Installation View

This is an installation view of my painting 'Blue/Green' hung next to Rivane Neunschwander's 'Oil Spills', a set of pigment prints on paper. The exhibition is on view at Shape Art Gallery, Westfield Stratford City, London until 8th March and you can bid for them online as part of the 'Shape Contemporary Art Benefit Auction' on online auction house Paddle8 until 16 March 2016.

Twenty-five artists have donated work to this charity auction including Tacita Dean, Jeremy Deller and Grayson Perry. In an exciting range of media including painting, print, collage, photography, sculpture and art object, and valued across a broad price range, the donated works, many of them newly-created and not previously exhibited, are set to appeal to a diverse base of collectors, buyers and art lovers. Well worth a look.

Installation View

Shape Benefit Art Auction and Exhibition

Shape Arts will hold a contemporary art benefit auction powered by online auction house Paddle8 from 2 – 16 March 2016 (paddle8.com/auction/shapearts) with an accompanying exhibition at Shape Arts Gallery, 155 The Street, Westfield Stratford City, Stratford, London E20 1EN from 24 February – 8 March 2016.

To be auctioned are 25 works generously donated by a number of internationally acclaimed artists in recognition of Shape Arts’ 40th anniversary this year, and the continued importance of the organisation’s work in pushing for a more inclusive and accessible arts sector for disabled people. 

Artworks have been donated by Bedwyr Williams, Ben Cain, Bernar Venet, Candida Höfer, Christian Furr, Dora García, Erwin Wurm, Franko B, Grayson Perry, Greg Bartlet, Guy Yanai, Hans Op de Beeck, Hito Steyerl, Hormazd Narielwalla, Jake and Dinos Chapman, Jeremy Deller, Julie Umerle, kennardphillipps, Ragnar Kjartansson, Rivane Neuenschwander, Sophie Ryder, Stuart Semple, Tacita Dean and Unskilled Worker. 

This is the painting that I shall be donating for this very good cause:

'Blue/Green', Acrylic on canvas. 18 x 18in.
© Julie Umerle

St Marylebone Parish Church

Contemporary British Painting

Arts Council England Award

Early this year I received an award from Arts Council England for a period of research and development in my practice. This is an update on my project.

Over the last few months, I have focused upon exploring two issues: mark-making and scale. Below are four of the images from my 'Rewind' series of paintings that have resulted from this investigation. These paintings are each 55 x 55cm. Acrylic on unprimed canvas.

Having now completed a further series of new paintings, I am currently working on a triptych of acrylic on polyester. Everything is going to plan with my project and I look forward to sharing it with you at an exhibition space when it is complete. I look forward to having your feedback.

 Rewind (red), 2015
© Julie Umerle

Rewind II (red), 2015
© Julie Umerle

Rewind III (red), 2015
© Julie Umerle

Rewind IV (red), 2015
© Julie Umerle

DACS Foundation Auction

This September, I will be one of a number of artists supporting DACS Foundation, a new charity set up by DACS to support contemporary visual art in the UK. I'm delighted to donate one of my paintings for their forthcoming benefit auction at Paddle8. Bids can be placed online until 9.30pm, Thursday 24 September 2015. The proceeds will importantly go towards funding a range of new initiatives supporting artists in legacy planning and archive management, education and a public programme supporting the continued appreciation of art and its value to society.

Fifty-six artists including Susan Hiller, Ryan Gander and Yinka Shonibare MBE are donating artwork to raise funds for the Foundation's initiatives through the online auction.

Furthermore, seven works will be auctioned by Christie's on 23 September 2015 including artists Richard Wentworth, Billy Childish, Angela de la Cruz, Tracey Emin and Chantal Joffe. The majority of the works (including my painting) will be auctioned on Paddle8 from 10 - 24 September 2015.

All the works will be exhibited in an end of auction party on the evening of 24 September 2015 at Londonewcastle Project Space in Shoreditch, London. A catalogue is published to accompany the auction.

View my work on Paddle8. I am donating Broken Symmetry III. You can make bids online: https://paddle8.com/work/julie-umerle/78360-broken-symmetry-iii should you wish to support the Foundation. Thank you.

© Julie Umerle

Contemporary British Watercolours

Very pleased to be part of this exhibition, Contemporary British Watercolours, which opens at Maidstone Museum and Art Gallery on 19 September 2015 and is on show until 8 November 2015. 

The exhibition travels to The Oriel Gallery, County Antrim, Northern Ireland from 24 November 2015 - 22 January 2016, then on to Abbey Walk Gallery, Grimsby in 2016.

Contemporary British Watercolours is curated by Simon Carter. The exhibition charts contemporary activity and demonstrates how changing attitudes to painting in the 21st century have influenced the use of watercolour, showing three original works from each of twenty-one contemporary artists who use watercolour as part of their practice.

Exhibiting Artists:  David Ainley, Lucy Austin, Claudia Bose, Julian Brown, Simon Carter, Louise Cattrell, Roy Cleary, Andrew Crane, James Faure Walker, Susie Hamilton, Marguerite Horner, Barbara Howey, Mark Jay, Kelly Jayne, Matthew Krishanu, Hannah Maybank, James Quin, Melanie Russell, Julie Umerle, Jacqueline Utley and Steven Walker.

Catalogue Available.

Maidstone Museum and Art Gallery is located at St Faith's Street, Maidstone, Kent, ME14 1LH.

Free Entry. Opening times: Monday - Saturday 10am - 5pm.

Website: www.museum.maidstone.gov.uk

Phone: 01622 602838

Email: museuminfo@maidstone.gov.uk