On Friday 4th November, Sam Shulman AKA Lefty Sketch Designs opened his new exhibition at the Kings Ship Gallery on Marmion Road.
The exhibition opens Tuesday and Thursday nights between 6-8pm and is running until 26th November. The large amount of work has taken a surprisingly quick time to put together, because as he says, he absolutely loves painting. Altogether there were 74 pieces of art, 60+ hand finished prints and 11 pieces of collaborative work as well all this number is lessening with every purchase.
Sam not only paints on canvas, almost anything can serve that purpose. At the exhibition you’ll find a collection of tables, a motorcycle helmet, rubbish bin, painted vinyl and there’s even a lit sign in the window made from the opening hatch on a boat.
There was also some collaborative work between Sam and other local artists Farkfk and Dax. Sam admits these pieces are some of his favourites, being the most fun to work on as the finished products were a surprise to him.
I got there fashionably late and found the gallery full of excitable people murmuring between themselves, bubbling away as they drifted around the room. The atmosphere felt very positive and there was a sense of joy in looking around the colour and invention of some of the pieces.
Additionally, there is something for everyone, with prices starting from 50p (stickers) all the way up to the larger items, the most expensive being £180.00 (a collaboration with Fark).
My favourite piece is the tin can picture. Made from two flattened, painted cans secured to wood, with a dark ornamental frame. The character painted on the cans work really and there is a sense of perfection to his work. This notion extends to other pieces of his work too. Despite the unintentional and almost natural spontaneity of design; the balance of colour, change of textures and continuity of line allude to a design well practised. It’s very pleasurable work to look at and to be fair it’s also really good value.
There was a cheeky little towel holder featuring the famous Beaker Bot and a tea tray that I was quite keen on too. Some of the furniture was really quite cool and could be an unusual and interesting addition to the home. There were also lots of little bits and pieces and sketches, which Sam had been frantically prepping in the few days before it opened. This meant there was something for everyone and this along with the free wine or beer, left us all feeling pretty good for the evening.
I would urge you to take a trip down whilst it’s there. It’s a fantastic little place to go and with art like this it’s just such a lovely experience. No card machines mind so if you are intending to buy a little something do make sure you take your purse.
Sam is holding a live painting day on Saturday 19th November. He’ll be there all day painting Beaker Bot, drinking tea and chatting to anyone who fancies popping in. For more info you can contact Sam via Facebook.
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