May 2013: The Many Faces of Epilepsy

We are thrilled to announce that from next week (Thursday 23 May 2013) B P Collins LLP is exhibiting inspirational pieces created during sessions at the Epilepsy Society Art Therapy Centre in Chalfont St Peter.

Entitled "The Many Faces of Epilepsy", the exhibition promotes awareness of epilepsy and the issues affecting people with the condition, alongside the sensory and creative therapies used to help develop expression and artistic potential.

Opening during National Epilepsy Week (19-25 May), the exhibition is a fantastic opportunity for guests to the Ian Johnson Suite to see the full breadth of artworks produced during therapy sessions, including paintings, pottery, sculpture and collage.

Epilepsy Society is both a long-standing client of our firm and an integral part of the local community. The charity works alongside the half a million people with epilepsy across the UK to enable them to live as full a life as possible and, throughout its 120 year history, has been a driver of innovation with a world-class reputation for its research into genetics and the causes of epilepsy.

The Art Therapy Centre, at their headquarters in Chalfont St Peter, provides opportunities for clients to explore their artistic potential and is based upon the belief that the creative process involved in artistic self-expression helps people to resolve conflicts and problems, develop interpersonal skills, manage behaviour, reduce stress, increase self-esteem and self-awareness, and achieve insight. It is not intended to reduce seizures; however, by reducing stress, art therapy can indirectly lower seizure frequency.


We hope this exhibition will prove successful in raising awareness of both the care services the Society provides and the ongoing initiatives to provide country-wide support to people living with epilepsy.

November 2012: To truly soar graces our Suite

B P Collins is delighted to retain the inspirational sculpture "To truly soar one must first unfurl" by Marie Boyle for guests to enjoy when visiting its Ian Johnson Suite. Marie's work is visually appealing and supports our brands vision – to provide clients with a truly exceptional service from within a firm driven by personal commitment and thinking beyond boundaries.

Our next feature exhibition will be announced very soon, though visitors can currently enjoy the local landscape photography from staff of B P Collins from our previous exhibition, 'Tales from the Thames Valley'.

August 2012: The Paralympics and art

One of our current exhibiting artists, sculptress Marie Boyle, is exhibiting the life size edition of 'To truly soar one must first unfurl' at the The Terminal Five Expo Fine Art Gallery. Our smaller version exhibited in the Ian Johnson Suite is certainly a talking point for visitors and, if you want to take a piece of the Games legacy home with you, it can be purchased via B P Collins.

To view Marie's work, and others, at the T5 gallery visit http://www.highperformanceart.org.uk/

Their exhibition honours the best of Britain’s sportsmen and women as they celebrate the 2012 London Olympic and Paralympic Games. They are constantly looking at ways to make every journey better at Heathrow and provide passengers with an immediate taste of British sport and culture, and believe that this art exhibition will be as captivating as it is unexpected. So, if you are taking a trip abroad and fly out of Heathrow T5, make sure you take time to check it out.

They are currently celebrating the opening of the Paralympic Games by adding a series of Paralympic artworks to their charity auction, enabling everyone to own their own piece of the Paralympic legacy.

To learn more visit their site at http://www.highperformanceart.org.uk/#!news

July 2012: Barney Wilczak: Talented photographer captures the English meadow

Barney Wilczak is an emerging talent in the photography world – his pieces tell a story of English wildlife that truly takes your breath away. Widely acclaimed for his stunning shots that capture a single moment in time, Barney has just published a book entitled The Meadow, An English Meadow through the Seasons. Available to purchase in the Suite, it is a vibrant record of a local meadow he photographed over a three year period.

Testament to its beauty, the book, prefaced by chief executive of the Wildlife Trusts Stephanie Hilborne, has recently been featured in both Country Life and Outdoor Photographer magazines and his work will also be featured in the Oxford Times in September.

We are delighted to be able to exhibit some of Barney’s images as limited edition prints in Diasec format. The process of creating each mounted image begins when a print is made using traditional archival chromegenic print processes, often referred to as c-types. The c-type print uses traditional chemistry to produce the highest quality print possible. Each print is personally approved by Barney.

The c-type print is then taken and mounted using the patented Diasec process. Here the c-type is sealed between a plate of aluminium and a high strength acrylic. This acrylic is extremely resistant to wear, provides remarkable clarity, beyond that of glass, and adds a perceived depth to the image. UV barriers provide additional protection against degradation through exposure to light and can be hung in kitchens, bathrooms, or other hostile environments with no cause for concern. In fact, studies have shown that pictures mounted in this manner are unlikely to suffer any loss in appearance for in excess of 150 years.

His exhibition pieces are a powerful tribute to what makes Britain not only great but also special. Barney champions the importance of saving whole habitats and rethinking our relationship to biodiversity.

“The traditional hay meadows of Britain abound with visual delights. Hundreds of plant species, mesmeric mixtures of colours, are interspersed with tumbling butterflies, stooping dragonflies and the flight of birds. In Clattinger Farm, probably the finest remaining example in Britain, orchids create vast carpets whilst nightingales sing night time melodies from heavy blackthorn hedgerows.”

A range of Barney’s work has been displayed at, and is available from, the Dadbrook Gallery in Cuddington, where he recently gave a talk about the making of the book and the importance of protecting this disappearing landscape. It was a fascinating subject and kept the audience spell bound. Visit http://www.dadbrookgallery.co.uk/

Title: Night Meadow
Edition of 12
Size: 120x80 cm
Price: £1200

Titles: Damselfly; Guelder Rose; Lesser Celandine; Southern Marsh Orchid; Belted Galloways
Editions of 25
Size: 60x40 cm
Price: £500 each

July 2012: Nina Stallwood: London Nights

For many, Britain is synonymous with black cabs and red buses – every tourist visiting London this year will no doubt encounter their fair share of both!

Nina’s exhibition piece is one of a recent series based on the theme of ‘urban nights’ where she aims to create a sense of the energy of London at night through movement, light and atmosphere by focusing on the iconic images of a black cab and a red bus travelling along Regent Street.

Nina’s contemporary oil paintings have been exhibited across Bucks and include abstract and figurative works, alongside her landscape pieces.

Nina recently completed a BA (Hons) Fine Art degree with De Montfort University.

She was born in Sydney, Australia and having travelled widely, now lives in Buckinghamshire.

You can explore more of Nina’s art by visiting her website http://www.artnina.co.uk/

Title: London Nights
Medium: Oil on canvas
Size: 80cm x 120cm
Price £550

July 2012: Katarina Nyman: Ascot in my heart

Katarina is originally from Sweden and moved to the UK 11 years ago. She has always been drawing and painting and moving to the UK gave her the opportunity to fulfil her dreams and study fine art. In 2006, after 4 years of studies, she completed her BA Hon in Fine Art at Amersham & Wycombe College and she is now working as a full time practising artist.

This exhibition piece is part of an ongoing exploration into how it feels to move to another country, where you sometimes get the feeling that you are looking in on a different world than the one you know.

Katarina says, “In some ways, Sweden and the UK are very much the same but in others there is a wide gap between the two and I am working on a series of paintings to describe this. This piece is for me very much a representation of life in the UK and something that never would happen in Sweden.”

Title: Ascot in My Heart
Media: Oil on canvas
Size: 30 cm x 100 cm
Price £998

July 2012: Graham Lester: Our incredible Paper mate

Graham is a talented and busy man living in Chesham. He has worked with paper as a media for some time whilst running his own creative design company, and from time to time has been commissioned to produce paper sculptures for display work and other promotions.


Recently he has focused more on using paper as a decorative art form to express ideas, both free standing and behind glass for wall hanging. Each piece is individually assembled, using paper that is cut, bent, folded, curled, and glued in position to create a 3D effect of the required subject.

It is this intricate detail that makes his pieces such a talking point and a pleasure to exhibit. But, not only does he work in paper, Graham also makes sculptures in wood and stone. His talent has been put to good use in the past, having demonstrated his skills at John Lewis and exhibited his work at numerous galleries across the region. You can see his craftsmanship in a variety of media at http://www.woodcarve.co.uk/

Title: Cornish Sardines
Medium: Paper Sculpture
Size: 32 x 42 cm
Price: £230

Title: Great British Ice Cream
Medium used: Paper Sculpture
Size: 32 x 42cm
Price: £230

Title: Colmers Hill Dorset
Medium: Paper Sculpture
Size: 37 x 37cm
Price: £220