Soft And Strong

The right toilet paper is as vital to the success of my painting as such equipment as canvas and brushes.
By that I mean it has to be very smooth so that when I use my blotting technique to make translucent colours there is no discernible imprint. Embossed loo paper just will not do!
This is very important when I am overlaying one colour with another and I want the under  painting to show through.
You will see what I mean if you look at my latest painting 'Hinaki' which can be viewed on the NEWS AND REVIEWS page on my website.

Way To Go

We've recently visited the Fry Gallery in Saffron Walden and saw an interesting exhibition featuring the work of  Edward Bawden.
I realised that I have being seeing his prints in the Radio Times since childhood.
He died in his late eighties and apparently was working on a large linocut in the morning, had his lunch and then passed away during his afternoon nap.
What a way to go!

Finished ?

I've been working a lot on my current painting 'Hinaki'  recently, and think it may be finished.
I've tried to create the tension between the two different cultures as represented by the 300 year old beams of our house and the structure of a Maori meeting house. This is interspersed by an eel trap which has its roots in both countries and symbolises the journey between the two.
As is my practise, I'm going to leave the painting for a while but keep looking at it, to see if more can be done.
You can see the progress on  my picture on my website, on the NEWS AND REVIEWS page

An Understanding

I've just given my talk 'On The Edge'  (see ART LECTURE on my website) to a group recently.
In it, I  describe family life through some of my paintings and combine film with  live talk. The group asked lots of questions and I think it went quite well.
The lady who gave me a lift home at the end said she had been most moved by the painting about the stillbirth of our daughter, Fay and entitled 'For You In Loving Memory'. She had just lost her granddaughter a few months before and only those who had experienced a similar bereavement could understand the pain.
You can see my painting on the first page of the PRINTS FOR SALE page on the website.

Before The Court

Researching for my next painting ' Who Stole The Toothpaste ?' has taken me to Ely Courthouse to make observational studies.
This building was erected in the 1800s and only closed a few years ago and is a chilling reminder of how justice was dispensed.
I have been making drawings in the main courtroom and have tried to get the best angle to convey the power of the judge. This involved me getting into the same position as the prisoner would have been so that I was looking up at the bench  (as I think it's called).
After several goes at drawing I made a big watercolour to try and capture the cold green colour against flashes of deep pink which seemed to dominate the room.
These studies will hopefully form the basis of a painting I plan to do about my reckless ancestors who lost all the family money many years ago.