Freudian Sheep Au Revoir Exhibition

"The Freudian Sheep Contemporary Art Gallery in Ipswich exists to promote visual art by increasing wider public engagement. We help emerging artists in the Anglia Region and beyond, by enabling them to exhibit with experienced artists and to get their art seen by a wider range of people than the traditional art audience provides" - from the Freudian Sheep website www.freudiansheep.co.uk

Back in February of this year I received an email from Ian Moss - Gallery Director at The Freudian Sheep. He was approaching me to invite me to exhibit at the gallery as part of their ongoing informal exhibition programme. I was very interested in this as the way they do things at The Sheep seemed very different to the way most other Galleries function. The exhibition themes were flexible, the cost to exhibit very affordable, and the commission taken from sales very reasonable. At the time Ian approached me I was already planning for Art on the Prom, and knew I didn't have enough of the right kind of paintings to be able to exhibit at The Sheep over the summer. However, I went down to a few of the exhibitions as a spectator and found the variety of art on display to be very impressive.

The Gallery is run by Ian and his partner Eleanor May. Both are artists and really just want the exhibitors at The Sheep to showcase whatever it is that they love doing most. Their passion for The Sheep comes from their love of art - simple as that - and knowing how much pleasure it can bring to anyone that stops and takes the time to look. I know from experience that painting can make you forget all the things that you worry about on a day to day basis. The focus is spent entirely on creating something that you enjoy, which slowly and surely comes to life. Hopefully it will turn out ok in the end and other people will smile at it when you're done!

It saddened me to hear that The Freudian Sheep was going to be closing - especially before I'd had the chance to exhibit at such a wonderful place. Unfortunately, due to various reasons, Ian and Eleanor have had no choice but to close the Gallery. Their 'Au Revoir' Exhibition, which ran from 8th - 17th September, showcased work by Ian and Eleanor only, for the first time since it's opening in 2013. As I knew I wouldn't be able to make it to the closing event yesterday, I went down for one last time on Wednesday lunch time last week. I took my boss from work down to see the gallery as he is also an art lover, and I had told him about the Sheep several times before. It was great to see so much work by Ian and Eleanor, and I especially love Eleanor's seascapes and landscapes.

The Sheep may be gone in it's current form, but it will certainly not be forgotten by the many people that have supported them over the last 3 years... Both Ian and Eleanor are very talented, passionate and friendly individuals who I will definitely be keeping in touch with to see what ventures their creative minds can conjure up in the future...