Art in the City Preview: Painter Stainers' Hall
4th October 2016Every year the Painter Stainers Company hosts an exhibition of art, produced in the main (but not exclusively) by members of the Company. So it was I found myself and a good number of Masters attending this civilized opening evening. Plenty of fizz, nibbles and gossip which I had to occasionally break away from to actually look at the approximately 185 works on offer - yes, this is a selling exhibition.. I was very pleased to find newly installed Master Tax Advisor, Kevin Thomas who stood next to a very striking portrait (not for sale!) and meet a liveryman, Hugh Beattie who was exhibiting a large oil entitled 'Royal Exchange v Cheese Grater'. At this point the near-outgoing Master Tony Ward brought us to order to unveil a newly donated painting and officially welcome us. Carrying on, the room started thinning and I suddenly realised how vulnerable to art-attack I was.. artists swirling around the thinning number of Masters keen to sell something. Finally, I was cornered by the charming Julie Cox and her husband who, in a clever pincer movement caught me with my guard down and I came away with a ceramic owlette for the Mistress! Still, a very nice evening and the owl looks good next to the bathroom radio..