Category Archives: Exhibitions

Harrogate and Nidderdale Art Club, Spring Exhibition 2025 at Ripley Town Hall.

Harrogate and Nidderdale Art Club, Spring Exhibition 2025. At Ripley Town Hall.

The Harrogate and Nidderdale Art Club, Spring Exhibition, will be held on 3rd to 5th May 2025 at Ripley Town Hall. As usual, there will be a wide range of quality paintings, prints and cards by members of the club at this splendid venue.

My pictures will include the completed coloured version of my single continuous line Phormium which I covered in my earlier post of 27 November 2024. I call it “Phormium in Snow”. There were also fox tracks passing the phormium, down and back up the garden, which I thought of including.

Phormium in Snow. Mick Burton, continuous line artist.

Another update from that post is that the bees have re-occupied the hole in the lawn.

There is often a bee arriving and another leaving at the same time. It is not a quick process! The one landing may circle around and land a foot away and wander around before working its way through the grass into the hole. The leaver will crawl out and wander around before flying off at low level. Of course, when I mow the lawn I have to be careful that they are not coming or going when I go over their area.

And now here is something completely different.

Tsunami Tackles Wildfire. Mick Burton, continuous line artist.

Another new picture is my “Tsunami Tackles Wildfire”. It combines two Climate Change topics, pitting two extreme situations against each other.

Spherical Continuous Line Abstract with Colour Sequence.

I started the picture during an Abstract workshop arranged by club Chairman Steve Walmsley. I told him what the title might be. I also said that, as President Trump was making all sorts of announcements to change the World, I could call the picture “Trump calls in Tsunami to tackle California Wildfire and if that fails he has Icebergs moored off Greenland he can have towed round.”

Terrified Army Horses Gallop through London.

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Terrified Army Horses. Continuous line with colour. Mick Burton.

Seven Army horses and six riders were on an exercise in Kensington in April 2024, to help them get used to traffic and other noises in the City. Near Hyde Park Corner at 8.30am the horses were frightened by a slab of concrete being dropped by Builders. Four Army personnel were thrown from their horses and five horses dashed off into rush hour traffic. Three soldiers had non-life threatening injuries.

There were collisions with vehicles which caused injuries to some of the horses and one horse hit a cyclist who was injured and taken to hospital. Two horses were eventually apprehended almost six miles away at Limehouse by Police officers. That evening, all horses were being cared for by vets.

I later read that it was two or three months before the horses were considered fully fit to patrol again.

The Daily Mail article included the following photograph, which I used as the basis for my continuous line drawing of two of the horses.

Daily Mail photograph 25.4.24. “Two panic-stricken horses, one of them bloodied, gallop across Central London.” Photograph, Jordan Pettitt / PA Wire.

Whenever I have drawn horses before, I have used the general shape and structure of the animal to provide the design and I have never included a rider.

Harrogate and Nidderdale Art Club – Autumn Exhibition 2023

Colour Sequence on Continuous Line Drawing

Of course there are no riders this time because they had been thrown off, but I decided that it was important to include the saddle, harnesses etc.

Regarding adding colour to the drawing, in the painting at the top of the post, I decided to use the fact the one horse was black and the other white. Having a dark background to the right highlights the white horse. The blood on the white horse produced the Black, White and Red combination I have used several times before.

It occurred to me that the impression was like portraying “A bat out of Hell”, which could reflect how these poor horses felt.

Continuous line drawing of Terrified Horses in London. Mick Burton.

These two pictures are to be exhibited at the Stainbeck Arts Club Annual Exhibition on Saturday 31 August 2024 at Chapel Allerton Methodist Centre, Leeds, LS7 4NB. This is part of the Chapel Allerton Arts Festival.

Stainbeck Arts Club Exhibition, 31 August 2024, Chapel Allerton Arts Festival, Leeds.

https://stainbeckarts.co.uk

Harrogate and Nidderdale Art Club – Autumn Exhibition 2023

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Harrogate and Nidderdale Art Club – Autumn Exhibition 2023. Ripley Town Hall, 25-26 November 2023.

Harrogate and Nidderdale Art Club hold two exhibitions a year, Spring and Autumn. The club has over 60 members and meets on Thursday evenings at Harrogate Grammar School during terms. There are visiting demonstrators or talks at about half of meetings.

I will be exhibiting 7 pictures at the Autumn Exhibition, including two continuous line drawings of animals based upon photographs.

Daniel, Queen Elizabeth’s favourite Windsor Grey carriage horse, in 2017 when he retired to the Horse Trust. Mick Burton, continuous line artist.

I have always liked shire horses and I based this continuous line drawing on a photograph in the Daily Mail article by Lucy Holden on 3 August 2017. Danial, retired Royal carriage horse, is romping around in the paddock at Horse Trust. I have added “fluffy feet”.

My main reason for producing this drawing is the memory of taking my kids to Bradford Industrial Museum and seeing the shire horses arrive back from a procession in full regalia around Bradford. The staff suggested that we watch the horses when they were released into the paddock after a hard days work. The horses immediately started dashing around, prancing and rolling on the ground and leaping up again. We were shocked, surely these heavy animals would break something!

Here is a photograph of Daniel having a roll at the Horse Trust.

Daniel the Royal carriage horse having a roll in the Horse Trust paddock. Daily Mail, Lucy Holden article, 3 August 2017.

Daniel was Queen Elizabeth’s favourite carriage horse for 15 years up to his retirement in 2017 at the age of 22. His face appeared on a Royal Mail stamp in 2014 and a life size bronze sculpture of him, and another of colleague Storm, appear to trot across the grass on the roundabout near the Long Walk in Windsor. Sculptor Robert Rattray, who was commissioned by residents to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee in 2012, said “Daniel is an old stalwart and rather cantankerous”.

Bald Eagle, swooping down for a fish. Mick Burton, continuous line Artist.

I based this continuous line drawing of a Bald Eagle on a Getty Image shown below. I found that progressing overlapping loops worked well with the feathers.

Bald Eagle, Getty Image.

I also did a preliminary drawing in pen and colour pencil.

Bald Eagle in pen and coloured pencil. Mick Burton, continuous line artist.

Fluorescephant continuous line to Irrelephant Elephant in 50 years

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I have just had my 80th Birthday and received two cards which both stated “Remember… age is irrelephant!” along with a picture of an Elephant. Here is one of them below.

Birthday card “80 years young” and “age is irrelephant!” by Pigment Productions Ltd.

This reminded me of my continuous line elephant with colour sequence which was exhibited at the International Amateur Art Exhibition, at Warwick Square Gallery, London, in February 1973 and at the National Society Open Exhibition at the Mall Galleries, London, in March 1973. It is the forerunner of “Elephant Grass” at the top of these posts. I call it “Fluorescephant”.

“Fluorescephant” continuous line exhibited at the International Amateur Open Exhibition and at the National Society Open Exhibition in 1973.

My flatmate Phil suggested that I call it “Fluorescephant”, which I thought was an excellent suggestion. This word is still uniquely referenced to me on Google. When I googled “irrelephant” some dictionaries say that it means “Not related to elephants: irrelevant to the discussion of elephants”.

One image that popped up was actually a single continuous line elephant which appears on a shirt produced by “Spreadshirt”. I am impressed, even though they say that my opinion is irrelephant.

Single continuous line Elephant “Your opinion is irrelephant” on shirt produced by “Spreadshirt”.

This play on words is a bit like “Answersmash”, a game played on the TV game show “House of Games” presented by Richard Osman.

Being 80 triggers all sorts of daft thoughts. I have told people that I was wondering about Best Before dates on things. I have decided to adopt one for myself. About 10 years ago, at a table tennis venue where the home team had a box of wrapped biscuits for visitors, we joked that most of them were past their “Best before dates”. But I found one that was fine and it’s date was 29.04.3013. That will do for me!

Cadbury Flake wrapper Best Before Date of 29.04.3013. Mick Burton, continuous line artist.

Stainbeck Arts Club Annual Exhibition at Chapel Allerton Arts Festival.

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Stainbeck Arts Club Annual Exhibition at Chapel Allerton Arts Festival.

The Stainbeck Arts Club has its first Annual Exhibition following the end of Covid on Saturday 3rd September 2022. As usual it is in the Chapel Allerton Methodist Church and alongside the activities of the Chapel Allerton Arts Festival. Entry is free and a fine range of paintings and cards will be on view.

If you are interested in joining the club, our meetings are on the second and fourth Tuesdays each month from 2pm to 4pm. Just ask for details at the exhibition. You can come along to see what we doing before deciding to join.

Have a look at our Website https://stainbeckarts.co.uk

Nidd Art Trail 2022

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Nidd Art Trail 2022. Live Trail from 19-29 August 2022. Online from 1 August 2022, including Mick Burton, continuous line artist.

After visiting Pateley Bridge Art Club in May 2022, to carry out a workshop on my Continuous Line Drawing, Pateley Bridge Art Club Continuous Line Drawings

I was invited to take part in the Online section of the Nidd Art Trail 2022.

As I am not involved in any of the venues along the art trail, I have included several pictures which have direct association with various places in Yorkshire such as Ripon, Ripley, Knaresborough, Kilburn, Otley and my home in Gledhow Valley in Leeds.

The Website is very impressive. Go into “The artists, craftspeople and makers …” tab and there are over 60 feature works of art or venues. Just click on any one to see more individual pictures etc and information about the artists.

There is also illustrated information about the venues along the art trail.

Tour of Britain, Continuous Line, new version by Mick Burton. Inspired by Tour de Yorkshire 2019.

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Tour of Britain, new continuous line drawing by Mick Burton. Inspired by Tour de Yorkshire 2019.

The Tour de Yorkshire annual cycle race has become a fixture in the Yorkshire calendar, but can be disruptive to other events or day trips we may plan.

Harrogate and Nidderdale Art Club’s exhibition, intended to take place on Early May Bank holiday, was moved this year to Spring Bank Holiday weekend 25-27 May 2019 due to the Tour de Yorkshire coming through Ripley, where we hold the exhibition, on Friday 3 May.

Harrogate and Nidderdale Art Club Spring Art Show and Sale of Work, Ripley Town Hall, 25-27 May 2019.

My Tour of Britain drawing has a continuous line starting and ending in Yorkshire as well, but would take slightly longer than the 4 days of the Tour de Yorkshire and require some trips over water.

The Tour de Yorkshire passed Ripley Town Hall, where the Exhibition will be held this weekend, and the Television coverage did a feature on Ripley including aerial views of Ripley Castle and the family of Sir Thomas Ingilby our art club’s patron.

Ripley Town Hall. Photo from Harrogate and Nidderdale Art Club website www.handnart.co.uk

That day’s stage, from Doncaster to Bedale, passed some other places which have a close connection to myself. As well as passing Scholes Village Hall, near Leeds (where Joan and myself play table tennis on a Sunday morning), Harrogate (where I went to school and served as a Police Cadet) and Ripley (as above), into Ripon passing two road ends where I grew up in the 1950’s and it ended in Bedale where my mother’s family (Mace) were based from the early 1800’s.

Last year’s Tour de Yorkshire went through Bedale and the reception was so impressive that the organisers decided to finish a stage in the town this year. Here is a photo from the 2018 race where the riders went over the railway level crossing from Bedale into Aiskew and on the left is Park House, the Mace family house from the 1920’s.

Tour de Yorkshire 2018 at level crossing from Bedale into Aiskew passing the Mace family Park House on the left. Photo Northern Echo 2018.

Joan and myself had intended to visit my Aunty Vi Doyle, 98 years old and who’s first husband was my mother Brenda’s youngest brother Harry Mace, on Friday 3 May. When I realised that the Tour was finishing in Bedale that day I knew that we would not be able to get any where near her house and so we went a few days earlier. Vi’s health had been deteriorating for some months and she was distinctly weaker this time and did not eat much of her fish from Fishy Hall’s for the first time ever.

We found out about the exact route of the race which included going past Vi’s bungalow in South End at the start of the finishing straight and we told her she would hear the cheering.

Joan and myself watched the end of that stage on the television and after passing Vi’s the riders went up the main street passing the top of Emgate, in sight of the Oddfellows Arms (now The Three Coopers) where my mother was born, and finished next to the house in North End where my parents had their first home.

The cheers of the crowd would be one of the last memories of Aunty Vi who sadly died peacefully this morning in her own home.

The Secret Art Project in St Gemma’s 2018 Art Festival

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“Loch Knares Monster” submitted to St Gemma’s 2018 Secret Art Project by Mick Burton, Continuous Line Artist.

As the open session for bidding on e-bay for the A5 size card paintings and drawings submitted to the St Gemma’s Secret Art Project has now closed, I am free to say which two pictures were submitted by me. Of course, they are not single continuous lines.

The first one, above, is called “Loch Knares Monster”. I used coloured pencils to produce delicate shades in the water and sky in contrast to the acrylic pen outline on the Serpent.

I have always been interested in the Loch Ness Monster, so what is wrong with turning the famous railway bridge in Knaresborough into a giant serpent. My first attempt at the monster, years ago, was to add one to a mural of Venice which had been painted all over the bathroom wall of a house I shared with several others in Leeds in the late 1960’s.

Also an artist friend of mine, Bryn Glover, constructed a sculpture of “Nessie” from a motor cycle chain in 1969. He worked at Leeds General Infirmary and once used a huge pair of forceps in a sculpture of a pelican.

There had to be a train in it, particularly a steam train, but I did not feel that my favourite engine “Mallard” would be appropriate. See photograph below of Mallard crossing the Knaresborough bridge.

800px-Mallard_on_Knaresborough_viaduct_-_geograph.org.uk_-_2929569 - Copy

“Mallard on Knaresborough Viaduct” in 1987. Photograph by Jo Turner (https://www.geograph.org.uk/profile/14389).

One day in the mid 1950’s, when I was on holiday staying with relatives, my cousin John Simmister and myself wandered into the railway sidings in Peterborough. We saw Mallard, all be itself and so dirty that you could hardly tell that it was green. We climbed into the cab and talked about what it would be like to travel at 126 miles an hour and break the world steam record.

“Mange 2 – Rail Root North” submitted to St Gemma’s 2018 Secret Art Project by Mick Burton, Continuous Line Artist.

“Mange 2 – Rail Root North” was coloured in acrylic and in a style which I hoped would be very different to my Knaresborough picture.

The HS2 railway project from London to Leeds and Manchester has been dragging on for years and I thought that I would compare that train to a streamlined pea pod. My wife Joan comes from Wakefield, which is Rhubarb Triangle country, and as she is a vegetarian I thought she may appreciate the “jokes”.

Here is a clipping from this month’s Yorkshire Reporter, showing that HS2 is still big news.

Yorkshire Reporter, November 2018, showing plans for Leeds Railway Station as part of the HS2 project.

Therasa May is one of the celebrities (including John Bishop and Kaiser Chiefs) who have agreed to submit a picture to the Secret Art Project, but there is probably no danger that people will think that she painted Mange 2.

St Gemma’s 40th Anniversary Arts Festival – 2018 Leeds Art Exhibition and Sale 2018

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Mick Burton, continuous line drawing artist, one of 40 artists selected to exhibit in the Leeds Art and Photography Exhibition 2018 as part of the St Gemma’s 40th Anniversary Arts Festival.

The 2018 Leeds Art and Photography Exhibition and Sale takes place on 26 – 29 October 2018 at The Grammar School at Leeds as part of the St Gemma’s 40th Anniversary Arts Festival.

Last year there were about 170 artists exhibiting about 900 pictures and photographs. However, as it is the 40th anniversary of the charity, they have decided to give the 40 artists who have sold the most pictures in recent years the option of submitting more pictures and to specify their own presentation across two stands.

I have been fortunate enough to be invited and look forward to the exhibition.

You can check out the details on the initial website

https://events.st-gemma.co.uk/events/leedsartfestival

This also shows pictures by over 30 artists from the 2017 exhibition, including my “Leeds Olympic Lion” above.

I have also entered the “Secret Art Project” where you draw or paint on a post card and all the entries are displayed anonymously. During and for a week after the exhibition the display is on the internet so people can bid for the cards. They publicise various celebrities who St Gemma’s have asked to enter a picture card to help inflate the bidding.

Of course, using my continuous line style would be a bit of a “give away” so I have used another approach. All will be revealed in a post after the event.

Another Stainbeck Artist, single continuous line drawing.

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Zena – Another Stainbeck Artist, single continuous line drawing portrait. Mick Burton continuous line blog, 2018.

For this latest single continuous line drawing, I have used my gap technique to emphasise the crossovers of the lines and thickened certain key crossovers to try and further increase the three dimensional effect.

You can compare the result with the gaps only technique that I used with my blue horse in 2012.

Horse in Celtic style, single continuous Line drawing. Mick Burton, 2012.

You can also compare the portrait (above), based upon a 10 minute sketch of Zina done at Stainbeck Arts Club in late 2017, with my first single continuous line portrait (below) based upon a sketch of Barrie done at Stainbeck in 2012.

Stainbeck Artist, Continuous Line Drawing.

Stainbeck Artist, a Single Continuous Line Drawing from a 10 minute sketch. Mick Burton, 2012.

I have also used the combined gapping and selected thicker lines on the single continuous line drawing of the Iguana, originally created in 1971. The colour sequence version of the Iguana being featured on my previous post in July 2018.

Iguana, single continuous line drawing. I have used gaps and selected thicker lines to enhance 3D effect. Mick Burton, continuous line blog.

“Another Stainbeck Artist” and “Iguana” continuous line drawings will both be on show, along with several other drawings and paintings of mine, at the Stainbeck Arts Club annual exhibition on Saturday 1 September 2018. See Pamela Cundall’s poster below.

Stainbeck Art Club poster. 20180806_113931(1)

Stainbeck Arts Club annual exhibition, 1 September 2018 in Chapel Allerton Methodist Church, Leeds. Part of the Chapel Allerton Arts Festival 2018. Pamela Cundall poster.

Once more the club’s exhibition is part of the The Chapel Allerton Arts Festival. The festival lasts from 27 August to 2 September 2018.

Chapel Allerton Arts Festival 2018 – BannerGraphic18. Mick Burton continuous line artist blog.

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