Becky Blair - Artist - Paintings

Becky Blair’s colourful whimsical paintings have a dream like quality that offer the viewer something new each time they view them. Working mostly with acrylic paints Becky fuses realism with abstraction to create imagery that is inspired by the memories of her extensive travels throughout India, Australia and Europe. She has a fascination with capturing the beauty and magic in the mundane moments that others may see as ordinary and her aim is to create images that evoke joy. Becky Blair studied Fine Art at Cheltenham and Gloucester College, graduating in 1994 and has exhibited in group and solo exhibitions all over the world including Perth, New York, London, France and Holland. Becky Blair spends her time between Western Australia and Brighton UK with her husband and daughter.

Artist Statement

Becky Blair’s lively and eclectic style, combined with her vivid use of colour and dream-like reflections, has seen her highly-sought-after work sold through exhibitions and private commissions internationally. Her paintings evolve through a complex layering of glazes, textures, drawing and printing. Her compositions are formed from pools of overlapping colour, and the use of negative space, adding and taking away elements to create a surface that has its own history. Known as an artist who sees the beauty in things which may otherwise seem ordinary, she draws inspiration from the everyday, as well as her travels through India, Australia and Europe. Becky made a home in Brighton in 1997 after spending her twenties travelling, and undertaking regular commissions for the Pizza Express chain. This allowed her time to grow as an artist, and be inspired by the wonders of India, Nepal, South East Asia and Australia. Trekking through the Himalayas, riding pillion on an Enfield Bullet from Southern India to Katmandu were some of her many adventures. And along the way making friends that were to shape her future as an artist in later years. Meeting Cat Read, a design publicist in a guesthouse in Nepal was the beginning of a long love affair with Western Australia. Cat proposed in return for a painting, she would secure a gallery and generate the publicity required for a solo exhibition in Perth, WA. Becky’s first show with the Gadfly Gallery was a huge undertaking and a steep learning curve, but ultimately a huge success. Becky has now undertaken 6 sell out solo shows over the past 10 years and has a loyal following that relish her vibrant, and unique style. When traveling, Becky’s interest lies in the sights and scenarios that reveal a true sense of place. Her paintings reflect the experience, rather than the visage, allowing viewers to share in the moment. In some images, one can note a suggestion of indigenous motifs but it is rather an appreciation than appropriation as Blair celebrates all subjects with her unique view. When she isn’t in Australia, Becky lives in Brighton with her husband and daughter. Working out of her studio at the Phoenix, she creates work for galleries throughout the UK, and is commissioned by collectors worldwide.

BECKY BLAIR – Curriculum Vitae

Solo Shows

• May 2013 Bound To The Rush, Gadfly Gallery, Perth, Australia
• September 2012 New Paintings, Ingo Fincke, London, UK
• March 2011 Standing On Tiptoe, Gadfly Gallery, Perth, Australia
• May 2009 New Paintings and Prints, Castor and Pollox, Brighton, UK
• December 2008 Between You And Me, Gadfly Gallery, Perth, Australia
• May 2008 While You Were Sleeping, HQ Gallery, Lewes, UK
• March 2008 Desperately Seeking Summer, Cosa Gallery, London, UK
• December 2006 Backseat Fiction, Gadfly Gallery, Perth, Australia
• December 2004 When The Wild Things Bloom, Gadfly Gallery, Perth, Australia
• March 2003 Barefoot In The Supermarket, Gadfly Gallery, Perth, Australia

Group Shows

• November 2014, 15 Artist Open Houses Fremantle, Perth, Australia
• August 2013 Ingo Fincke, London, UK
• July 2012 The Biscuit Factory, Newcastle, UK
• December 2011 Ingo Fincke, London, UK
• December 2011 Gadfly Gallery, Perth, Australia
• July 2010 Caxton Gallery, Whitstable, UK
• May 2010 Hybrid Gallery, Devon, UK
• April 2010 Caxton Gallery, Whitstable, UK
• December 2009 Gadfly Gallery, Perth, Australia
• December 2009 Catto Gallery, Hamstead, London UK
• April 2009 Artizan Ediitions, London, UK
• June 2008 Wills Art Warehouse, London, UK
• August 2007 HQ Gallery, Lewes, UK
• May 2006 HQ Gallery, Lewes, UK
• June 2005 Lewes Contemporary Art and Star Gallery, Lewes, UK
• June 2004 Gaslight Gallery, Mougins, France
• December 2003 Gadfly Gallery, Perth, Australia
• October 2002 Chapel of St Pierre D’Orival, Laroque Timbaut, France
• July 2001 Berrima District Arts Society, Merrima, Australia
• June 1997 Earl Of Smith Gallery, Leamington Spa, UK

Art Fairs

• January 2008 -London Art Fair, London UK
• March 2004 – 2016 -Battersea Affordable Arts Fair, London UK
• May 2005-2015  -Brighton Fringe Festival, UK
• May 2007-2015 -Bristol Affordable Arts Fair, UK
• June 2008 - New York Affordable Art Fair, USA
• June 2006 - Sydney Art Fair, Australia
• October 2011-2015 - Hampstead Affordable Art Fair, London, UK
• October 2010-2011 - Fulham Art Fair, London, UK
• November 2007-2008 - Edinburgh Art Fair, UK
• November 2007 - Amsterdam The Affordable Arts Fair, Holland

Other

• Winter 2014 TeNeues – licensing of art work, publishing and distributing a boxset of Becky Blair floral notelets, UK and USA
• Autumn 2012 Aquarelle – licensing of art work, publishing and distributing a range of Becky Blair hand signed small edition fine art prints, UK
• Spring 2011 Faber – licensing or art work, commissioned portrait used for cover of a book of interviews with Will Oldham, Internationally.
• August 2007  Art Group – licensing of art work, licensing of 2 paintings to Art Group for their poster print range, Worldwide
• October 2006 Art Group – licensing of art work, licensing of 2 paintings to Art Group for a note-let range, UK and USA.
• February 2006 Duncan and Baird Publishers – Illustration, 13 illustrations for the “Mind Body Spirit” 2007 calendar, London UK
• April 2005 Toyota – Advertising, Image licensed to Toyota for a motor sales promo, LA, USA
• February 2005 Duncan and Baird Publishers – Illustration, 17 illustration for a book about angels, London, UK
• May 2003 Capel Vale Winery – Wine Label Design, paintings and logo for “Blue Manna” series, WA Australia
• 1995-2005  Pizza Express – Commissions, artwork commissioned for restaurants nationwide and internationally, UK and International.