Smithson Projects

“The static line that appears in my work helps to ‘anchor’ the energy in the painting and bring a sense of restfulness”⁠
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Anna F MacDonald’s ‘Shibumi’ paintings look back to previous works created according to the principles of the Japanese philosophy of Shibumi. ⁠
Loosely translating to ‘effortless perfection’, Shibumi is an aesthetic concept which embodies a sense of refined, elegant simplicity and subtle, unobtrusive beauty. ⁠
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Anna integrates the concept of Shibumi throughout her artistic practice, emphasising the three principles, Austerity, Asymmetry, and Subtlety in this particular series which she offers explanations for below:⁠
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A U S T E R I T Y⁠
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The use of restraint, exclusion, where omission is as important as the addition of something.⁠
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I M P E R F E C T I O N
&   A S Y M M E T R Y ⁠
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The idea of controlling balance in a composition via irregularity and asymmetry symbolises the imperfection that is part of existence. This is why there are contrasting marks in the work used within asymmetrical compositions.⁠
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S U B T L E T Y ⁠
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Limited visual information, just enough to arouse curiosity and leave something to the imagination. Whispering marks and subdued and gently colours form the foundation on which to build areas on interest. ⁠
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Discover available paintings from the ‘Shibumi’ series online at Smithson Projects ⁠🔗
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Anna F MacDonald: Shibumi VII⁠
Acrylic on raw canvas⁠
H 29.5 x W 22 x D 2.5 cm⁠
Presented in a white oak tray frame⁠
SOLD 🔴

In the eight paintings that make up her debut Smithson collection, Anna F MacDonald looks back to previous works from her painting archive, reworking and simplifying each one through a considered process. ⁠
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Each painting in this series uses a colour palette derived from nature, including subject matter such as seascapes, sunsets, and dead Eucalyptus leaves. ⁠
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Heeding to the core principles of the Japanese philosophy Shibumi, which loosely translates to ‘effortless perfection’ and embodies a sense of refined, elegant simplicity and subtle, unobtrusive beauty, Anna reduces the key visual elements of her original compositions even further, paring back all superficial visual information to its simplest form; organic, geometric shapes and static lines.⁠
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Discover available paintings from Anna’s debut collection online via the link in our bio 🔗

Save the date for Rosie Emerson’s solo exhibition in Bristol! ‘When Other Worlds Whisper’ 19–26 September 2024 ✨️⁠
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Inspired by the opulent grottos of extravagant aristocrats, the flamboyant embodiment of microscopic life, the mysterious communication patterns of coral, and the secret draws of ornate Victorian cabinets, uses her theatrical sensibility to create windows into hidden worlds.
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Set across the three floors of the beautifully restored in Bristol’s Old Market quarter, Rosie will also be in residence during the exhibition, transforming the top floor into an immersive, working artist studio where visitors are invited to peer behind behind the scenes of her practice, glimpsing into the hidden world of the artist herself...⁠
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Rosie Emerson ‘When Other Worlds Whisper’⁠
Curated by Smithson Projects⁠
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Private View: Thursday 19th September 2024, 6 – 9pm⁠
Exhibition Dates: Friday 20th – Thursday 26th September 2024⁠, open 11am – 7pm daily⁠
Venue: , Old Market, Bristol, BS2 0JT

E X H I B I T I O N  | Smithson Projects is delighted to present ‘When Other Worlds Whisper’, a solo exhibition by this September. ⁠
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Rosie Emerson is a Sussex based experimental printmaker, who draws from the history of theatre, ecology, and aristocracy to create opulent and otherworldly scenes on paper. Embracing a spectrum of techniques, including photopolymer etching, monoprint, and cyanotype, Rosie combines and transforms traditional printmaking processes, incorporating natural materials and hand finished elements to achieve her unique signature aesthetic. ⁠
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‘When Other Worlds Whisper’ offers the viewer glimpses into unseen worlds at many scales. Inspired by the opulent grottos of extravagant aristocrats, the flamboyant embodiment of microscopic life, the mysterious communication patterns of coral, and the secret draws of ornate Victorian cabinets, Rosie uses her theatrical sensibility to create windows into hidden worlds. ⁠
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During the exhibition she will be in residence at 17 Midland Road, and her upstairs studio will be open to give visitors a behind the scenes glimpse into her multidimensional process...⁠
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Save the dates in your diaries! 💫⁠
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Rosie Emerson ‘When Other Worlds Whisper’⁠
Curated by Smithson Projects⁠
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Exhibition Dates: Friday 20 – Thursday 26 September 2024⁠
Private View: Thursday 19 September 2024, 6 – 9pm⁠
Venue: , Old Market, Bristol, BS2 0JT

‘When in France’, ‘A Dance with Colour’ and ‘Stand Alone’ from ’s latest collection, beautifully portraying the soft light, patina and colour palette of the South of France. ⁠
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Click the link in our bio to explore available artworks by Katie Mawson, all ready-framed to enjoy immediately on your walls 💫

D I S C O V E R  |  The colours and textures of Katie Mawson’s latest collection transport us to the South West of France, where many of the works were created during a wonderful artist residency she recently completed in the region. ⁠
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Inspired by the spacious studio she had access to during this time, these latest works explore bolder shapes and repetitions on a larger scale, reflecting a newfound sense of creative freedom gained from this experience.
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Colour fields of rich pigmented covers sit alongside arrangements of paler, faded cloths, reminiscent of the patina and decaying beauty of the French town’s peeling shutters and rambling stone buildings. Katie never adds colour to the reclaimed book cloths that form her palette and canvas. Faded and marked through time, they each add their own layer to the narrative of the final composition. ⁠
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Discover Katie Mawson’s latest works online at www.smithsonprojects.com, with all artworks framed and ready to enjoy on your walls ✨️

‘Segmented’, ‘Outside My Window’ and ‘Symmetry’ from ’s latest collection, captured beautifully in the soft light.

These particular pieces draw inspiration from the colours of Nérac, a small but vibrant French market town where Katie recently completed an artist residency with . Triangles in earthy tones dance alongside segments of warm yellow and orange, soft pinks, and faded green, reminiscent of Nérac’s peeling painted doors, sun-bleached shutters and rambling stone buildings.

Discover all three pieces from Katie Mawson’s new release alongside her wider collection at the link in our bio 🔗

R E S I D E N C Y  |  To coincide with the launch of her latest collection, it is our pleasure to share an insight into ’s recent artist residency at in the South of France.

Nestled on the edge of the vibrant French market town of Nérac, Studio Faire is an artist-led residency programme established by Scottish creatives, Julia Douglas and Colin Usher.

The residencies are self-led over two weeks, allowing residents to establish and enjoy their own routines. Having this balance between interaction and introspection appealed to Katie, who often took lone walks to soak up the textures and decaying beauty of Nérac’s old town.

In this way, much of the work Katie created during her time in France was inspired by the patina and colours of Nérac’s sun-bleached shutters, peeling painted doors and crumbling buildings which can be felt in ‘Symmetry’, ‘Segmented’ and ‘Outside My Window’.

At the house, she was presented with a spacious studio to work in, complete with tall French doors framed with dark green shutters. Morning and night she would open and close up the shutters, a ritual that marked the beginning and end of her studio time each day.

Unpacking the stacks of book covers she had brought with her to work from, for the first time Katie was able to lay each cover out across the studio floor and view the collection as one whole: a myriad of shapes, shades, and sizes; a kaleidoscopic field of colour.

Having access to a larger studio space in turn opened up new ideas and possibilities for Katie, allowing her to view and approach her practice on a larger scale than had previously been possible.

Whilst the size of her UK studio does limit her capacity to create larger works, Katie returned from the residency with an overall shift in perspective and new sense of creative freedom concerning the scale and composition of her works.

It is so wonderful that residency opportunities like this are available to artists, and in such inspiring, beautiful locations!

Read our full feature on Katie’s residency experience over on our website and take a look through her latest collection of works created during and following this time.

A kaleidoscopic field of colour... An incredible photo from ’s recent artist residency with ! Presented with a beautiful studio space much larger than her own, Katie was able to lay out each cover from her vast collection of vintage cloth-bound books for the very first time, viewing them together as one whole. ⁠
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Taking in the myriad of shades, shapes and sizes, seeing the collection in this way unlocked a new perspective for Katie, inspiring her to think bigger in terms of composition and scale.⁠
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Whilst her studio space in the UK does limit her capacity to create larger works, Katie returned from the residency with a new sense of creative freedom reflected in her latest collection of works created during and following this time. ⁠
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Discover Katie’s latest body of works and more about her residency experience online at Smithson Projects, and don’t hesitate to get in touch with any queries.

N E W  C O L L E C T I O N  |  We are delighted to present Katie Mawson’s latest collection, a series of ten brand new works created during and following her recent artist residency at in the vibrant market town of Nérac, situated in the South West of France.⁠
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Inspired by the spacious studio she had access to during this time, these latest works explore bolder shapes and repetitions on a larger scale, reflecting a newfound sense of creative freedom.

The collection dances between playful configurations and more introspective works. Colour fields of rich pigmented covers sit alongside arrangements of paler, faded cloths, reminiscent of the patina and decaying beauty of Nérac’s peeling shutters and rambling stone buildings. In more recent works such as such as ‘Twists and Turns’ and ‘Someone Special’, Katie introduces softer shapes running alongside the more structured geometric lines.

Discover Katie Mawson’s new collection now online at www.smithsonprojects.com, with all artworks ready-framed to immediately enjoy on your walls 💫

Sarah Duncan has created a brand new screenprint from her popular Space series to celebrate 20 years of the iconic Art Car Boot Fair and the launch of Early Bird tickets for their September SPACE themed live event!⁠
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Printed by hand using shimmering silver ink onto black paper, each print from the limited edition of 40 measures 38 x 38cm and features deckled edges.

You can purchase the beautiful ‘Amplitude’ via the shop for the extra special price of £100 (usually £150) – visit our linkinbio for a direct link 💫

A M P L I T U D E  |  To celebrate 20 years of the iconic and the launch of Early Bird tickets to their September SPACE themed live event, has created a brand new screenprint from her popular Space series to mark the occasion!⁠
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‘Amplitude’ is now available to to purchase via the Art Car Boot Fair Shop (available via our linkinbio) for the extra special price of £100 (usually £150). Printed in shimmering silver ink onto black paper, each print from the limited edition of 40 measures 38 x 38cm and features deckled edges.

Secure yours now via our linkinbio and don’t forget to add your Early Bird ticket for the Art Car Boot Fair goes into SPACE on Saturday 7th September at London ✨

The largest piece from Hannah Ludnow’s latest Connection paintings, ‘Connection Series 12’ measures 100 x 80 cm with the option of adding a bespoke tray frame. ⁠
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Hannah’s abstract oil paintings seek to capture the atmospheric resonance of place and landscape. Harnessing memories of the Cornish coastline, the expansive light and warm earthy tones, Hannah pares back these images through shape and block colour. As a result, the works shift beyond the recognisable but retain glimpses of what could be landscape.⁠
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Discover the full collection online at Smithson Projects. ⁠
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‘Connection Series 12’⁠
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Oil on canvas⁠
H 100 x W 80 cm artwork size⁠
Available unframed or tray framed

A beauty from Hannah Ludnow’s debut collection, presented float mounted in a hand-stained tulipwood frame with specialist anti-reflective glass. We love how the dark brown complements the tones of the painting so elegantly whilst drawing focus to the composition.
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Hannah’s latest collection of oil paintings is now available at Smithson, all with bespoke framing options which can be tailored to suit your preferences. ⁠Please do not hesitate to contact us if a piece has caught your eye and we will be happy to discuss framing suggestions and options with you.

One of our favourites from Hannah Ludnow’s recent collection of oil paintings, ‘Connection Series 14’. The backdrop of soft sky blue and harmony of colour, shape and form within the composition particularly resonates for us. ⁠
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‘Connection Series 14’ is available unframed or framed with a variety of bespoke options to choose from. You can find out more and purchase via our website, and please do not hesitate to get in touch with any queries and we will be very happy to assist.

N E W  |  One of five brand new abstract oil paintings from Hannah Ludnow’s continuing ‘Connection’ series, capturing the essence of landscape through pared back shape and block colour. ⁠
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The new collection launches online Thursday 11th July at 3pm BST, exclusively at Smithson Projects.

“A dance and a musical moment with a concertina” / ‘Paper 2421’ featuring oils, pastel, pencil and resin by .art, pictured second with its captivating pairing ‘Paper 2420’.⁠
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Bespoke framing options are available across Dan’s latest paper works, and can be tailored to suit your preferences. These two particular pieces would look striking framed up as a pair, we envisage presenting the artwork behind a thick bevelled-edge window mount with a thin hand-finished moulding.⁠
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Find these works alongside Dan’s recent releases and wider collection online at Smithson Projects.

‘As Sure As Daylight’, one of six atmospheric paintings from .art’s debut collection for Smithson. ⁠
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In these latest works Dan turns to a more vibrant colour palette and glazed colour techniques to punctuate his compositions, creating topography on the surface. Describing his process in this piece, Dan says, “digging back through preparations of colour, wax and alkyd mixes. The daylight reaches back in.”⁠
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We are delighted for Dan’s exquisite paintings to join our collection, visit smithsonprojects.com to explore the full series online.
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Dan R Cook⁠
‘As Sure As Daylight’⁠
Oil paint, pastel, pencil and abrasion on wood panel⁠
Presented in a wooden tray frame⁠
H 103 x W 83 cm tray framed size

“Neutral spaces are punctuated with a more vibrant, harvested colour palette... Techniques of glazed colour and digging back through the layers forms a topography on each surface.”⁠
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— .art⁠
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Earlier this week we welcomed Dan R Cook to our artist collection, marking his Smithson Projects debut with an expressive body of six expansive paintings.⁠
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Discover the debut collection online at smithsonprojects.com.

Knot and Bine Series | Oil paint, pastel, pencil and abrasion on wood panel ⁠
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A glimpse at three of the original pieces from .art’s upcoming debut collection for Smithson Projects which launches online this Thursday 20th June at 3pm BST.

Please contact us via [email protected] or DM if you would like to view the collection catalogue, which is now available to preview ahead of the works’ release.

D A N  R  C O O K  |  We are delighted to introduce Dan R Cook to our collection with a debut release of paintings launching later this week. ⁠
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Featuring six medium and large-scale works on wood panel, the collection goes live at 3pm BST on Thursday 20th June following our collectors online pre-sale the evening before. ⁠
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Please contact if you would like to receive the preview catalogue for the collection and receive access to Wednesday evening’s online pre-sale. ⁠We look forward to hearing from you and sharing this exquisite body of work.
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Launching online Thursday 20th June | 3pm BST⁠
Collectors’ online pre-sale Wednesday 19th June | 8pm BST

N E W  A R T I S T  | This week we welcome Dan R Cook to our artist collection with the launch of six paintings on Thursday.
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Dan’s practice centres around a personal and immediate perception of the natural environment around him. Working primarily on wood panel, he imparts these responses through oil paint and pencil, seeking to decode and document a spectrum of ever-changing visual and emotional references which he recalls from memory. These recollections could be the light, a surface, or simply the atmosphere of a place. A sensation felt, rather than an attempt to represent a whole view or arrangement.⁠
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Please contact  if you would like to view the preview catalogue for Dan’s debut Smithson collection and receive access to our collectors’ online pre-sale this Wednesday 19th June, ahead of Thursday’s official online release. ⁠
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‘Knot and Bine 1’ by .art
From his debut Smithson Projects collection⁠
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Launching online Thursday 20th June | 3pm BSTCollectors’ online pre-sale Wednesday 19th June | 8pm BST

I N S I T U | It is our pleasure to share these wonderful shots from our recent collaboration with two fellow Bristol-based creatives. Working alongside interior designer, and photographer , we selected original artworks by Rosie Emerson, Katie Mawson, Julian Brown, Emily Kirby, Hannah Ludnow and Gina Cross to complement the colourful and characterful interior, adding a beautiful flow and sense of cohesion between the rooms.

Discover available artworks from our artists’ collections online at www.smithsonprojects.com⁠
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Image credits: Photography by , courtesy of and

We recently had the pleasure of collaborating with two fellow Bristol-based creatives to curate and photograph a collection of Smithson artworks in situ. ⁠
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Working alongside interior designer, and photographer , we selected original artworks by Rosie Emerson, Katie Mawson, Julian Brown, Emily Kirby, Hannah Ludnow and Gina Cross to complement the colourful and characterful interior, and are delighted with the results. ⁠

Discover available artworks from our artists’ collections online at www.smithsonprojects.com
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Image credits: Photography by , courtesy of and

Waiting for the Rain | A solo landscape format painting from ’s latest collection, beatutifully tray framed in beech.

Available to view and purchase online via Emily Kirby’s collection page on the Smithson Projects website.