Spoonful - 10

Began work on the second Cello girl today...added more back ground too. shadows to the nurses hand and  spoon need further attention. I know I've been negative recently..I'm feeling a bit lost to be honest. but I still have the need and the urge ( they're the same surely?) to create..and I'd really like to see this one out...so I can start the next one!

Looking back - looking forward.

I hope by now, you've had an enjoyable Christmas....if indeed you even celebrate it where you live. It's funny, but as a child I thought the whole world stopped for Christmas...but I guess somewhere there lives a counterpart me who believes the whole world stops for Eid, or Diwali...I'm digressing....I'm supposing that you have approached the end of this year with a modicum of satisfaction and anticipation for what is to come in 2012.
In time honoured tradition I'm looking back over my year...Last January I was still reeling from the death of my close friend Geoff...Geoff had been a good and encouraging friend who felt strongly that I should use my art to earn money whilst developing  my style and skill. We were in discussions about an exciting project when his illness took hold ...I will never know what might have been. Around the same time I had also found an opportunity to create the cover for a novel which  was thought would become a best seller. I created the artwork and was told it was perfect. However upon publication, I discovered my artwork had been dropped..I'd not had any notification of this, so I felt very upset...and you guessed it, the book went on to become a bestseller!To this day I have no idea why my work was deemed unsuitable.
I knew that to continue I needed to find some encouragement, but I found none. I've continued to produce artwork which moves from my drawing table straight to storage besides the wardrobe never to be seen again. From my many previous exhibitions, I leaned that what people wanted was my black and white surreal erotic work...not the pretty trees and landscapes which to be honest you can get anywhere. But to begin again to have my work reproduced for the print market is prohibitive to the point of silliness.
The burden of financial problems is alleviated by the fact that Jan's work is progressively more involved , and requires frequent overseas trips...it pays the bills though. My time is however not waisted as I see it as my duty to enable her to do this. But this detracts from the work I do.
To this end. and the unavailability of  the work people want. I've cancelled all exhibitions and given up seeking bookings for any more...I have nothing to sell that people want and it's too complicated and expensive to get what I do have, photographed and printed.
I feel very heavy of heart creatively because I have no shortage of ideas...I do however lack to freedom to produce work which will sell...I cannot dedicate my time to exhibiting.
Perhaps one day it will change...perhaps by this time next year I'll have a better outlook...perhaps.
I shall continue to work...I shall continue to run..( I'm hoping to reach half marathon standard this year).I shall coninue...
May I take this opportunity to wish you and yours a very peaceful and very very hopeful New Year!

Spoonful - 10

Having given up on the exhibition scene, I am lacking the contact with the public who are actually instrumental in inspiration and solidifying my resolve to produce the kind of work i enjoy. Therefore I'm finding it difficult to feel confident in what I do...my motivation is lacking and it's rare that I am able to actually achieve the 5 - 6 hours a day I aim to work for. Never the less...I still have my vision for this piece, and I'm ready to move onto the next stage. Today I was content to lay down a little of the back ground shades, which are light and even, leaving potential for additional clouds and birds as I see fit. There will also be stars and planets in the sky!

The next big factor is to add in the other four cello girls who will be standing in the line! 

Spoonful - 9

An artist is always alone - if he is an artist. No, what the artist needs is loneliness.
Henry Miller

Read more: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/topics/topic_art.html#ixzz1gkLry6n3

Spoonful - 8

you're very patient...but it's something you have to get used to...my sporadic posting is symptomatic of  my current low point concerning motivation ...I'm sorry, but at least today I was back in the groove..it's not a matter of not knowing what I'm doing...I know where this piece is going and what comes next...I hope you'll continue to keep up to date with my posts and let me know what you think.

Spoonful - 7

I had an interesting experience today. We were out doing the weekly shop in a large Sainsbury's supermarket ...the checkouts were packed and the shop was very busy when the fire alarm went off...staff ushered everyone ( there must have been 100 plus) out into the car park where we waited. It was odd looking into the shop seeing everything abandoned as if everyone had just walked out..which ermm...they had. We were all allowed back in soon after as it had been a false alarm...thankfully. you know, I even heard a few complaining along the lines of " all that for it only to be a false alarm!"...I just smiled and thought, if had been a real fire, we'd not have been allowed to finish our shopping...some people eh?

Spoonful - 6

Don't have a coronary..yes...it's me again...that's right...two days on the run...and speaking of running, I've now run my second run this week after my mammoth November run which totalled 111.58 miles. I'm going to take it easy over December ...!

Today's work centred around the little boy....I made a few small alterations to his face too...so I'm happy with the way it's now developing....I think you're going to have fun working out what it's all about...any ideas?

Spoonful - 5

Hello...remember me? ...I'm the person that used to post progress on strange pieces of artwork slowly developing each day before your very eyes. Well I've not done that for a while...I'm not very good at it at the moment....I find life and art difficult. I've sat almost every day looking at my work, wondering what to do...but today I knew what to do. I'm not sure I've done it very well...and it might be that I'll scrap it tomorrow...but for now it will be as it is before you now. I've put my very young self in the picture yet again...surrounded by thorns...when I showed this to Jan she remarked that i looked as if I was trapped...this was not my intention...the thorns surrounding me, the Nurse..the Cello girl are my way of saying these memories...ideas...influences are mine...you're not allowed to touch them or alter them ...they protect me and my dreams...fantasies and fascinations....but I'm allowing you to observe from outside...at some point, one of the characters yet to be included will look out to you and invite comment...attitude...judgement...but until then...you are only an observer...a guest in the 'canyons of my mind' !

Flash!

As I rounded the corner into Vicarage Avenue and the warmth and comfort of my own home, I could see the banner held up by various Family members and friends which read "Well done! 100 miles run for Children in Need...you're our hero"...as I neared the group of cheering people , I felt a mighty pride well up within me as I realised that all the nights of running on darkened pavements in the rain, wind and cold had brought me to this unimaginable climax to a month of almost nightly runs of 5 miles.

I collapsed into the arms of my gathered friends and felt the warmth of the blanket wrapped around my shoulders and the steaming mug of hot chocolate thrust into my hands. this was the most wonderful and unlooked for achievement of my inactive and once overweight life!

Of course, the above description isn't entirely accurate...in fact everything except one fact is true ( assuming you cannot have false facts!)...Today I did reach and surpass my target of running 100 miles in November! I honestly cannot believe that I've been able to do it bearing in mind that it was only a few short months ago in May that I was overweight and unable to walk briskly for 20 minutes without becoming sweaty and out of breath ( well almost!)....Now I'm running on average 5 miles every evening ( with the occasional night off )

Reaching my target, I  felt like fireworks were going off inside my chest...my head...my legs...I took a photo of myself on my Mobile as I passed the point where the maps said I'd reached my goal...looking at the photo, it reminded me of the final scene of Flash Gordon...a moment when the hero is victorious..the moment for celebration has arrived...it's a scene in the film that ( wait for it!) has caused tears to well up on occasion ( I've seen it numerous times)...I love it when the good guys win! ...and looking at my photo gives me the same feeling!

So...in reality...I rounded the corner into the Avenue...I ran up to my front door...I went in..had a drink of orange squash and went to take a shower....and that was that.

 This is what it felt like (above)

This is the reality (below!)

Spoonful - 4

Spoonful - 3

Spoonful - 2

I've worked on the Matron's face today...once again I used a photograph of myself as the basis for her face....I've exaggerated certain aspects of course and really I don't look like this at all...but still...it makes me chuckle! I've decided for this version to place the medicine spoon just inside the Cello girl's mouth..not sure if I'm going to use the Mad Vicar in between these two now or even at all...we'll see.

Spoonful - 1

This is the third incarnation! I had dreadful difficulty with the pinching nose thing so have had a bit of a rethink...the basic concept is still there, but with some subtle differences which will become apparent as we go along!

In other news, I continue to run and have embarked on a fund raising challenge inn aid of Children in Need, which is run by the BBC. An annual event which raises millions of pounds to support child and family projects thought the British Isles. My aim is to run a total of 100 miles in November. So far I've managed to run 50.03 miles, just over half way. If you'd like to support me, you can visit my page which is administered by Virgin Money by clicking here My goal is to raise £200 in donations, and as an incentive, for each person who donates £5.00 or more, I invite you to make a guess as to how many miles I will have run by the end of November 30th. the person who guesses correctly or who is nearest, will win a personally signed original piece of my Hyperpointillist artwork..! So get clicking and get donating!

Good news...bad news.

The good news is, for those of you who had a problem with and didn't like my last picture 'Medicine'...I've ruined it and abandoned work on it! The bad news for you is that I've immediately begun work on a new version...I will be able to avoid the mistakes I've made in the last couple of days and no doubt be freed to make a whole new bunch of fresh mistakes. Anyway, it's all part of the process and I'm incredibly mad and disappointed with myself...I love my concept for the piece...I'm very excited about the way it will extend beyond the original three characters. I can't wait to get back to dotting tomorrow as I've completed all the pencil work today. I'm down...but I'm not out...tomorrow, I'll be back up!

Medicine - 8

Medicine - 7

first of all..I should tell you I've not actually done any dotting today...although I've drawn in the Cello at long last!...the reason for me not dotting was I was absolutely exhausted...odd considering I awoke after a good night's sleep, which has been rare recently. I felt invigorated, full of energy and immediately knew I would need to go for a run. I've been running just over 4 miles each night ...but today I decided to press on to my next goal which was 7 miles. The actual final distance was 7.14 miles. I'm now running a regular 4.25 miles as a regular evening run, and an extended run once or twice a week.

My 50th birthday is coming up later this month...I really am 'Fit before fifty' !

Medicine - 6

Medicine - 5

To find the correct resource for the hand on the nose and the nurses hand, I took photographs of my own hands...since the nurses face is based on my face, I felt this was in keeping.

So it's November!

Having 'one of those days'...not able to motivate myself. Suffering mainly from a dose of 'reallity'. You may or may not know that I'm approaching my 50th birthday. I had originally arranged a party...I'd booked a band and Cancan dancers at a local pub. But decided to cancel when I realised that it was an rather selfish ego trip which would leave my family having to manage or very little money on the run up to Christmas. Besides, we always have a party in between Jan and my birthdays in November. So I then arrived at the idea of making it something special which would probably involve fancy dress. Then it was helpfully pointed out to me that I would after all be 50 years old and most of my friends were also of similar or older age, and would be unlikely to want to do fancy dress. So after a couple of friends also voiced their anxiety, I decided it will have to tone down even further , and will be a normal conformist party.

It's really not my intention to cause my friends anxiety on what should be a night of fun and happiness...So, I've decided that I will pull out all the stops for the next time I have a 50th birthday party...so be warned...I'll probably be the only one there!

PS...I took the photo above from my front room window this afternoon. the trees in the avenue are gorgeous at this time of year. 

Medicine - 4

The Cello Girl seems to be taking her medicine with stoicism...the Vicar pinches her nose..not necessarily to lessen the taste, but to cause her to open her mouth..probably against her will, but she does not seem to be fighting. Being force fed something is what this area concerns...here the protagonists are The Medical world and the religious world versus the Musician/ artist...is this how 'orthodoxy' and 'normality' would have us believe or eat to make us comply/ conform...how often as artists do we actually do that?...More often than I'd care to think...how often do we produce work that seeks approval and acceptance rather than it being from the gut and from the soul...how often do you create purely for the sake of creation/...for the need to satisfy the passionate drive within you regardless?...are you content to have the dream of expression, but stand in line too be force fed the 'Medicine; that is given to make us 'better' that will cause us to become acceptable and thus just one of the many?...ummm....I'm enjoying this line of thinking!

Medicine - 3

Nurse Doris is beginning to take shape...a few tweaks of her hair and hat position had to be carried out, and attention to the jaw line needs to be addressed tomorrow...but essentially I'm happy so far with the way it's progressing.

Medicine - 2

 Here's a close up of the pencil work on my Mad Vicar ( he needs a name!)...it's important to get the base drawing correct before beginning the dot work. I've always been taught, and hence teach others that good draughtsmanship is the basis to all art....even abstract art....understanding your subject is paramount! So below you can see the refined drawing I've completed on the Nurse and Cello Girl too...as an added dimension I had the idea that I'd surround my figures with bubbles...! don't ask me why...it just seemed a good idea at the time!

So the dot work has now begun..I proceed with caution as faces are the most  critical element of the work...get them wrong...then the picture is ruined!...anyway, glad you're here at the beginning...thanks for joining me...!

Bleurgh!

Many apologies for the non - posting these last few days...we were out on Monday visiting the Yorkshire Sculpture Park, since then i've been laid low with a cold. All being well I'll get to work tomorrow !

Medicine - 1

Subject of course to much change..here is the pencil drawing that I've transfered to water colour paper this evening ( I prefere 300lb cold pressed watercolour paper to work on) the figures you see here are 100% of my own creation and will form the basis of a (as usual) enigmatic and symbolic composisition. I have many details to iron out, such as the nurse holding a spoon full of medicine to the Cello girl's mouth...you'll also notice the Mad Vicar is pinching the girl's nose too! his hand is visible behind the Nurse's back...at present he is holding the floating orb from the earlier picture 'Tables'. The Cello girl will possibly be holding the neck of her cello...behind her will be a queue of other Cello Girls all awaiting their medicine. I am planning 5 Cello girls in all.

At time of posting, the above description is of course open to radical change and interpretation and will mean different things to different people. what will you find in it?...Time will tell. Welcome to the begining of what I hope will be a far quicker piece of work than the one that came before!

Sketch book...ideas...nurse!..no pics..but very excited!

Below is a picture painted by one of my favourite artists. Paul Delvaux was considered a surrealist..which he didn't recognise or accept, and considered himself inferior to fellow countryman Rene Magritte.

I chose to show this picture because I identify so strongly with Delvaux's recurring themes..the reverence and esteem in which he regards woman...the dignity he regards education and learning...the heroism he regards exploration and engineering development and the pioneers who designed and built the great railways of the world which we now regard with almost resignation that be part of our environment and landscape.

I too have recurring themes similar to this...however I'm not a painter..but I can bask in the moonlit blues and dreamlike landscapes that Delvaux produced knowing that on face value, they are odd, slightly disturbing works whilst simultaneously being peaceful and full of  symbolism...characters and locations..that draw the eye and imagination to question and wonder.

Painted in the year of my birth...it is one of a series of railway and academia themed works which represents the female nude as pure and dreamlike despite the stayed formality of the intellectuals.

LES ASTRONOMES

(1961)

As far as my work today goes...I'm very excited about my next piece...the sketches I showed you yesterday have undergone further development and I've arrived at (for me) a quite remarkable scenario which I will wait to share with you as you shall see it as it develops on the page.

I'm really looking forward to sharing that with you...very very soon!

Sketch book...ideas...nurse!

Well...after the absolute anti climax that was 'Teatime', I've set about refining the already advanced ideas for my next piece. Like I said before..I'm going for a smaller picture. My sketches so far have brought me to the stage of needing to find the right resource for a nurse who will be giving medicine. I trained as a nurse back in the early 1980's and like the idea of using that theme in my picture. It always used to amuse me that when I told people that I was a nurse, they'd often ask.."What!..a male nurse?!" 

Anyway...for this picture I'm using my profile...I took this photo on my phone.this will be the basis for my nurse....I'll call her Doris! i wanted a sort of haughty sort of an expression....so this was the one I settled on.

Below, I've used the photo as a basis for my pencil sketch...a bit of tweaking , hair and a hat and nurse Doris is born!

 I need a face for the next figure...yes , it's the Mad Vicar yet again!! I originally drew this face as the basis of the violinist in 'Quintadagio'...so I dug out this sketch...but I didn't want the raised eyebrow.  so worked on a sketch without it.

Below I've used my nurse and mad vicar sketches and combined them. the idea is progressing quite nicely....but the Mad vicar looks to bulky...to muscular...he needs to be much much older and wizened. So that will be part of my job tomorrow...and of course...the rest of the scenario!

Teatime - A closer look.

Here are a few close up shots which you may or may not be interested in. It was back in Early May that I began work on this piece....322 hours later, i'm fininshed...but more than that, the photo session for which I took pictures of myself for this work inspired and horrified me so much as to my appearance , that I embarked upon a regime of self improvement. Now, , 5 months later, I am over 3 stone lighter and have progressed from 20 mins of brisk walking to 6.5 miles of running on alternate evenings. I am truly 'fit' and have achieved something I never thought possible and a heritage for my next 50 years!!

'Teatime' is more than just a personal motivator for personal betterment..it is a statement of peculiarity..a surreal version of my state of being...an underlining of progression..so far.
reluctant as I've become to making interpretations of my work, I'd like to draw your attention to the stream of tea falling from the cup.....I intended ( and hopefully successfully) to depict a double helix which represents the DNA strand. I based this composition around a quote made by British pop star David 'Boy George' O'Dowd..who when asked about his sexuality and what his attitude to sex was, replied " Sex?...I'd rather have a cup of tea".

Whilst the phrase still lingers in our ears, the organic and bestial instinct within us decrees that we seek a mate of compatibility to our facets and needs....the obvious ( naked souls) are a distraction to the nurtured and refined sensibilities of our desires are revealed ( the Can can dancer exposed ) ..whilst We ( I ) can claim our interest is NOT the evelation of the erotic...it is within our DNA that we find the attraction of sexuality unavoidable.

Teatime - Finished.

 'Teatime' (2011)

70 x 41 cm.

Teatime - 95

This is the only section I have yet to complete! I could easily have finished it today, but I've decided to save it ...I'll probably finish it on Monday...but I have to take a trip out to the art shop to buy a new sketch book and an A2 pad ( in which format I'm intending to base the next few 'large scale drawings) I can't tell you how enjoyable I find working on a large long term project, but I'm challenging myself ( at least for the next year) to increase my output by reduction in scale.....I wonder how long that resolve will last?

Teatime - 94

Sorry for the slope!...this side of the picture is just about finished!!...unbelievable I know..it seems like I've been working on this forever! My plans for my next 'major' piece are well in progress and at time of writing, it will be rather smaller than this one!

Teatime - 93

Not long to go now!...Having completed the flying Crow, I've made a basic layer for the sky then started the process of darkening it from right to left...you'll easily see where I've got up to! I've yet to put a line of grave stones beyond the trees...adjust the shading to my legs and head..then move onto tweaking the other flowers not shown here then the area around my signature which always is the last thing to do!

Teatime - 92

Teatime - 91

Teatime - 90

Have now completed just over 300 hours work on this picture...nearing the end though. I like my little running men...the chaps on the left have been finished..the trio on the right have yet to be worked on.

In other news,  continue to run...having lost over 3 stone (42 lbs) my weight has remained the same for four weeks now...so some sort of equilibrium has been achieved. I've run six miles on a few occasions last week, but managed to strain my right calf muscle whilst doing an aerobic workout on Friday..so I've rested over the weekend and resumed training today with a gentle two mile jog around my local park...the injury feels OK and should not prevent me from resuming regular runs this week.

Teatime - 89

Here's a close up of the final group of running men..I apply a basic layer of dots then develop shadows which will add definition to arms, legs and heads. I still have work on my legs to blend away any hard edges.

Teatime - 88

Gradually coming to the end of the Dandelions in this section at least..I've next got to refine my legs then I can begin work on the runners..trees etc..

Teatime - 87

Teatime - 86

A long hard day working on the (what have become) Dandelion clocks in the grass..I like them...in reality they would not be even..they would be clumped.....but this isn't reality!

Teatime - 85

You're watching the final big area on this piece..there's always a moment in a pictures progress when things speed up and the end comes quickly...or at least gives the impression of hurried arrival....although how the word 'hurried' can be attached to something was was begun in the early days of May is a little over stated!

In case you're wondering...I originally had no intention of idea that I'd be adding another image of myself into the composition...I originally sketched plans for my Cello girl to be sitting in that place...just goes to show that the best laid plans even when working to such a fine degree can be altered at short notice!

Teatime - 84

Have now progressed well with the running me....it's slow going getting the face correct...I still look as if I've been down a coal mine...but this should look OK one the very dark back ground is added in.

Run,run as fast as you can....

Pardon me if you cross over as a Face Book member for the repeated images, but I was surprised by them this morning. I needed some reference images for inclusion in Tea time...so this is one of a series . I've done some work on the picture today, but I'll show more of that tomorrow.

This evening I went out to run and managed six miles ( which is just short of 10K !) non stop...it felt good and is another step up in my regular running regime!

Teatime - 83

 Working my way across..the little fella on the right has now started jogging!...I've also refined the ground cover with lots more there to do. the grave stones ( which often feature in my work) are there policing the horizon mapping the journey of the train and the walkers/runners..as in deed the we are all bounderied by the limits of our own mortality..in everything weather we are aware of it or not...it is inevitable.

Below are a couple of detailed close ups.