One initiative that we have been especially impressed by is the Artist Support Pledge, a project developed by the East Sussex-based artist, Matthew Burrows, to create ‘a small but dynamic market’ to keep artists working and selling through the constraints of lockdown. The first post came on 17 March. A week later, some £9m had been generated, and the enthusiasm for the idea shows no sign of abating.
The concept? Artists post pictures of their work for sale on Instagram that they’re willing to sell for £200 or under using the hashtag #ArtistSupportPledge. Once they make £1000, they then pledge to plough £200 back in, by buying a piece of work from another artist who is also part of the scheme.
It is simple, brilliant, encouraging of creativity, community-minded and supportive: in short, exactly the kind of digital initiative we love. Plus it has allowed us to discover a raft of new artists, who will forevermore now remain on our radar. Here are just a few of our favourite artists involved in the scheme (there are, of course, many thousands more to discover by searching the hashtag). Budding art patron? There has never been a better time to start amassing a collection. Look out, Philip Mould!
Lottie Cole
If you are inspired by the Bloomsbury set – and most notably Charleston Farmhouse, its rural outpost in East Sussex – you will love Lottie Cole, who expresses their spirit beautifully through her work. Represented by Cricket Fine Art, Mcallister Thomas and One the Square, her work usually sells for thousands. This is an unparalleled opportunity to get your hands on an original for a fraction of the price.
Matthew Burrows
Matthew Burrows, founder of #ArtistSupportPledge is represented by Vigo Gallery, but now you can buy up his work for less via his own initiative. He describes his paintings as ‘reflective, thoughtful and slow to reveal a complex structural space of marks, shapes and pigment. Thin washes of paint are scrubbed and scratched into and across the surface, creating strange half states, where colours and images hover on the edge of description.’ We love ‘Bonescape’, in Indian ink on handmade paper.
Paul Apps Fine Art
A self-described ‘impressionist realist, using colour and brush mark to convey mood, light, atmosphere and texture,’ we love Paul’s work, notably his Della Salute Venice oil painting and his lovely depiction of Derek Jarman’s Prospect Cottage in Dungeness. A master at conveying atmosphere, we want them all. Explore his website here.
Frances Watts
Frances Watts works mostly outdoors in the south-west of England where she lives, and whose stunning landscapes supply much of her inspiration. We love the colour and texture of her work, which she achieves chiefly through using oils and a palette knife. We find it near impossible to choose from her beautiful works, but if hard pressed, we’d plump for these lovely white cottages on the Isle of Tiree, Scotland. Discover more on her lovely website.
Ruth Martin
Ruth Martin, aka @nothingbuttheruth, is an illustrator, designer and printmaker. We love the charm and whimsy of her illustrative work, and especially adore her Small Finds Series –– fragments of things she’s found in the garden presented on a tray ¬– which are up for sale as part of #ArtistSupportPledge. Lovely stuff. Inspired? Check out more of her work on her website.
Derek Eland
Derek Eland – whose Insta handle is @lakeland_paintings – is an award-winning artist, with a particular interest in painting scenes from the Lake District where he lives. However, he by no means restricts himself to his native landscapes. He was an official war artist in Afghanistan and an artist-in-residence at Everest Basecamp in 2016. We love the graphic beauty of his mountainous panoramas – whether in the north of England, or the Himalayas. Who couldn’t love his Farms and Rides, Blencara?
Rachel Entwhistle
Although paint has been the prevalent medium offered up through the #ArtistSupportPledge, there are other disciplines being listed to snap up for less too. Rachel Entwhistle is a Brighton-based ceramicist working mainly in stoneware. As she says, ‘My ceramics have a modern rustic look and feel to them and demonstrate my passion for simplicity in line, colour and shape. My palette includes shades of blue, pewter black and glossy white in varying combinations. I like to play around with overlaying these colours, this can create some beautiful effects.’ We love her rustic and very simple handmade plates. Discover more over on her website.
Hannah Knox
A Royal College of Art alumnus, Hannah Knox’s work is beautiful, arresting and just plain brilliant. We are long-time fans of her dazzling collages, and now, throughout lockdown, she’s been offering a wonderfully graphic series of shirt paintings for sale. Follow her, buy her work, and check out her website here.
Lee Mundy
Lee Mundy is a London-based graphic designer and photographer. We love the Henri Matisse vibe that runs through his works, most of which are being offered at £50. (He also cites the Tonhalle posters designed by Swiss graphic designer Josef Müller-Brockmann as inspiration, which totally makes sense.) What room wouldn’t be instantly cheered up by a Mundy original?.
Laura Damaso
Do you love the classic travel posters of the 1930s? You’ll love these, which are reminiscent of that clean, graphic aesthetic, but with a contemporary twist. We’ll take them all. You can check out more of her work on Behance.
James Forchione
James Forchione is an award-winning London-based haute-couture fashion illustrator. A graduate of the London College of Fashion, he is a regular on the front row at LFW (or at least he was, in pre-lockdown life). We adore the high glamour of his work; the only quandary is, which one? Answer: all. You can explore his work further here.
Lucy Jones
Sad at a year without Edinburgh Festival? Us too. But thanks to the lovely John Piper-reminiscent work of artist Lucy Jones, you can still channel the spirit of that great city. We love her atmospheric mixed media depictions of its glorious Georgian architecture. We are beyond delighted to have discovered – and now to share – her work. Find out more on her website.
Rona Kant
Rona Kant is a Scotland-based artist inspired by her surroundings in the Cairngorms National Park. We can’t get enough of the intense colours, which transport us right there with her. Sigh. Like what you see? There’s plenty more over on her website.
Rod Major
Kent-based artist Rod Major captures the English countryside with a deft and atmospheric lightness of touch. For his ability to transport us to the dappled sun of a perfect garden, we salute him. Check out more of his work via his website.
By The Line Pottery
We feel that we may be teetering on the edge of a dangerous obsession when it comes to By The Line Pottery, which is created by Kathryn Sherriff in her Carshulton studio. She says, ‘I make functional, wheel thrown porcelain ceramics in small batches. My aim is to create pieces with simple designs, clean lines and muted colour palettes that are practical and will work in most homes and on any dining table. I like to think that there's an element of my love of mid-century modern design in my pottery.’ We love Every. Single. Thing. If you want to buy something before we take it all, check out the website here.
By Nancy Alsop
May 2020
