Canvas

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Value pack. When you are creating art it’s good to use quality paints but I don’t spend too much on canvas. I’m not being mean, the stretched canvases are serviceable. It’s just that I’m not made of money but I want to paint.

Plans for future pictures:

Green men and women,

Winter men and women (images within trees)

Astronomical objects from moons and planets to novae and Galaxies.

Animal and human portraits, perhaps integrated with nature.

Architecture.

As you can see I’m planning to use a lot of canvas…..

Final day of solo show

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My final solo show day at the waiting room gallery is tomorrow, 22nd September 2019. Its open from 12noon to I think 5pm.

Im hoping people that couldn’t get to the opening will come along tomorrow.

It’s near Longport Station (which is being restored) and is a great new artist led gallery. I’m hoping to sort out some prints with them so they will have artwork for sale with them after the show has ended.

So that’s The Waiting Room Gallery, Longport, ST6 4ND. Maybe see you there. x

Dust Rising 19

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Dust rising (or Dust 19) is a group show by artists being held at Spode alongside the British ceramic biennial which is currently on till mid October.

This is me with one of the plates that have been created out of transfer prints. (if you look over my left shoulder the green patterns on the window are where the image comes from).

It’s amazing what’s going on here. We might be a bit down in the dumps but Stoke-on-Trent is so full of creativity. There is still a full time Fine Art course at Staffordshire University which is quite unusual in the current economic climate.

Stoke-on-Trent is situated in the middle of beautiful countryside. You can’t complain if you want places to visit.

So I guess what I’m saying is come visit!

Old portrait

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This portrait of a friends three children must be twenty years old or more. All I have as an image is an old photocopy of a photo of it….which is why it’s blurred..

The three children were having breakfast when the photo was taken. There was strong sunlight shining into the room. The main colour was pale pink but the pin board behind them and the deep shadows made a good contrast.

I’d like to share a photo of my painting but I haven’t seen it for years. I used to do a lot more portrait painting but I guess now selfies are the fashionable thing they are less likely to be commissioned.

If you would like a portrait don’t hesitate to contact me.

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Learning to draw…

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Someone was asking for ti’s on how to start drawing today so I gave this response.

Choose good quality things to draw with. If you use pencils try softer ‘b’ numbers not hard ‘h’ ones. It’s nice to see the marks you make. Also choosing a combination of thin and thick nibbed black pens means you can have different sizes of marks. Choose a sketchbook that has at least a hard back if you can. Not too big. That way it’s easier to hold and it doesn’t slump mid drawing. Finally you could practice making marks with them. I started drawing copies of things when I was a child. I chose something I liked. It helps your hand eye coordination. You don’t have to do that though. Everyone will do things differently.

I suppose I could have talked more about what to draw, but I think basic equipment is important. If you draw something but it looks weedy and thin it it can put you off. Like when you use cheap paints. You don’t get a good effect, you can’t really see the result and you might have to scrub at the paper to get the marks to show up.

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Sculptures

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There are various sculptures in Trentham gardens. Each time I visit there seem to be more.

From fairies to birds, animals, plants.

The original sculpture in the gardens is Persius and Medusa. A gory sculpture of Persius holding the gorgons head. The body of Medusa is draped over the column he stands on.

Later additions are several wire fairies holding dandelion heads, the seeds are floating into the air. Then there are snails sculpted onto plant leaves and a hare twisting round to look out of tall grasses. The latest ones I’ve seen are a huge kingfisher sculpture and a tree trunk that has been carved into the shape of a frog. I got lots of ideas of things to add to our garden from this visit.

Old painting, maiden castle

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Painted several years ago, my painting of Maiden Castle Hill Fort imagined a woman dancing in the landscape, and also her bones as if they were found in the land.

The idea was inspired by visiting Maiden Castle in the 1990s,thinking about it being a hill Fort and part of the Celtic world.

It is located in Dorset near Dorchester. If I remember correctly it is reached by a small road, then you walk up through the ditches and mounds that lead up to the top of the hill Fort.

I think I got the idea from watching archaeology programmes on TV. I imagined the woman being aware of the changing seasons and how time passes. The little skull below her is a rabbit skull we found on a walk.

It’s a bit weird, but I wanted to include a figure in the dramatic landscape.

Today at the BCB

Too much to see! There were many interesting and beautiful pieces at the BCB (British Ceramic Biennial) being held in Spode over the next four weeks, ending I think on 14 October. The BCB sees the China Halls at Kingsway Stoke taken over and turned into a massive gallery to showcase ceramics, with hands on experiences making solid flat back figures and more abstract work.

There is also access from the Eleanora Street entrance of Spode. Useful to know if the car park in front of the building is full.

It’s great to see this asset being used and bringing much needed visitors into Stoke Town centre.

No doubt I will post more photos later…