Prosaic

'In Front Of A Window’ (oil on aluminium, plywood) by Freya Foster @freyafosterart is our Painting of the Week. It is currently on display in the 'Bee Sting Cake' exhibition at The Shop @theshopsheffield in Sheffield. This is the inaugural show in this brand new gallery and is curated by @k8jacob1 @njgrindrod and Prosaic's own @swseanwilliams The exhibition is open today from 10 until 4. Please go and see it if you have the chance. We guarantee you won't be disappointed. Freya is a painter based in Sheffield and a recent graduate of the Ruskin School of Art. She is interested in the depiction of interior spaces, particularly Dutch seventeenth-century interior painting and its concern with visual perception. Building form from light and shade, she observes the tension between material surface and depicted depth. Freya currently works from a studio in the Old Wilkos in Hillsborough. A wonderfully evocative and poignant painting, where the high colour Magenta seems at odds with the brooding subject of two empty chairs. The colouring and mark-making create a palpable yet ineffable tension. Are we invited to sit and, if so, who might join us?  #theshopsheffield #paintingoftheweek #contemporarypainting #prosaic97 #sheffieldgallery

Some photos of 'Simulcast 3', an exhibition at Redcar Contemporary Art Gallery @redcar_contemporary curated by Ruth Heaton @rutheheaton and Kate Jacob @k8jacob1 There is a public event today from 2. All welcome. The show features a great range of work by 27 artists from the UK, from Painting to Sculpture and all points in between.  This is the third iteration of 'Simulcast', the first of which was held in Fronteer Gallery in Sheffield in 2025.  There is no set theme other than a celebration of the tremendous breadth of ideas, styles and techniques in contemporary art.  The show runs until 23rd of May and is open Wed - Sat, 11 - 4.  #redcarcontemporaryartgallery #simulcast #contemporaryartexhibition #contemporarypainting #contemporarysculpture

'A Problem Shared Is A Problem Halved' (acrylic on board) by Michael Borkowsky @mborkowsky is our Painting of the Week.  It is currently on display in our Projects Gallery as part of 'Making Arrangements III', a micro exhibition of Still LIfe painting. Michael has adopted his usual arrangement of one large vessel and two small ones.  He works with a Pop Art sensibility, straightforwardly presenting unremarkable objects.  In this painting Michael brings two worlds together, carefully considering where the painting is going to hang.  This kettle sits in the kitchen at Bloc Studios, a space that doubles as the Prosaic Projects Gallery.  The kettle stands for the gallery.  The coffee cups, identifiable by their branded logos, are from Waterstones, the nearest coffee shop to Fronteer Gallery @fronteergallery which Michael runs with his wife Sharon.  For 'Making Arrangements III' the collection includes objects not ordinarily employed in Still Life painting. There is a whimsy and playfulness that you would not see in the formal discipline of serious Still Life painting.  #makingarrangements #prosaicprojectsgallery #stilllifepainting #sheffieldgallery #microexhibition

It is the last day of 'First Round Proper' at Bloc Projects @blocprojects .  It features contemporary paintings by 48 artists and is open from 12 to 6.  The show is curated by @a_bell_is_a_cup There is a tremendous breadth of ideas, styles and techniques on display. Visitors have remarked how much they have enjoyed exploring the range of work as well as seeing the collection as a whole. They have spoken of the pleasure they have had from looking at pictures. We urge to you to pay a visit.  The reception area can often be overlooked so here's a snap of the superb work there.  From left to right we have - @awomanwithoutacountry  @jimeverstudio  @rachelrhodesstudio @rebecca_ohooley  @bobpartridgeart  @theartistrobmoore and @artcraiglongmuir #lastday #contemporarypainting #abellisacup #sheffieldexhibition #firstroundproper

We are delighted to present 'Making Arrangements III', the brand new micro exhibition in our Projects Gallery within Bloc Studios in Sheffield. This is the third iteration of this idea for a micro show, featuring work by Sean Williams, Ben Cooney and Michael Borkowsky.  Still life painting has long been one of the principal genres of art.  It can include man-made and natural objects, a celebration of material pleasure. It is also a formal exercise in composing various elements to create an effective and engaging painting; accurately demonstrating an understanding of pictorial space; convincingly rendering form and texture.  This collection includes objects not ordinarily employed in Still Life painting. They are whimsical, playful and possibly slightly disturbing.  "Each time I do a still life, I get very excited and realise there are a thousand things here I can see!  Which of them shall I choose? The more I look and think about it, the more I see. These simple little things are unbelievably rich. A lot of people have forgotten that. But you can remind them." - David Hockney From left to right – Sean Williams – ‘From The Mantelpiece’ (acrylic on board) - @swseanwilliams Ben Cooney – ‘Sideways Vase’ (oil on canvas) - @benlcooney Michael Borkowsky – ‘A Problem Shared is a Problem Halved’ (acrylic on panel) @mborkowsky #stilllifepainting #microexhibition #sheffieldgallery #newpaintingoninstagram #newexhibition

'The First Round Proper - The Second Half' is now on at Bloc Projects in Sheffield.  It is open every day until next Saturday (25th) from 12 - 6pm.  The show is curated by @a_bell_is_a_cup  It is an exhibition about Painting and features work by 48 artists from all over the UK, each of whom explore painting and paint, in various forms and dimensions.  The curators are interested in the three-dimensional experience - the making, the placement and the viewing.  The painter, whose concerns come from the intimate relationship with the self, material, substrate; the curator who makes relationships between the works, and acts as translator between painter and viewer; and the viewer, where the life of a painting truly belongs.  There is an element in the curatorial ethos of this exhibition that emerged from 'ir(REV)erance', a testbed micro show in the Prosaic Projects Gallery within Bloc Studios in January by @carley.stephen and @k8jacob1 . Individual paintings were paired together, a juxtaposition if you will, based on an aesthetic affinity, be that an obvious visual connection or a discordant yet interesting jarring. How might this be extended? Stephen and Kate's work bear similarities - collaged and assembled. What happens when Realism meets Gestural Abstraction, for example? Or a painted object, almost a sculpture in its robust physicality, is placed alongside an unframed watercolour, delicate and fragile. If they speak to each other, what do they say? What happens in the middle, in the gap? The premise is relatively simple, the outcomes intriguing and poetic.  The distance between the works seems crucial - far enough apart to remain discrete, yet close enough to begin to whisper, connect and form a relationship bordering on symbiosis. Connections are key - between works, between people, and between thought and emotion.  #prosaic97 #abellisacup #sheffieldgallery #groupexhibitionofpainting #contemporarypainting

'From The Pantry' (oil on canvas) by Greta Vilidaite @gretavilidaite is our Painting of the Week. It is currently on display in our Projects Gallery within Bloc Studios as part of 'Making Arrangements II', a micro exhibition of Still Life painting which also features work by Ledlowe Guthrie, Gill Gathercole and John Brokenshire.  It is the last week of the exhibition so put a note in your diary to pop in. There is so much to admire in this small painting. The brushwork is sublime, seemingly effortless. And painters know how much hard work goes into achieving that effect. The combination of red and brown onions adds another dimension and speaks of 'Painting', the decisions to be made, the often overlooked skill of picture-making.  Still life painting has long been one of the principal genres of art.  It can include man-made and natural objects, a celebration of material pleasure. It is also a formal exercise in composing various elements to create an effective and engaging painting; accurately demonstrating an understanding of pictorial space; convincingly rendering form and texture. Occasionally, these parameters can be experimented with and undermined, suggesting a whimsical and playful stance on the part of the author.  The space can be distorted to remind us that we are looking at a painting.  "Each time I do a still life, I get very excited and realise there are a thousand things here I can see!  Which of them shall I choose? The more I look and think about it, the more I see. These simple little things are unbelievably rich. A lot of people have forgotten that. But you can remind them." - David Hockney #prosaicprojectsgallery #microexhibition #stilllifepainting #sheffieldgallery #onions

'Braque Bird with Wine Waiting' (oil on canvas) by John Brokenshire @jbrokenshire7 is our Painting of the Week.  It is currently on display in 'Making Arrangements II', the micro exhibition of Still Life painting in the Prosaic Projects Gallery within Bloc Studios in Sheffield.  The show also features paintings by Ledlowe Guthrie, Gill Gathercole and Greta Vilidaite.  John's work is ineffably poignant.  The empty glass takes centre stage, like Hamlet before a soliloquy, an audience holding its breath.  The supporting cast has retreated yet remains present to give context.  The brushwork here, again like the Danish prince, has an intensity befitting the tension of a fraught situation.  It is almost hesitant, feathered paint hovering on the surface so beautifully and carefully describing a feeling. Please get in touch if you would like to arrange a viewing. #microexhibition #prosaicprojectsgallery #prosaic97 #stilllifepainting #sheffieldgallery

'The Turquoise Pot' (oil on canvas) by Gill Gathercole @gillgathercole is our Painting of the Week. It is currently on display in our Projects Gallery within Bloc Studios as part of 'Making Arrangements II', a micro exhibition of Still Life painting which also features work by Ledlowe Guthrie, John Brokenshire and Greta Vilidaite.  This is a beguiling painting, charming and fascinating in a gently mysterious way.  It exemplifies the magic of Still Life painting, an arena for arranging.  These three objects are connected by being in the painting, yet each has its own space, carefully positioned for the lightest harmony and to look as though they haven't been; three distinct, contrasting textures create a frisson. Please get in touch if you would like to arrange a viewing. #stilllifepainting #microexhibition #prosaic97 #projectsgallery #sheffieldgallery

'Aubergine and David Mellor Knife' (oil on canvas) by Ledlowe Guthrie @ledloweguthrie is our Painting of the Week.  It is currently on display as part of 'Making Arrangements II', the new micro exhibition in our Projects Gallery within Bloc Studios in Sheffield.  The show also features paintings by Gill Gathercole, John Brokenshire and Greta Vilidaite. The deep purple, fleshy fruit and the glinting, razor-sharp knife form a striking combination for a painting. The reflection in the knife is a subtle and canny device, making the scene whole and believable. It's a pause in the meal preparation. Slices from a separate aubergine suggest Ratatouille is on the menu. "Each time I do a still life, I get very excited and realise there are a thousand things here I can see! Which of them shall I choose? The more I look and think about it, the more I see. These simple little things are unbelievably rich. A lot of people have forgotten that. But you can remind them." - David Hockney Please get in touch if you would like to visit this micro exhibition. Everyone is welcome.  #prosaicprojectsgallery #prosaic97 #stilllifepainting #microexhibition #sheffieldgallery

Three years after ‘Making Arrangements’ we are delighted to present ‘Making Arrangements II’, the brand new micro exhibition in the Prosaic Projects Gallery, featuring beautiful work by Ledlowe Guthrie, Gill Gathercole, John Brokenshire and Greta Vilidaite.   Still life painting has long been one of the principal genres of art. It can include man-made and natural objects, a celebration of material pleasure. It is also a formal exercise in composing various elements to create an effective and engaging painting; accurately demonstrating an understanding of pictorial space; convincingly rendering form and texture. Occasionally, these parameters can be experimented with and undermined, suggesting a whimsical and playful stance on the part of the author. The space can be distorted to remind us that we are looking at a painting.   "Each time I do a still life, I get very excited and realise there are a thousand things here I can see! Which of them shall I choose? The more I look and think about it, the more I see. These simple little things are unbelievably rich. A lot of people have forgotten that. But you can remind them." - David Hockney From left to right –  Ledlowe Guthrie – ‘Aubergine and David Mellor Knife’ (oil on canvas) - @ledloweguthrie Gill Gathercole – ‘The Turquoise Pot’ (oil on canvas) - @gillgathercole John Brokenshire – ‘Braque Bird With Wine Waiting’ (oil on canvas) - @jbrokenshire8 Greta Vilidaite – ‘From The Pantry’ (oil on canvas) - @gretavilidaite #prosaicprojectsgallery #prosaic97 #stilllifepainting #stilllifearrangements #microexhibition

From February 2022, ‘Memories of a Special Place’ at Prosaic Projects Gallery This micro-exhibition featured paintings by John Bainbridge, Pauline Rignall and Rezwana Sarkar, three artists who take inspiration from the landscape, particularly the stark moorland of the Peak District.  Their work emerges from the desire to capture a feeling, a moment experienced while just being there, a search for resonance with the deep sense of numinous beauty that ‘wild’ land can evoke.  Although there is an element of recreating the land’s texture through paint, it is more than a literal representation of the terrain.  It is an understanding of the shifting light, the sense of solace, the bliss, the melancholy and all emotions in between.  It is painting the air. From left to right – ‘Moorland Pool’ (oil on canvas) – John Bainbridge - @johnbainbridgeart ‘Curbar Edge’ (acrylic on canvas) – Pauline Rignall - @paulinerignall ‘Place of My Solace’ (oil on canvas) – Rezwana Sarkar - @rezwanafarin #microexhibition #prosaic97 #prosaicprojectsgallery #sheffieldgallery #landscapepainting