Welcome,
Welcome to the Guild of Motoring Artists website and the latest web-version of our ‘Redline’ e-zine that the members copy would also receive a Chairman’s letter within it. The following is a web-based version of the Chairman’s letter that doubles up as the latest blog of the GMA which I hope you find interesting and please feel free to feedback any thoughts.
GMA first exhibition of 2016 in Duns, Scotland; ‘ Stars & Scenes of 1960’s Motor Sport’
The GMA’s first art exhibition has been held at the Duns Library, via the Scottish Borders council, and ran from the 22nd April to 6th June. This was kindly arranged with Andrew Tulloch, the assistant curator there along with our two GMA Scottish Borders artist members, John Dunbar and Keith Leslie, whom I would like to again for all their efforts and work to ensure the exhibition happened, from unpacking all the pictures posted, the hanging, support at the Private View and during the show and of course the taking down and repacking for return to the various artists who supported the show.
The exhibition was entitled ‘Stars & Scenes of 1960’s Motor Sport’ with a bias to any artwork that included the legend of Jim Clark. Thanks again to the 11 GMA artists who kindly submitted some 35 artworks to a typically high standard that the GMA expects. Most of the artworks had to be sent by post which was an impressive feat of logistics by the individual artists and guild organisation with the Scottish Borders curator, Andrew Tulloch. The artists were; John Dunbar, Keith Leslie, David Marsh, Barry Hunter, Steve Francis, Stuart Booth, Sue Cartwright, David Purvis, Jonathan Clay, Gary Speak and myself, David Ginn. David Marsh’s excellent painting of Jim Clark’s Lotus at Monaco, was the poster artwork used.
During the first week after the private view, there were some three pictures sold, including two originals by David Purvis; Ford Lotus Cortina and the Lotus 43, plus Gary Speak’s limited edition print of Jim Clark at Monaco 1967 purchased by Doug Niven, (Jim Clark’s cousin), with thanks Doug. Looking ahead in 2017 or 2018, the GMA may be invited to have a few selected artists and pictures to become part of the Jim Clark museum where there may be a new gallery attached across the road to the Duns Library, which of course will be an honour for the GMA to support.
AGM – Sunday July 10th at the British Motor Museum, Gaydon, Warwickshire.
As per the last few years, we are to hold the GMA AGM at the revamped Heritage Motor Centre (HMC) which has been rebranded as the British Motor Museum (BMM). The exhibition area has increased and now also incorporates the Jaguar & Land Rover heritage collection, that was held at the Jaguar Castle Bromwich plant site. So it really is an enhanced museum that is well worth a visit and would be part of the courtesy visit for the GMA AGM.
Many thanks to Emma Rawlinson, at the BMM who has kindly allowed the GMA to hold it’s AGM in one of the special training rooms. The AGM is planned for Sunday 10th July and will run from 12 noon to 2pm. Members are invited to bring along their artworks prior to be considered for the next GMA art exhibitions at the technical engineering centres of Ford at Dunton & Jaguar-Land-Rover at Gaydon.
Artists will be welcome to hand in their artworks prior to the AGM and teas & coffees will be laid on, plus lunches will be available in the café at the BMM. The artists and their guests will be welcome to take a walk around the museum both before and after the AGM. The artworks selected for exhibition will then be taken away by the Chairman for hanging at the Ford Dunton exhibition the very next day (Monday 11th).
The AGM agenda will also be sent out a week before and will include a round of the past 12 months and next year’s activities, membership, financials and new committee announcements
Ford Dunton – Vehicle Enthusiasts Day – GMA exhibition – July 11th-15th
The GMA have once again being kindly invited to exhibit at the annual Ford Dunton Technical Centre Vehicle Enthusiasts Day (VED) which is the 13th July, but the GMA show will hang form the 11th to 15th in the main Lobby, where many of Dunton’s 5000+ employees and visitors will see the show. We always have a lot of interest and associated sales, for both original art and limited edition prints, framed & unframed. We also typically get up to 20+ artists exhibiting up to 60 to 80 pictures, which we hope to repeat again this year. The exhibition hanging, manning and take down will again rely on our more local artists to Essex, London & Kent.
The GMA also supports the designated Ford charity with 15% of sales as a donation for any pictures sold. Although this is a Ford Technical Centre show, there is no restriction on medium, style, automotive makes or marques, so anything goes. However this year Ford is celebrating the 40th anniversary of the iconic Fiesta, so there will be some Fiesta related paintings that will get special attention. But of course there will be other Ford related art themes from its long history including motorsport which always goes down well
I thank Ruth Freeborough, the Ford Dunton Events Manager for the invite and Lesley Ireland, the Facility supervisor for the display boards and access to the lobby for the GMA show.
Jaguar Land Rover – Gaydon Tech Centre - ‘The Street’ GMA exhibition – 25th to 29th July
It’s been three years I think since the GMA last exhibited at Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) Tech Centre at Gaydon. The show again will be held on their main body engineering and design studio building of G-DEC in the ‘Street’ which is like a large indoor street, with offices, workshops, café and seating runs the length of the building. Like Ford Dunton, the JLR Gaydon Tech Centre employs up to 5000+ people too so the visibility for the GMA at JLR is exceptional. Like Ford Dunton too, we have had great support in the past with a wide variety of artworks displayed of all makes and marques of vehicle, past and present including subject matter depicting the JLR’s long heritage of iconic cars and off roaders and of course their impressive motor sport history.
Also next ‘door’ so to speak is Aston martin’s new plant and engineering centre, so there is also that heritage of automotive history that will be covered by some of our artists too. Again, also like Ford, the GMA always donate a 15% of total sales to the JLR charity of choice which is typically the BEN charity.
Thanks to Keith Phillips, the JLR Gaydon ‘Street’ Workshop manager for his kind invite to the GMA and support with display boards.
The GMA Website Update
Just a brief note about our refreshed GMA website that has now been running over 6 months now and a great thanks of course to David Marsh who has been instrumental in making it happen and acting as a webmaster, though this was completely volunteered and never taken for granted. Please let David or myself know if anyone has any more ideas for the website. I see we have a growing gallery of artists now displaying work with an associated GMA biog which is great.
Thanks also to Caroline Jaine as well for the GMA Facebook blogs that we hope you enjoy
A New GMA Instagram Account & Request for Support
Sean Wales, our new GMA Financial Secretary on the committee and accomplished artist of F1 themes is to commence a GMA ‘Instagram’ account and the GMA is encouraging its members to send Sean at least one jpeg of an example of their work, so Sean can kick-start the GMA ‘Instagram’ site which we hope will generate further interest and awareness of the guild.
Ford GT presentation and Q&A with the Drivers at Dunton
At Ford Dunton back in May, the Performance Ford division gave a presentation of the new EcoBoost powered GT in its full World Endurance Championship (WEC) race colours (alongside an original GT40) with the main drivers giving a Q&A to the audience of their preparations for the world tour and of course Le Mans later in June. This was a rare chance to see the car up close and touch it as well talk to the drivers (Marino Franchitti, Andy Priaulx and Harry Tincknell). The drivers gave a candid review of what it was like to race around the world and prepare for such endurance races, where of course Le Mans is the only full 24 hour race (demanding three to share the driving and swap every two of so hours) with many of the races being only 6 hours. They said it was a surreal experience to grab just a couple of hours sleep then wake up and being driving at 200mph down the Mulsanne straight just 15 minutes later! I managed to speak to them after and get their autographs, but most special of all was to walk around both the new GT and the original GT40 to take the photos.
UK NEC CV (Commercial Vehicle) Show 2016
As part of my job at Ford I had to drive up to the Birmingham NEC 2016 CV show in May and take photos of competitor commercial vehicles to Ford, plus take a look around what the industry and its suppliers are up to in the market. It was a fascinating trip and I took many very dry and academic photos for engineering benchmark purposes, but these are a few of the more interesting ones, which I hope you enjoy!
In Closing & AGM Invite reminder
So in closing, I hope you have enjoyed reading our latest GMA Website blog and I look forward to meeting our members at the GMA AGM on July 10th and of course collecting the paintings, drawings and prints for our upcoming GMA Ford & Jaguar Land Rover Tech Centre art exhibitions which should be great as they always have been in the past.
I wish you all the very best and thank you for your continued interest the GMA.
Kind Regards
David Ginn
GMA Chairman