Simon Lewis Birch Art
A contemporary mixed media abstract artist & mentor. Inspired by movement and the landscape I live and work in Cornwall.
I studied at Loughborough College of Art and Design before studying dance at the Northern School of Contemporary Dance in Leeds. I view myself as a visual and movement artist - my work spans choreography, performance and visual art.
11/01/2024
Varnished and Framed !!
'TOWARDS FARWAY'
Farway is a small, picturesque village in Devon. I was there last year to be part of a Wassailing celebration in an orchard across the valley from Farway.
This painting is my response to the walk I took down a quiet lane to the village. The lane was winding and I was intrigued to learn what lay around each corner.
This painting captures that anticipation.
Painting 30cm x 30cm Framed: 32.5cm x 32.5cm Acrylic mixed media on board in white wooden tray frame.
Price £298 (includes UK P&P) with early bird 10% discount £268
DM me for more info
Would love to hear your views on this piece from the new Wassail collection
Finishing touches – varnishing magic!
There’s a special joy in the final steps of creating art, and for me, this stage is pure bliss as I see all the struggles of bringing the painting into being melt away – it feels like the piece has arrived. This painting, called ‘Towards Farway’ (Farway is a little village in Devon) from my new Wassail Collection, is now framed and ready to find a new home! There’s an early bird offer, if you are interested in owning it, stay tuned for tomorrow’s post where I’ll share how you can bring ‘Towards Farway’ into your home. It’s hard for me to let this one go, as I have just hung it on my living room wall and it looks a treat!
09/01/2024
New Collection for 2024 !!
‘Sand Pit Hill’ is a piece from a brand new collection, which will be going up for sale on my website very soon. This piece encapsulates the essence of a particularly vibrant winter’s day during my visit to Devon for the wassailing celebrations last year.
It depicts my meander down the hill towards Farway village, distilling my sensory experience of my walk, bathed in winter sunlight, casting a warm, golden glow. The undulating terrain with the walls and hedges standing tall guide the viewer’s gaze and highlight the serpentine nature of the wending lanes of Devon.
Have a scroll through to have a closer look at some of the detail
Painting 30 cm x 30 cm Framed 32.5 cm x 32.5 cm
Acrylic mixed media on board in white wood tray frame.
Price £298 (includes UK P&P)
I am offering an early bird 10% discount before i put the collection on my website (£268) please DM me for more info ❤️
Did you know that wassailing, a magical Anglo-Saxon tradition, often takes place on Twelfth Night? Picture this: mulled cider, music, singing, pots and pans being bashed and rattled and dancing under a starry sky. It's a celebration and ritual to ward off mischievous spirits, ensuring a bountiful apple harvest come autumn. Have you ever experienced the enchantment of wassailing, or perhaps your corner of the world has its own unique celebration? I'd love to hear your stories in the comments.
05/01/2024
Transformed by their creativity?
Some artists have woven their brilliance into the fabric of my own inspiration, igniting a passion that fuels my every creation. One of these artists is Robert Rauschenberg, an American artist. He was totally ahead of the curve. Before Pop Art even took off, he was already dabbling in similar vibes. Can you believe he used regular stuff in his art? Like, everyday objects became his canvas - mixing paint and sculpture. Plus, he didn't stop there; he played with photos, prints, and even teamed up with a choreographer and a composer. Just goes to show, he was all about breaking boundaries!
Which artists have inspired your creativity - just jot a name down in the comments ❤
04/01/2024
ECHO INSIDE THE SHELL
Painting (50 cm x 50 cm)
Frame (55cm x 55 cm)
Acrylic mixed media on board in white wood tray frame.
Price
£780 (includes UK P&P)
Did you, as a child, place shells to your ear to listen for the sound of the sea? I remember doing this. Having been brought up in the Midlands in the UK, I could not have been further from the coast, and I craved being by the sea. I remember placing a shell to my ear, listening intensely and imagining the sea, wind, rocks and the rich colours of shells; the rockpools, sand and wisps of clouds across summer skies; the call of seabirds and the salty air. This abstract painting aims to capture all of that; depicting the shapes, colours and forms of my memories, the abstract dream world that I inhabited as a child and a child's yearning to be in Cornwall.
I have used a combination of acrylic paint, mixes of cerulean blue, burnt ochre, phthalo turquoise and magenta, as well as titanium white and mars black. The paint has been applied using different sized brushes and a silicon wedge. I have also applied deep intense patches of charcoal, as well as soft pastel lines and smudges to add a different texture and intensity. This painting is built up of layers which have been applied, removed and scratched into. Drop me a DM for more information ❤ or visit my website via my biolink above
03/01/2024
Hello everyone ❤ As it's the start of the year I am focused on growing this page, so can i please ask for your help?
Would you please share it with your Facebook friends ? All you need to do is go to the top of the page, go to the three dots ... at the top right and click invite Friends!
03/01/2024
Friendly holiday company based in Cornwall - I would recommend them to anyone looking to book an amazing cottage in 2024 !!
03/01/2024
Great gallery in the heart of Falmouth - check in and have a look around ❤️
Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas! We’ve enjoyed our rest but are really excited to get back in the gallery 🖤
We’ll be back open from Thursday 4th January from 2-5pm, and the same on the Friday. Then we’re back to 10am-5pm every day baby 🙌 see ya there
02/01/2024
CORAL TREES (SOLD) A Plein air fine liner on watercolour paper prepared with gesso, with watercolour, ink pencils and posca pen applied on my return to my studio. Frame 300 mm x 300 mm (painting 140 mm x 140 mm) for more paintings from the Autumn Lane collection, follow link in bio to my website or DM me ❤️ Simon
01/01/2024
Happy New Year everyone ❤️wishing you a creative 2024 🎨
27/12/2023
Remnants of an Indian Summer - Plein air fine liner on watercolour paper, prepared with gesso, with watercolour, ink pencils and posca pen applied on my return to the studio.
Frame 300 mm x 300 mm (painting 140 mm x 140 mm) for more info follow link in bio to my website or DM me ❤
Hi everyone,
Happy Friday - Thought i would share this little quote with you.
Embracing creativity leads to a more vibrant and satisfying life, according to Elizabeth Gilbert. This lifestyle is characterized by increased happiness, a sense of expansion, and an incredible level of interest.
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Heres a little insight into my watercolour mixing ❤ The jumper FatFace was a birthday present - very on point for todays demo 😍
13/12/2023
' Soft Underfoot' one of my paintings from the new Autumn Lane Collection - which I have just put on my website. A plein air fine liner on watercolour paper prepared with gesso, with water colour , ink pencils and Posca pen applied on return to my studio. Go to my bio link above to find my website to view the whole collection
Walking along the lanes of Cornwall, especially those seldom used by vehicles, the ground is often soddened at this time of year. The scent of damp autumn is a rich and earthy aroma. The rain-soaked ground contains compounds released by fungi, trees and plants which are propelled into the moist air with impact of each step I take. I find this scent invigorating and rejuvenating, as it connects me to nature and the cyclical rhythms of the seasons.
Thought is was about time i introduced myself to my new connections ! 🖤
🎨 who is Simon?
I live and work in Cornwall. I studied at Loughborough College of Art and Design before studying dance at the Northern School of Contemporary Dance in Leeds. I view myself as a visual and movement artist - my work spans choreography, performance and visual art. I was the recipient of the Wooda Art Award 2008 and was a choreographer on the International Dance Course for Professional Choreographers and Composer in1995.
🎨what do you do ?
My work life is divided at the moment between my artwork, my part-time position as senior lecturer at Falmouth University and teaching my weekly yoga classes
🎨My Artwork
Each of my paintings has its own individual essence - it is unique and unrepeatable. When I paint, I embark on a three-way conversation between the subject, my feelings and the painting itself. My paintings are often in response to a place or a memory of it, and each painting encapsulates multiple moments in time, which I guess is unsurprising, seeing as I am also a choreographer. I view each painting as a piece of choreography - a study of movement, time and space.
For more info check out my bio above, where you will find links to my website and my new Autumn Collection Private Viewing which is available until 10 December to get a 10% discount - if you would like to join my community to be the first to find out about free workshops that i will be lauching next year then all the links are on my website 🙏 Simon
05/12/2023
https://preview.mailerlite.io/preview/304763/sites/105561940291486914/u8NtKr
Autumn Lane Private View This is a time limited preview of my new collection 'Autumn Lane' and I am offering you the chance to see this collection prior to it being posted on my website gallery on 10th December (your very own Private View)
01/12/2023
Copper Beech - has now SOLD.
If you would like an exclusive Private View of my new collection 'Autumn Lane'. I am offering you the chance to see this entire collection prior to it being posted on my website gallery on 10th December (your very own Private View)
All you need to do is go to my bio above and follow the linktr.ee link and then click on the 'Autumn Lane Private view' button - fill in your details and i will send you the entire collection to browse through at your leisure.
You will automatically get 10% discount off all my paintings, along with free postage and packaging for the UK.
The Autumn Lane paintings will usually retail at £150 each, but by receiving my private view of the collection, they will be available to you for £135 inclusive of P & P (UK only). All these paintings are double mounted, framed and ready to hang.
A great little 'one of a kind' Christmas gift 😍
24/11/2023
‘Trees that Cling to a Cornish Hedge’. This is one of the paintings in my new collection ‘Autumn Lane’. It’s a watercolour mixed media on paper. This Painting is 110 mm x 230 mm/ Framed 260 mm x 385 mm.
For an opportunity to have a Private View of all 10 paintings in this collection and receive a 10% discount with free UK P&P, then just pop up to my bio link and join my email list - and I will send you the entire collection to browse through at your leisure, before they are put on my website on 10th December at full price of £150 each
06/11/2023
Delighted that Burnt Island, one of the ADRIFT collection is now sold and up in its new home .
‘Proudly showcasing ‘Burnt Island’ original artwork from , in our office here in Mawnan Smith. This picture brings us so much joy, evoking images of the Scillies, the Cornish landscape and our love affair with the coast.’
Check out my other paintings from this collection called 'Adrift' on my web page via my biolink above - I also have a few of the Adrift collection exhibited at Sailors Jail Gallery in Falmouth.
If you fancy a holiday in Cornwall around the Falmouth and Helford River area (such a beautiful part of the world), I can’t recommend highly enough – they have an amazing range of holiday properties on their books.
What I love when I am going out sketching at different times of the day, is that the light is so different and as consequent different details in the sea and landscapes are highlighted.
This week I have been looking after my friend’s dog (she loves running around the beach – I wish I had her boundless energy!) so this has meant starting and ending each day with a visit to Porthtowan Beach on the north coast of Cornwall, UK. Being there at different times of day has helped me pick out specific details and how each different moment has a different energy which influences how I feel - all impacting the quality of the marks I make in my sketchbook.
‘Moving into Composition’ Over the past couple of months I have been reflecting on how my movement practice forms the bedrock of my visual art practice and I have been beavering away behind the scenes creating free and paid online courses that might interest you…watch this space – look out for my new upcoming monthly challenge ‘Moving into Composition’.
30/10/2023
As usual I’m starting my week with some yoga. I find it is such a valuable way to help me to reconnect with my creativity. This week I’m focussing on the detail of the yoga poses – physical placement, the nuance and distribution of my energy and the subtleties of my breath. My yoga practice helps me to unlock tension, peel away unnecessary stress and identify how I might channel my energy into my artwork. It is a great way for me to heighten my visual awareness and to focus in on the detail of what I am creating.
How do you start your week?
Do you know the reason why we often have our best creative ideas when we have moved away from our work? Well, it is because our
I find making space in my schedule to look back over past work very useful. It helps me to see past work afresh, often resulting in me seeing something that I hadn’t noticed at the time, which can spark new ideas. Here I am sharing one of my concertina sketchbooks containing sketches I did last autumn. The sketches are of the Cornish countryside near to where I live.
Love this quote from Trisha Brown (American Choreographer and Dancer)
To help me focus, I find there is nothing better than a walk to start the day. It was a misty morning down at the Bissoe Nature Reserve today. It feels like Autumn has arrived!
What I love so much about this part of Cornwall is that you are aware of past and present industry. Look back towards Point Mills from the ponds filled with wildlife and you will see the remains of the Arsenic Refinery tower - a monument to Cornwall’s mineral mining past, . Walk south, on your left you hear sounds from Cornish Concrete .
Taking time out to reflect helps me to focus in on the rest of my day and, of course, it wouldn’t be a walk without taking my sketchbook with me. As usual, I make quick pen marks to capture the movement and energy of a place and when back in my studio I add colour. I’ve been using Inktense pencils
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