Accidental Sale

 I've been making experiments on small canvases before starting the final painting, for many years now. I like to try out lots of ideas before I do the final piece.

Selling them came quite by accident. I was asked to donate a painting to a charity auction and it was suggested that I might like to give one of my preliminary canvases. To my surprise it made a fair amount of money so I have been selling them ever since.

Currently there are three for sale from a recent painting, 'The Wasp and The Ring' at the Babylon Gallery, Ely.

You can also see the final painting and preliminary studies on my Instagram and Facebook posts.

Window Wanderland

 We've been getting our contribution ready for the 'Window Wanderland' event in Ely which starts tonight.

I've put up our collection of shadow puppets from various countries in the window, back lit with lights.

I used the collection alot when I was teaching  and recently was inspired by some of the images when I made the painting 'Against The Light'.

I even made my own puppets of Laurel and Hardy (to represent two brothers) to use in the painting. This work is currently showing on my Facebook and Instagram pages

In The News

 I appeared in the local paper last week (see my Instagram and Facebook pages) to publicise the reopening of my pop-up gallery for a limited season, giving tours around my work.

I'm usually photographed with one of my latest paintings for press photographs but decided this time to be with my old bicycle. This was partly because it is usually on display propping up one of my signs but also  it is very much part of the collection. It appears in my painting 'Bicycle Thieves' and ofcourse, propelled me 800 miles to Scotland to research for my painting 'Diamond Sutra'.

Size Matters

 It seems because of Covid and Brexit there is a shortage of stretched canvases - well here in Ely, anyway.

Normally, I would wait until I  had thoroughly prepared my experiments and compositions before purchasing the final canvas, when I was sure about it's shape and size.

However, as there are very few  for sale, once I had a rough idea of what I wanted for my new painting 'Dreamtime' I went ahead and bought one!

I shall have to make my ideas fit the canvas, rather than the other way around.

Fallen Angels

 I've come to view my collection of objects as just as important to me as the paintings which were inspired by them. Some, like 'Encore!' (a puppet theatre) have gradually turned into an installation.

I noticed while I was getting ready for my first tour last week that the theatre needed  attention. Two  gold angels had fallen off the front of the proscenium arch and some gluing was required.

We used this model for many years to entertain our family and after all our shows were over I set up the puppets to represent my father saying goodbye to his three sons. In the painting, we  become the puppets.

 You should see images of this on my Facebook and Instagram posts later today.