Saturday, June 30, 2012

Muse-ic - 35

The nettles are developing nicely enough..they will continue over to the left, but i'm still (would you believe it at this late hour!) undecided about how i'm going to fill the area to the left. i have a few ideas, each could work. there's no hurry! I do however have aveyr definiate idea for the area beyond the nettles and up into the sky..

*This post dedicated to Bebbie Brewer who's a good Face Book friend of mine battling Mesothelioma ...much love and best wishes for continued strength after this week's chemo! Hope you enjoy the saucier view!?

Friday, June 29, 2012

Muse-ic - 34

Thursday, June 28, 2012

Muse-ic - 33

Work begun on the nettles...slow going but effective.

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Muse-ic - 32

I 've now comleted the legs, feet and have three quaters of the grass finished.I had another interesting comment the other day..I'm not ashamed to admit that I'm an emmotional man...I don't mean that I'm constantly lurching between depression and mania in extremes...but I feel things very deeply..I contemplate things that move me and I hold things iin my heart for ages. I like to think i'm capable of deep compassion and sympathy ...but i'm also capable of holding grudges for a very long time. (I remeber all the books/CD's/DVD's / Keyboards and even VHS's that 'friends' have failed to return to me!)..I know that holding onto things is not the best course to plot as bitterness and unforgiveness tend to eat away at the soul. But I was  advised that to trust in our emmotions is wrong and should be avoided...I was told that they are false and misleading...that we are not what we feel.

This seems alien to me...I live each day by 'feeling'...I feel love...I feel happiness, sadness...mainly frustration and all the rest of the emmotional paintbox...you get the idea?...i'm a whole..feeling person in touch with my emmotions..and it is that very reason that I create the pictures I do...i'm affected deeply by my experiences and memories. I am not what I feel...but what I feel is part of what makes me what I am...it's what you get when you get me!

I'm not very good at putting these things into words...but for the person who gave me the 'advice', I can only feel sadness, for to have a purely practical heart and an emmotionless soul must leave one very cold inside.

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Muse-ic - 31

I spent five and a half hours today working on the grass and finishing the lower parts of the trousers.I love having grass in the picture, but it's a real bind to have to do...so I tend to give the impression of grass rather than accurately depicting every blade...in the end it's not intended as the centre of attention.

Monday, June 25, 2012

Muse-ic - 30

Sunday, June 24, 2012

Muse-ic - 29

Worked short for short periods this weekend in between gardening! I've advanced the grass and sketched in the Tennis Girl's shoes...I've now spent 105 hours on this piece..a long way to go yet!

Friday, June 22, 2012

Muse-ic - 28

Spent the day working om the grass and nettles.It's funny isn't it..all those discussions we can have a bout the 'meaning of Art'?!...I love it, because when you think you've arrived at a good compromise..there's yet another view you haven't thought of. Jeanette made a comment about just drawing/painting something that makes you happy. For me, i prefer the Surrealist manifesto which states in it's words that images "come to him spontaneously, despotically. He cannot chase them away; for the will is powerless now and no longer controls the faculties."* (Baudelaire.) whilst some of the subjects referred to in my work does not make me 'happy' as such...I certainly don't usually sit down to work out what I want to say ...a narrative develops and depending on the direction it takes, I add in emphasis and symbolism.I start from a point where I am drawing what I want..and not what someone else would like.

Of course by far the best way is to have a flash of inspiration where the fully formed concept comes to me like a vision. This has only happened a few times and has usually been as the result of a statement or comment by someone 'Ball of wool' is one such piece! (if you don't know what I'm referring to, look for it in the labels section!)

Thursday, June 21, 2012

Muse-ic - 27

 Had an interesting comment  yesterday relating to this piece..the comment was "It's disturbing" To me that was wonderful...it's not meant to be a chocolate box nice pretty picture...I dread the time when someone looks at my work and has no reaction. for me, 'Art' has to illicit a reaction ...even if that reaction is dislike..it means the viewer has taken a stance..has hopefully made a value based judgement.

Art to me is a language and to fully understand what it's saying, you have to get to know the vocabulary.( the best way of course like learning a language is to move to and live with the people who speak it...of course, you can't all come and take up residence with me in my little house..but those who know me will understand what I express in my work.) To not do so is a little like hearing someone speaking a foreign language that you do not understand, and dismissing it as worthless on the grounds that it is "just babble". People make this mistake with Art..they understand the pretty pictures of the Pre-Raphaelites, but do not understand the 'foreign language' of Cubism for example.

With surrealism, or symbolism, the various aspects are often ( as in my case) recognisable and individually obvious, but when placed alongside often contradicting or divergent other objects, a sense of confusion or unease will occur. ( forgive my limited explanations...) this is because an understanding needs to be achieved and arrived at.

Of course there will always be those who cannot or do not wish to make the effort. Laziness and ignorance will always be the enemy of Art...complacency and apathy are as much if not more the enemy in my opinion. So if you want to understand what you're looking at..think, and arrive at your own interpretation, which is entirely a valid stance. but on the other hand...you could ask...and all I ask is that you don't dismiss 'Art' because you don't understand it...ignorance is no excuse!

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Muse-ic - 26

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Muse-ic - 25

I've continued the pain theme here by sketching nettles growing between my toes...I've begun darkening the bridge and have proceeded further with the trouser legs...

Monday, June 18, 2012

Muse-ic - 24

Working on my trousers today... I'm really enjoying how the various aspects of the picture are coming together...and how at first glance it all looks absolutely plausible ( at least to me!)...but then on closer inspection it becomes very plain that this is quite possibly the work of a madman...

Friday, June 15, 2012

Muse-ic - 23

I've now introduced the support structure for the bridge...I shall add in further texture to it and shadow for the undersides...I need to think about the steam and the sky....oh, and there needs to be a glimpse of coal above the tender.

Thursday, June 14, 2012

Muse-ic - 22

Thought you might like to get some idea of the scale of this piece..not as large as some of my more recent pieces...the idea being to increase the rate at which I complete the finished pictures...saying that, today I passed the 80 hour mark so far! I estimate 250 hours + to complete!

Below you can also see pencil work that I laid down today which will become the supporting structure for the bridge...I originally sketched plans for two arches but decided that one big arch would fit the composition better...You might notice that at this stage, I've left outlines around my fingers and the birds...these will be shaded in a ta  later date.

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Muse-ic - 21

The thing that I find interesting is that when I post here...the photo i show, to me includes all the things I have yet to add...I know what's going on, but to you, it's very incomplete and certain aspects are overbearing when viewed without the other elements. I have a fairly regular and non too little group of visitors but only one or two regular comments...so please, please feel free to add your comments...ask any questions about this work or indeed any other. I'll gladly do my best to give you a satisfactory answer!

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Muse-ic - 20


How perceptive of my friend Devil Mood to comment in Saturday's post about seeing the steam engine which was featured at the start of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Thames Pageant...Below is a photograph I took of the picture on my television during the day ( thank goodness for delay TV!)..I was very struck by the appearance of Princess Royal Class locomotive 'Princess Elizabeth' on Waterloo Bridge. So I snapped this pic as it's just the sort of thing I like! I've decided to include the loco in the background of my picture!

Monday, June 11, 2012

Muse-ic - 19


Sunday, June 10, 2012

Muse -ic - 18

Saturday, June 09, 2012

I'm not dead....

I apologise for my non posting this week....following the wonderful Queen's Diamond Jubilee Street Party I've been hit by the Black Dog...but I've resumed work on Muse-ic once again and I'm finding my way through things. I thought you might like to see a couple of photos taken on the day of the street Party last Monday...in between many days of rain and cloud..the sun shone on us and gave us a lovely day..see you again soon for (hopefully) and good update on my current work!











Friday, June 01, 2012

A street party is coming!

My lovely Tennis girls derrieres are currently awaiting my attention...but they'll have to wait. I guess many readers will be aware that here in the UK, we're gearing up to celebrate the reign of our Queen Elizabeth II who has been on the throne for 60 years. Amongst the many official celebrations in and around London this weekend, many people will be celebrating amongst their own communities by having street parties and get together.

Where is live is no exception. Over the past couple of months, residents of the street where I live have met to plan and prepare a street party. Way back in 1977, Vicarage Avenue was the first to throw a street party in derby to celebrate the Queens Silver Jubilee. At the meeting last night we were shown press clippings reporting the event of the day and a letter from Buckingham Palace ( see below!) was shown which thanked two local girls who had written to invite Her Majesty to attend. the letter from a Lady in Waiting politely thanked the girls and explained that the Queen could unfortunately not be able to attend as she was rather busy. One of the girls who wrote the letter, Rebecca Haynes still lives across the road and was at the meeting last night...in fact it was Becca who first suggested the idea of a street party on our 'We Love Vicarage Avenue' Face book page.

A long list of jobs was drawn up , and residents have volunteered for them...or several jobs in some cases!. My job today was to meet with my friend Jane and her daughter Sara to pick any litter up on the street...we actually ended up with sweeping brushes and shovels...and cleared around 2/3 of the Avenue. It was hard work and after 4 hours, we were exhausted...but it looks much better now! That's why I haven't been at my drawing table today!

Here's a photo I published on Face Book earlier showing Jane and I having a little break from our sweeping up...(We'd already swept the area you can see on the pic!)

There are still many jobs to do including shopping, hanging bunting on the trees...blowing up balloons...delivering notices to all the households explaining the order of the day. On Monday we have been given permission from the local authority to close the avenue...trestle tables will be erected along the road for families to sit at to eat...there'll be games...dressing up and later in the evening, a bonfire and beer keg......

I'm hoping the weather will be kind to us...it isn't always the case on a British Bank Holiday...but if tired souls can end up around a gently glowing fire , drinks in hand at the end of the day...I'm sure we will all be able to call it a resounding success! May I take this opportunity to wish you and yours every success for any (if any) events you are attending or organising.