing en plein air the village of Heaverham in Kent where we temporarily rented West Lodge on the St Clere Estate which I also drew. 

Then came my Old Kentish Cottage just down the road in the neighbouring village of Kemsing. This I printed and it became a bestseller at craft fairs and the like. 

And so my range developed over the years and now we're in Dorset with further inspiration: witness my Gold Hill Rising From a Rolling Mist for example.

I like to do figurative work with a twist. Hallucinating Hare is a wildlife painting with a hare surrounded by half-nibbled toadstools. Get Sett Go! is another wildlife scene this time with racing badgers in hot pursuit of the finishing line. Off-Roading Can Be Fun features a hedgehog scrambling about in the undergrowth. While Road Hogs and Road Hogs With Toddler features the same hedgehog after he meets a female and then starts a family.

I've continued painting with acrylics but in an old English watercolour style without the use of white paint. This gives an added translucency. My paintings positively glow.


Twitter: @grenvilleallen

Facebook: GrenvilleAllenartist

Instagram: @grenvilleallen

Mobile number: 07936 206600


         Suburbia

My Art



    A Cottage in the Country
Image size: 40cm x 50cm
Signed edition giclée:  £28 mounted; £58 framed

Hilltop Poppies
Image size: 57cm x 70cm
Original acrylic: £950; ltd edition giclées £95 framed, £55 mounted


Scarlet & Black
Image size: 38cm x 30cm
Ltd edition giclées £40 framed, £22 mounted

Get Sett Go!
Image size: 30cm x 60cm
Original acrylic: £395; ltd edition giclées £58 framed, £28 mounted

Dreaming Spires
Image size: 40cm x 50cm
Original acrylic: £495; ltd edition giclées £58 framed, £28 mounted

Gold Hill Rising From a Rolling Mist
Image size: 38cm x 30cm
Original acrylic: £295; ltd edition giclées £40framed, £22 mounted

Road Hogs With Toddler
Ltd edition giclées £40 framed, £22 mounted


"I saw the Sunseekers picture on a day trip to Shaftesbury in the Cygnet Gallery. It looked exactly like our cat Arthur who loves the sun and has made our sun lounge his home, which conincidentally is painted in limewashed green! It was on our way home to Gosport in Hampshire that I kept thinking about your picture and wishing I had bought it. Once home I did some detective work and found you and the picture and was so pleased. It will look superb and l'm sure Arthur will like it too."
Karen Stubington
via email

"...Your large print of 'Drama Queen' is stunning in my living room; so happy with it."
Ann Fairburn
via email

"...I also wanted to say how much I like the beautiful painting, which was presented to me by the Association. Grenville you have a wonderful talent and the picture will take pride of place in one of my guest rooms, once the renovations to my house on Dartmoor are complete."
The Rt. Hon. Ann Widdecombe MP
The House of Commons, London

"Hi Grenville. That will impress my dad with Michael Vaughan having the same picture; I'll tell him he's in good company! Thank you for your prompt service. Dad got it in good time for his birthday and loved the picture!"
Sarah Booker
Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex

"I think 'Beached' is quite sweet (and salty) and has a simple honesty — and at £65 for an original — I'll take it please, if it's still available. Let me know about frames and payment etc."
Graham Cooke
San Jose, California


  
Grenville 
Allen
f i n e   a r t i s t 

Monday, 5 July 2021

Resignation from committee/radio interview

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Grenville Allen <grenvilleallen@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 5 Jul 2021 at 09:11
Subject: My resignation from the Cygnet committee
To: <lawrencewrights@yahoo.co.uk>


There ya go, Lorrie and Lyn. As promised: just click/tap here.

And to listen to our interview with This Is Alfred click/tap on this and then click on the blue Soundcloud link midway down the column of blurb about Hazel and me.

Happy listening ~ and reading....

Cheers! 👍🎨📽🎬💻

  
Grenville 
Allen
f i n e   a r t i s t 

Thursday, 17 June 2021

Draft Agenda for Wed 23rd June, 6.30pm (Zoom)

Re: Draft Agenda for Wed 23rd June, 6.30pm (Zoom)
To: Cali Norton 


'Morning Cygnet Committee

Thanks for all your tireless efforts, Cali. Your draft agenda is as thorough as ever.

However, it has highlighted a number of bugbears that periodically rankle with me.

*High Street window (Anna)
This is displaying the back of a piece of display furniture which is not attractive. Is it
possible to have the main window facing the High Street and the one facing the Yard clear
of display furniture, unless placed there by Diana?

Is the above 'display furniture' referring to my plinth that someone has moved from its original position? Its original position ~ where I placed it at an angle hid the back of Cali's picture on the window sill. Now all the back of her pic is showing ~ warts and all. I presumed either Diana or Gaynor had moved it as part of their eminent window display policy. Which is why I left it where it now stands.

Clear Floor policy (Anna). Is it possible to have a clear floor policy i.e. no pictures on the
floor or in small easels? This will help with cleaning and avoid visitors tripping over work


Again, two of my sheep pics had been moved from where I'd placed them discreetly tucked behind my browser within my allocated space. Someone had moved them out to be more prominently seen. Which I thought was nice but would probably cause an outcry. It seems I've been proved right on this assumption. Talking of things tripping people up, the number of unwieldy and dilapidated card carousels never gets a mention. Or the ugly blue chair with what looks like urinary stains all across it. And now Des is bringing in Trojan gifts. More about him anon.

I'm putting all this in an email because as is the nature of meetings ~ and particularly Zoom ones ~ two or three people (in this case Cali, Roz and Anna) take over and dominate. So it's difficult to get a word in edgeways. I have for instance repeatedly offered to zing up the wording on the website and create a consistent message running through from social media to advertising etc. All to no avail. I've spent twenty-five years or more writing award-winning copy for London ad agencies for blue chip clients like Air France, Vimto, Yamaha, the NSPCC and so on. But does anyone pay any attention to my advice? No way. 

I would at this juncture point out the artists I've managed to recruit and the products I've managed to sell since I've been producing FB posts, tweeting and writing, designing and producing good old traditional A4 posters.

And now back to mention of Des's request for a free space in the gallery for one of his charges. We've just denied Gaynor a week or two of space for which she offered to pay! (the Trust apparently being insistent that no one is allowed a space without covering a shift and paying the licence fee). So really the idea of Des wheedling his way back in is anathema to me.

Anyway, and finally in the light of all this I'd now like to resign from my place on the committee. Of course I'll continue with all my other Cygnet duties but just not from a committee member's position à la Stuart Craven.

  
Grenville 
Allen
f i n e   a r t i s t 


On Wed, 16 Jun 2021 at 20:13, Cali Norton wrote:
Dear All,
Please find attached the draft Agenda for our next Committee meeting. I've sent it in both Word and Pages, and if you want to add/amend anything, can you highlight all amendments in red for me please!
Best,
Cali

Fwd: Clare CW

A mix-up of Clares

Date: Wed, 16 Jun 2021 at 19:38
Subject: Re: Clare CW
To: Cali and Peter

Phew! The thing is btw, Cali and Peter, the Clare that's popping in the Cygnet tomorrow is the one I saw first ~ not Clare CW. She came in long ago having read my recruitment ad that Cali put back up on the door. Apparently Clare Wyatt mistakenly thought she had to have a Facebook account to apply! A case of crossed wires.

Then Clare CW turns up after Clare Wyatt. 

I didn't know Clare Wyatt's surname and mistakenly presumed Clare CW was the nice Clare. It's like something out of The Importance of Being Earnest but nowhere near as funny!

Anyway, so really Clare CW was pipped at the post by Clare Wyatt who I saw first. In fact my initial reaction to Clare CW was that because she was called Clare I was expecting Clare Wyatt. "Ah," I said. "You're not the Clare I was expecting to see!" 

Things went downhill from there on. Dreadful woman. If she hadn't been wearing a face mask one could easily have expected to see a great hairy wart on her chin!

Good that Roz is in tomorrow to see the nice Clare. When it comes to the vote we'll have to impress on everyone that there's only one potter to vote on. Clare CW dropped out. Well out of the picture.

Well done Peter and Cali! 👍😃

  
Grenville 
Allen
f i n e   a r t i s t 


On Wed, 16 Jun 2021 at 18:45, Cali Norton <cali@thedorsetretreat.co.uk> wrote:
Looks as if the cunning plan which Peter and I hatched (and his excellent email) has worked!
C x

Begin forwarded message:

From: peteralleyn <peteralleyn@btinternet.com>
Subject: Re: i/c New Artists details
Date: 16 June 2021 at 18:43:07 BST

Hi Cali,
All Quiet on the Clare C-W Front !!
Yes, I agree - I'm lying very low & saying nothing further 😷
Let's hope 'no news is good news'.

So endeth the cliches .... 😊

All Best Wishes
Peter



------ Original Message ------
From: "Cali" <cali@thedorsetretreat.co.uk>
To: "peteralleyn" <peteralleyn@btinternet.com>
Sent: Wednesday, 16 Jun, 21 At 12:01
Subject: Re: i/c New Artists details

Dear Peter,
I'm with Roz at moment, and we were wondering if Clare CW has replied to you?!
If not, we suggest you just leave it. If she comes back in a month's time ... oh dear, sorry no unit available!
Best
Cali and Roz

Sent from my iPhone

On 14 Jun 2021, at 12:03, peteralleyn <peteralleyn@btinternet.com> wrote:


Thanks Cali
All OK & now printed out !

It all looks very straightforward.
I will have a long look through the box files you mentioned.
Very good idea to see if any of the old 'rejects' are now still keen to join.

All Best Wishes
Peter

PS 'WORD' attachments are ideal for me - I use WORD for all of my documents.

------ Original Message ------
From: "Cali Norton" <cali@thedorsetretreat.co.uk>
To: "peteralleyn" <peteralleyn@btinternet.com>
Sent: Monday, 14 Jun, 21 At 10:40
Subject: Re: Clare C W

Can you open this one? I've exported it as a Word file?
Cali

Thursday, 18 March 2021

Fwd: Housekeeping Tasks

---------- Forwarded message ---------


Well Done Grenville!

Excellent summary - Just right 👏 😃


Thanks very much

Peter 😷




------ Original Message ------
From: "Grenville Allen" <grenvilleallen@gmail.com>
To: "alan.rutter.sculptor@gmail.com" <alan.rutter.sculptor@gmail.com>; "Anna McDowell" <dorsetbuttons@gmail.com>; "Cali Norton" <cali@thedorsetretreat.co.uk>; "CLAIRE WATERS" <claire.waters@live.co.uk>; "Diana Girdwood" <dianagirdwood@hotmail.com>; "Fiona Ingram" <fiona@fionaingramjewellery.co.uk>; "Francesca lombard" <flombi@gmail.com>; "Greg Bastin" <g.bastin737@btinternet.com>; "Jason Fermor" <fermorjason@gmail.com>; "Lindsay Keir" <lindsaykeir@hotmail.com>; "Lisa South" <lisasouth49@googlemail.com>; "Maxine Chandler" <maxine@maxinechandler.com>; "Paul Phillips" <phillips_paul@btinternet.com>; "Roz Legge" <orchardfelts@gmail.com>; "Peter Alleyn" <peteralleyn@btinternet.com>; "Rachel Raine" <rachelraine@hotmail.co.uk>; "yve.sturgeon@hotmail.com" <yve.sturgeon@hotmail.com>; "katetoms@hotmail.co.uk" <katetoms@hotmail.co.uk>; "lotsoffluffforjess@gmail.com" <lotsoffluffforjess@gmail.com>; "victoriagarlandprints@outlook.com" <victoriagarlandprints@outlook.com>; "gaynor.ringland@btinternet.com" <gaynor.ringland@btinternet.com>; "Emma Dunne" <emmasteell@icloud.com>
Sent: Thursday, 18 Mar, 21 At 19:13
Subject: Housekeeping Tasks

Hello All

With regard to the tasks that are required to be undertaken by each artist as per the new Cygnet Constitution this is where we are up to so far:

Task/Name of Artist(s) taking responsibility
Vacuuming (including cobwebs on the ceilings and walls!) = Greg
Steam cleaning the floor = Yve/Emma
Cleaning the common areas eg the staff seating areas & screens = ?
Cleaning the glass in all the entrance doors = Victoria
Cleaning the kitchen = Lisa
Tea towel washing and replacement = ?
Paper towels replenished in dispenser = Hazel
Tea, coffee and powdered milk monitor = Peter
Credit card rolls (make sure we don't run out) = Peter
Pens, sticky tape and miscellaneous stationery = Peter
Ordering packaging (bags, bubble wrap) = Rachel
Emptying bins = Lisa
Hand sanitiser monitor = Peter

Peter seems to have a lot of tasks but he feels these lumped together make sense and he's happy to do them. It's important that all artists are given the opportunity to take part in the smooth running of the gallery so the remaining tasks are open to those who have not had an opportunity to get involved. To that end, please let me know if you would like to take on either of the two tasks remaining.

Cheers
Grenville

Grenville
Allen
f i n e a r t i s t

Saturday, 13 March 2021

'Albert's Little Vice'

About Albert's Little Vice....

Just thought I'd point out how far ahead of its time my novel actually was. There's humour but also a lot of dark episodes. Mitch's wife, Jackie, is sexually harassed by her immediate office boss. The novel essentially is a satire about office life. I really do tell it all like it is. As I say, Albert's Little Vice is chock full of swearing, physical violence, the lot. Penguin saw the mix of humour and more sober sequences as problematic. As did Hodder and Stoughton, where Hazel ended up working. It was because of this connection that I was able to write to Fay Weldon, who was very encouraging. After numerous rejection slips I gave up. And went back to my painting.

Have a good weekend.

Cheers 👍🎨

Grenville

 


Friday, 12 March 2021

Zoom meetings


Subject: Re: Shelves
To: Gaynor 

'Afternoon Gaynor

Ta for your nice compliments re our new display.

And yes, go for it on FB etc. This 'idea' of renting that area out to 'visiting artists' won't work.

Here's handy advice for setting up a Zoom meeting btw: just click here. 

And as regards Jackie Weaver.... Just click here!  

Would you like to be on the committee? We definitely need people like you.  👍
 

  
Grenville 
Allen
    f i n e   a r t i s t 


On Fri, 12 Mar 2021 at 10:06, Gaynor wrote:
Hmmm what a shame. Sorry you had to go it alone. Perhaps we need to get Jackie Weaver in!
I was off work yesterday but forgot about the zoom meeting. It annoys me that I miss them because I don't feel like I have a voice, though I know that you speak for me, which is appreciated. 
I personally feel that throwing money at an old rag like the Blackmore Vale is a waste of time. I do like the paper but what's the readership? You have to have a good editorial piece to capture people's interest. 
We need to move forward not back. That corner where you have moved your work to looks bloody brilliant! It looks fresh and clean and as a customer I would head over in that direction. The other corner which I want to tear down! Haha! Is cramped and dark. I personally would not want the window space but I can see its potential as a shared space. Also whilst I'm on a rant, I think we need a decent potter and another couple of jewellers. Am I allowed to spread the word on FB etc?
I like change. Change is good. 
Thank you so much Grenville and don't worry we shall get there. 
Gaynor
Xx

It's all up in the air, Gaynor.

Having been to this Zoom meeting tonight, I can see why nothing ever gets done. None of them can decide whether to open that area up to visiting artists and rip out all the shelf units. Or not.

I dunno. Enough to make one lose the will to live.

Reminds me of my days in advertising. I'd get a bright go-getting idea so far only for it to be shot down half way through.

Aaaargh! No thanks for all the FB posts and tweets I do either. There seems to be a sense of humour bypass. (I spent many years at JWT Manchester in Dean St where they got where I was coming from ~ and McCann Erickson in Prestbury ~ before I was poached by a London ad agency.)

😵

Friday, 5 March 2021

Cali's response upon reading 'Albert's Little Vice' intro....

From: Cali Norton 
Date: Fri, 5 Mar 2021 at 10:24
Subject: Re: 'Albert's Little Vice'
To: Grenville Allen <grenvilleallen@gmail.com>


I really enjoyed reading this, Grenville! I can see it as one of those illustrated adult comic books, a bit like Posy Simmonds, Thomas Hardy's heroine!
Well done indeed!
C x 

On 5 Mar 2021, at 10:17, Grenville Allen <grenvilleallen@gmail.com> wrote:

'Morning Cali and Roz

Here you are, as promised, the opening to my novel. The paper aeroplanes were being thrown over the Tottenham Court Road from our ad agency in the adjoining Percy St was all invented in reality by me. The silly nonsense I came up with was called the Across The Road Club. This is how we spent our time in a top London ad agency. I've swapped it all round in Albert's Little Vice to occurring in a downtrodden agency up north. This is where our hero is endeavouring to escape from to get into a swish metropolitan agency.

Again ~ in real life ~ one of the copywriters throwing those paper 'planes went on to TBWA in Kings Cross, another top ad agency, where he began another club of his own, throwing fishing lines out of the office window in an effort to catch a fish from the canal below. That copywriter is Trevor Beattie who came up with FCUK, etc, became a creative director and ultimately a joint creative director/chairman at his own agency, Beattie McGuiness Bungay. (According to Wikipedia he is a founding partner, chairman and creative director of Beattie McGuinness Bungay (BMB), and was formerly the chairman and creative director of TBWA London. Considered one of the leading figures in advertising in Britain, Beattie has been responsible for a number of high-profile and sometimes controversial advertising campaigns, most notably the "fcuk" campaign for French Connection and the 1994 Playtex Wonderbra campaign featuring Eva Herzigová.)

Anyway, that's how we spent our time in advertising, fuelled by plenteous amounts of drink. On the downside, the chap who gave me my big break in London, Terry Howard (famous for "Were you truly wafted in from paradise? Nah, Luton Airport"), ended up on a Zimmer frame in a care home and his art director came to me years later looking for a job! Both of them have now passed away; the one who came to me for a job, Cyril Vickers, followed me on Facebook and died recently at 84.

Just click on this to see the intro to Albert's Little Vice. Don't worry. It's quite brief.

Cheers! 👍🎨
 
  
Grenville 
Allen
    f i n e   a r t i s t 


On Thu, 4 Mar 2021 at 15:17, Grenville Allen <grenvilleallen@gmail.com> wrote:
No probs. It was my way of softening Hazel's blunter, slightly more confrontational approach. 

Don't ever worry about my altering what I've written to suit. Spent over twenty-five years doing precisely this in the advertising business. I'll send you a link to the 1st chapter of my novel 'Albert's Little Vice', satirising that world. A literary agent said he'd love to see the next 75,000 words on the strength of reading my intro. Then he chickened out on receiving the conclusion. Aargh! 😲

Anyway, just drop that para. As the literary agent wrote back to me: humour is an uphill struggle to find a publisher!

Cheers.👍

Grenville

        Grenville Allen
www.grenvilleallen.com

On Thu, 4 Mar 2021 14:55 Cali Norton wrote:
Thank you Grenville, for your swift answer re Peter. That's 7/9 so far in approval for him to come onto the Committee!

Just one little thing in discussion with Roz. Would you mind editing some of this last para in your email re Cleaning? Could you edit out:
Reggie Perrin's Grot Shop springs to mind. Or Sunshine Desserts ~ where another one of the letters on their sign would fall off in each new episode. As in S_shin_ D_ss_rts!

So it reads:

Hello everyone
Now we have a date for reopening our wonderful gallery this is just a reminder about cleaning duties. You may remember that at the end of last year I put in a request for Cygnet members to take on a task to save our employing a professional cleaning company. This is for a trial period of two months to see if we can all make it work.
A list of tasks to be filled is pinned up in the kitchen. These are the results so far.... 

Task/Name of Artist(s) taking responsibility
Vacuuming (including cobwebs on the ceilings and walls!) = Greg
Steam cleaning the floor
Cleaning the common areas eg the staff seating areas & screens
Cleaning the glass in all the entrance doors = Victoria
Cleaning the kitchen = Lisa
Tea towel washing and replacement = Peter
Paper towels replenished in dispenser = Hazel
Tea, coffee and powdered milk monitor
Credit card rolls (make sure we don't run out)
Pens, sticky tape and miscellaneous stationery
Ordering packaging (bags, bubble wrap) = Rachel
Emptying bins = Lisa
Hand sanitiser monitor 

Now then. Any more of you willing and able to go on the list? After all, the tasks aren't onerous and it would keep our lovely gallery looking tip-top and inviting. It's all about enhancing the customer experience. You may greet them with a smile but it's not a good look if there are cobwebs dangling all around you. So please, please come forward and light your own name up blue ~ as above. You know it makes sense.

And leave out:
Reggie Perrin's Grot Shop springs to mind. Or Sunshine Desserts ~ where another one of the letters on their sign would fall off in each new episode. As in S_shin_ D_ss_rts!

Roz is a bit worried that some of the artists just don't 'get' this kind of humour… and that a more transactional approach might be better.
Thanks, Grenville. You're doing a great job!
Cali


Monday, 1 March 2021

Housekeeping tasks in the Cygnet Gallery

From: Grenville 
Date: Thu, 7 Jan 2021 at 12:55
Subject: Housekeeping tasks
Hello everyone

You may remember that at the end of last year I put in a request for Cygnet members from January 1 to take on various tasks to save our employing a professional cleaning company. This is for a trial period of two months to see if we can all make it work.

A list of tasks to be filled is pinned up in the kitchen. These are the results so far.... 

Task/Name of Artist(s) taking responsibility
Vacuuming (including cobwebs on the ceilings and walls!) = 
Greg
Steam cleaning the floor
Cleaning the common areas eg the staff seating areas & screens
Cleaning the glass in all the entrance doors
Cleaning the kitchen = Lisa
Tea towel washing and replacement = Peter
Paper towels replenished in dispenser = Grenville
Tea, coffee and powdered milk monitor
Credit card rolls (make sure we don't run out)
Pens, sticky tape and miscellaneous stationery
Ordering packaging (bags, bubble wrap) = Rachel
Emptying bins = Lisa
Hand sanitiser monitor 

Now then. Any more of you willing and able to go on the list? After all, the tasks aren't onerous and it would keep our lovely gallery looking tip-top and inviting. It's all about enhancing the customer experience. You may greet them with a smile but it's not a good look if there are cobwebs dangling all around you. Reggie Perrin's Grot Shop springs to mind. Or Sunshine Desserts ~ where another one of the letters on their sign would fall off in each new episode. As in S_shin_ D_ss_rts!

So please, please come forward and light your own name up blue ~ as above. You know it makes sense.
 
Cygnet Members Liaison Officer

Thursday, 4 February 2021

Fwd: Cygnet photos


 --------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Liz Shewan 
Date: Thu, 4 Feb 2021 at 16:27
Subject: Cygnet photos


Apologies for the wait... here you go.  Let me know that they work your end. There's two folders filled with photos (in the link below), one file edited and ready to use, another full of unedited photos.  I hope that helps you out.

Liz x