These are my two submissions for selection:
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| Nic Pehkonen, Orfordness, 2013, Emulsion on canvas and plywood, 75cm x 25cm |
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| Nic Pehkonen, Broadmead Car Park, 2013, Emulsion on canvas on plywood, 46cm x 46cm |
and some relevant links...
Tuesday, 16 April 2013
Cheltenham Group of Artists - Spring Exhibition
The Cheltenham Group of Artists annual spring exhibition will be running from this Wednesday 17th April until Tuesday 23 April at the Gardens Gallery in Montpellier Gardens, Cheltenham. The gallery is open daily from 10.00 - 6pm
These are my two submissions for selection:
These are my two submissions for selection:
Sunday, 17 March 2013
Berkeley Boilers
On Saturday, the final two remaining boilers from the decommissioned Berkeley Nuclear Power Station began the first leg of their journey to Sweden, where they will be recycled.
Two, 300+ tonne boilers on massive flatbed trucks, crawling along country roads makes for an impressive spectacle. Unfortunately, I missed it but you can see some footage that someone has kindly posted on the thisisgloucestershire website.
http://www.thisisgloucestershire.co.uk/VIDEO-Monster-Magnox-boilers-Berkeley-Nuclear/story-18433530-detail/story.html#axzz2NcTibURo
And here is a link to the BBC website which has three nice photos plus a little more detail about the operation.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-gloucestershire-21787508
And if you feel the need for even more information, here is one final link, this time to the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority website...
http://www.nda.gov.uk/stakeholders/newsletter/berkeley-sets-the-pace.cfm
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| Boilers leaving Berkeley (Photo:Magnox) |
Two, 300+ tonne boilers on massive flatbed trucks, crawling along country roads makes for an impressive spectacle. Unfortunately, I missed it but you can see some footage that someone has kindly posted on the thisisgloucestershire website.
http://www.thisisgloucestershire.co.uk/VIDEO-Monster-Magnox-boilers-Berkeley-Nuclear/story-18433530-detail/story.html#axzz2NcTibURo
And here is a link to the BBC website which has three nice photos plus a little more detail about the operation.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-gloucestershire-21787508
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| Berkeley Nuclear Power Station (Photo:Magnox) |
And if you feel the need for even more information, here is one final link, this time to the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority website...
http://www.nda.gov.uk/stakeholders/newsletter/berkeley-sets-the-pace.cfm
Tuesday, 12 February 2013
Stolen: Cannondale Mountain Bike - Reward offered
Not a happy post, but you never know - it may help me get my bike back...
My Cannondale was stolen on 29th January from the car park outside Leisure@Cheltenham, sometime between 5.30 and 6.30pm.
As it was dark and raining at the time, the CCTV footage was not much use to the police other than to reveal the thief was a "large built male" who cut through the lock and then rode off on my bike. I expect I can't use expletives to say what I think about the thief if I want this to be published so I will just have to stick with the facts.
I realise it could be anywhere by now (except my house and Lansdown Road Police Station) but it belongs to me - not someone else - and I want it back!
As you can see from the photos, it has a very distinctive red frame with yellow decals. It also has yellow handlebar grips and not the orange ones as pictured. If you see it around, it will stand out!
My Cannondale was stolen on 29th January from the car park outside Leisure@Cheltenham, sometime between 5.30 and 6.30pm.
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| Stolen: My 1990 Cannondale - Do you know who stole it or have you seen it? |
As it was dark and raining at the time, the CCTV footage was not much use to the police other than to reveal the thief was a "large built male" who cut through the lock and then rode off on my bike. I expect I can't use expletives to say what I think about the thief if I want this to be published so I will just have to stick with the facts.
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| Stolen: My Cannondale SM2000. Have you seen it? |
Although the bike itself is not hugely valuable in terms of £££s (probably less than £300.00 as a complete bike), I would be prepared to offer a
reward (up to £100) for information leading to its safe recovery, as long as it is still good condition, the frame and forks are still true and you are not the person who stole it.
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| My Cannondale SM 2000. Stolen on 29th January from outside Cheltenham Leisure Centre. |
I realise it could be anywhere by now (except my house and Lansdown Road Police Station) but it belongs to me - not someone else - and I want it back!
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| Stolen: My 1990 Cannondale SM2000 |
As you can see from the photos, it has a very distinctive red frame with yellow decals. It also has yellow handlebar grips and not the orange ones as pictured. If you see it around, it will stand out!
Saturday, 19 January 2013
New work in progress
Here are a couple of new paintings in progress;
I have been thinking for some time about producing much smaller works on the theme of concrete architecture and these are the first experiments.
They are basically going to be collages, the plan being to stick the painted canvas cut-outs to pre-painted boards (not the boards in these photographs). I imagine I will probably use 18mm plywood, painted in solid colours to maximise the visual impact of the architectural forms.
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| Nic Pehkonen, Broadmead Multi-Storey Car Park, 2013, approx 45cm x 45cm |
I have been thinking for some time about producing much smaller works on the theme of concrete architecture and these are the first experiments.
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| Nic Pehkonen, Orfordness, 2013, approx 70cm x 25cm |
They are basically going to be collages, the plan being to stick the painted canvas cut-outs to pre-painted boards (not the boards in these photographs). I imagine I will probably use 18mm plywood, painted in solid colours to maximise the visual impact of the architectural forms.
Wednesday, 26 December 2012
Cheltenham Architecture - Part 3
Beyond all the Regency architecture that Cheltenham is usually associated with, there is a wealth of interesting buildings from other periods too. Here are a couple in the town centre, both on Winchcombe Street and both currently unused.
Next door to Cheltenham Cycles is an extensive Victorian building, originally constructed as a corn warehouse but more recently housed the Axiom arts centre. I recall being on the waiting list for a studio space here when it closed down. I think it was around 2000 when it sadly shut for good.
It is a real shame that such a fantastic building right in the town centre has been left unused for so long and it would be great for Cheltenham if it was redeveloped once again as an arts centre. The frontage onto the street is especially good looking, with satisfying symmetry and colourful and varied brickwork. If you want to find out more about the history of this building then http://www.gsia.org.uk/reprints/2002/gi200255.pdf is a good place to start.
Another pleasing but also empty building on the same street is the old Odeon cinema which closed not long after Cineworld opened as part of the horrible Brewery development.
Like the Axiom Centre, I am not sure what the future holds for this building but even in poor condition it looks fantastic and it would be great if an imaginative use can found for it that doesn't result in it being demolished to make way for another bland, poorly designed "luxury apartment" development. What can you do with an old cinema? Perhaps it can be attached to a resurrected Axiom centre somehow to form a huge artspace etc...!!!
Here are some links to sites about the cinema with much more info and pictures both before and after it's closure.
Next door to Cheltenham Cycles is an extensive Victorian building, originally constructed as a corn warehouse but more recently housed the Axiom arts centre. I recall being on the waiting list for a studio space here when it closed down. I think it was around 2000 when it sadly shut for good.
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| Axiom Centre - Cheltenham |
It is a real shame that such a fantastic building right in the town centre has been left unused for so long and it would be great for Cheltenham if it was redeveloped once again as an arts centre. The frontage onto the street is especially good looking, with satisfying symmetry and colourful and varied brickwork. If you want to find out more about the history of this building then http://www.gsia.org.uk/reprints/2002/gi200255.pdf is a good place to start.
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| Detail of the fantastic brickwork. |
Another pleasing but also empty building on the same street is the old Odeon cinema which closed not long after Cineworld opened as part of the horrible Brewery development.
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| The Odeon Cinema, Cheltenham |
Like the Axiom Centre, I am not sure what the future holds for this building but even in poor condition it looks fantastic and it would be great if an imaginative use can found for it that doesn't result in it being demolished to make way for another bland, poorly designed "luxury apartment" development. What can you do with an old cinema? Perhaps it can be attached to a resurrected Axiom centre somehow to form a huge artspace etc...!!!
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| Detail showing the two silver painted bas-refief nymphs. |
Here are some links to sites about the cinema with much more info and pictures both before and after it's closure.
http://www.28dayslater.co.uk/forums/showthread.php/10329-Odeon-Cinema-Cheltenham-07-03-07
http://www.28dayslater.co.uk/forums/showthread.php/39396-Odeon-Cheltenham-March-April-2009
http://www.28dayslater.co.uk/forums/showthread.php/39396-Odeon-Cheltenham-March-April-2009
Sunday, 18 November 2012
Forthcoming Exhibitions
Some of my paintings will be featuring in two group exhibitions in Cheltenham in the coming weeks.
Starting on Friday 23rd November at CentreArts running until December 8th and also the Cheltenham Group of Artists 2012 Winter exhibition at the Parabola Arts Centre from 7th-15th December.
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| Nic Pehkonen, Leckhampton Hill, Acrylic on canvas, 2003 |
For further details/opening times etc please visit;
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