Newsletter November 2020 – coming out of lockdown soon

Bernie the Schoolboy – and the Apocalypse

Anyone who needs a bit of cheering up during lockdown might like to consider a print of Bernie the Schoolboy with the teapot on his head. One of those on your wall would probably be enough to divert you when you can't go to the pub.

Perhaps the Four Riders of the Apocalypse is going a bit far for some but just look at the detail in this crop, and then the full image below. Stunning.

In line with Black Friday, we're offering 10% off the cost of Ian Miller's prints for orders received before 4^th December 2020 so have a look through them all and let me know what might cheer you up.

Ian Miller prints, 10% off

We're also offering a 10% reduction on any of the work in the 'Pastels and Sketches' section until 4^th December 2020. More sketches coming up soon.

John Harris sketches, 10% off

The exhibition which brings together some of the treasures of the Natural History Museum and the imagination of J K Rowling was planned for spring 2020 until Covid interfered. But now we're delighted to hear that it's rescheduled to open in December, and all credit must be paid to the curators and organisers who have had to ride this particular storm.

The show will include many paintings by Olivia Lomenech Gill, including this magnificent graphorn, and also Jim Kay's painting of the Hungarian Horntail Dragon. The book for which most of the pieces were commissioned is now out in paperback (below left) alongside the one which accompanies the show.

This book is causing a stir in a world swamped by the backlog of new titles claiming attention in the run-up to Christmas. We have magnificent prints for sale from most spreads. So far, 'Art Genres' and 'Cheese' are the favourites, but you might prefer 'Musical Instruments', 'Apples', or even 'Felidae, the cat family'.

Neil Packer prints, 10% off until 4th December 2020

Many people will remember with great affection the series conceived and written by Stewart Cowley and first published in 1978. It began with Spacecraft 2000-2100 AD when Stewart browsed through our files at the then 'Young Artists' agency and started what was to become a hugely-successful series selling worldwide.

We're thrilled to know that Jonathan M Thompson of Battlefield Press is producing a handsome new edition of this book. 'The Terran Trade Authority milieu is the optimistic story of mankind's expansion across the galaxy after the development of FTL travel in the early 21st century and a vicious war with the natives of Proxima Centauri. Each book is furnished with gorgeous illustrations by artists such as Tony Roberts, Colin Hay, Bob Layzell, Angus McKie and Jim Burns.'

The new cover (right) shows Colin Hay's 'AAF 212 Hornet' and inside the book you'll find Angus McKie's painting originally commissioned for the cover of Anne McCaffrey's The Ship that Sang but then became Stewart's 'Astrolab'. And many more, including Bob Layzell's 'Avery-Frost Orion'. Sign up to my newsletter if you'd like to hear more, or follow Jonathan M Thomson on Facebook.

John Harris's unfinished diptych has been given a good temporary home by John's neighbour, while John concentrates on more pressing work and mulls it over in his spare time.