Jigsaw - 57

Here is a view of the whole piece..it's developing well along the lines I wanted...Today as yesterday, I've worked on the tree, constantly thickening the branches as I discover they're too thin for the length I've chosen.

Yesterday Devil Mood asked if I listen to music when I work. Well, it depends...I, do work best when I listen to music and (this might sound odd) but i like to listen to music that's upbeat and exciting..I personally prefer prog rock (or Dad Rock as some of you know it by!) from the likes of early Genesis, Yes,Pink Floyd etc..When i work I concentrate and sometimes I am so still and relaxed, I can fall asleep very easily if I let myself. (This is not recommended as my inks are not water proof and you know what happens when you fall asleep unexpectedly...you dribble and drool all over the place...)..and this music lifts me...excites me and helps my imagination.

Jigsaw - 56

Work continues on the tree, I've been here before, so it's a matter of whacking on a Pink Floyd CD and do some dot crunching.I'm really looking forward to finishing the trees so I can start work on the sky...it's going to be intense and will more than likely take far longer than I estimate, but if I want it to look like I imagine, then so be it!

Jigsaw - 55

Now I've started work on the tree, I can almost get a sense of the final appearance of the whole picture. Don't get me wrong, I have a vision for the final ...but as you probably know by now, I am apt to change things as I go along...so things can still alter!

Jigsaw - 54

My thanks to my trusty helper, Oskur...what would I do without you? Actually I shouldn't give him too much encouragement because he has ideas that one day he'll have his very own blog and dominate the world etc....

So ti's a case of getting back into the routine of work and pressing on with Jigsaw.Today I have started work on the opposite side to the tree...and guess what...there's going to be another tree! I first need to get the glow from the candle looking right...

Did I tell you that I have now spent more hours on this picture than any other I have done?...Today saw me reach 211 hours...I'm estimating a finish time of somewhere during September!

Itz mee...Oskur!

Ello frenz..itz mee agen...Ey yam Oskur Dur Wyld Munkee,Ey av beyn luking aftur dur mastur. E az juzt finyshud a exybishon ov iz pikchurs.Ee iz verry tyerud an needz a rezt. So Ey wyl rite dispowst toodey.

Ey av beyn wunderyng wot to rite abowt..ey downt av a byg breyn lyk dur mastur, butt ey kan av sum gud eydeers sumtyms...lyk wen ey fort ov ow dur moth iz a stoopid kreechur...ee lyks tu fynd ur byg lyt...butt iv ee kaym owt in dur dey tym..ee wud av dur sun wych is dur byggist lyt der iz!...insted ee cums owt at nyt wen der iz no liyt...stoopid oar wot!?

ey am nouw gowiyng tu mayk shor dur mastur iz cumfortaybul sew ee iz reddy tu doo moor drawyng too morow. Gud biy fanz..seey yu agyn soun!

luv und barnarners

Oskur

xxx

End of the exhibition

People often assume that I will be on a high after an exhibition...and especially in this case a successful one. I can assure you...I don't enjoy it at all. It's a sudden reversal of being...where I've become used to a continual stream of people asking me questions and giving complements..taking me seriously as an artist....to hearing instead the voice of reality which is my daughter ...my boys...a trip to the supermarket...cleaning the grill pan on the cooker..(which I did! ) and the unending question: what next?

Part of the process is to rehang all my pictures...yes they actually live on my walls at home. I don't like this either...I guess it's a case of familiarity breeding contempt as I'm so familiar with all of them, I don't think of them as being anything special.

My thoughts are as always at this end of an exhibition...heightened creatively...I have a large amount of ideas for new work....I have a real sense of what people think of my work and I want to channel my ideas and see them come to fruition.....the trouble is , I want to sprint when my work is a marathon!

Jigsaw - 53.Cromford exhibition - day six

The next part in the process is to selectively darken some of the branches and add yellow ochre to others , this will have the effect of bringing some branches forward....I hope!



Today was the last full day at Cromford...I sold a print and Philippa sold a Stained Glass panel..also a request to re-lead a customers front door window panel. I personally have had a great week selling more than the previous three years. I know I often mention that I've had 'really good conversations' but I can honestly say that the right words at the right time are more valuable than any financial return...yes honestly!!...I 100% rely upon the inspirations and concepts of ideas and feelings...for me the stuff of dreams and wonder are only ignited by time..toughts...words and feelings....and these are more often than not, the result of what someone says to me. YOU are the reason it works...and to YOU I give thanks!

So the next time you wonder if you should say something...say it!

Jigsaw - 52.Cromford exhibition - day five

The tree is beginning to look like a coral fan you sometimes see ...erm...in the sea. But things will change when I start to put the sky in! I spent around 5 hours dotting away today and for the first time ever, I have passed the 200 hour mark!!

Day five at the exhibition saw me again having some wonderful conversation and selling more prints !! I am continually surprised by how many people ask me what software programme I use to create my images...and it gives me a good sense of satisfaction as I explain and demonstrate how they are actually done and see the look on their faces!

Jigsaw - 51.Cromford exhibition - day four

First of all, I'd like to welcome any new visitors here! I know I spoke to lots of kind interested folk today. If you've already read the previous post, then I can assure you that today was almost an opposite experience...I felt fit and well and as well as meeting so many new friends, I sold a good number of prints...

As I sat dotting away, many people seemed surprised that I should chose to take up such a laborious process...and not only that, but one which caused me to lead such a solitary existence.I explain that I generally love my work and usually find great satisfaction from conceiving,planing starting and finishing something intricate which takes so long.Not being a runner, I would hazard a guess that there is something of the marathon runner mind in what I do...

something that also became apparent in being at my exhibition was that when I am at home, I known as 'Dad'..'Annie's Dad'...Mr.young...Niall young....Janets's husband.....as a couple we're always referred to as 'Janet and niall'...But at my exhibition...I am non of these...I am 'the artist called Niall Young'...I like that!

Jigsaw - 50.Cromford exhibition - day three

Not a huge amount completed today...this was because I woke up with a pain in my neck...I took painkillers but it didn't go...it spread to my head and thus spent the day residing within the spacious cavern that is my skull! I found it almost unbearable to concentrate and bending my head forward to work created pain....talk about suffering for one's art!...Visitor numbers were expectedly down on the weekend's offering, but I did manage to sell three prints thus covering my costs! We were also visited by photographers from the Derby evening Telegraph. Philippa's work photographs well and Philippa herself adds glamour to the event...I also enjoyed posing with a magnifying glass with which the photographer lined up a shot which showed me working on Jigsaw, with the magnifying glass showing a closeup of my pen poised above the image.

I'm afraid physically my day declined after that as the pain increased. As I drove home later it took a supreme act of will to avoid throwing up...I therefore decided this was a 'migraine' or possibly the beginning of Swine Flu...thankfully more painkillers and a lie down at home extinguished the headache.....so I still have Swine flu to look forward to!

PS...the sun shone for most of the day...no rain!

Jigsaw - 49 - Cromford Exhibition day two.

Sunday is usually the busiest day at the gallery with coach parties, families and groups out for the day. Despite the heavy showers, we welcomed around 140 visitors to the gallery today. I had some lovely conversations including one with a lady who after watching me work on 'Jigsaw' asked how I managed to get the photograph of myself onto the page. I explained that I had drawn it, but she refused to accept that it was the work of my hand....and continued to ask how the photo was applied to the page...Eventually I managed to convince her that such accuracy was possible...but I'm still not sure she understood.

I'm not sure I understand myself sometimes..I often find myself telling people that do what I do out of some deep necessity...that I would die if I didn't. Perhaps I'm fooling myself, maybe I'm just too idle to do anything else. but I will tell you this...when I sit in front of my drawing board, pen in hand...all the stars lie before me...all creatures on the earth and in the depths sing in joyous announcement that there is beauty and wonderment to behold. Life is precious dear reader beyond all that we possess...and oh how we waste it with such abandonment each day...is a sad crime. Let us love and live and be who we are now before it's too late! So here's a photo of who I am ...see you tomorrow.

Jigsaw - 48 - Cromford Exhibition day one.

Yes, you've guessed it,I'm back on the exhibition lark. This time it's my fourth year at the Cromford Mill in Derbyshire. This year a different room has been prepared for the gallery with a new hanging system (see yesterday)...metal clips are positioned on plastic wires..the pictures hang from these. It's not perfect as the pictures hang with a gap behind them...I've used lots of 'Blutack'

You can see here the rather haphazard way the pictures hang with this system here....

I'm sharing the gallery with Philippa Holland who is a Stained Glass artist. We live only 100 yards apart and our daughters are in the same class at school.Philippa's speciality is as you can see here, the light box...we keep the gallery lights off in this section so the light can be seen in the boxes.

Below you can see 'Jigsaw' which I will be working on during the week for visitors to see and talk to0 me about the technique. I'm hoping that the week will be successful as I've for the first time, put a number of my originals for sale. They won't sell, but then again, you never know!

Friday...

Today I have been wrestling with this little fella...in fact, I've been wrestling with a number of these little fellas!...Do you know what it is?.....I'll tell you in the next post..in the meantime...there are one million imaginary gold coins to anyone who guesses.

Jigsaw - 47

I spent time working on the commissioned theatre poster today ( will post development on this project when I have finished it!). I dedicated the rest of the time to the seagull, Boscastle.He's nearly finished now and blends in much better.

Jigsaw - 46

I've now installed the train which is similar to one of the 'Mini Pix' trains I produced a year ago.. and I've added a few branches too. I've yet to add in any sky...this will have to wait . I'm actually quite enjoying working on jigsaw...I don't feel under any pressure to finish it...I'm not tired of it...yet...although this is subject to change !

Jigsaw - 45

Working OK today ...have produced rough sketches for the theatre poster I mentioned yesterday (I'll let you see what they are at a later date) and managed to work here on the tree and railway viaduct. I've also had a few ideas about what I might work on when Jigsaw is finished.

Jigsaw - 44

Spent five hours working on the grass and the first colour of the tree today.I've also realised that I held off completing the tail of 'Boscastle' until I had the background to contrast it with, so now I will make plans to finish the tail. I also have a new commission in for a theatrical poster which needs to reach the stage where a series of good working ideas are ready for the client by Thursday, so I have set aside time tomorrow for this.

Jigsaw - 43

The initial sketch work for the tree was quite angular...I want the tree to be more contorted...so I've laid basic shapes for the main trunk and branches with more curves, twists and turns. I shall develop the finer branches and twigs as I get to them.

If you look closely, you can also see the train on it's viaduct.

Jigsaw - 42

you'd think that over the past eight weeks I'd have some idea about how I'm going to proceed with the background wouldn't you?...Well I do, but sometimes I have to be sure. Here I'm letting you into one of the secrets of my work. i like to print out a series of images so that I can try any number of different scenarios. As I wrote in the early stages of this work, the nebula is an important symbol for the overall concept, so that was decided a long time ago...I also love trains traversing the horizon, preferably on a viaduct and I love trees. The only thing to do is decide on a colour scheme and where to place this elements and leave room for other things to be added as when they occur.

Jigsaw - 41

Ok...so phase one of the work is now almost complete.Next I will set about the background.

Jigsaw - 40

Worked well today completing the candle holder and surrounding area..I've also begun work on the candle itself. Candles feature quite prominently in my work, I love the soft light they create, and they also symbolise other things.

Jigsaw - 39

It's been a frustrating day work wise.I got to a stage where I was preparing to work on the candle holder. For this I needed to set up a candle and holder a take a couple of photos..however, I had to wait for the dining room to become available, then when i set up the shoot, the camera battery ran out .Then when I used the camera's software programme I had an 'Update available' message...I downloaded it and found it made the programme inoperative!

Thankfully, all is right now...and I have the shots I need. I wanted a guide to the shadow sunder the candle holder.the above photo shows me strengthening the base colour of the table.

Jigsaw - 38

Having sketched in the candle holder, I now need to place the base colours of the table around it...I will then work on darkening the table an I will introduce shadows around the feet of the candle holder.

Jigsaw - 37

Jigsaw - 36

Jigsaw pieces fit together to reveal an image..and a key that opens my door....today I've added another 'key'....a 'vital' component to this picture and to understanding me!