Ken Newman: Reach for the Sky: Please ring 020 8464 5816 to view
3rd February to 27th February 2015
Open eve 3rd February 7-9pm
This exhibition is a showcase of my work as a new artist. Using airbrushing techniques with acrylics, 2K basecoats and FX I explore mainly military and aircraft stemming from the 100 year anniversary of the 1st World War in 2014.
After over 30 years of running a family business I was forced to retire due to a rare disease called Retinitis Pigmentosa, which affects your eyesight. With not much direction I took up clay pigeon shooting as a hobby (which surprised a lot of people when registered blind!) but I wasn’t letting that affect me. In 2013 I decided to experiment, after being asked by people at the club, with spraying their guns just plain colours and refurbishing them. Much to my wife’s delight I built a self purpose shed and spend my days in there spray painting stocks for fellow clay pigeon shooters. I also have an unusual medium of wooden gunstocks as well as traditional canvas and paper. From there I moved on to texturing and new mediums of paint, all self researched to get different textures and finishes. I found an airbrush artist who agreed to give me one to one tuition and from that day formed a fantastic friendship and we have been working together ever since.
I alter my themes, as much of my work is bespoke, however for my own personal choice at the moment I am exploring war and weapons, along with skulls and horror. I find the colours and the technique required to be extremely interesting and it is aiding my development with shading. All my work is airbrushed using acrylics, 2K basecoats and FX .
I am now registered blind and at 55 years old am having fun experimenting with paints, colours and different mediums including phone covers, fridges, guitars, yo yo’s, ear defenders and many more.
My motto is if it stands still and will fit through my door I will paint it!