Gail Reid SOLO EXHIBITION

9/6/2024

Invitation: Gail Reid – Solo Exhibition at ART GALLERY & STUDIO by Aga Kubish

We are delighted to invite you to a SOLO Exhibition by the talented Gail Reid at ART GALLERY & STUDIO by Aga Kubish in Weston-super-Mare.
The exhibition will run from 19th to 26th October 2024, with a special Private View on Saturday, 19th October from 6-8pm.

Gail Reid is a highly skilled artist known for her bold and expressive portraiture and figurative work. Her paintings often capture the fleeting moments of everyday life, transforming them into vivid compositions filled with color, movement, and emotional depth. Reid has an exceptional ability to combine figurative realism with gestural abstraction, making her work both contemporary and timeless.

Having transitioned from a background in computing, Gail has developed a unique style that reflects her deep understanding of form and narrative. Her portraits are marked by their strong character and a playful yet honest engagement with the subject. With a focus on human connection and experience, her paintings invite viewers to explore the nuances of expression and the stories hidden within her compositions.
Reid’s works have been widely exhibited in group shows and galleries, and we are thrilled to present her first solo exhibition with us.

GAIL's STATEMENT:
I am a "contemporary realist" in the broad sense. Using pencil and oil, I describe still life, human, animal, rural, and urban landscape. Not working to a pristine finish, my work is relatable, figurative, and sometimes visceral, with expressive traces of process.
Formerly an IT consultant, I was a semi-finalist on the popular TV show Sky Arts “Portrait Artist Of The Year 2023", painting Jay Rayner and Emma Bunton (“Baby Spice”). I welcome portrait commissions from life - you can see the self-portrait that got me onto the show, in this exhibition.
I love painting outside, and since being represented by the Aga Kubish Art Gallery & Studio, I have enjoyed 3 plein air paint-outs with fellow Weston artists, focussing on the beautiful dilapidated Birnbeck Pier. Not to mention a cheeky demo of Star Wars robot BB8 posing in front of the Grand Pier on 4th May!
My figure work addresses social conditioning (I delivered a TEDx talk "Body Image Through The Eyes Of An Artist").
Please do check out my blog, and social media where you will find latest work, demos etc.
Please join us for the Private View on 19th October, where you’ll have the chance to meet the artist and enjoy an evening of art, conversation, and refreshments. We look forward to welcoming you to this special event and sharing the captivating works of Gail Reid.

Exhibition Dates: 19th – 26th October 2024
Private View: Saturday, 19th October 2024 6-8pm
Location: ART GALLERY & STUDIO by Aga Kubish Weston-super-Mare

Photo Gallery / Private View / 19th October 2024

Private View and Raffle Draw 19th October from 6-8pm.

Join us for the Private View and Raffle Draw on the evening of Friday 19th October from 6-8pm.
Tickets will be on sale at the gallery Private View from 6pm on 19th October. The winning ticket will be drawn at 7.30pm at the Private View.

To celebrate artist Gail Reid’s solo show, the Aga Kubish Art Gallery & Studio are delighted to offer this prize to be raffled by and for the Birnbeck Pier Regeneration Trust.
THE PRIZE: A once-in-a lifetime experience: your original portrait by a professional artist, from life, in the gallery. The winner can sit for the portrait themselves, or give this opportunity to a person of their choice.

The portrait will be A3 size, your choice of either oil on canvas, or coloured pencil on paper. It will be painted from life in the Aga Kubish Art Gallery & Studio during the daytime on Saturday 26th October.

Join us in supporting the pier regeneration project, which we are following with excitement!

Curatorial Statement - Jack Hicks
The pictures in this exhibition - paintings, studies and sketches on a wide variety of subjects - together form a portrait of an artist operating with hard-won confidence, great ability and a sure sense of purpose.
As this impressive collection of work shows, Gail Reid has developed formidable technical skills through the patient observation and analysis of her subjects, and constant practice and consideration of her chosen media.
More importantly, however, the personality of the artist shines through each piece, making it more than just an accurate record of what she has seen. While showing complete respect for her subject matter, Gail’s work is also imbued with many of her own personal qualities: limitless curiosity, great determination, a generous and optimistic spirit, and readiness to take on a challenge.
Gail’s engagement with wider issues adds another dimension to her art. Whether celebrating the achievements of women, or challenging the norms of physical appearance, her concerns are expressed naturally and eloquently through the way she works.
Altogether, this show offers a wealth of visual delights and surprises, as Gail shows us the beauty to be found in sometimes unexpected places and subjects. Her naturalistic style captures moments and moods in a lively, accessible manner underpinned by a thorough artistic understanding and a natural empathy.
One of the joys of a good exhibition is finding your own feelings, insights and experiences illuminated and brought to life in an artwork; I am certain you will find many such moments in this great selection of the art of Gail Reid.