Latest News

THE COSTA OF A KELLY FILM
THE COSTA OF A KELLY FILM 12th February 2014 I first met BBC producer Ed Hanson in 2009 when he was covering  the  Cockermouth  floods and, like everyone else in the know, he came up to the gallery for a bowl of soup and a warm up and dry-out in front of the  roaring fire.  Like many innocents, he fell victim to Kelly’s work and vowed to return and make a programme about him. Ed has just returned to fulfill  that promise. I’ve lost count of the number of people who have walked into the gallery to see the garden, use the loo, meet a friend ... Read More »»
WALKING WITH PERCY
WALKING WITH PERCY 30th January 2014 It’s festival  time coming up again in Keswick from 7th – 16th March. Thursday 13th March is a special day for me. Not only am I  giving an illustrated talk on Percy Kelly’s West Cumbria at 11.00 but at 4.15 on the same day, due to a cancellation of the advertised talk * Jovan Nicholson, grandson of Ben and Winifred will talk about his new book Art and Life.  It will explore the creative partnership between his grandparents Ben and Winifred Nicholson and the inspiration that flowed between them.... Read More »»
A CHRISTMAS GREETING FROM PERCY
A CHRISTMAS GREETING FROM PERCY 19th December 2013 Percy Kelly always made his own individual Christmas cards. He usually  made a simple  lino cut of a pear, an owl or a robin. Sometimes it would be a black and white scraperboard image of a Cumberland farm house or a collage of a boat. He would start in September and create a terrible mess everywhere in the cottage. As Christmas approached he worked himself up into a frenzy of activity even painting the envelope for someone special.. The results were lovely but there was a catch. He expected the... Read More »»
WORDS BY THE WATER 2014
WORDS BY THE WATER 2014 4th December 2013 It's out! The programme for the Festival of Words and Ideas at Theatre by the Lake in Keswick was released on Monday.  It is full of tempting stuff from Jeremy Paxman to Kirsty Wark; Melvyn Bragg to Jonathan Aitkin, Germain Greer to Princess Michael of Kent. The variety of speakers and subjects on offer is astounding. I am thrilled to say I have a slot in there too among all the luminaries. On Thursday 13th March at 11.00 I will be giving an illustrated talk about Percy Kelly's Coast in the Main... Read More »»
YOUR TURN NOW.
YOUR TURN NOW. 18th November 2013 The trail boxes are selling like crazy. Most venues are now ordering more. The feed back tells me that people are buying them for gifts rather than carrying them on the trails which is fine. This is not the ideal time for the walks for some of you. It would be nice to have feed back - stories and comments from you as well. You can do this through the CONTACT section at the top. I will load anything of general interest on to this page. You can also send photographs. Someone has already identified... Read More »»
LAUNCHING THE TRAILS
LAUNCHING THE TRAILS 21st October 2013 Twenty Five intrepid souls and a dog set off for a walk from The Wave in Maryport on Wednesday in pouring rain. We’d launched the Trails, done the presentation, sold more than a hundred of the trail guides and finished the Bucks Fizz and finger buffet when the rain started. Undeterred the brollies  and macs came out and we were striding out. They weren’t going to let me off. We cheated a bit because we started half way round the Maryport trail but we kept going - up steps and down steps enjoying... Read More »»
ON THE TRAIL
ON THE TRAIL 14th October 2013 The six Percy Kelly trails on the West Cumberland coast will be launched next Wednesday 16th at 12 noon at The Wave Maryport. I will be giving a short presentation with images. If you haven't done so already you need to tell West Cumbria Tourism that you will be attending straight away. kread@cumbriatourism.org The box of 6 guides with maps, paintings and routes are selling swiftly. They come out of the box like jewels. I handed a box to a friend today and she'd sold it before she'd gone 10 yard... Read More »»
Percy Kelly Website
Percy Kelly Website 24th September 2013 Hardly a week goes by without my receiving at least one e mail asking for more information about maverick artist Percy Kelly. Since his death in 1993 - confused, in exile and in poverty - interest has been growing and gaining momentum. Books, catalogues and art works are now all over the world from the Arctic Circle to The Falklands - only last week I discovered that a copy of The man who couldn't stop drawing is in the public library in Aukland NZ. With such a following, it is time for a web si... Read More »»