Tuesday 20 December 2022

Oh Yes He Is!

 There was a photo of me as Santa after all  (as you can see on my latest Facebook and Instagram posts) - don't look if you prefer to imagine the scene.

My artwork also had a Christmassy feel this week. I attended a talk in our local library about Christmas traditions and have been making notes about the symbolism of various baubles and decorations. I've got a vague notion that I might use a Christmas tree in a future painting  with the working title of  'Curses and Wishes'

    Happy Christmas!

Tuesday 13 December 2022

Santa Rides Again

 It would have been ironic if Father Christmas couldn't have used his sleigh last night because of too much snow, but that's what nearly happened.

We woke up in Bishop's Stortford on Monday morning to discover thick snow and I thought we were going to be stuck for a few days. Luckily, by midday we were able to get out and make a dash for Ely, where I  was due to be Father Christmas  that evening. So the children got to see Santa.

 The extreme weather reminded me of  when I did a painting of Hazel and the children in thick snow for a painting entitled CALENDAR 1980. You can see the December picture on my latest Instagram and Facebook posts

And a photograph of me as Santa? That will have to be in your imagination

Tuesday 6 December 2022

Winter Closure

 I closed Ted Coney's Family Portraits last week but hope to reopen again in late April 2023 .

 I must admit, I didn't do many house tours this season  (though had over 200 visitors under the Cambridge Open Studio scheme in July) but family visits to see children meant we were away quite a bit.

I could have done one last tour the other day but as I was going out that evening there was no time to prepare and the house looked such a tip!!! Sorry.

Tuesday 29 November 2022

Look What You're Doing

 I was working in the studio the other day, completely absorbed. I was plotting the design of my next painting, 'The Counsellor' moving bits of paper about on a large drawing board.

Stepping backwards to  sit down I completely missed the chair!

 Although I landed on the floor with no bones were broken and only a slightly bent little finger to show for it .  

Wednesday 23 November 2022

All Gathered In

 My redeveloped website is nearly finished. Giles has now gathered together all my latest paintings in THE COLLECTION page. They were previously scattered about the website and added as I finished them.

Every so often I took a photograph to show the various stages as the painting progressed. You can see the image take shape once you click on the painting.

One picture - ANOTHER YEAR does take rather a while to run through. Apologises. I hope it will be speeded up in the coming days.

Tuesday 15 November 2022

Working Towards Eighty

 The staff from the Norris Museum came on their second visit today and confirmed they want to have an exhibition of my work in one of their galleries  in early 2024.

They were particularly interested in my painting and installation entitled 'Forget-Me-Nots' as this  evokes memories of the past through objects.     You can see a section of the installation on my latest Facebook and Instagram posts.

As I shall be eighty in early 2024 (if I make it!) this seemed like a good time to have another exhibition!

Wednesday 9 November 2022

Making A Virtue

 Just to let you know that my Virtual Tour is now available again. It had been off air while my website was been redeveloped  (its nearly finished).

In my latest Facebook and Instagram posts I show a still from the film, where I fly back in time to 1930s Hollywoodland while doing the research for my painting 'Dear Reginald Owen'

In the virtual tour, the last thing I wanted was to stand beside each painting and explain what they were about. Colin (who made the film) had the idea of using my Morris Minor rather like the Tardis to make the link with my ancestors. I hope you don't think its too naff.  

Wednesday 2 November 2022

Transport Problems

 A few years ago I used  pure turpentine to thin my oil paints. That was until I realised that it was making my wife ill  (I painted in the living room at the time).

Since then I've always used turps substitute,  which has been fine.

The other week I went to our local Wilko which usually has stacks of the stuff and all the shelves were empty. ' Transport problems' were blamed for the missing bottles, but I wonder?

I did manage to get some elsewhere but it was much more expensive. Maybe I will have to experiment with water based oil paints in the future.

Thursday 27 October 2022

It's A Puzzle

 You can see a photo of my recent experiments on preliminary canvases in my latest Instagram and Facebook posts.

I'm preparing for my latest painting - 'The Counsellor' by trying out different ways of painting jigsaw pieces. Using both a brush and bits of sponge, I'm trying out various colour schemes and ways of putting down marks.

Frogtape (more reliable than masking tape) is also proving useful to help maintain the strait lines of the boat hoist.

In the final painting, the jigsaw pieces will represent the clients while the boat hoist will symbolise The Counsellor.

Wednesday 19 October 2022

Voices In The Air

 The radio section of my website has finally been brought up-to-date. 

My latest interview was with Sue Marchant in June 2021 when I was about to embark on Cambridge Open Studios again after a break of 27 years. She was particularly intrigued by a letter I had received during my first Open Studio in 1984.  

I had asked visitors for donations to Save the Children fund, a charity I was supporting at the time. As the Society's patron was Princess Margaret,( who often seemed to be visiting Cambridge), I  hopefully invited her to visit my exhibition. Sue enjoyed reading the reply on air, where H.R.H. regretfully declined.

You can also hear the first interview I made, in 1989, also promoting Open Studios on  Radio Cambridge.

Wednesday 12 October 2022

Objects As People

 I've recently been to a wonderful one man play entitled 'Numinous' about the educator, Henry Morris.

It's author and actor, Andy O'Hanlon used objects to represent the different characters in the story.

This reminded me of a painting I made in 1988 called 'Pharaohs and Mortals', where I used objects to represent  each member of the family who had attended our wedding fifteen years before. I invited each guest to send their own object and I arranged the objects as if in a museum cabinet.

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

Thursday 6 October 2022

In Proportion

 This week I've been working on the size and scale of the jigsaw pieces I'm going to include in my current painting 'The Councillor'. (you can see the first sketches on my latest Instagram and Facebook posts) . 

The jigsaw pieces represent all the members of the family who have benefitted from counselling over the last eighty years. Either in pairs or on their own.

The boat hoist which will be at the centre of the painting, is a symbol for the councillor - gathering them in and trying to repair.

Thursday 29 September 2022

Dress Appropriately

 I taught art in schools and colleges for fifty two years and its nearly sixty years since I was a student at Bath Academy of Art. In those days art schools were very independent and often awarded their own certificates and diplomas.

So it was with great surprise that I found myself being awarded an honorary degree (BA) this summer for services to art education by Bath Spa University.

We were told the ceremony would be very informal and as it was very hot, I took them at their word and turned up in shorts and sandals.

It  was lovely to see everyone (most looking as young as ever) and great fun to dress up in robes and

mortarboards - if only for a few moments.

You can see a picture of me on my latest Facebook and Instagram posts.

Thursday 22 September 2022

Seal of Approval

 Seeing all the pageantry surrounding the Queen's funeral, reminded me of our visit to the Palace in 2006 when the Art department had been awarded a prize for our community projects.

We were presented with a certificate with a large wax seal at the bottom (think Magna Carta).

As I was the only  one returning  to Cambridge after the event, I was entrusted to take it back and hand it over to senior staff.

Unfortunately the seal got too near the radiator on the train and the wax started to melt. Hazel managed to help me botch it up and we hope nobody noticed.

Friday 16 September 2022

Review The Reviews

 The paper reviews (newspapers, magazines, books etc.) have finally been brought up-to-date on the NEWS AND REVIEWS page on my website. 

The stories go back to 1973, when a picture of my 1931 Morris Minor was on the front of a college magazine for a piece about buying a new  minibus.

On my Instagram and Facebook posts you can see the same blog but I've used a picture of an article from the Agenda magazine showing readers around my pop-up gallery in 2009 after I'd recently opened. 

Friday 9 September 2022

A Symbol

 I've been doing more sketches (this time in watercolour) of the boat hoist on Ely's riverside, which  can  be seen on my latest Facebook and Instagram posts.

Whilst I was working, a chap came up  and remarked that it seemed an unusual object to paint. I think he was expecting a beautiful view of the river.

 When I explained that the hoist was being used as a symbol for healing people (in my new painting 'The Councillor'), he sped away pretty quickly.

Friday 2 September 2022

The Landscape Beneath

 I never thought my Iphone could be so useful when working on my paintings (except for taking photos, ofcourse).

While doing the next layer on my current painting, 'Dreamtime' I was able to refer  to earlier stages  by looking back over my photographs. I wanted to  reintroduce, in translucent but darker colour, the landscape that lay beneath.

My idea was to show the journey gradually engulfing the the puppet theatre and the figures as they moved across the surface.

You can see my efforts so far, on my latest Facebook and Instagram posts. 

Saturday 27 August 2022

Jigsaws

  Just got back from our annual holiday in Sheringham. This was a record year with 31 members of the family attending! We've been staying in St Lukes Cottage for nearly forty years and in all that time it hasn't changed  much.

 In 1984 I did a painting entitled 30 DAYS which told the story on wooden jigsaw pieces of a month's stay in Sheringham. About half way through, Hazel dislocated her knee and ended up in a wheelchair for the rest of the holiday. You can see the painting (and the cottage) on my latest Instagram post.

I'm thinking of using jigsaw pieces again in my next painting, but that's for another blog.

Wednesday 17 August 2022

Preliminary Canvases

 I've had preliminary canvases of my work, for sale ever since Babylon Arts asked if I could donate one for a charity auction. It sold for more than I expected so have been selling them ever since.

They've been on my website for a while, but a bit difficult to find!  Hopefully, on my new (unfinished,) redeveloped website you'll be able to locate them straight away.

Go to WORKS FOR SALE on the top bar and a drop down menu will appear.

Sunday 14 August 2022

Objects And Installations

 My redeveloped website  (www.tedconeysfamilyportraits.co.uk) is now 'live'. Its not finished yet but hopefully you can see how it is shaping up.

Giles of Redactsolutions has now taken over from Daniel  and  has been making a few changes.

I've long thought that the objects featured in my paintings are as important as the works themselves, though this was not reflected in the website, even though they are prominently displayed   in my pop-up gallery.

Also, I felt that some of the pieces were really installations in their own right, either because I had put stuff together to create something new or had added  to an existing object to give it a different meaning.

Click on 'The Collection' page and a drop down menu will signpost you to 'Objects and Installations' 

Friday 5 August 2022

The Councillor

 I've just started some observational drawings for my new painting entitled 'The Councillor'.

I'm using the boat hoist on the marina near  us as a symbol. For me, it represents gathering up various members of the family over the last eighty years and helping to restore them to health and happiness.

You can see photos of the hoist and  early sketches on my latest Facebook and Instagram posts.

   I always like to overlap  finishing  one piece of work (currently 'Dreamtime') with research for the next one. 

Sunday 31 July 2022

Reverse Perspective

   I've just been to the 'Hockney's Eye' exhibition at the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge and it was interesting to view his work alongside a selection of the Collection's Old Masters.

I knew something of David Hockney's ideas about how artists had been using various drawing aides for years, as my children about bought me his book on the subject.

During the exhibition I became more interested in his examples of painting using 'Reverse Perspective' and I may well experiment with it for my next painting.

I also liked Hockney's relaxed attitude to perspective which chimed with my own. By all means make use of it but don't let it enslave you.

Monday 25 July 2022

Cheap As Chips

 I had over 90 visitors to my last Open Studio weekend.

 One person was asking me about my painting '3001' and I  explained how I came to choose the objects that would go in my Morris Minor -  a time capsule to be rediscovered in a 1,000 years time.

The inspiration had come from a recently unearthed Roman shrine found under the car park at Shire Hall. One of the items was 600 oyster shells, which were an inexpensive  favourite with the Romans.

'As cheap as chips' came the retort from my visitor. Nearly right I said, as I had chosen 6 Kettle crisps as a modern equivalent to go in the painting.

You might be able to spot them  in the latest picture on my Instagram post.

Wednesday 20 July 2022

Just Right

 'AGAINST THE LIGHT  - Two brothers are viewed very differently by each of their parents.'

This is a caption to go with one of my paintings which a visitor commented on during my Open Studio weekends, recently. (you can see the image on my latest Facebook and Instagram posts)

He said I had offered just enough information for him and his partner to try and work out what each painting was about.

Obviously my tours (restart in September)  are very different, in that I give visitors more details about the seven paintings I have chosen to talk about. With Open Studios, the public visit my garden gallery and ask me questions about any of the pictures that particularly interested in.

One more weekend to go - hope its a bit cooler!

Monday 11 July 2022

Speak To Me

 Sixty seven visitors came to my Open Studio this weekend so I was kept quite busy. 

One woman fell in love with my painting Hinaki  (you can see it on my latest Instagram and Facebook posts) and wanted to buy it.

She said that the painting  really 'spoke to her' as she had lived in New Zealand for along time and wished she was back there. (Hinaki means eel trap in Maori culture)

I explained that I never sold the final picture but had a range of preliminary canvases to buy, on the same theme.

Alas, I didn't make a sale.

Monday 4 July 2022

Off Grid

 You can see from the photo on my latest Facebook and Instagram posts that I am still working on the painting 'Dreamtime'. At the moment I am experimenting  with different sized metal grids to stencil mechanical dots onto the canvas.

I am trying to show that the puppet theatre is gradually disintegrating and printing the dots off register is hopefully going to achieve this.

I can only stipple a few dots at a time though, as the paint has to dry before I can do more.

Friday 24 June 2022

Power Of Objects

 The Director of the Norris Museum in St Ives came to visit my pop-up gallery yesterday because she had been interested by my use of objects to make paintings about family life. 

There is a beautiful contemporary art gallery within the museum and she felt I could be a good fit to display my paintings and installations there. She seemed to like what she saw and (fingers crossed) I might get an exhibition there next year (or even the year after when I turn eighty!)

Monday 20 June 2022

Ruminating In The Rain

 One of my visitors remarked that he liked my word 'ruminating' when I was describing how I worked   over a long period before starting a new painting. This was in answer to a question about my methods of developing a  piece of work.

It poured with rain on Saturday during my 'Artist At Home' event (though that must have been better than the heatwave on Friday!) but I still had some interesting people call in, keen to find out about my paintings.

Monday 13 June 2022

I'm Home

 I've been getting ready for my 'Artist At Home ' event recently. This takes place next weekend (the poster is on Instagram) from 12pm - 4pm as part of the Ely Arts Festival.

I haven't tided the studio because I believe visitors should see it just as it is, but I will sweep the floor in the garden gallery before Saturday. I've also been experimenting with different locations for the new paintings which have been framed, as I need to be sure they won't get knocked over in the crush!

Hope to see you there if you are visiting Ely.

Monday 6 June 2022

Hurrah For The Jubilee!

 Yesterday I led Ely's jubilee parade  in my 1931 Morris Minor. I was relieved that the car started and even happier that it didn't break down during the proceedings. There was also a worry that my lone windscreen wiper might not work, but luckily the rain held off.

You can see the video on my latest Instagram post.

Without being to obvious I hope it will advertise my latest openings as part of Ely Arts Festival and Cambridge Open studios, where the car will take centre stage - complete with  bunting!

Monday 30 May 2022

Shades Of Grey

 Two of my latest paintings have just come back from being framed, ready for the Ely Arts Festival and Cambridge Open Studios events. You can see both on my latest Facebook and Instagram posts.

'Memento Mori' was always going to have a black frame, though I did wonder whether it should be shiny, rather like a Chinese lacquered cabinet?

'Eggheads' came back with a darker grey frame then you see  now. I felt it was too dark and asked for it to be lightened.

I always work on the truism, ' If you notice the frame before the picture then it is probably too strong'

Monday 23 May 2022

In Need Of A Plan

 I woke at 5am last Saturday  wondering what I was going to do to my current painting 'Dreamtime' while I was working  at Haddenham Arts Centre as their Artist in Residence, later that day.

In truth I had got a bit stuck (this is normal and doesn't matter unless you are appearing in front of lots of people!) and wasn't sure where to go next.

I decided to stay calm and really THINK what I would physically do - as I knew I couldn't just stand there  for six hours! 

Having painted the disintegrating theatres over the top of the landscape, the next step was to    make the background more integrated.  I started the day by working on top of a large pencil sketch (based on drawings and photographs of my cycle ride to Wicken Fen). This helped to calm my nerves but also reacquaint me with this part of the design. 

By the end of the day I was beginning to feel more in control again. Phew!



Monday 16 May 2022

Imposter Syndrome

Recently I 've returned to  preliminary canvases to work out how to portray the animals in my current painting 'DREAMTIME'.

Currently,   I'm going to make them tones of one colour, possibly yellow. I did try blue but felt it was too bigger contrast to the rest of the picture.

I'm trying to get this stage sorted before I set up a  studio at Haddenham Arts Centre ready for Saturday. I don't want to appear clueless while trying to look like the Artist in Residence.

My pop-up studio  is there for a week and I'll be working  on both Saturdays.

Tuesday 10 May 2022

A Surreal Moment

It was a surreal moment when I returned to Tiptree after 38 years for the unveiling of a blue plaque for the puppeteer, Joy Laurey.

Last week we were invited to the event and when we arrived in was swarming with plain clothed police. It turned out that Priti Patel (Home Secretary) was about to do the unveiling alongside Mr Turnip - a puppet from Childrens TV in the 1950s.

He had inspired me to make two of my family paintings (which is why I visited Joy in the first place) - DIAMONDS (1987) and THE ENIGMA OF THE CHINESE MASK (1998)

You can see both paintings (and the unveiling) on my Facebook page.

Monday 2 May 2022

What Makes A Studio?

 I've just been to London, to the Whitechapel Art Gallery to see an exhibition entitled ' A Century of the Artist's Studio'. It proved a fascinating look inside different types of spaces from the kitchen table affair to the converted aircraft hanger.

I was reminded of my first artists 'space' after we were married, when I had a corner of our living room to paint in.

I inherited a large designers drawing board (which I still use today) and kept an old tea trolley underneath it with all my paints on.  This was handy when we had three young children, as not only could I keep looking at my work in progress when I was rushing by to change a nappy or stop a fight but also I could snatch a few minutes to paint, once I had pulled the trolley out.

When we moved to Ely I was able to have my own studio by converting half the garage (see photos on my latest Facebook and Instagram posts) but to begin with, I missed all the noise and chaos swirling around  that comes with family life.

It was like being sent to your room to do  homework.

Wednesday 27 April 2022

No Show

 Do you remember the old Charlie Chaplin film where he got everything ready for a party and nobody came? I felt a bit like that last Saturday when I excitedly spent three hours preparing my pop-up gallery  for the first tour of the season and the visitors didn't turn up. I'd even had a dress rehearsal (to myself)  having not led a tour since November 2021.

The couple  did let me know two hours before that something had occurred so were unable to come - (and even offered to pay a cancellation fee), but I'd been too busy to look at my Email..

Never mind, I enjoyed getting it ready.

Thursday 21 April 2022

Reopening!

 The local paper's headline (see my Facebook and Instagram posts) announces that I'm reopening my pop-up gallery for the first time this weekend after a two year closure.

That's not strictly true. In 2020 I promoted the Virtual Tour (still available on my website) and donated the proceeds to the NHS.

In 2021 I was able to open my garden gallery and studio under the Ely Arts Festival and Cambridge Open Studio schemes. I even managed to do a couple of full tours around the house in September/October with all  doors and windows open.

However, it will be good to get back to some sort of normality and welcome  visitors this Saturday.

Wednesday 13 April 2022

A Clicker Thing

Another birthday present I asked for,  was a clicker thing or, using it's correct title ' a Hand Tally Counter'.

Over the last few years I have always borrowed one for my Artist in Residence and Open Studio events but for this Summer I decided I should have my own.

Last year I had over 260 visitors across four weekends, so I certainly needed something to take account of numbers.

I don't need to use it for the guided tours though, as I only take six people at a time on those occasions.

Wednesday 6 April 2022

Birthday Blue

 One of the birthday presents I received recently was a very small piece of Lapus Lazuli.

In 1990 I had been inspired by Tudor miniatures whilst making a painting called 'Limners' - about the 37 days of our Christmas. You can see pictures of this on my latest Instagram post.

The colour in the background of many Tudor miniatures is Lapus Lazuli and I tried a similar blue in my picture. I also used Ivorene as the surface for my tiny paintings, as it has  the same quality as ivory (which the miniaturist's used) but is plastic.

When discussing the painting as part of my guided tour, I will now be able to also display the mineral which influenced my ideas.

Wednesday 30 March 2022

The Curious Tale Of Peter The Pup - part 2

 I wanted my own version of Peter the Pup to display in my pop-up gallery so I asked a puppet maker (who'd made Muffin puppets for me before,) to create one. Although I payed upfront I never received it, after claims that the marionette had got lost in the post.

About ten years later I asked another craftsman to have a go, though I didn't know he'd been ill and was also moving house. He sent me a dog puppet but it wasn't really Peter the Pup, but when I found out the circumstances I didn't  bother him again.

In 2020, knowing that I wanted to make drawings  for a new painting (Dreamtime) I tried unsuccessfully to make my puppet look more like Peter, by changing his colour and adding bigger feet.

Hearing that my second puppet maker had recovered, I contacted him again for help. This time he was able to work from photographs and drawings of the original.  I think he captured the pup, spot on.

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

Wednesday 23 March 2022

The Curious Tale of Peter The Pup - part 1

 Peter the Pup was a marionette made by Stanley Maile during the first world war from old rags and bits of cloth. The story goes that he made the puppet either in the trenches or (and seems more likely) while he was a prisoner of war.

I photographed and drew the pup in 1992 at the home of Ann Hogarth after he had been bought by the Hogarth family and found fame as Muffin the Mule's friend on Children's TV.

Over the years I used Muffin and Peter and friends in two of my paintings 'David's Journey' and 'Love That Dare's' as symbols of my childhood.

I am currently using them again in a new painting 'Dreamtime' which is about escaping from Lockdown.

Peter the Pup seems a good symbol for containment and escape considering his beginnings. (you can see a photograph of the puppet on my latest Instagram and Facebook posts.) 

Wednesday 16 March 2022

A Pop-Up Studio

 I've accepted the invitation to be Artist in Residence at Haddenham Art Centre from 21st May- 28th May.

I'll be setting up a pop-up studio near the café and working on my current painting 'Dreamtime'. I hope to get it to an interesting stage by then so visitors can see what I'm aiming for and how I might finish it.

If there is room I'll also take along another finished picture and maybe some preliminary canvases to sell.

I won't be there all the time the centre is open, though I'll definitely be there on both Saturdays. However, my studio will be on display permanently during the week.

Wednesday 9 March 2022

The Blank Signature

 I've always been intrigued by Magritte's painting 'The Blank Signature' with it's horse and rider being split up in a curious way by the forest.

I made a drawing of it to try and understand how it worked (which you can see on my latest Instagram and Facebook posts) as I want to use the idea to present the fleeing animals in my current painting 'Dreamtime'. 

Sometimes the bodies are shown in the spaces between the verticals and sometimes they overlay them. In my picture, I hope it will give a feeling of movement and also enhance the dreamlike quality. We shall see.

Tuesday 1 March 2022

Installation

 I've just posted on Facebook and Instagram, photos of the work I made in 1997 entitled 'Offrenda'.

I made the installation first, in a pyramid shaped box and then did the painting.

The objects in the box were formerly things to draw and inspire the picture but over the years I've added stuff and felt it became an installation in it's own right. 

That's how it's presented now in my pop-up gallery.

Wednesday 23 February 2022

Open Studio

 I've decided to take part in Cambridge Open Studios again this summer as I had over 260 visitors last year and felt it was quite successful.

It's different from my guided tours of the house in that its free and people are able to wander around the garden looking into my studio, garden gallery and garage which will be set up for another display based on my Morris Minor.

I 'll probably also have the hallway open to show films, photographs and postcards for sale. Last year I opened the french windows so that my preliminary canvases (also for sale) could  be seen. This time I will have my studies from my latest  painting 'Memento Mori' on view as well,

I plan to open the last three weekends in July and if you want to see my Cambridge Open Studio 2022 webpage you can Google it . Click on the Discover section and type 'Coney' in keyword search.

Wednesday 16 February 2022

Dots And Spots

Although I am now working on the final picture for my current idea -  'Dreamtime', I do keep experimenting on small, preliminary canvases along the way.

Currently, I'm  printing/painting dots and spots in different sizes to make up the disintegrating Victorian puppet theatre which I dreamt about at the beginning of Lockdown. I am influenced by the aboriginal painter's use of marks as well  as Lichtenstein and Seurat. 

After various experiments I'm using metal grids bought from an ironmongers shop as well as the humble cotton bud.

You can see one of my explorations on my latest Instagram and Facebook posts.

Wednesday 9 February 2022

A Step To Far?

 My Morris Minor is back! It's just had its annual service and MOT (it passed) and looking good for this years displays and open studios. It always seems to be the star of the show mainly because everyone seems to have had one in their families at sometime.

The tourist office has just contacted me about the Morris leading the parade down the high street on Jubilee Day. I'm always a bit nervous about these commitments as I worry that the car won't start or will breakdown.

You can see the car on my latest Instagram post, together with one of the many of my paintings it has appeared in . I use the Morris as a time capsule in the painting '3001' imagining that it will be rediscovered in a thousand years time (it was painted in 2001).

Can you recognise any of the objects that I displayed in the picture to represent us?

Wednesday 2 February 2022

Name The Frame

 I've just sent off my latest finished painting, 'Memento Mori' to be framed. Difficult decisions always have to be made but  influences on the work were Cabinets of Curiosities and Zoom calls!

The painting is made up of nine small canvases, each one representing different strands of the family (you can see it on my latest Instagram and Facebook posts).

Initially I wanted the picture to have the feeling of being in a cabinet rather than just a frame but as lockdown progressed and we saw more of the family on Zoom, I had other ideas.

We always seemed to be viewing nine rectangles on the screen when making calls and this image became stronger

I left it undecided when  the canvases were taken away, so we shall just have to see how it develops.

Wednesday 26 January 2022

For Freedom

 I'm now working on my current painting 'Dreamtime'  having just stained the canvas, Cadmium Red. Once it was dry I started painting in the 'freedom' areas using very loose brushwork with the marks based on some of my landscape sketches from  trips to Wicken Fen.

I wanted to create the feeling of movement so that when I paint the disintegrating puppet theatres over the top (and the animals escaping) it will all be in a state of constant flow.

You can see my efforts so far on my latest Facebook and Instagram posts. 

Thursday 20 January 2022

High Hopes

 I've just posted on Facebook and Instagram, a picture of my painting 'Young Lives' which I made in 1993. It portrays the ten Coney cousins as DNA structures personalised by ephemera they had collected for me over a six month period. Love letters, airline tickets, bills - I got it all!

The picture is over 6 feet tall and I remember it was hell to work on. Often I would put it it on the floor and lay down beside it, while other times I would prop the canvas horizontally on chairs and kneel down to paint.

I was a lot younger then, ofcourse. Nowadays I try to remain seated as much as possible.

Wednesday 12 January 2022

New Beginings

 I've finally finished my painting 'Memento Mori and Johnathan is going to collect it next week to get it framed.

I've stuck  up all my new artists and cultural references on the drawing board (see picture on my Facebook and Instagram posts) to inspire me and continued with my experiments for my new picture 'Dreamtime'.

I'm working on two preliminary canvases at the moment and think I'm nearly ready to start the final piece.

Ofcourse I still feel nervous about committing to canvas but I like that edgy feeling when you don't quite know what you're doing ?!

Wednesday 5 January 2022

The Wrong Wasp

 I was remined that last Christmas, I  received a beautiful book of photographs of wasps from my wife.

She had forgotten that I had abandoned the idea of placing wasps in my painting 'The Wasp and The Ring' fairly early on, as being too literal. Although I'd  made a study of a wasp in the Zoology Museum, this  changed to  Roman soldiers attacking the 'ring', instead.

This idea developed from selecting the holy family  to represent the main characters in the picture. 

As I used the models from our nativity scene to work from, I also purloined King Herod's soldiers as well.