Cello - 16 Dem bones..

I've worked on the skeleton and it looks a little better now.Who is he?..why is she holding onto him so?..why does she appear distracted? Perhaps you have an explanation for me..I always invite readers to come up with their own stories for my pictures...and as some of you already know..your suggestions and ideas have a direct affect on my work and in some cases (Ball Of Wool, Spirit ) inspire complete pictures.

So weather you're here for the first time, or you're a long time friend, please keep those comments coming,and who knows...you could be responsible for the next piece!?..If you ever do inspire me to create a whole picture..i'll endevour to send you a signed print by way of thanks.

Cello - 15

Here you can see the way I want the skeleton to hang in limp surrender to his imperious mistress. I've left the lower portions of the girl's unfinished thus far because i can't decide if i want them to wear anything..( these life changing decisions are all part of the 'on the edge' life of an artist you know!)..I've also got to readjust the proportions of the skeleton's pelvis and hips...I also think his femurs will trail back as opposed to their current vertical angle..

Cello - 14

Not much to show you today..just a few subtle additions. I'm playing with the idea of having the skull with it's body attached ( you might be able to see some faint scratchings where I've mused over the idea) he would be kneeling or rather dangling by his head infront of the girl.

Cello - 13

thank you for your kind messages regarding my brother Tim. He's now back home after a suspected Pulmonary embolism..a scan showed no large blockages, but possible small ones which will be absorbed over time.

Keeping to my determination to press on with 'Cello Girl' as well as the commission work, here is today's (or rather this evening's) progress.I really enjoyed adding the skull.

Cello - 12

Sorry for the infrequent posting..I've been working hard on the commission. however, I'm going to make a concerted effort to put more time in here as more and more ideas come to me as what direction I'm going in.Having such little time to put in here, I'm finding that I'm deliberating over the tiniest detail which in some ways is bad for you the reader as progress is slow...but on the other hand, an intensity of detail and texture will emerge.

For those of you who read my brothers poetry blog 'Forever England', he is currently in hospital having been rushed in with chest pains yesterday. He's had a scan this morning , the results of which I'm waiting to hear later.I'll let you know how he is next time!

Cello - 11

I quite like the way the second face has turned out.I don't copy my faces from other photos, but rely on repeated sketches and reworking when on the paper, that's what accounts for the similarity between the characters..they're related in that way...both the characters here have differing thoughts going through hair minds ..I don't know what they are, but that adds to the mystery of the scene.

It's slow going on this one as i mentioned before..as I'm also working on the other piece which i can't show you yet.In many ways , I'm in a similar position to how I was before I left my social work job. I can complete a large drawing these day sometimes in four weeks...but the same size as this picture would take around nine months to complete when I was in my previous job.

Dancing for beginners

Friday...for many it's the start of the weekend...'Le Weekend'...it's time to take stock of what has gone before....Monday to Friday...nine to five...the 'daily grind'...it's time to cut lose and meet up with friends..drink a glass or two...consider yourself part of something else other than 'The Rat Race'...to shake free from the shackles of day to day ....

This is of course not so true for those who work in shifts..for the nursing and care workers..for those who work through out the night...for those who keep the fabric of society running and safe..for Parents ..those who mourn..those who await news from abroad of sons missing in action...

The rhythm of life runs through out all and in all...we take make our steps...we get it wrong...we try again..we join with others...we learn to dance...we are always beginners, because the dance always changes. But we are not alone no matter how alone we feel...for there is nothing new under the sun...and under the sun we are...upon this ball of rock hurtling through the firmament...alone and yet not alone...may I have this dance?

Cello - 10 Murder in mind.

I've not posted for a couple of days..nothing to worry about, I've been mainly working on my current commission which i hope to be able to show you once finished.As you can see, I've introduced another figure into the world of the Cello Girl..(yes, she is holding a skull!)...there'll be one more later.

I've also been doing more role play. For those of you who don't know about this line of work, I'll explain. My wife Jan is the midlands contact person for a company called 'Professional Role Players' Based in London they employ actors to provide role playing for various clients.Usually organisations that have professional contact with the public e.g:..Psychiatric services, social services, emergency services etc..It gives an opportunity to train in specific scenarios dealing with the public in difficult situations...This week I was role playing for The Royal College Of Psychiatrists. To become registered with them, a psychiatrist has to pass a series of exams..part of which is to be presented with a series of scenarios in which the candidate has ten minutes to reach an appropriate diagnosis and treatment plan.They are usually faced with twelve scenarios one after the other...each scenario is in an enclosed 'station' within which is the role player and an examiner/assessor.To be able to run the examinations for real, a trial or pilot session is arranged as a mock. The purpose being to test run the scenarios and 'tweak' the way they are written if needed.

It's tough for the candidate as progression around the twelve stations takes approximately two hours.On Monday I played the husband of a woman who'd had a series of extramarital affairs..she was currently seeing her gym instructor.(If I was married to me..I'd be seeing a gym instructor too!). Basically I was suffering depression and anxiety at work as I found my job becoming difficult and on the verge of redundancy. I was not allowed to mention my wife's affairs of my worries concerning home life unless the candidate asked me..because as far as I was concerned, I just wanted something to help me cope at work(which 50% of the candidates failed to do). The candidate then went on to the next station where they met my wife who proceeded to tell them that I had tried to suffocate her on one occasion for a previous affair..had been violent and abusive..and was now carrying a knife and was on my way to kill the gym instructor!..the successful candidate would piece all this together and call the police to detain me...

It was great fun being part of this, and with the added bonus of being well fed and paid. But it's back to the day job afterwards. Tomorrow I was booked to role play for the Benefits Assessment Services..however I had a call today to say I was not needed. Because of the late nature of the cancellation, I will still get paid however!...and I can now spend more time on my artwork.

Cello - 9

Cello - 8

King for a Day

I've been working hard on my commission today, soi I haven't anything that i'm allowed to show you. So here's a video of a group I had a lot of respect for back in the 1980's.The Thompson Twins were named after the famous characters in Herge's 'Adventures Of Tin Tin'..evolving out of a music co operative living in a squat in London, they quickly became known for catchy pop tunes and ascerbic wit...I chose this song because I wanted to ask you..what one thing would you do/change if you were King For A Day?

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Cello - 7

I'm finding working on two pictures difficult..when 'm working on this one, I'm thinking of the other one and vice verse.Still, I've arrived at a sort of compromise...I work on the colour picture during the day light hours, and this one at night. I've had problems with Cello Girl's left hand, which was originally positioned over the neck of the cello, but my drawing was not good and this meant that once dotted it looked clumsy and out of place...so for all those who ask "What happens if you make a mistake?"...this is what I do...I get my rubber (eraser) and remove the ink..you can see the scuffed paper where I did this..so I'm working on some sketches of hands to get it right..I may position the hand higher or lower on the neck and cover the scuffed area in background.

Cello - 6 Happy Bithday Bob , 100 years old!

Yes, back in 1909, Parisian hairdresser Antoine, created the first 'Bob cut'...worn as a popular style especially in the 1920's, the style came to be a sign of a 'liberated woman'. As popular today as ever, the Bob cut has many variations and lengths. I love the bob cut hairstyle....so happy birthday Bob!

I've been out doing role play again today, back at Nottingham University, but i've got two straight days to give to my work now......see you tomorrow.

Cello - 5

I've been working on my other project today, but was able to add the head of the cello in this evening. I've decided on this time to use the other side of the water colour paper...( the side you use if you're actually using watercolour paints)..I usually use the other side which is smoother. I quite like this texture.

Cello - 4

More reworking of the mouth and eyes has given 'Cello girl' a better countenance...the highlights on her hair need attention next and her nose needs tidying up a bit...but I'm happy with things so far. Today I've also been working on a commission which has lessened working time on this project.

If you think back to last year, you might remember that two of my pictures were chosen to exhibit at 'The View From Above' gallery in Nottingham...the exhibition was to introduce new talent to a wider audience. six artists would be selected from the show to exhibit this year. A big thank you to all those who responded and made comments to the gallery's blog, but I was not selected this time. I will try again later this year.

Cello - 3

Cello - 2 Restart

OK...Cello girl didn't like being brought out for public scrutiny and somehow behaved badly on the page causing me to abandon her...here is the the second version which has a more characteristic face which you'll see in many of my pictures down the years.This time i feel more comfortable with the progress and hope i can now proceed without any further problems.....I wish!

Cello - 1

All my women tend to have a slightly startled look (in my pictures, not real life!)..I suppose it's almost as if I'm the voyeur and I've only just been noticed. I've probably mentioned this countless times before, but the 'Cello Girl' has existed in sketch form nestled safely within the pages of my notebooks for years..she has tried on numerous occasions to get out. The most recent being for my picture 'Orbits', she didn't have enough room in the end to do her justice. so here she is.. during the production of this work, I will also be working on a commission...the client has asked me not to publish 'in progress' reports on this blog,so I'm afraid you'll have to wait till it's finished, so this might mean progress on this work will at times be sporadic.

Return of the muse.

I stood at the Pharmacy department in our Sainsbury's supermarket and croaked my way through a set of symptoms..."I can't sleep because I keep coughing when I lie down..but i don't want anything that will make me drowsy..." the assistant to the Pharmacist: " He says he wants to sleep but he doesn't want anything drowsy" Me:.." i don't mind feeling drowsy, but I don't want to feel like that all day long..can't I have something non drowsy during the day and then a drowsy one at night?"...Pharmacist: "No, you have to take just one type...you can't mix them" Me to assistant..."I'd have the drowsy one, but I'm afraid I'd enjoy it too much...I'd become a regular customer......say, haven't you got any of them herbal tablets...like Nytol or Kalms?...would they be any good?...which one do you recommend?"...I am directed to the shelf containing the particular tablets...she suggested one (the most expensive one of course...what does she take me for..a sucker ?....she's right!..I buy the expensive ones....well, they'll work so much better than a cheaper product....won't they?) I troop out of the Supermarket clutching my little paper bag containing my drugs and a copy of The Times.

This evening,drugged up...and happily warm..I sit and contemplate where my new picture is going..this is good...can it get any better?....Yes it can!...Derby County beat Manchester United in the Semi Final (first leg) of The Carling Cup!......Ronaldo who?

the photos shgow in the first example,a tracing of the sketches I've been working on..I like to work on tracing paper also as a primary drawing surface...one I'm satisfied with the drawing, I do a transfere to the paper which you can see in the second photo...

Brick dust, bronchioles and better things.

Isn't it easy to get out of the usual routine isn't it.. but things don't yet seem to want to return to 'normal' whatever that is. To start with I'm still sick..I've had this blessed viral chest infection for a week now and it's depriving me of sleep and wrecking my day with bouts of coughing...also as you can see in the picture above, we're in the process of having a new central heating boiler installed, brick dust everywhere!...this wouldn't be so bad, but yesterday and today have seen plummeting temperatures down to around minus 6 degrees, and so we're without heating for three days on the coldest days for years...

When viewed against the back drop of suffering throughout the world, I have nothing to complain about!

But on to better things...I'm now working again after a lay off greater than any I've had during my professional time as an Artist. I'm sure some of you will be puzzled about my lack of posting especially since for the last however many months, I've churned out day after day the results of my work. I think it's entirely natural and positive to find one's inspiration dry up....it causes one to take stock..recuperate and then actually recognise when a good idea actually comes along. I'm hoping that my next piece will be just that..'A good Idea'...I've decided to put my last piece 'enigma' on ice for the time being...I just ran out of feeling for yet another picture of myself. So I hope you'll allow me to follow my muse and let it happen.

We'll have our heating back tomorrow, so my fingers will once again feel warm....

Hoppy New Year !

I thought you'd like to see me as I set out for our annual gathering of friends to celebrate the New Year...in this country it is customary to wish people "White Rabbits" on the first of the month..to do so brings good fortune. However this only came to mind after I'd chosen to be a giant white rabbit.......and what's more...I was the ONLY one at the party in fancy dress!...still, at least I had a big carrot!