Big Sky Fine Art

Jean Chaleye. French ( b.1878 - d.1960 ). Still Life Of Carnations & Marigolds. Oil On Board. Signed Lower Right. Image size 20.9 inches x 25.2 inches ( 53cm x 64cm ). Frame size 27...

Elin Siân Blake. Welsh ( b.1981). Welsh Section A Stallion. Ink On Paper. Signed Lower Right. Image size 8.5 inches x 10.4 inches ( 21.5cm x 26.5cm ). Frame size 16.5 inches x 18.1 inches ( 42cm x 46cm ). Available for sale; this original drawing in ink is by the contemporary Welsh artist Elin Sian Blake. The drawing is presented and supplied in a glazed sympathetic frame (which is shown in these photographs) and is supplied ready to hang and display. The drawing is signed lower right. Elin Siân Blake is a contemporary Brecon-based artist, originally from the South Wales valleys, whose work delves deeply into the rich tapestry of Welsh heritage. Through various mediums, she creates poignant reflections of societal and cultural issues that have shaped the Welsh identity. Born in 1981, Elin Siân Blake began producing commissioned artwork from an early age, focussing on the traditional Welsh ponies and landscapes of her childhood. She was particularly inspired by the agricultural and equestrian events she attended. As a teenager she spent all her spare money on art supplies. Blake graduated from the University of Glamorgan in 2002 with a degree in graphic design and illustration, but quickly realised that she wanted to create conventional paintings, rather than producing digital images. She then spent several years living on the road in vintage vehicles, painting the scenes and characters she encountered on her travels. Blake taught herself oil painting using library...

Elin Siân Blake. Welsh ( b.1981). Black Welsh Cob. Charcoal On Paper. Signed Lower Right. Image size 7.7 inches x 10.4 inches ( 19.5cm x 26.5cm ). Frame size 16.5 inches x 18.1 inches ( 42cm x 46cm ). Available for sale; this original charcoal drawing is by the contemporary Welsh artist Elin Sian Blake. The drawing is presented and supplied in a glazed sympathetic frame (which is shown in these photographs) and is supplied ready to hang and display. The drawing is signed lower right. Some damage to the paper is apparent in the top right hand corner where the sheet of paper was torn from the sketchbook. Elin Siân Blake is a contemporary Brecon-based artist, originally from the South Wales valleys, whose work delves deeply into the rich tapestry of Welsh heritage. Through various mediums, she creates poignant reflections of societal and cultural issues that have shaped the Welsh identity. Born in 1981, Elin Siân Blake began producing commissioned artwork from an early age, focussing on the traditional Welsh ponies and landscapes of her childhood. She was particularly inspired by the agricultural and equestrian events she attended. As a teenager she spent all her spare money on art supplies. Blake graduated from the University of Glamorgan in 2002 with a degree in graphic design and illustration, but quickly realised that she wanted to create conventional paintings, rather than producing digital images. She then spent several years living on the road in vintage vehicles, painting the scenes and characters she encountered on her travels. Blake taught herself oil painting using library...

Elin Siân Blake. Welsh ( b.1981). Polo Match, Cirencester, Player Leading Pony. Watercolor On Paper. Signed Lower Right. Image size 11.2 inches x 15.4 inches ( 28.5cm x 39cm ). Frame size 16.9 inches x 20.9 inches ( 43cm x 53cm ). Available for sale; this original painting is by the contemporary Welsh artist Elin Sian Blake. The watercolor is presented and supplied in a glazed sympathetic frame (which is shown in these photographs) and is supplied ready to hang and display. The watercolor is signed lower right. Elin Siân Blake is a contemporary Brecon-based artist, originally from the South Wales valleys, whose work delves deeply into the rich tapestry of Welsh heritage. Through various mediums, she creates poignant reflections of societal and cultural issues that have shaped the Welsh identity. Born in 1981, Elin Siân Blake began producing commissioned artwork from an early age, focussing on the traditional Welsh ponies and landscapes of her childhood. She was particularly inspired by the agricultural and equestrian events she attended. As a teenager she spent all her spare money on art supplies. Blake graduated from the University of Glamorgan in 2002 with a degree in graphic design and illustration, but quickly realised that she wanted to create conventional paintings, rather than producing digital images. She then spent several years living on the road in vintage vehicles, painting the scenes and characters she encountered on her travels. Blake taught herself oil painting using library...

Elin Siân Blake. Welsh ( b.1981). Polo Match, Cirencester, The First Chukka. Watercolor On Paper. Signed Lower Right. Image size 11.2 inches x 15.6 inches ( 28.5cm x 39.5cm ). Frame size 16.9 inches x 20.7 inches ( 43cm x 52.5cm ). Available for sale; this original painting is by the contemporary Welsh artist Elin Sian Blake. The watercolor is presented and supplied in a glazed sympathetic frame (which is shown in these photographs) and is supplied ready to hang and display. The watercolor is signed lower right. Elin Siân Blake is a contemporary Brecon-based artist, originally from the South Wales valleys, whose work delves deeply into the rich tapestry of Welsh heritage. Through various mediums, she creates poignant reflections of societal and cultural issues that have shaped the Welsh identity. Born in 1981, Elin Siân Blake began producing commissioned artwork from an early age, focussing on the traditional Welsh ponies and landscapes of her childhood. She was particularly inspired by the agricultural and equestrian events she attended. As a teenager she spent all her spare money on art supplies. Blake graduated from the University of Glamorgan in 2002 with a degree in graphic design and illustration, but quickly realised that she wanted to create conventional paintings, rather than producing digital images. She then spent several years living on the road in vintage vehicles, painting the scenes and characters she encountered on her travels. Blake taught herself oil painting using library...

Elin Siân Blake. Welsh ( b.1981). Polo Match, Cirencester, Player And Pony. Watercolor On Paper. Signed Lower Right. Image size 15.2 inches x 11.6 inches ( 38.5cm x 29.5cm ). Frame size 20.3 inches x 16.3 inches ( 51.5cm x 41.5cm ). Available for sale; this original painting is by the contemporary Welsh artist Elin Sian Blake. The watercolor is presented and supplied in a glazed sympathetic frame (which is shown in these photographs) and is supplied ready to hang and display. The watercolor is signed lower right. Elin Siân Blake is a contemporary Brecon-based artist, originally from the South Wales valleys, whose work delves deeply into the rich tapestry of Welsh heritage. Through various mediums, she creates poignant reflections of societal and cultural issues that have shaped the Welsh identity. Born in 1981, Elin Siân Blake began producing commissioned artwork from an early age, focussing on the traditional Welsh ponies and landscapes of her childhood. She was particularly inspired by the agricultural and equestrian events she attended. As a teenager she spent all her spare money on art supplies. Blake graduated from the University of Glamorgan in 2002 with a degree in graphic design and illustration, but quickly realised that she wanted to create conventional paintings, rather than producing digital images. She then spent several years living on the road in vintage vehicles, painting the scenes and characters she encountered on her travels. Blake taught herself oil painting using library...

Elin Siân Blake. Welsh ( b.1981). Stable Friends. Pastels On Colored Paper. Signed Lower Right. Image size 11.2 inches x 7.7 inches ( 28.5cm x 19.5cm ). Frame size 18.7 inches x 15.3 inches ( 47.5cm x 39cm ). Available for sale; this original pastel drawing is by the contemporary Welsh artist Elin Sian Blake. The drawing is presented and supplied in a glazed sympathetic frame (which is shown in these photographs) and is supplied ready to hang and display. The artwork is signed lower right. Elin Siân Blake is a contemporary Brecon-based artist, originally from the South Wales valleys, whose work delves deeply into the rich tapestry of Welsh heritage. Through various mediums, she creates poignant reflections of societal and cultural issues that have shaped the Welsh identity. Born in 1981, Elin Siân Blake began producing commissioned artwork from an early age, focussing on the traditional Welsh ponies and landscapes of her childhood. She was particularly inspired by the agricultural and equestrian events she attended. As a teenager she spent all her spare money on art supplies. Blake graduated from the University of Glamorgan in 2002 with a degree in graphic design and illustration, but quickly realised that she wanted to create conventional paintings, rather than producing digital images. She then spent several years living on the road in vintage vehicles, painting the scenes and characters she encountered on her travels. Blake taught herself oil painting using library...

Elin Siân Blake. Welsh ( b.1981). Antique Bottle Collection. Oil On Canvas. Signed Lower Left. Image size 11.2 inches x 9.3 inches ( 28.5cm ...

Elin Siân Blake. Welsh ( b.1981). Ty Nain (Grandma’s House). Oil On Artist’s Canvas Board. Signed Lower Left. Image size 19.5 inches x 15.6 inches ( 49.5cm x 39.5cm ). Frame size 22.8 inches x 18.9 inches ( 58cm x 48cm ). Available for sale; this original painting is by the contemporary Welsh artist Elin Sian Blake. The painting is presented and supplied in a sympathetic frame (which is shown in these photographs) and is supplied ready to hang and display. The painting is signed lower left. Elin Siân Blake is a contemporary Brecon-based artist, originally from the South Wales valleys, whose work delves deeply into the rich tapestry of Welsh heritage. Through various mediums, she creates poignant reflections of societal and cultural issues that have shaped the Welsh identity. Born in 1981, Elin Siân Blake began producing commissioned artwork from an early age, focussing on the traditional Welsh ponies and landscapes of her childhood. She was particularly inspired by the agricultural and equestrian events she attended. As a teenager she spent all her spare money on art supplies. Blake graduated from the University of Glamorgan in 2002 with a degree in graphic design and illustration, but quickly realised that she wanted to create conventional paintings, rather than producing digital images. She then spent several years living on the road in vintage vehicles, painting the scenes and characters she encountered on her travels. Blake taught herself oil painting using library...

Malcolm Edwards. Welsh ( b.1934 ). Welsh Sheepdog, Shepherd & Sheep. Watercolor. Signed Lower Right. Image size 8.9 inches x 19.7 inches ( 22.5cm x 50cm ). Frame size 16.7 inches x ...

Mid-20th Century 1950s/1960s Soviet Ukraine - Khrushchev & Brezhnev Era. Three Generations Of Steel Factory Workers. Framed Charcoal On Paper Period Drawing. Image size 24.4 inches x...

Victor Gabriel Gilbert. French ( b.1847 - d.1933 ). L’ Eglise De La Sainte-Trinite, Place De La Trinite, Paris. Gouache & Watercolor On Paper. Signed Lower Right. Image size 15 inch...

Robert King. English ( b.1936 ). Gymnast. Dancer. Pastel On Paper. Signed Lower Left. Image size 7.5 inches x 5.7 inches ( 19cm x 14.5cm ). Frame size 14 inches x 11.6 inches ( 35....

John Arthur Lomax. English ( b.1857 - d.1923 ). When I Was A Boy. Oil On Panel. Signed Lower Right. Image size 9.5 inches x 11.4 inches ( 24cm x 29cm ). Frame size 17.3 inches x 1...

George Scarth French. English ( b.1859 - d.1946 ). Tate Hill Pier, Whitby, 1930. Watercolor. Signed & Dated Lower Left. Image size 15 inches x 21.5 inches ( 38cm x 54.5cm ). Frame ...

Harold Walton Freckleton. English ( b.1890 - d.1979 ). Milly With Minstrel. Oil On Canvas. Signed Lower Right. Image size 24.4 inches x 29.52 inches ( 62cm x 75cm ). Frame size 30.7 inches x 35.8 inches ( 78cm x 91cm ). Available for sale; this original oil painting is by the Nottingham artist Harry Freckleton and dates from the 1960s. The painting is presented and supplied in its’ original wooden frame (which is shown in these photographs). The frame, canvas and the painted surface have benefitted from cleaning, restoration and conservation, which was performed on our instruction, supervision and approval. The original cotton covered slip has been replaced. This vintage painting is now in very good condition, defying its age. It wants for nothing and is supplied ready to hang and display. The painting is signed lower right. The acclaimed artist Harry Freckleton was born in Nottingham in 1890 and lived there for most of his life. He studied at the Nottingham School of Arts, as it was then known, from 1904 to 1912 under Wilson Foster and was much influenced by the local painter Arthur Spooner. He worked as a lithograph artist, and then served in the army during World War 1. He then worked as an artist for New Zealand Cine Studios and went on to run his own photographic business from 1924-65. Freckleton married the artist Vera Freckleton and they spent most of their married life living in at Whitegates in The Park, Nottingham. Most of Freckleton’s art is painted in oils, and he specialised in still life, landscape and figurative work, especially childhood scenes. His best works have a strong human interest, with an individual technique showing quality and fine execution. He was a member of the Nottingham Society of Artists, exhibiting there and becoming an esteemed Associate. As a successful artist Freckleton exhibited work seven times at the Royal Academy, as well as the Royal Society of Portrait Painters and the Royal Society of British Artists. His work continues to be sought-after and is today represented in permanent collections in Nottingham, Blackpool, Huddersfield and elsewhere. © Big Sky Fine Art This beautiful oil on canvas painting by Harry Freckleton shows a scene in an English farmyard. Besides an old green painted barn and a tall haystack, we see Minnie, a young girl sitting astride Minstrel, her brown pony. She is wearing a riding hat, white blouse and red trousers, and looks down at her left side towards a second figure, in a blue top and tan trousers, who is possibly adjusting her stirrups. A third figure, another girl, in grey blouse...

Hazel M. Barnett. Ponies At Penlan, Swansea, Wales. 1967. Oil On Board. Signed Monogram Lower Right. Image size 17.9 inches x 35.6 inches ( 45.5cm x 90.5cm ). Frame size 19.7 inche...

Elin Siân Blake. Welsh ( b.1981). Y Bugail Unig (The Lonely Shepherd), Llangattock, Brecon Beacons. Oil On Artist’s Canvas Board. Signed Lower Left. Image size 9.7 inches x 11.4 inc...

Elin Siân Blake. Welsh ( b.1981). Worm’s Head (Pen Pyrrod), Gower Peninsula. Oil On Canvas. Signed Lower Left. Image size 9.5 inches x 11.4 inches ( 24cm x 29cm ). Frame size 14.2 i...

Alice Anne Renshaw. English ( b.1849 - d.1900 ). Young Lady With Meadow Flowers In Her Straw Hat. Watercolor & Gouache On Artist's Board. ( An embossed stamp in the top left hand corner reads 'Turnbull’s Superfine London Board' ) . Signed Lower Left. Image size 21.3 inches x 16.7 inches ( 54cm x 42.5cm ). Frame size 29.9 inches x 25.6 inches ( 76cm x 65cm ). Available for sale; this original painting is by Alice Anne Renshaw and dates from around 1880. The painting is presented and supplied in its original highly ornate...

Oscar Wilson. English ( b.1867 - d.1930 ). The Lady Of The Lake. Watercolor & Ink On Paper. Signed Lower Left. Image size 17 inches x 10.2 inches ( 43cm x 26cm ). Frame size 23 inc...

Elin Siân Blake. Welsh ( b.1981). Making Ripples. Oil On Artist’s Canvas Board. Signed Lower Right. Image size 19.5 inches x 15.6 inches ( 49.5cm x 39.5cm ). Frame size 22.8 inches x 18.7 inches ( 58cm x 47.5cm ). Available for sale; this original painting is by the contemporary Welsh artist Elin Sian Blake. The painting is presented and supplied in a sympathetic frame (which is shown in these photographs) and is supplied ready to hang and display. The painting is signed lower right. Elin Siân Blake is a contemporary Brecon-based artist, originally from the South Wales valleys, whose work delves deeply into the rich tapestry of Welsh heritage. Through various mediums, she creates poignant reflections of societal and cultural issues that have shaped the Welsh identity. Born in 1981, Elin Siân Blake began producing commissioned artwork from an early age, focussing on the traditional Welsh ponies and landscapes of her childhood. She was particularly inspired by the agricultural and equestrian events she attended. As a teenager she spent all her spare money on art supplies. Blake graduated from the University of Glamorgan in 2002 with a degree in graphic design and illustration, but quickly realised that she wanted to create conventional paintings, rather than producing digital images. She then spent several years living on the road in vintage vehicles, painting the scenes and characters she encountered on her travels. Blake taught herself oil painting using library...

Arthur William Devis. English ( b.1762 - d.1822 ). Portrait Of Charlotte Shore, Daughter Of The Governor General Of India, The 1st Lord Teignmouth. Oil On Canvas. Oval Image size 26.2 inches x 20.5 inches ( 66.5cm x 62cm ). Frame size 34.6 inches x 28.7 inches ( 88cm x 73cm ). Available for sale; this original oil painting is by Arthur William Devis and dates from around 1792 to 1795. This painting was created when the sitter and the artist were both in India, the sitter's father being the Governor General of India from 1793 to 1798. The painting is presented and supplied in a 19th century decorative frame. The painted surfaces and the frame have benefitted from some restoration, cleaning and conservation, which was performed on our instruction, supervision and approval. The canvas is lined. This antique painting is in very good condition, commensurate with its age. It wants for nothing and is supplied ready to hang and display. Provenance: By descent in the family of the sitter. Exhibited: Preston, Harris Museum and Art Gallery, 2000, Arthur William Devis, no.52. Charlotte was the eldest child of the first Baron Teignmouth, a title that was created in 1798 for Sir John Shore. The title became extinct in 1981 on the death of the seventh Baron. This portrait was almost certainly painted by Devis in India at a time when the sitter’s father was Governor General. As such, this is a historically significant piece. John Shore was an anti-slavery campaigner, born in London but brought up in Romford. In 1769 he went to work in Bengal where he was one of the first to learn a number of local languages. In 1785 he returned to England and on 14 February 1786 he married Charlotte, the only daughter of James Cornish, a medical practitioner at Teignmouth. The couple’s first child, Charlotte, the subject of this painting, was born the following year, on January 26, 1787. The family quickly returned to India, where John Shore served as Governor from 1793 to 1798. John and his wife had three sons and six daughters over the following fifteen years. Sir John Shore left Calcutta for the final time in March 1798, sailing back to England with his wife and young family. The family settled in Clapham and Sir John became the first president of the British and Foreign Bible Society. He was involved with the Clapham Sect and their anti-slavery campaign. This adorable original oil on canvas depicts Charlotte, the eldest child and first daughter of the first Lord Teignmouth, aged around five to seven years old. (On the basis that the family returned to England in 1798 when Charlotte would have been 11 years old, this painting was almost certainly created in India, during the time when her father was the Governor General of India. We also know that the artist was painting portraits in India the decade up to 1795, when he returned to England.) Charlotte is an attractive child, with thick dark brown curly hair framing her beautiful angelic features. She has fair skin, rosy cheeks and rosebud lips. Her dark eyes are wide and engaging. She has the sweetest expression on her face and we feel that she is kind and good natured. She is wearing a simple white gown, typical of the day, with a low neckline and three- quarter length sleeves and a pale blue sash around her waist. Arthur William Devis was one of the major English artists of the early nineteenth century, noted particularly for his portraits. His life was dynamic and engaging and he produced some of the definitive images of his generation. Devis was born in London on 10 August 1763, the nineteenth child of the artist Arthur Devis and his wife Elizabeth Faulkner. There were several artists in the family and Devis showed an early genius for art. He received some artistic training from his father and then studied at the Royal Academy Schools where he received a Silver Medal, and the good opinion of Sir Joshua Reynolds. Devis became extremely well-travelled, and even circumnavigated the world; when he was about twenty, he was appointed draughtsman on the British East India Company's ship Antelope in a voyage to the East Indies, under Captain Henry Wilson. The vessel was wrecked off the Pelew Islands, on which the crew took refuge. The island was uninhabited, but the sailors formed a friendly alliance with neighboroughing islanders and took part in the wars of the natives. The crew then built themselves a small vessel and sailed for Macao. During this voyage Devis received two wounds from arrows shot from the coast, one in his body, the other in his check, which caused a permanent injury to his jaw. Devis left the rest of the crew at Macao, spent a year in China, then proceeded to Bengal. He settled in India for ten years, establishing a modestly successful practice and receiving several lucrative commissions from British colonialists, of which this painting of young Charlotte is likely to be one. In 1795 he returned to England and worked with great zeal, earning himself a reputation as a serious artist. He painted a number of important historical pieces, including “The Conspiracy of Babington in the reign of Queen Elizabeth” and “Cardinal Langton and the Barons forcing King John to sign Magna”. He soon became established as one of the most talented British artists of his day. It is known that Devis created other portraits of the Shore family between 1797 and 1817. Devis is particularly noted for being involved in the creation of the posthumous cult of Horatio Nelson. After the battle of Trafalgar, he went out to meet the Victory, and painted the acclaimed piece ‘The Death of Vice-Admiral Lord Viscount Nelson, K.B., in the cockpit of H.M.S. Victory, 21 Oct. 1805.’ For this work Devis made various sketches on board HMS Victory, including of Nelson’s body during the autopsy by Dr. Beatty, the ship’s surgeon. The completed picture has become the definitive image of Nelson’s heroic end; it was engraved by W. Bromley (1812), and presented by the Right Hon. Lord Bexley to the gallery of Greenwich Hospital in 1825. At 8 feet 7 inches by 6 feet 4 inches it is of stunning proportions. Devis’ large oil sketch for the piece was purchased by Queen Victoria, December 1852 Devis was also commissioned by Dr. Beatty to produce a half-length painting of Nelson as Vice Admiral, which was lent to Emma Hamilton, who later lost it whilst travelling. Either the original or a copy of this portrait was exhibited at the Royal Academy two years after the Battle and many copies were made of it, including one in the National Maritime Museum. Devis exhibited a total of sixty-five pictures at the Royal Academy between 1779 and 1821. His equestrian portrait of ‘Alexander Sinclair Gordon, Esq.’, was engraved by Anthony Cardon in 1805; ‘The Battle of Waterloo,’ engraved by John Burnet in 1819; ‘An Indian Interior,’ by P. W. Tomkins in 1797; ‘The Little Mountaineer,’ by E. Scriven in 1809, who also engraved Devis's illustrations to J. J. Howard's translation of the ‘Metamorphoses of Ovid,’ London, 1807. Thus images of Devis’ work have become well known through the years. Today there is a portrait of Arra Kovger by Devis in the British Museum, and a portrait of Governor Herbert (painted in Calcutta in 1791) in the National Portrait Museum. Despite his artistic talent, Devis was seemingly completely incapable of managing his financial affairs. He therefore failed to maintain the status in society that his talent deserved. Where money was concerned, he was generous beyond his means and was sadly declared bankrupt in 1800. In 1804 he was imprisoned for debt. Between 1802 and 1810 he received continual assistance from John Biddulph of Ledbury, but these well-intentioned interventions did not produce the results hoped for, and Devis continued to be hopelessly unreliable. Towards the end of his career he at last began to receive Royal patronage, but it came too late. When he died suddenly from apoplexy in 1822 he left his second wife and young children penniless. He was buried in St. Giles’s churchyard. Works by Arthur Devis are now very much in demand; his depiction of Bengali weavers made an eyecatching £130,000 in a UK auction...

Geoffrey Key. English ( b.1941 ). Horse With Rising Sun, 1989. Watercolor & Ink On Paper. Signed & Dated Lower Right. Image size 13.6 inches x 9.7 inches ( 34.5cm x 24.5cm ). Frame size 20.5 inches x 16.5 inches ( 52cm x 42cm ). Available for sale; this original painting is by Geoffrey Key and is dated 26th September 1989. The watercolor is presented and supplied in a sympathetic and contrasting contemporary frame (which is shown in these photographs) to suit the subject coloration, mounted using conservation materials and behind glass. This artwork and its presentation is in excellent condition. It wants for nothing and is supplied ready to hang and display. The watercolor is signed and dated lower right. Geoffrey Key is a leading figure in Northern contemporary art, widely regarded as Lancashire’s greatest living artist, noted for his realism, his expressive use of bold color and his graphic, linear style. His striking works, now much in demand, have established him as a major player of post war British figurative art. Geoffrey Key was born in Rusholme, Manchester in 1941. His mother, Marion, worked as an illustrator and encouraged him to draw and he took to this easily and with great enthusiasm. He was educated at Manchester's High School of Art, whose headmaster, Ernest Goodman, established the Salford Art Club. It is fitting that many years later, after Goodman's death, its members chose Geoffrey Key as Honorary President. In 1958 Key enrolled at the Manchester Regional College of Art, where he was tutored by the sculptor Ted Roocroft and the painter Harry Rutherford, both of whom influenced him greatly. After gaining the National Diploma of Design and the Diploma of Associateship of Manchester, the latter with distinction, Key took up a postgraduate scholarship in sculpture. His academic awards include the Heywood Medal in Fine Art and the Guthrie Bond Travelling Scholarship. Geoffrey Key’s early work included an important period of development during which he concentrated on painting and drawing a specific area of the Derbyshire landscape, the Whiteley Nab hill, south of Glossop. Key created literally hundreds of images of this one landscape and later revealed that the sole purpose of this dedicated period of study, was to build upon the firm foundation established by his academic training, whilst divesting himself of the influences he had absorbed in order to arrive at his own personal artistic language. In other words, this is where he found his own style. After graduating Key worked as a teacher at Duke Street Secondary Modern in Broughton, Salford, which later became Broughton Modern. In every spare moment though he painted and his talent was quickly recognised. As the likes of Salford Art Gallery, The Rutherston Loan Collection and North West Arts began to acquire his work he made the decision to relinquish his salary and to become a full time artist. Key was elected to membership of the Manchester Academy of Fine Arts in 1968 and was a prize winner in 1971. During this time he was also commissioned by three North West England based companies – Mather & Platt, Richard Johnson & Nephew, and Wilson’s Brewery. The Richard Johnson & Nephew pictures are now held by the Museum of Science and Industry, Manchester. In the 1980s the French company Société des Caves de Roquefort also commissioned Key’s work and further successful exhibitions were held in both the UK and abroad. In 1987 the Manchester Evening News asked Key to write an article on L. S. Lowry, who Key had known well, for a feature marking the centenary of the artist's birth. This article was accompanied by a contemporary drawing of Lowry by Key. Apart from LS Lowry, Key is arguably Lancashire’s best-known and most collected contemporary artist. Key says ‘I knew Lowry and he was a lovely...

Julian Ruddock. British ( b.1965 ). To School In Llanfihangel. (First Day At School). Pastel On Paper. Signed Lower Left. Image size 21.7 inches x 29.6 inches ( 55cm x 75cm ). Frame...

Ronald Lowe. English ( b.1932 - d.1985 ). Venture Into The Dales. Watercolor. Signed Lower Right. Image size 20.9 inches x 27.2 inches ( 53cm x 69cm ). Frame size 29.1 inches x 35.6...

Thomas Cooper Moore. English ( b.1827 - d.1901 ). Prospect Of Nottingham Castle And The Park. Watercolor. Signed Lower Left. Image size 12 inches x 17.3 inches ( 30.5cm x 44cm ). Fr...

Valerie Ganz. Welsh ( b.1936 - d.2015 ). Firing! Welsh Miners Setting Explosives Underground. Oil On Artist’s Board. Signed Lower Right. Image size 15.4 inches x 19.3 inches ( 39cm x...

Elin Siân Blake. Welsh ( b.1981). Until Tomorrow (Tan Yfory). Oil On Artist’s Canvas Board. Signed Lower Right. Image size 9.5 inches x 11.6 inches ( 24cm x 29.5cm ). Frame size 16....

Elin Siân Blake. Welsh ( b.1981). The Hosts Of Rebecca. Oil On Artist’s Canvas Board. Signed Lower Right. Image size 17.5 inches x 23.6 inches ( 44.5cm x 60cm ). Frame size 20.3 inc...

Elin Siân Blake. Welsh ( b.1981). First Light. Oil On Canvas. Signed Lower Left. Image size 23.4 inches x 17.3 inches ( 59.5cm x 44cm ). Frame size 28.5 inches x 22.4 inches ( 72.5cm x 57cm ). Available for sale; this original painting is by the contemporary Welsh artist Elin Sian Blake. The painting is presented and supplied in a sympathetic frame (which is shown in these photographs) and is supplied ready to hang and display. The painting is signed lower left. Elin Siân Blake is a contemporary Brecon-based artist, originally from the South Wales valleys, whose work delves deeply into the rich tapestry of Welsh heritage. Through various mediums, she creates poignant reflections of societal and cultural issues that have shaped the Welsh identity. Born in 1981, Elin Siân Blake began producing commissioned artwork from an early age, focussing on the traditional Welsh ponies and landscapes of her childhood. She was particularly inspired by the agricultural and equestrian events she attended. As a teenager she spent all her spare money on art supplies. Blake graduated from the University of Glamorgan in 2002 with a degree in graphic design and illustration, but quickly realised that she wanted to create conventional paintings, rather than producing digital images. She then spent several years living on the road in vintage vehicles, painting the scenes and characters she encountered on her travels. Blake taught herself oil painting using library books, originally producing very detailed photo-realistic images. Her artistic style developed considerably over the years, becoming more expressive. Blake’s main emphasis is always her love of images from the Welsh countryside and industry. As she explores the heritage of the Welsh valleys, she paints a social commentary on everyday Welsh working life. Her work captures the essence of Welsh tradition whilst simultaneously challenging societal norms. Bold and evocative, Blake's art invites the viewer to take a critical look at the complexities and nuances of Welsh heritage. By melding her artistic vision with a profound cultural understanding, she presents a thought-provoking examination of the past, present, and future of Wales. © Big Sky Fine Art This is a stunning and very tender image of a mother and baby, sitting by a window in the first light of a new day. It is all the more intimate because it is in fact a self-portrait of the artist shortly after the birth of her own daughter. The baby is wrapped in a soft cream blanket and is being held to her mother’s breast, feeding or sleeping after feeding. The mother, dazzingly beautiful, is captured in the dappled light of the new dawn. The background is sparse, making the image almost timeless. The young woman is sitting on a modest wooden chair and on the wall behind her is a hand-carved traditional Welsh love spoon...

Elin Siân Blake. Welsh ( b.1981). War Horse. Lest We Forget. Oil On Artist’s Canvas Board. Signed Lower Left. Image size 23.4 inches x 19.5 inches ( 59.5cm x 49.5cm ). Frame size 28...

Joan Gillchrest. English ( b.1918 - d.2008 ). Church And Churchyard. Oil On Board. Signed. Image size 33.9 inches x 21.8 inches ( 86cm x 55.5cm ). Frame size 42.3 inches x 30.3 inch...

Oswald Garside. English ( b.1879 - d.1942 ). Beasts Of Burden, 1904. Watercolor. Signed & Dated Lower Right. Image size 13 inches x 16.7 inches ( 33cm x 42.5cm ). Frame size 20.1 i...

Arthur Wardle. English ( b.1864 - d.1949 ) Welsh Hounds From The Packs Of Lieutenant Buckley & The Hon. H.C. Wynn. Watercolor. Signed Lower Left. Image size 7.68 inches x 10.83 in...

Howard Barron. English/Australian ( b.1900 - d.1991 ). Portrait Of Katherine Joan Merry nee Horstmann b.1914 - d.1973. Director Of The Horstmann Gear Company Of Bath, 1946. Oil On ...

Vincenzo D’Esposito. Italian ( b.1886 - d.1946 ). HMS Nairana, Royal Navy Seaplane Carrier. Gouache On Paper. Signed Lower Right. Image size 7.7 inches x 12.2 inches ( 19.5cm x 31cm ). Frame size 13.8 inches x 17.7 inches ( 35cm x 45cm ). Available for sale; this original painting is by the Italian artist Vincenzo D’Esposito and dates from circa 1918. The painting is presented and supplied in a sympathetic and contrasting contemporary frame to suit the subject coloration (which is shown in these photographs) and behind non-reflective Tru Vue UltraVue® UV70 glass. This antique piece is in superb condition. It wants for nothing and is supplied ready to hang and display. The painting is signed lower right. Vincenzo D’ Esposito was an Italian artist, active in the beginning of the twentieth century. He was a son of Gaetano de Esposito, an artist who lived in Malta. Vicenzo continued the work of his father and another brother, who all painted the various ships that sailed the Mediterranean in their time. Vincenzo D’Esposito is particularly known for his gouache pictures of British warships in Valetta harbour. It is likely that he received orders from merchant captains and naval officers who stopped in Valetta. Such works are now well sought after by British collectors. The HMS Nairana, featured in this artwork, was a vessel with a particularly interesting history. She was originally owned by the Australian shipping line Huddart Parker, who, in 1914, ordered her to be built in Dumbarton, Scotland by William Denny and Brothers. She was designed to be a passenger ship with some cargo capacity to serve in the Australian coastal trade. The name ‘Nairana’ is an Aboriginal name, meaning ‘Golden Eagle’ or ‘Eagle of the Sea’. She was launched in 1915 at the Denny shipyard in Dumbarton, Scotland. The launch had been delayed because of the diversion of shipping construction work to military vessels on the outbreak of the First World War. For the first year and a half of her life she remained at anchor. Then in 1917 she was purchased by the Royal Navy and converted into a combined landplane and seaplane carrier. After being commissioned HMS Nairana was assigned to the Battle Cruiser Force of the Grand Fleet at Scapa Flow, although she was mostly employed for pilot training and ferrying aircraft to ships equipped with flying-off decks. In 1918 HMS Nairana participated in the North Russia Campaign in support of the British intervention in the Russian Civil War, including taking part in what was probably the first fully combined air, sea and land military operation in history when she joined Allied ground forces and other ships in driving the Bolsheviks out of their fortifications on Modyugski Island at the mouth of the Northern Dvina River. In May 1919 HMS Nairana was refitted in Rosyth, then continued to support military operations in Russia until October that year, when she went to Devonport to be decommissioned. Nairana was returned to her former owners in Australia in 1921 and refitted in her original planned configuration, and then spent the next 27 years ferrying passengers and cargo between Tasmania and Melbourne. She was twice struck by rogue waves in the Bass Strait...

Douglas Van Howd. American ( b.1935 ). Zebra Mare And Foal. Oil On Board. Signed Lower Right. Image size 10.6 inches x 13.6 inches ( 27cm x 34.5cm ). Frame size 19.3 inches x 22 in...

Gyrth Russell. Canadian ( b.1892 - d.1970 ). Before The Hot Day Brightens To Blue (Mevagissey Harbor, Cornwall). Oil On Canvas. Signed Lower Right. Image size 22.4 inches x 34.8 inches ( 57cm x 88.5cm ). Frame size 28.5 inches x 40.6 inches ( 72.5cm x 103cm ). Available for sale; this original oil painting is by Gyrth Russell and dates from post WWII. The painting is presented and supplied in a 1960s frame (which is shown in these photographs). The painted surfaces have benefitted from cleaning and conservation, which took place on our instruction, supervision and approval. This vintage painting is now in very good condition, commensurate with its age. It wants for nothing and is supplied ready to hang and display. The painting is signed lower right. Previously with the Howard Roberts Gallery, Cardiff. Considered one of the best coastal painters of the 20th century, Gyrth Russell was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia in April 1892. He was the youngest of 8 children. His father was a Canadian MP and a Supreme High Court Judge for Nova Scotia. At the age of fourteen, Russell began his artistic career at Halifax School of Art, and quickly graduated to the School of Art at Boston, Massachusetts. His first job was as a draughtsman in the Public Works Department of Canada, in Halifax. It was during this period he saw and sketched the cable ship Mackay Bennett returning to her Halifax Station, her decks piled high with coffins containing bodies found after the Titanic Disaster. In 1911 Russell left Canada to study at the Academie Julian and Academie Calorossi in Paris. In 1914 at the outbreak of War, he left France for London where he was commissioned, under the command of Lord Beaverbrook, as an official War Artist for the Canadian Sector, and spent most of 1918 in Northern France painting the landscapes and coasts travelled by the Canadian military during the conflict. During the course of the First World War he worked with amongst others, Augustus John, William Orpen & Frank Brangwyn, who greatly influenced him. Many of his earliest works are of landscapes and coasts travelled by the Canadian military in the conflict. During the War Russell also made etchings and poster prints for sale to help popularize and support the war effort abroad. He took part in the Canadian War Memorial Exhibition in London in 1919. Between the Wars, Russell earned his living as an artist in film studios, designing Railway Posters, Lecturing and Writing. He also illustrated books on the geography of Nova Scotia and Western Britain. Russell enjoyed considerable success between the Wars, exhibiting extensively at the major galleries, and was elected to membership of the Royal Society of British Artists, the Royal Institute of Painters and Watercolorists, the Royal Institute of Oil Painters and the Royal Society of Marine Artists as well as being an active member of the Langham...

Maurice Raoul Melissent. French ( b.1911 - d.1988 ). The Maritime District, Rotterdam. Watercolor On Paper. Signed Lower Right. Image size 10.6 inches x 16.3 inches ( 27cm x 41.5cm...

R. Noël. French ( b.XIX - d.XX ). A La Mémoire De Courbet. Gouache & Watercolor On Buff Paper. Signed Lower Right. Image size 16.5 inches x 27.5 inches ( 42cm x 69.5cm ). Frame size ...

William Lee Hankey. English (b.1869 - d.1952). The Love Between Man And The Deep Blue Sea. Honfleur, Normandy, France. Watercolor. Signed Lower Right. Image size 13.4 inches x 17.3...

Charles William Wyllie. English ( b.1853 - d.1923 ). The Upper Pool, River Thames, London. Oil On Canvas. Signed Lower Left. Image size 17.3 inches x 31.5 inches ( 44cm x 80cm ). Fra...

Icilio Federico Joni. Italian ( b.1866 - d.1946 ). Painted Gesso, Gilt & Wood Tavolette Book Cover Binding In The Sienese Biccherna Aesthetic. Book Cover size 11 inches x 8.1 inches ( 28cm x 20.5cm ). Frame size 16 inches x 13 inches ( 40.5cm x 33cm ). Available for sale; this painted gesso and gilt “tavolette” wooden book cover in the Biccherna aesthetic is by Icilio Federico Joni. The book cover is mounted and supplied in a contemporary black Tulip Wood frame (which is shown in these photographs) which is glazed with non-reflective Tru Vue UltraVue® UV70 glass. The wooden book cover is curved and float mounted giving a wonderful 3D depth to its presentation. The gesso and painted surfaces have benefitted from professional restoration which was performed on our instruction, supervision and approval. This antique book cover is in very good condition, commensurate with its age. The frame presentation is new and in excellent condition. Combined, it wants for nothing and is supplied ready to hang and display. The story of these panels and of their artist is fascinating, and begins in 13th century Siena: The Biccherna was the person who held the position of Magistrate of Chancellery of Finance from the 13th to the 14th century for the republic and the city of Siena, in the Tuscany region of Italy. The records of that office were very important because Siena was one of the earliest and most significant banking centres in Italy, and indeed in Europe. It became the fashion to keep banking and taxation records of the region in large books with painted leather covers. These were originally made from wood and leather. In the competition to make these ever more prestigious the bindings and panels on the front and rear of the books were painted by the major artists of the day, such as Giovanni di Paolo. Many of these mainly secular covers are displayed in the Archives of the State of Siena located in the Palazzo Piccolmini. The Gothic Revival of the 19th century occurred partly as a reaction against the progress of industrialisation in Europe generally. It was however greatly affected by the unification of Italy in the second half of the 19th century. This led to the closure and downsizing of many religious institutions, which resulted in the dispersal of thousands of works of art dating from the Middle Ages and early Renaissance. Many aristocratic and bourgeois families struggled to pay debts or simply to make ends meet and so they sold off their private collections and family heirlooms. There was then an influx of goods into the antiques market which provided a great deal of work for Italy’s restorers and craftsmen, since many of these pieces were in need of cleaning, repair and, in keeping with the interventionist tastes of the times, radical restoration, before they could be sold on, often to foreign buyers. These early Italian works became so fashionable that demand soon outstripped supply. This in turn gave rise to a new type of artist-craftsman capable of turning out from scratch increasingly convincing reproductions, imitations and out-and-out fakes. Siena naturally became the epicentre of this thriving cottage industry because of the extraordinary continuity there in traditional craft skills. This technical expertise had been handed down from generation to generation, and it was perhaps inevitable that a number of artists with real talent, the flair of commerce and a genuine love and understanding of antique Sienese art should adapt their skills to these new market conditions. Among these artists were Igino Gottardi, Alceo Dossena, Fulvio Corsini, Umberto Giunti...

Cornelius Pearson b.1805 – d.1891 & Thomas Francis Wainewright, b.1794 – d.1883 English Crymlyn Bog And Neath River Estuary Swansea Bay, 1872 Watercolor. Signed & Dated 1872. Image size 7.9 inches x 15.9 inches ( 20cm x 40.5cm ). Frame size 15.2 inches x 23 inches ( 38.5cm x 58.5cm ). Available for sale; this original painting is by Cornelius Pearson with a significant contribution by Thomas Francis Wainewright, and is dated 1872. The watercolor is presented and supplied in a sympathetic pinned corner frame dating from the 1950s or 1960s (which is shown in these photographs), mounted and behind glass. This antique painting is in very good condition whilst the frame is in a good condition, commensurate with age. It is ready to hang and display. The watercolor is signed by both artists and dated 1872 lower left. The mount is titled and attributed by hand. Cornelius Pearson was an accomplished landscape artist. He was born in Boston, Lincolnshire but moved at an early age to London where he became apprenticed to a copper-plate engraver. He soon abandoned engraving however to devote himself to being a watercolor painter. Although he lived in London throughout his career, he travelled for his work to paint in Kent, Ireland, Wales, the Lake District, Scotland, on the Thames and Devon. He was a regular exhibitor at the Suffolk Street Galleries, and also exhibited at the Royal Academy, the New Watercolor Society and elsewhere. He was one of the oldest members of the Langham...

Cecil Charles Windsor Aldin. English ( b.1870 - d.1935 ). Trotting Horses Harnessed To A Lightweight Four Wheel Cart Trap. Chalk On Paper. Signed Lower Right. Image size 19.3 inche...

Henry Charles Fox. English ( b.1855 - d.1929 ). Driving Sheep. Plaisters Lane, Sutton Poyntz, Weymouth, Dorset 1918. Watercolor On Paper. Signed & Dated 1918. Image size 18.9 inche...

Icilio Federico Joni. Italian ( b.1866 - d.1946 ). Painted Gesso, Gilt & Wood Tavolette Book Cover Binding In The Sienese Biccherna Aesthetic. Book Cover size 11 inches x 8.1 inches ( 28cm x 20.5cm ). Frame size 16 inches x 13 inches ( 40.5cm x 33cm ). Available for sale; this painted gesso and gilt “tavolette” wooden book cover in the Biccherna aesthetic is by Icilio Federico Joni. The book cover is mounted and supplied in a contemporary black Tulip Wood frame (which is shown in these photographs) which is glazed with non-reflective Tru Vue UltraVue® UV70 glass. The wooden book cover is curved and float mounted giving a wonderful 3D depth to its presentation. The gesso and painted surfaces have benefitted from professional restoration which was performed on our instruction, supervision and approval. This antique book cover is in very good condition, commensurate with its age. The frame presentation is new and in excellent condition. Combined, it wants for nothing and is supplied ready to hang and display. The story of these panels and of their artist is fascinating, and begins in 13th century Siena: The Biccherna was the person who held the position of Magistrate of Chancellery of Finance from the 13th to the 14th century for the republic and the city of Siena, in the Tuscany region of Italy. The records of that office were very important because Siena was one of the earliest and most significant banking centres in Italy, and indeed in Europe. It became the fashion to keep banking and taxation records of the region in large books with painted leather covers. These were originally made from wood and leather. In the competition to make these ever more prestigious the bindings and panels on the front and rear of the books were painted by the major artists of the day, such as Giovanni di Paolo. Many of these mainly secular covers are displayed in the Archives of the State of Siena located in the Palazzo Piccolmini. The Gothic Revival of the 19th century occurred partly as a reaction against the progress of industrialisation in Europe generally. It was however greatly affected by the unification of Italy in the second half of the 19th century. This led to the closure and downsizing of many religious institutions, which resulted in the dispersal of thousands of works of art dating from the Middle Ages and early Renaissance. Many aristocratic and bourgeois families struggled to pay debts or simply to make ends meet and so they sold off their private collections and family heirlooms. There was then an influx of goods into the antiques market which provided a great deal of work for Italy’s restorers and craftsmen, since many of these pieces were in need of cleaning, repair and, in keeping with the interventionist tastes of the times, radical restoration, before they could be sold on, often to foreign buyers. These early Italian works became so fashionable that demand soon outstripped supply. This in turn gave rise to a new type of artist-craftsman capable of turning out from scratch increasingly convincing reproductions, imitations and out-and-out fakes. Siena naturally became the epicentre of this thriving cottage industry because of the extraordinary continuity there in traditional craft skills. This technical expertise had been handed down from generation to generation, and it was perhaps inevitable that a number of artists with real talent, the flair of commerce and a genuine love and understanding of antique Sienese art should adapt their skills to these new market conditions. Among these artists were Igino Gottardi, Alceo Dossena, Fulvio Corsini, Umberto Giunti...

John Rattenbury Skeaping. English ( b.1901 - d.1980 ). Rodeo. Bareback Bronco, 1966. Gouache On Paper. Signed & Dated Lower Right. Image size 21.3 inches x 29.1 inches ( 54cm x 74...

Philip Richard Morris. English ( b.1836 - d.1902 ). The Cloaked Shepherdess. Watercolor. Signed Lower Left. Image size 14 inches x 9.3 inches ( 35.5cm x 23.5cm ). Frame size 26.3 in...

Ken Symonds. English ( b.1927 - d.2010 ). The Harbor, St Michaels Mount, Cornwall, 1982. Oil On Artist’s Board. Signed Lower Right. Image size 15.4 inches x 19.5 inches ( 39cm x 49...

Alfred Henri Pailhès. French ( b.1902 - d.1991 ). Rendez-Vous Des Havrais Pour Leur Promenade Dominicale. Oil On Panel. Signed Lower Left. Image size 12.4 inches x 15.6 inches ( 31.5...

Lokre. 20ème Siècle Toulon, Le Port, La Vieille Darse, Mai 1939. (Quai Cronstadt). Oil On Canvas. Signed Lower Left. Image size 25.4 inches x 19.5 inches ( 64.5cm x 49.5cm ). Frame ...

David Wilde. English ( b.1913 - d.1974 ). Cock Fight. Impasto Acrylics. Signed & Titled. Image size 15.4 inches x 22.2 inches ( 39cm x 56.5cm ). Frame size 19.1 inches x 26 inches ...

Paul Anthony Waplington. English ( b.1938 ). Knocked Out! Forest Fields, Nottingham, 1971. Mixed Media On Board. Signed Lower Right. Image size 29.5 inches x 38.4 inches ( 75cm x 9...

Charles Gregory. English ( b.1849 - d.1920 ). Summers Day At Steyning Bowl, West Sussex, South Downs Way. Watercolor. Signed Lower Left. Image size 17 inches x 25.2 inches ( 43cm ...

Susan Pomery Wilks. English ( b.1945 - d.2023 ). Flock Of Sheep. Pastel & Charcoal On Paper. Signed Lower Right. Image size 13.6 inches x 23 inches ( 34.5cm x 58.5cm ). Frame size 2...

Frederick Williamson. English ( b.1835 - d.1900 ). Fishing Boats & Fishermen On Beer Beach, East Devon. Watercolor. Signed Lower Right. Image size 5.9 inches x 8.9 inches ( 15cm x 2...

Donald McIntyre. English ( b.1923 - d.2009 ). Craster From North. Northumberland. Oil On Board. Signed Lower Left. Image size 12.8 inches x 26 inches ( 32.5cm x 66cm ). Frame size 2...

Orlando Norie. Scottish ( b.1832 - d.1901 ). Royal Canadian Horse Artillery Officer. Watercolor. Signed Lower Right. Image size: 5.9 inches x 4.1 inches ( 15cm x 10.5cm ). Frame size: 11.4 inches x 9.3 inches ( 29cm x 23.5cm ). Available for sale; this original painting is by Orlando Norie and dates from the 1870s. The watercolor is presented and supplied in a sympathetic contemporary frame (which is shown in these photographs), mounted using conservation materials and behind non-reflective Tru Vue UltraVue® UV70 glass. This antique painting is in very good condition, commensurate with its age. It wants for nothing and is supplied ready to hang and display. The watercolor is signed lower right. Orlando Norie is considered to have been one of the foremost illustrators of the British army in the 19th century, with thousands of watercolors to his credit in public and private collections. His pictures are highly sought after and command high prices. He was a descendant of the celebrated Edinburgh family of artists and designers, son of Sir Robert Norie and a descendant of James Norie the Elder. He was born in Bruges, and may have spent time with his family in France and Belgium. From about 1870 he produced works from a rented studio close to the army barracks in Aldershot, but also travelled and was active in Dunkirk. Lithographs were made from his drawings of the battles of the Alma, Balaklava and Inkerman in the Crimean War. © Big Sky Fine Art Norie is best known for his prolific output of battle paintings and accurate and detailed illustrations of military...