Acclaimed realist artist to make special Nottingham appearance

Acclaimed realist painter, Hamish Blakely, will be making a special appearance at Castle Fine Art in Nottingham next weekend to celebrate the launch of his newest collection, Heavenly Creatures.

The event will take place between 1pm and 4pm on Saturday 19th August at the gallery located in the Exchange Arcade.

Guests will be invited to view Blakely’s new collection, Heavenly Creatures, which will then be on display at the gallery for a further week.

Staying loyal to the genre of nude, Heavenly Creatures celebrates the female form in all its glory and is inspired by Blakely’s wife, Gail, whom he often refers to as his ‘muse’.
Blakely began his art career following a period of time spent working as a professional illustrator. His clients included The Body Shop and British Telecom, and he was chosen to paint two front covers for the world renowned author of ‘Schindler’s List’, Thomas Keneally.

Now focusing solely on painting and the world of contemporary realism, he cites the great masters Caravaggio, Degas and Rembrandt as influences in his rich colour palette and technique.

Hamish Blakely said: “Heavenly Creatures, while loyal to that enduring genre of the celebrated nude and the venerated goddess in art, explores the majesty of a woman’s presence.

“My previous collection, Muse, was very successful and reached fruition at the Halcyon Gallery in Harrods in 2011. Since hearing that there had been a renewed interest in these nude pieces recently, I wanted to revisit the idea.”

Stephen Clarke, gallery manager for Castle Fine Art, Nottingham – Washington Green Fine Art’s nationwide network of high street galleries – said: “Hamish captures the essence and personality of the women he paints with a special sense of intimacy. His unique style of painting gives a new life to the genre of nude paintings, and we are delighted to be exhibiting his new works.”