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Isabel Rock Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

British, b. 1981

Isabel Rock Isabel Rock is a creator of contemporary fairy tales. A graduate of the Royal College of Art in London, her work is an explosion of strange occurrences while a surreal narrative takes the audience on a journey into the imagination. 

In October 2023 Isabel was the winner of the Evelyn Williams Drawing Award at the Trinity Buoy Wharf Drawing Prize, known as the UK’s most prestigious annual open exhibition for drawing. 

Taking inspiration from Japanese woodblock prints and Indian miniature painting Rock has developed a unique collage technique that combines bold structures with large-scale woodblock prints and intricate detailing. 

The subject is a grand mixture of humour, drama, hidden morals, fanciful characters, modern culture, mythical beings and fantastical situations. Rock creates a world that pulls you in and demands your attention. Quality of line is paramount, the drawings are created using a dipping pen and acrylic ink. An essential tool is a squirrel’s hair brush that gives incredible fine lines and was purchased on her travels in India. 

Born in Hammersmith, London in 1981, Rock knew her destiny was to be an artist. Studying Fine Art Printmaking at The University of Brighton and graduating with First Class Honours in 2004 she went on to do a Masters Degree at The Royal College of Art in London, continuing her studies in printmaking and drawing, graduating in 2008. Her first solo show at Bearspace Gallery in Deptford, London in April 2009 sold out and was the beginning of a career that continues to rise. Rock participated in the first ever India Art Fair represented by Art 1821 Gallery, where her detailed and intricate work was met with great appreciation from collectors and public. 

She has since participated in international residencies in India, Iceland, Germany and West Africa as well as building up her portfolio and exhibiting at various galleries internationally. In 2013 she won the Arts Foundation Printmaking Fellowship, a £10,000 award given to emerging artists in certain fields, only six are awarded each year. This funded a move to Berlin as the vibrant art scene in the city seemed to be the perfect place to make the next steps in her career. The city proved to be a valuable creative inspiration as it was here that Rock began to explore the written side of her visual stories, which she now performs at spoken word nights. 

Rock sat out the pandemic in her port-a-cabin studio near Reading, UK, creating a series of large-scale collages and writing surreal short stories. In 2024 Isabel is to be given a solo show at Hastings Contemporary as part of her winning the 2023 Trinity Buoy Drawing prize. 

Isabel lives and works in London where she also enjoys roller skating, growing sweet peas, reading novels and thinking up new and wild things to draw. Isabel Rock’s artworks are held in the collections of The Victoria & Albert Museum, London, The Royal College of Art, London and many Private and Public collections primarily in The UK and India.

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Artist: Isabel Rock
Surrealist Painting Royal College of Art LGBTQ+ artist Blue Fountain Pink Poodle
By Isabel Rock
Located in Norfolk, GB
Isabel Rock is a creator of contemporary fairy tales. A graduate of the Royal College of Art in London, her work is an explosion of strange occurrences while a surreal narrative takes the audience on a journey into the imagination. In October 2023 Isabel won the Evelyn Williams Drawing Award at the Trinity Buoy Wharf Drawing Prize. Known as the UK’s most prestigious annual open exhibition for drawing; part of the prize is a solo show at Hastings Contemporary, scheduled for 2024. Whilst Isabel always has a tale to tell for each of her images, you may or may not choose to go on the journey with her or you may indeed have a different story, one of your own that jumps off the page at you and you decide to follow. Artwork Details: Isabel Rock , 'Just another Day in Paradise', mixed media on best archival paper, 85cm x 140cm, unframed, 2022 In Rock's own words, 'It was just another day in Paradise for the Pink Poodle People of the Everlasting Fountain of Eternal Joy. Since every day was Paradise it was just another normal day filled with love, ecstasy and wonder. It started slowly at first, things began to appear in paradise, strange objects that the Pink Poodle People did not know what to do with. Some had sharp edges, others were so and smelt strange, bad strange. Some things glittered and shone. Every day more of these objects would arrive in Paradise. ' If this happens every day then soon Paradise will be full of these strange objects. Some of them are nice but many are bad and smelly. One day there will be no Paradise, only bad, sharp and smelly things.' But the Pink Poodle People did not know what to do with the objects and every day more arrived.' Artwork Provenance: from the Artist Studio A certificate of authentication comes from Gallery Art 1821 photo credits, Isabel working, black and white shots, James Brown About Isabel Rock and her work: Taking inspiration from Japanese woodblock prints and Indian miniature painting Rock has developed a unique collage technique that combines bold structures with large-scale woodblock prints and intricate detailing. The subject is a grand mixture of humour, drama, hidden morals, fanciful characters, modern culture, mythical beings and fantastical situations. Rock creates a world that pulls you in and demands your attention. Quality of line is paramount, the drawings are created using a dipping pen and acrylic ink. An essential tool is a squirrel...
Category

2010s Surrealist Isabel Rock Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paint, Mixed Media, Archival Paper, Pen

Surrealist Large Painting Royal College of Art LGBTQ+ Female Artist Yellow Red
By Isabel Rock
Located in Norfolk, GB
Isabel Rock is a creator of contemporary fairy tales. A graduate of the Royal College of Art in London, her work is an explosion of strange occurrences while a surreal narrative takes the audience on a journey into the imagination. In October 2023 Isabel won the Evelyn Williams Drawing Award at the Trinity Buoy Wharf Drawing Prize. Known as the UK’s most prestigious annual open exhibition for drawing; part of the prize is a solo show at Hastings Contemporary, scheduled for 2024. Whilst Isabel always has a tale to tell for each of her images, you may or may not choose to go on the journey with her or you may indeed have a different story, one of your own that jumps off the page at you, that that you decide to follow. Artwork Details: The Storm, 140x140cm, collaged woodblock print, acrylic ink, acrylic paint, 2020 * Please note this artwork is on two separate pieces of paper that have been joined together. The join is not obvious when looking at the work. At the time Isabel was desperate to make the piece but did not have a large enough piece of paper in the studio, so she joined two together. Artwork Provenance: from the Artist Studio photo credits, Isabel working, black and white shots, James Brown In Isabels own words: The Storm It started with a butterfly flapping its wings, which caused an ant to drop a leaf it was carrying, the leaf fluttered and spun, it tickled the nose of a fox returning to its den, the fox sneezed which awoke a sleeping dog, the dog barked and the fox screamed, a baby in a house began to cry. The storm clouds gathered, threatening, grey, black, blue, like swollen bruises from the blows of life. Round and round they whirled, the butterfly flapping and flipping with them. People looked out of their windows and knew that the sky was falling on their heads. The swirling vortex opened and all life was sucked away, never to be seen again. All that was left was the tiny butterfly who shrugged its tiny shoulders and flapped its wings. *Please note we are happy to ship this work rolled in an art tube. Whilst the work is on heavy duty art paper and mixed media, the artist is happy that the painting will be fine rolled in a tube. This is a more cost effective and environmentally sound method of shipping. Shipping via this method is free. Artwork Provenance: from the Artist Studio A certificate of authentication comes from Gallery Art 1821...
Category

2010s Surrealist Isabel Rock Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paint, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Archival Paper, Pen, Woodcut

Surrealist Painting Royal College of Art LGBTQ+ Women artist Chicken Love
By Isabel Rock
Located in Norfolk, GB
Isabel Rock is a creator of contemporary fairy tales. A graduate of the Royal College of Art in London, her work is an explosion of strange occurrences while a surreal narrative take...
Category

2010s Surrealist Isabel Rock Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paint, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Archival Paper, Pen

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Isabel Rock abstract drawings and watercolors for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Isabel Rock abstract drawings and watercolors available for sale on 1stDibs. You can also browse by medium to find art by Isabel Rock in archival paper, mixed media, paint and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 21st century and contemporary and is mostly associated with the Surrealist style. Not every interior allows for large Isabel Rock abstract drawings and watercolors, so small editions measuring 40 inches across are available. Isabel Rock abstract drawings and watercolors prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $2,800 and tops out at $7,500, while the average work can sell for $3,400.

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