New exhibition of oil paintings opens

Broomhill Art Hotel, just outside Barnstaple in North Devon, is now hosting an exhibition of seven of my new oil on board paintings. They will be on show until the end of July 2018.

I'm grateful to this fabulous venue for their continued support for my art. I have previously had a successful exhibition of my taxidermy assemblage boxes there, and been guest speaker for the North Devon Arts group in their gallery.

If you haven't checked it out yet, or perhaps not been for a while, Broomhill is home to the National Sculpture Prize, the stunning sculpture gardens and the award-winning restaurant Terra Madre. 

You can find out more about the paintings on display in my recent blog 'Figures, Flamingos & Fish'. Many thanks to Bianca Robinson for the exhibition photos in the slideshow below.

Paul Broomfield - Figures, Flamingos & Fish

Medium: Oil on Board

My work has always been predominantly inspired by nature but I also frequently make reference to the Proustian concept of involuntary memory.

I’ve always been fascinated by and collected tribal art figures. Depicted in these paintings are fertility figures from the late 19th and early 20th Centuries from the Dogon, Fang Gabon, Sepic River and Baoulé tribes. Carved by hand with very basic tools over a century ago or more, I feel that they conjure memories for me of their makers, their owners and keepers throughout their history. Often carved to represent the souls and spirits of the dead, those souls, travel forward through time touching those in whose possession they are.

Several pieces from my collections have seemed to follow me. Perhaps I had missed buying them at one point only for them to turn up again at a later date at a different auction or fair. Perhaps they were made by people that were associated with me in a past life and trigger a memory and a feeling of connection to and previous knowledge of those objects.

The vintage 60s/70s Gollies, whilst controversial to some, simply trigger the recollection of the safety and comfort of childhood - safe in the sanctuary created for me by my parents.

I have a slight obsession with flamingos - the way they move - they remind me of the curvaceousness of the female form and yet are phallic too in the shape of their necks and heads. For me they represent love and fertility and so sit well alongside the tribal fertility figures.

The fish in the paintings are frozen - my message in these depictions is that we’re destroying what feeds and sustains us along with the native cultures who revered, respected and lived with nature rather than plundering it for their own financial gain.

This body of work will be on display at Broomhill Art Hotel in North Devon from April 1st 2018 to the end of July.

Paul Broomfield 2018

Broomhill at 20, and the 2017 National Sculpture Prize

Broomhill Art Hotel just outside Barnstaple have been incredibly supportive of my work over the last few years, and 2017 marks their 20th anniversary - congratulations! They will be having various special events and offers throughout the year.

They are exhibiting my taxidermy assemblage art and paintings in their gallery. As well as selling work through them, I've created a couple of commissions for new clients which has been a great experience.

2017 also sees entries open for the acclaimed National Sculpture Prize, which takes place every year in the venue's wonderful, rambling gardens. We're so lucky to have this here in North Devon - not only as an event, but as a year round art gallery and top class hotel/restaurant right on our doorstep.

North Devon Arts - an evening with Paul Broomfield

A massive thank you to North Devon Arts and Broomhill Art Hotel for inviting me along as their guest speaker last night, to talk about my work as a taxidermy & assemblage artist and painter.

It was the first time I've done anything like this, and I couldn't have done it without my good friend and former ITV News reporter Pete Robinson who interviewed and guided me with a calm, reassuring style.

I think more than 50 people came along, and we started about 8pm and went on for more than 2 hours with questions from the floor after the main interview and showing my film - then chatting to some really interesting folk before we all headed off into the fog-bound North Devon countryside. If you'd like to see my short film again you can watch it on YouTube here.

A selection of my work is currently on display at Broomhill should you want to take more time to look at it. Thanks again for having me, your support really is appreciated and it's an experience I'm glad to have got under my belt!

Talk talk - an evening with taxidermy artist Paul Broomfield

In a first for me, I will be giving a talk at Broomhill Art Hotel on the evening of Wednesday May 11th 2016 for the North Devon Arts group. I will be interviewed in-front of the audience by my friend & award-winning journalist Pete Robinson, about my work as a contemporary taxidermy artist.

A selection of my a assemblage boxes and original semi-abstract paintings are currently on display at Broomhill, plus it is also hosting the prestigious 2016 National Sculpture Prize.

North Devon Arts are running an open studio event in the area in September - you can find more information about entering (closing date May 1) and what's on & where through their website here.

Paul Broomfield in print

My taxidermy and assemblage art is in print again this week, with a two-page spread in the culture section of Devon Life magazine, written by top media man Pete Robinson. It is great to see comprehensive coverage of my work in this high quality county magazine, and good to know that they support new art being created in the region.

The magazine is on the shelves now, and don't forget if you're out and about over the Easter holidays you can drop in and see a selection of my work at Broomhill Art Hotel. With the stunning Spring weather we're having it's a great place to visit as you can wander round the sculpture gardens and grab a bite to eat.

You can now find the print version of Woolacombe & Mortehoe Voice magazine in local shops which also features my art, plus limited edition copies of my self-published book of work are available to buy at Broomhill - you'll receive a complimentary copy when you purchase my art.

Broomhill exhibition for artist Paul Broomfield

The acclaimed Broomhill Art Hotel, just outside Barnstaple in North Devon, now has 14 of my pieces on display as part of its rolling exhibition featuring a variety of artists' work.

It includes several of my new and unique taxidermy and assemblage boxes, and for the first time a group of my paintings from the series entitled 'Looking west from Croyde'.

I'm really honoured to have so much of my art in one place. Most of the pieces are in the main gallery, while you'll need to meander through the dining areas to see the others.

If you haven't checked it out yet, or perhaps not been for a while, Broomhill is home to the National Sculpture Prize, the stunning sculpture gardens and the award-winning restaurant Terra Madre. 

In another first for me, I will be giving a talk at Broomhill on the evening of Wednesday May 11th 2016 for the North Devon Arts group. I will be interviewed in-front of the audience by my friend & award-winning journalist Pete Robinson, about my work and my life. Exciting times!

The Goodman Fish

I recently sold two pieces of my taxidermy art to prominent collectors from my ongoing exhibition at the Broomhill Art Hotel in North Devon; one is a work with a lot of personal importance, the 'Goodman Fish'.

David Goodman was a renowned artist and conservator who trained at the Royal Academy of Art in London. I had the privilege to serve a five year apprenticeship with him learning the skills of gilding, carving, painting and conservation. He has been one of the most influential figures in my career as an artist. David died in 2013 aged 95.

One of his key mantras was the use of vertical stripes in art. I followed this in the 'Goodman Fish' - two gilded perch with stripes behind that mirror the natural beauty of these wonderful creatures.

All the animals used in my taxidermy art come from either antique collections, or as in this case, have died of natural causes and have been ethically sourced. The second work sold is a commission, using silver gilded koi carp.