Yesterday Mrs O and I headed into town to see what carnivorous delights were available  from the Artisan butcher in Rose Lane. We went via Arlingtons as a fellow artisan artist LJ had mentioned the gallery space of the top floor was refreshed. We had a wander around and I’m glad to say I recognised the artists before I got to the blurb. We even have two pieces, by Anne Welsh and Richard Day adorning our own domestic gallery. Well done LJ. This looks like a DIG type show. How often will this gallery change?

Suitably caffeined up, but cakeless on account of they were not demanding to be eaten nor in fact inviting enough to desire, we then continued in our original quest and bumped into fellow artisan artist Jason Hayes who managed to reveal where another fellow artisan artist, Paul Fiske’s gallery was. LJ had told Mrs O that Paul was opening a gallery but we had failed to note where it was. Well, we did get to see the Artisan butcher and then popped into Subterranean Boulevard Gallery (which is actually upstairs of Love One) in St Peters Street. We enjoyed the work on show and well done Paul and Ali for getting this off the ground(sic). We’ll look forward to seeing the changing space.

Now that is two extra galleries to our regular haunt of The Freudian Sheep. Ian and Eleanor have been going just over 12 months now and every show is as fresh as a daisy. It was interesting to see the same artists (in some cases) showing in both The Freudian Sheep and Arlingtons. Add to this mix the new look to MF Frames, Robin’s Framing Gallery in St Nicholas Street and we have a thriving gallery scene in Ipswich. The one poor relation this week was St Clement – Ipswich Art Centre. As artists we all need access to exhibition space but I swear that igloos and penguins would survive even in the summer inside that church.

Showing work is one thing. Getting the punters into a comfortable viewing and let’s face it buying environment is another.

I might just have to pop down for a Freudian Sheep fix later today as we missed them out yesterday.

Not sure I’ll get any cake but hey they might have a mince pie on offer with all the work. There are certainly Christmas puddings in the window.

Ipswich has got an art scene. Let all your chums know.