Clipboard Crazy

One of the things I wanted to change this year for Ted Coney's Family Portraits was the old pinboard I had hanging at the end of the lane to try and explain to the public what it was all about. Everything was held down with large mapping pins and although it worked on still, sunny days, at other times it was a disaster. Often, newspaper cuttings or posters would fly off and I was left scurrying down the road to retreive them. So this year I have invested in a new smart clipboard which will be temporaly chained to the wall with a padlock. However, no such thing existed so I bought the nearest thing and brother David came to my rescue and made changes so it can be used in this location. Hopefully, another problem solved.

Light Over Dark

Last week, Hazel and I went to the big Watercolour exhibition at Tate Britain. There are lots of wonderful pictures there (as well as some rubbish in the last room) and I got some new inspiration for my latest painting 'Dear Reginald Owen'. Instead of working up the Hollywoodland section in pale sepia tones (inspired by the photos of the 1930's) I am going to experiment with painting the first layer in very dark browns (I am still keeping with sepia at the moment) and then moving onto light , more transparent colours for the subsequent overlays. I am going to try burning oranges and cold blues for these two, though it might be a terrible idea, but one can only experiment. Whatever happens, my aim is to have started on the actual canvases by the time Ted Coney's Family Portraits reopens in April.

Popping - Up All Over The Place

This week I received my copy of the new Ely guide, where I am advertising
Ted Coney's Family Portraits for the first time. In it, I revealed my new strapline 'Ely's first pop-up gallery'. I also rang Paul from Honest Ideas to ask him to change my strapline on the posters and flyers before getting them reprinted ready for the opening. Sadly, the Good News Press who did the origional printing has gone out of business, so I need to find someone else. I will also contact Chris at The Internet Marketing Company to change the news item on my web-site to ' Reopening of Ely's first Pop-Up gallery is Sunday is 17th April. Book now'. The W. I. will also get the pop-up treatment as I have got an ad in their handbook as well.

The Morris at 8o

I am relieved to report that the Morris Minor passed it's MOT with only a front headlight bulb (which luckily I had) needed. Ofcourse, the brakes needed tightening and the exhaust pipe needed welding but at least I didn't have to hunt around for any spare parts this year. Just as well because the Morris will be 80 in July and I want to use it, to maximise on publicity for
Ted Coney's Family Portraits (especially as I am using it in one of my paintings - see my last blog) - and hopefully make some mony for charity as well. It's first outing will be on Eel Day at the Jubilee Gardens fair. I then hope to do my usual Rides Around the Quad for £1 for charity (which I did on it's 60th and 70th birthdays) Only this time, I am hoping I will be allowed to take people for rides around the Maltings roundabout at Aquafest .

It's Simultanaity!

In the last two weeks I've really tried to make some of the decisions about my latest painting 'Dear Reginald Owen'. I've decided it will be made up of six small canvases (I've even bought them, so no going back) with the images going across all of them in a continuous sweep. I had thought I would start with Hollywoodland houses at one end , gradually changing into our house in Great Shelford and the houses we looked at in Bury St Edmunds and finishing with Ely. Over that I intended to lay an image of the inside of my Morris Minor (which is a time machine moving from 1930's Hollywood to the present day). However, an idea stuck me at 6am this morning that may push my idea of simultanaity even more. I have decided to lay three layers of happenings over each other (Hollywoodland, our house-hunting and the Morris Minor) to show that these events are happening at the same time. I actually discovered the Hollywoodland material (which I believe, belonged to a cousin of my mother's who was trying to get into films in the 1930's) while we were house-hunting a few years ago. And the Morris Minor? Well if it's a time machine it can be in several places at once, can't it?

In The Frame

I spent a useful day getting things ready for the reopening of Ted Coney's Family Portraits on Monday.OK, it dosn't open until April, but there is still alot to do. I felt I really solved a few problems with my current painting (the subject of another blog next week) and made a few decisions about the size and number of canvases I would need.
I managed to drive the Morris Minor (third time lucky!) to the garage for it's MOT, service and bits done to the bodywork. I also started to select the family photos to be framed and fill up the last remaining wall of the hallway. I decided to have a long thin frame made for the pictures of the hellium balloon farewell to Peggy after her funeral by her grandchildren and great grandchildren. Our Sheringham yaught experience (only model boats!) will also be repesented with a nice photo of all the family about to start another exciting race. Oh, and without being to morbid, I am framing a photo of all 30 members of the family casting Peggy's ashes off Sheringham beach (after which we went for a jolly good meal).

Saving Cousin Billy

As you enter Ted Coney's Family Portraits you are met by over a 100 family photographs. I had noticed that a large one of Cousin Billy seemed to be turning from sepia (it must be a 100 years old) to bright yellow. A few days later, it had green mould on it and then there was a violent explosion of black mist! I took it off the wall and discovered black mould behind. This is on a wall which has a shower cubicle on the other side. Although it does not appear to be leaking there must be condensation or damp getting through. Luckily, Cousin Billy's face has not yet been affected (it is a full lenghth portrait) otherwise it would be a total distaster. Plumbers have been called and hopefully Johnathan will do what he can to save the rest of the photograph. Cousin Billy died young, so maybe there is an idea in there somewhere for a painting?