Annabelle Valentine is a Dorset based portrait and commission artist in the mediums of oil, pastel, pencil and charcoal.
Owner of the The Valentine Gallery, she also paints still life compositions showcasing er passion for home grown flowers and interesting fabrics.
I have been commissioned to paint all the outgoing Majors and Generals for the Queen’s Gurkha Signals since 2014. These are on permanent display within the army, alongside all previous portraits. It’s a very impressive sight of very impressive men and it is an honour to have my work displayed in this way.
Whilst painting at many military events over the years, I often speak to people who trained with the Gurkhas, always relaying tales of admiration.
I was delighted to be invited to the unveiling of the latest outgoing General, Major General Jonathan Cole, CB, OBE. This took place at their annual celebration and meal, which had been cancelled for the previous two years due to covid.
After a meeting, 9 of us were transported across the site in a minibus and then flanked by men playing bagpipes as we walked in line towards the event.
Major General Jonathan Cole, CB, OBE
Major Tolbahadur Khamcha
115 Queens’ Gurkha signals gathered, all dressed in a striking bright red uniform and me – the random artist. Unfortunately I had mostly lost my voice that day, so my requested speech was short and quiet, I was also almost frozen solid at that point as this happened outdoors. Note to self: Bring a big warm coat next time. As we moved inside, the Napalese meal was outstanding, luckily it is my favourite type of food, and if I ever eat out, our local Nepalese in Blandford ‘Namaste’ is always where I choose. The music during intervals was excellent too.
I was given accommodation overnight and invited for a big breakfast the next morning. My previous paintings were taken down for varnishing and I later returned home on various buses and trains.
Thanks to everyone who made that happen, an experience I will never forget!
It’s that time again, when artists all over Dorset prepare – with varying degrees of pressure and panic, for Dorset Art Weeks. This will be the 6th time I have taken part in a variety of venues, including my home, an antiques showroom and Gaunts house, and have also helped the area co-ordinator by distributing all the marketing material to the local artists, ie brochures, banners and road signs etc. We even have little badges this year!
I am pleased to say, this handsome beast is coming back on loan for the exhibition
For anyone not familiar with this event, it is a truly amazing opportunity to look through the brochure, choose the artists that you wish to see, and travel around the Dorset countryside over 16 days tracking them down. Many people plan days out around the venues too.
I have a bit of an admission to make… I had this grand plan of working intensively creating 30 new still life paintings after Christmas however… there was an unseasonal influx, or I should say deluge of new commissions ordered. I completed most of them, had a bit of a rest and then – another deluge. As I write this I have 15 in, not counting the 2 that went out last week. That’s my excuse anyway. I did manage to complete 8 new still life paintings, and have finished some other previous ones too. Because I didn’t take part last time, I have plenty to fill the walls so it will all be just fine, she says calmly.
If you would like a brochure, they are available almost everywhere including many Tourist Information Centres and cafes across Dorset. I have some too, if you let me know fairly promptly as they are flying off the shelf.
The Valentine Gallery will be open 11-5 every day from the 26th May – 10th June except Mondays and Tuesdays. For more details visit the Event Page
The famous sculptor Alfred Stevens was born in Blandford 200 years ago, there is a blue plaque on the wall of his house opposite my gallery. His artistic talent was spotted early, and large sums of money were found to send him to train in Florence from the age of 16 where he stayed for many years. The result of that training can be seen in a current exhibition of his works at the Blandford Town Museum (see below for more details). His drawings in particular are incredible, such beautiful and descriptive line-work. At the opening I asked whether I could sit and draw the lion sculptures and also create drawings and a painting of how he may have looked based on the bust, using colour references from his self-portrait. So far I have completed 3 lion drawings, this is a charcoal – the proud way he sits and the big paws and ruff remind me of our dear old Maine Coon Puss-cat. The original sculptures were made to go on the railings outside the British Museum in London, although they now reside inside. Stevens also designed the monument of the Duke of Wellington in St Paul’s Cathedral. There will be a lecture about his life and work on the 23rd September, see below for details or visit the website. I highly recommend you visit this exhibition at the museum, Bere’s Yard. Blandford, Dorset DT11 7HQ. Tel 01258 450388. Open Monday to Saturday, 10-4 daily until 31st October 2017. The museum if full of fabulous items and information about our beautiful Georgian town and is well worth a visit.
The famous sculptor Alfred Stevens was born in Blandford 200 years ago, there is a blue plaque on the wall of his house opposite my gallery. His artistic talent was spotted early, and large sums of money were found to send him to train in Florence from the age of 16 where he stayed for many years. The result of that training can be seen in a current exhibition of his works at the Blandford Town Museum (see below for more details). His drawings in particular are incredible, such beautiful and descriptive line-work. At the opening I asked whether I could sit and draw the lion sculptures and also create drawings and a painting of how he may have looked based on the bust, using colour references from his self-portrait. So far I have completed 3 lion drawings, this is a charcoal – the proud way he sits and the big paws and ruff remind me of our dear old Maine Coon Puss-cat. The original sculptures were made to go on the railings outside the British Museum in London, although they now reside inside. Stevens also designed the monument of the Duke of Wellington in St Paul’s Cathedral. There will be a lecture about his life and work on the 23rd September, see below for details or visit the website. I highly recommend you visit this exhibition at the museum, Bere’s Yard. Blandford, Dorset DT11 7HQ. Tel 01258 450388. Open Monday to Saturday, 10-4 daily until 31st October 2017. The museum if full of fabulous items and information about our beautiful Georgian town and is well worth a visit.
I will be there at random times, please contact me on 07985 027495 if you would like to find out when. I would like to thank Sylvia Hixson-Andrews for making this project possible, and for everyone who has made me so welcome there.
Christmas Orders: On a different note – it is that time of year again. If anyone is thinking of ordering a commissioned piece of artwork as a Christmas gift, please let me know as soon as possible as I am about to start advertising, and it is always good if I can be organised and space out the work as much as possible. The slightly daunting thing about this time of year is that all the deadlines to complete work are – Christmas! After Christmas I will be mostly working on a new exhibition for Dorset Art Weeks 2018.
