In the first issue of Tubes (January 2017- reproduced in the annual review issue #6 December) regular readers will have read the article from the first visit I made to the studio of Ian Norris. At the end of the article I suggested it would be a good idea to re-visit him again to see how Ian’s work had developed or changed, considering that he was about to move into a much larger studio space. The studio he moved into was very different from his smaller studio, it was on the second floor of a classical styled building with high ceilings and large windows, perfect, I believed, for painting larger canvases.
True to my word, this January (2018) I again made my way to Preston (Lancashire) where, as the last time, Ian was waiting for me at the railway station carpark in his mobile studio (his van).
With what seemed like just a handful of minutes, we arrived at his studio building and climbed the stairs to his new space.
My first impression was how the natural light completely lit up the room. It’s high ceiling accentuated the feeling of openness and freedom. “what a great space.” was my opening remark. He smiled and said to that it was amazing how quick he became accustomed to the studio and how he almost felt that now, even after only one year, that the studio was starting feeling too small, then he laughed. Hardly surprising as the room was full of large paintings ‘on the go.’
My allotted time with Ian was shorter than last years visit, as my scheduled UK visit was packed with appointments and other public obligations. Not that the self imposed time limitation mattered so much. Ian and I have kept in touch over the year and I felt we both sort of ‘knew’ each others view of Art and especially our shared opinions on a belief in the ‘progression’ and ‘direction’ of Art was going as we move further into the 21st century. This visit was all about his new work and how he felt his own painting process had progressed or had changed since last we met face to face. The room was full canvases and a host of small paintings which he said were the ‘grounding’ for the large pieces.
Ian, an accomplished draughtsman, kept to his system of careful charcoal studies of a chosen subject, before he moved to oil on canvas. These drawing, which to my mind, were works of art in themselves, were scattered about the studio tables, clearly
