The Open Exhibition 2019

Brought back by popular demand, after being very successful last year, the Open Exhibition now occupying the main gallery runs until 21 December. It showcases work from artists who have entered from an even wider area than previously. The Friends' committee were pleased to be able to help behind the bar on the night of the Private View, and quite a few members of the Friends came along to the PV evening when the show opened.
It's quite difficult to get good photos on these occasions, but this one below was very easy because three people posed for someone else.The picture is Stella and friends. Stella's picture Thought Bubble' is featured in the middle.

 I'll add some of the others I took.

 It's interesting to do some people spotting, but I'll leave that to people looking through this post!

 I tried to get a few good ones

 I think you get the general idea

 there were lots of people attending, and they all chatted to each other

 Maybe holding the camera a bit higher improves the effect.

I was very pleased that the Friends were able to support the Open Art Exhibition by offering a £100 prize to a piece of art chosen by Katie Ackrill. The piece Katie chose was Ridgeway Relics I, a monotype by Simone Dawood, seen below. I have just looked up Simone and found she has written a great blog post about the Open Exhibition and her inspiration for this piece, click here to find out more

chosen because of the unusual view of the Ridgeway chosen by Simone and influenced by her voluntary work with the museum's archival material.
The piece has rather a lovely label beside it:

I took photos of pieces of work which initially attracted my attention. It's hard to do this because it's an excellent exhibition, with some fascinating work, but there are some pieces which immediately attract one's attention.
Here are some:

 I hesitate to do this, and encourage everyone who can, to visit the exhibition, it's on until 21 December, opening hours Tuesday -Saturday 11am-4.30pm at Swindon Museum and Art Gallery, the photos don't do any of the works justice. Above two works by Jack Hicks, both sold

 Above an interesting assemblage of works, and below, Ray Ward and Juliet Wood

 Below on the right, Tim Carroll's 'Townscape', and on the left Lisa Harvey's 'Fall Equinox'

 Top piece Tara Parker-Woolway's pastel on slate, and below Lucy Longhurst's 'Dunstanburgh'

 The two above are by Alex Coppock- Bunce, 'Return from Blaskets to Dunquin' and below that a photo from Joseph Wright 'The Floods #01'

 Above Ushma Sergeant's picture of Liddington Hill in fibre

 I loved these 3 pieces placed together, Ray Ward's 'Little Soldier' on the right, Sarah Purvey's 'Pulse' in the middle and Joe Tymkow's 'Black Rain' oil and bitumen on canvas.

 Rebecca Perdue's 'Sparrows and Thistles' and 'Murmuration' above, I'll admit an interest here, I bought the lower linocut depicting sparrows and thistles, it's delightful and it was hard to choose between them

 This piece above, was a complete surprise, it's Graham Carter's piece 'Measure Twice, Cut Once' , so true!! Apparently the remains of the rulers, the bits with brass ends and were used somehow in Graham's kitchen. I'd like a photo of the kitchen, how about it Graham?
There's one more piece which I would love to bring home, it's this one by Anna Pinkster called sensibly enough 'Camel and Three Figures'

 and I can include Tim Carroll's The Ferry as my final piece