On The Edge 2

I've been giving the talk about my work, entitled 'On The Edge' for about twelve years now, to all sorts of people and in a mixture of venues. I think my most impressive was the Whitworth Art Gallery in Manchester.
I thought it was about time I put together a new one.
I have devised a talk around three recent paintings which I can carry to the venue, instead of relying on technology to show images and film.
I also plan to take some of the objects which inspired the paintings, such as the five suitcases  for 'Forget-Me- Nots'
You can see details of both talks on the ART LECTURES page on my website.

In Preparation

I'm now working on eight, small preliminary canvases, as I develop my ideas for the latest painting 'Who Stole The Toothpaste?'.
One of my dilemmas was to decide whether I should paint Toad's skin to  look like green crumpled banknotes or collage the real thing.
Having stored up a few old £5  notes and tried both ideas I think I've decided on the latter.
I like the idea that it looks like real skin from a distance and then discover something very different when you get up close.
As I want Toad  to symbolise greed in the painting I think the collage idea will send out a stronger message. I'm painting over the notes though, with washes of translucent green, so I hope the end result will be quite subtle.  

Proverbial Bus

I've just spent  some time trying to obtain a circular canvas and now, like the proverbial bus, two come along at once.
 I last used this shape about forty years ago and I contacted Jonathan ( who got me the last one ) to see if I could buy another, to use for my next painting, 'Who Stole The Toothpaste?'.
He informed me that the craftsman who made them was long gone and to commission someone else would cost hundreds.
With a bit of searching on the Internet and encouragement to my local art shop, they ordered  one for under £30!
The only proviso was, you had to have two. This was fine by me as my next but one painting  is called 'The Wasp And The Ring', so will also fit very nicely into  a circle.
 

Just Like The Movies

I was driving along in my 1931 Morris Minor with Max as a passenger, when we heard that a gunman was loose in the local school.
 Knowing that the Morris is made of very thick metal (I didn't think about the windscreen) we drove straight into the building in search of him. Although he fired shots at us I managed to knock him to the ground with the Morris's wheels.
Ofcourse it was just a dream I had recently, but something strange really happen with the Morris, several years ago.
To publicise Ted Coney's Family Portraits at a business event in Ely Cathedral, I was allowed to drive  the Morris down the centre aisle,  to take it's place among the exhibits. (the Morris appears in several of my paintings so very much part of my show))
  Embarrassingly, a few days later, the car wouldn't start and had to be pushed out on two wheels
(think 'The Italian Job') through the front door.
You can see photos of the Morris in the Cathedral on my Facebook page. Click on F on any page of the website.

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