Thursday 14 March 2024

In My Own Image

 The first article (hopefully there will be more!) about my up coming exhibition at the Norris Museum is out now in the Ely I magazine. You can also see it in my latest Facebook and Instagram posts.

The photo to accompany the article was taken by my wife. Since then we've had a visit from the Norris's official photographer who spent about five hours here on Monday. He was very painstaking and professional as he took photos of me, the paintings and objects.

I know I'm very difficult to photograph as I often close my eyes at the wrong moment but hopefully there will be a few, looking wide awake.

Thursday 7 March 2024

Give Us A Clue

 I'm currently experimenting with ideas and ways of showing  images in my new painting - 

 'Old Wives Tales'. There will be five canvases, each one to represent my grandmother or  her four sisters. The women all had a personal tragedy in their lives which I am trying to suggest  with one object (or small group of objects) in the painting.

I'm currently working on Beatrice, the eldest sister, who lost one her  sons when he was a young man. You can see my efforts so far on my latest Instagram and Facebook posts.

Thursday 29 February 2024

Home

 We've recently seen a wonderful theatrical experience at our local arts centre.  Entitled 'Home '  its about what happens to a family who have to face the threat of flood waters rising  were they live in the fens.

The writer/director of Temper Theatre who inspired the production, used to live in Ely but left home after school to study drama in London. He only returned to the area during Covid to be with his parents in lockdown and was inspired by the history of the fens during his enforced incarceration.

The show has already been seen in London, Cambridge and the Edinburgh Festival and will currently be touring China  

Thursday 22 February 2024

Search Continues

 I always keep scraps of ephemera (postcards, magazine clips etc.) for inspiration, in a folder ready to start the next painting.  This happens over the course of about a year.

Recently, I've just stuck all these bits  (you can see them on my latest Instagram and Facebook posts) on to the drawing board while I begin experimenting for my current work 'Old Wives Tales'.

One thing I haven't found yet is a painting of a scrap of paper I want for reference. I've looked through  Dutch old master catalogues and googled 'paintings of paper' but no luck so far.

 Any Ideas?

Thursday 15 February 2024

Too Damn Big!

 I've recently taken some more of my postcards (of my paintings) to sell at the Babylon Gallery. This includes the drawing of my 1931 Morris Minor (see latest Facebook and Instagram posts). I am hoping to take another batch to the Norris Museum when my show opens there.

Although the Morris does appear in the painting 'Who Stole the Toothpaste?' which will be displayed at the Norris, the actual car won't be one of the objects I'll be including in the exhibition.

There are no entrances big enough to get it into the museum. A pity, as it was such a hit when I drove it into Ely Cathedral a few years ago.

Thursday 8 February 2024

Shaping UP

For Christmas I received some oil bars to experiment with, for my  painting, OLD WIVES TALES.

You can see the results on my latest Instagram and Facebook posts.

Working on preliminary canvases, I found that using a shaper (a semi hard, rubbery tool) to push the  paint around seemed to work best.     I am looking for a slightly out of focus effect for the house in the background. Not quite there yet but I'll keep trying.

Thursday 1 February 2024

Planning

 Yesterday I visited the Norris Museum to meet Claire and her staff to discuss my exhibition, which takes place from late March to the end of June. Exciting stuff!

I watched as they laid out thumbnails of my paintings in the gallery to try and work out where each one would go. They have to juggle this with  placeing the display cabinets, as my objects will be an integral part of the show.

We also planned  events to run alongside the exhibition. A talk by me, workshops and a pop-up studio showing my latest work-in-progress all look possible.