Summer flurry

The end of the rain is nigh. Schwelching round Manchester for the past month has made me feel we will have a great September. Surely It can't be any worse. However, the world has conspired to create great conditions for painting. Where many galleries have taken breaks and closed down, we have taken in and sold more work than ever. It has also brought it a fair share of artists who just aren't quite right. More than a few had some success in the past and were indignant at our decline to show their work. Normally most artists accept rejection gracefully but some make it very difficult no matter how nice and tactful we are. These are artists who are stuck in a style rut, rehashing 1990s work in the hope that people will suddenly become nostalgic for dated looking artwork.

On the whole though, the extra time off, the long days and the rain I think has helped artists create some great work. Last weekend we took a trip to Bristol to pick up work from Gemma Compton and Dan Parry-Jones. The only option to me was a sunday trip with the heavily pregnant wife, Katie, just in case she dropped that day (she didn't).

I bribed her with the potential of a McDonalds. This went down well although I must stress that this is a very rare occurrence for we not of the kind who partake in this kid of behaviour regularly. I sometimes think that eating dirty fast food is something that can create slight disapproval and is one down from smoking on the finger waggometer. We settled for a Burger King in a service station mostly out of sight of the obese family who would have put us off our food.

Sundays are my only day off so this was kind of sacred but the other option was expensive couriers and battered, delayed and uncertain deliveries. Do you get the impression I don't like couriers? Our local courier is a super jovial cheeky chappie who you can't help but like. But even he managed to dent an expensive piece of artwork transporting it within greater manchester. He was lucky to escape my wrath which manifests itself as a tut and roll of the eyes.

We made good time and pulled outside Gemmas house. We went in straight to the kitchen where she had wrapped up the work. Her boyfriend is a well know artist called Chris (AKA Copyright) so I went to have a look at his studio at the bottom of the garden. I left Katie to chat to Gemma. Apparently she asked Katie whether she was into art like me. Katie thought about this and thought that any other answer other than no would invite lots of complicated questions she wouldn't know the answer to. So she said no.

Gemma is into fashion and designs for ASOS and Top Shop so the art is an extension of her creativity. The couple are the type that ooze effortless cool. I have seen the kids who hang around near the urbis who have hair that takes at least 15 minutes to create, and it still looks rubbish. These are people that care so much what people think of them they go to huge lengths to make sure people think they don't. Gemma is effortless though, as is her artwork. Highly detailed she is meticulous and has fantastic brushwork and technique. I was more impressed in reality and think she is a hugely talented artist.

Having picked up the work we went down the road to Dan Parry Jones's house. Dan was away camping so his wife let us in and kindly let us pick up the work. She; hungover from a night out because of the kids being away, us; feeling mildly intrusive at picking up work on a sunday. All was good though and Katie was already picturing his work in our house. We left with a car full of great art I knew wouldn't be damaged in any way.

A successful day in all. There are periods in the gallery when you don't see any decent artwork. These are frustrating times, like when you miss out on your cup of tea or coffee of the day. I now need to see artwork that inspires me otherwise it feels like we aren't getting anywhere. Now though I can have my cup of tea and a nice piece of cake on the side.