Guestbook
One Saturday, chilly, December, afternoon after a stroll around busy Nottingham with family, we decided as a treat to pay the Castle Gallery a visit, just to have a sneak peek into what was fresh on the market. Having a fresh lick of art in our minds, we were ready to pick up our day perusing the back streets until we fell across some artwork displayed on Byard Street of Bridlesmith Gate. The sign had the inscription P. Spowage Art Gallery. Like a picture postcard of a street in Paris, we were eager to see the work inside.
The gallery had two floors full of modern paintings as well as funky furniture on display. Pete (the owner), was happy to give us a brief history of the art and the artist in residence and how he became a full time artist himself, (basically a satirical curriculum Vitae). Browsing the galleries top floor at the very at the end was a studio that displayed watercolour paintings. There was a full 100 watt beaming smile as the artist beckoned us into his gallery and work shop. On display were atmospheric pieces from a well travelled man. Every painting was an insight into the places and bars he had visited along the way, a moment in time that had intrigued him. Colour and composition appealed to both me and my husband and we were eager to make a purchase on the Watercolour of "The Masson Cotton Mills," Matlock Bath England. The industrious artwork made the perfect present for my engineering husband's Christmas box and before we knew it we knew more about the artist who had introduced himself as Shooqi. It was great to see an artist at work painting his latest wonder as we browsed his studio.
On a second visit to the art gallery we managed to pick up yet another beautiful watercolour for a family members 60th birthday and again spent time getting to know Shooqi and his well travelled life.
So if you are looking to have a day out and would like something visual, or you are wanting to adorn your walls with some interesting artwork, take a stroll down Bridlesmith gate to Byard Street to P. Spowage art gallery and you will not be disappointed. Don't forget Shooqi right at the end on the top floor.
written by Julie Leivers Nottingham
The gallery had two floors full of modern paintings as well as funky furniture on display. Pete (the owner), was happy to give us a brief history of the art and the artist in residence and how he became a full time artist himself, (basically a satirical curriculum Vitae). Browsing the galleries top floor at the very at the end was a studio that displayed watercolour paintings. There was a full 100 watt beaming smile as the artist beckoned us into his gallery and work shop. On display were atmospheric pieces from a well travelled man. Every painting was an insight into the places and bars he had visited along the way, a moment in time that had intrigued him. Colour and composition appealed to both me and my husband and we were eager to make a purchase on the Watercolour of "The Masson Cotton Mills," Matlock Bath England. The industrious artwork made the perfect present for my engineering husband's Christmas box and before we knew it we knew more about the artist who had introduced himself as Shooqi. It was great to see an artist at work painting his latest wonder as we browsed his studio.
On a second visit to the art gallery we managed to pick up yet another beautiful watercolour for a family members 60th birthday and again spent time getting to know Shooqi and his well travelled life.
So if you are looking to have a day out and would like something visual, or you are wanting to adorn your walls with some interesting artwork, take a stroll down Bridlesmith gate to Byard Street to P. Spowage art gallery and you will not be disappointed. Don't forget Shooqi right at the end on the top floor.
written by Julie Leivers Nottingham
