Exhibition day 8 - The Florentine Boar

Applied the final section of blue to the sky..then a second layer of green, then third layer of red then final layer of more blue...needs some yellow next.Will then move down to the figure in the bottom left and my signature to finish..should be done by the weekend!!?
This is a photo of the plaque which commemorates the Florentine boar statue

This Cherry Tree has blossomed only since Friday.

I can't resist including lamp posts..

Just to the left of the boars snout you can see the Orangery where the exhibition is!

Annie just back from school gives it the thumbs up!

Exhibition day 7

Progressed well with 'Corn' today..maybe it looks close to finish but I can tell you there is lots more to do. Having put down a basic layer of blue for the sky there needs to be a layer of red and green dots placed in between the blue ones..these graded towards the horizon gradually introducing yellow ochre.Have completed 14o hours worth now..
Here's yours truly hard at work!

The sun made the park seem bursting with life today..compare this scene with one almost in the same spot a couple of days ago. Of interest here (but very small in the picture) is the Boar..a bronze statue on a plinth. If you enlarge the photo you might see it just over the 'bird bath' thing in the centre of the pic. I must try to remember to take some closeup photos of the Boar tomorrow

Here's the 'Black Walnut' again (to the right of the lamp post)

Two Holly trees directly outside the gallery.

Corn..Saturday exhibition day 6

I know it looks wonky..but this is the fault of the photographer...he'll get it right one of these days!! It was a wonderfully sunny and warm day here in Derby today. The park was busy with people taking time out to relax and sit in sich a wonderful place.



I had lots of visitors today.among them was Karl Smith..a 'Scroll Saw Artist '.A young man with a skill and desire to work using this skill.I have met a few individuals who all in some way or other create art work/craft. It dawned on me that it would be a great idea to form a central point of contact for the artists around the park and enable the opportunity to exhibit work. I think that when i move into my studio on the park, I'll attempt to do this!...I've met some lovely people this last couple of days. If you're one of the visitors who I 've chatted to this week..please leave a comment on this blog or email your address and I'll let you know about future events and ideas.



One thing I am particularly encouraged by is the wide range of cultural and ethnic groups I've come into contact with..art is a real tool in bringing people together.



I often use this picture (created by the children of St. James Infant School) to illustrate that no matter how insignificant one might feel as an individual, when brought together with others, the picture we make is beautiful , weather as a small group or community..we are all different like these little drawings, but we're all made of the same materials..each of us has something different to say.. together, we are special.

I'd finally like to mention one thing that means a great deal to me at the moment. It's having friends who support and encourage me. Today Allan, Sheridan and Honor called in followed later by my BrotherTim and Wendy. I'd just like to take this opportunity to say thank you for your support.

Corn..Friday..Exhibition day 5

Not a lot seems to have happened here..but it took three hours non the less! Joana...sometimes I take a break from my work and everything appears grainy ..I really do see spots before my eyes!
Ok,Ok..it's a very dirty sink..it's at the back of the gallery at the Arboretum..but I thought it was interesting to see my reflection!

Some trees have already started to put out leaves..


These ornamental cherries are fantastic!

There appear 'clouds' of colour as new buds ripen and blossom prepares to burst..it changes each day!

The tree next away from the lamp post is a 'Black Walnut' I'm told..it is the oldest tree in the park and is the tree in the back ground of my picture 'Hope..the last candle'

Thursday..exhibition day 4.

At last the sky is beginning to take shape!!Have topped 130 hours work making this probably the most labour intensive picture I have ever been involved with.
Today a Mum brought one of the boys involved with my art project.It was wonderful to see him impressed with his picture hanging in the exhibition. Meanwhile his little brother and sister were taken under Annie's (sitting in the middle) wing outside to play school...Annie wants to be a teacher when she grows up so wastes no time finding pupils to practice on!!

Some early blossom

There's something very Japanese about this tree..it's gorgeous..

The nature reserve area is still 'asleep' and bare.

Looking back to the nature reserve

There are quite a lot of these urns around the park..some now planted up with bedding plants.

The commemorative statue of the parks benefactor..Joseph Strutt who donated the park to the people of Derby in 1840.

Corn - Wednesday 11 April

The sun came out, and so did the people..was very busy today!I met with the people from the funding organisation and they were very impressed with what we have achieved.I took it as an affirmation that what I have done is right. Lots of people walking in the park called in and most were amazed that the building was actually being used at last. I gather from just the few days I've been there that the site is held in high regard by local residents as it has been underused over the years but stands as a memorial to Sir Joseph Strutt who donated the park to the people of Derby back in early 1800s. historians among you will know that MR. Strutt was the owner and builder of the largest of the textile mills up in Belper Derbyshire, amongst the first ever 'factory's' in the world. I really am in amongst the history of the modern industrial world!

Managed around 4 hours of dotting today...not shown here is the start of work on the sky at last!.

Back to the Corn

Spent the day at the exhibition, but very few people visited. Have tried to comfort myself with the knowledge that the project is not the exhibition but is the 5 months of work done with the children..for them to see their work in the context of a gallery is the last part of the project. Next week we are having a 'ceremony' to commemorate the work by the children and old people. Jan is currently sending out invites to various dignitaries and media.

Decided not to take my camera today..so missed a big fire which destroyed an old residential complex (which was empty and boarded up and due for demolition anyway) next to the park..was a big event with lots of fire engines, smoke and flames!!..still, was able to draw and progress closer to finishing this picture...I'm getting tired of it now!

Arboretum Exhibition

We arrived at the exhibition space around 10:30 this morning after a couple of very late nights framing all the pictures.Jan is an expert at hanging pictures so had no problem getting started...it was going to be a long day!
Both Will and Annie (pictured here) were very helpful putting hooks into the backs of pictures and generally being helpful.

The pictures start to go up..what a gorgeous wife I have!

Here is the first bloc of paintings..my favourite ones are the big one (which is made of lots of tiny ones) and the two abstracts either side of it.Can you believe they are all done by 5/6 year old children?!!

There were lots of pictures to hang..I had to put the hooks into the backs of around 40 frames today..

Here are the tree pictures you might have seen in an earlier post last November..they look fantastic all together.

It was a very tedious process hanging pictures sometimes from the same nail with varying lengths of special high tensile thread.

During the day we gave our children some oil pastels to draw with (mainly to stop them getting bored..) would you believe it...Will came to me with this offering..he said " I thought I'd do one in the style of Van Gogh!"I'm going to use this to make a poster for the show.

Here are the tree boards finished a few weeks ago if you remember..there are pieces exhibited laying flat on the floor at the Tate Modern in London..so Jan suggested we exhibit them in that fashion!

I'm really proud to have been involved with the creation of this exhibition..and for it to be in an area that is starved of Art..it is even more of an honour!

Some of the pieces would very easily find a place in a more 'serious' gallery..there are many 'adult' works that I've seen which are not as good as these!

I've included a few of my own pictures in the selection too.The arboretum ones are on the main wall.

Finally, here is a picture of the venue..the Victorian Orangery..you can just see the pictures through the windows. I'm hoping all will be secure as there is an alarm and security cameras.I now have to prepare for the 'long haul' as it were because I will have to sit in the exhibition every day for the next two weeks. Join me again as I tell the progress of the exhibition and the next instalment of 'Corn' tomorrow!

Amelie - a moment of beauty.

I just wanted to post this short clip of probably the most beautiful film I have seen. Hope you enjoy revisiting Amelie. If you haven't seen it yet..please try and do so..you will be all the richer for having done so!


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Strange lights over Derby!

I took this photo from my bedroom window last night. It's obviously the 'Copper Chopper' as I call it using it's searchlight to track some miscreants in a nearby street.I tried to hold the camera still enough but the Chopper moved and this is what accounts for the row of lights.. My friend Kay recons it looks like the Millenium Falcon just taking off....what do you think?

Corn 26 - Good Friday

Back into the old routine..sort of. Working on the tower means concentrating on some very subtle variations in tone and shade..Also somehow between now and Monday I have to frame all the paintings/drawings for the children's exhibition. And I can tel you now that they are looking fantastic (the ones I've already framed)..they'll look every inch 'Desirable' pieces of art once they're up.I'll post photos of them then.

I have to be honest..it's all very well hanging your own stuff and standing to be judged by it..but to hang others work is I'm finding harder..I don't want the show to look cheap and amateurish..I really want them children to feel proud of what they've done.

I'd also like to encourage you to take a look at my good friend Preeti's new artwork site, now up and running..and very good her images are too!

York..

I took this photo walking along the city wall giving a fine view of the Minster.

Here's me posing proudly with my favourite locomotive; the mighty English Electric 'Deltic' I'm inside the main exhibition hall of the National Railway Museum.The largest railway museum in the world!
Housed in the exhibition are examples of railway history from all around the world..above is an example of the 'Bullet Train' donated by the Japanese railway to stand as an example of the futuristic and technological advanced design from 1965!!

The streets of York are in this area of the city among some of the oldest buildings in the country. Here you can see 'The Shambles'

This building appears to 'sag' under the weight of time.

It was a wonderful day with our friends.We met up with Alison,Joshua and Freya at a 'Park and ride'..then met Ali's husband Mark in the city who'd kindly taken the afternoon off to join us. We walked round the Railway Museum,then along the city walls,and streets. We then all went back to Ali's house for tea. Leaving at 9:40 for the 110 mile journey home we felt happy and longing to go back!!

I'll be posting up to date progress on 'Corn' tomorrow!

Corn Close Up - Cathedral Tower

Sorry about the wonky photo..the drawing is OK..it's just me that's wonky!!..It's been a day away from my drawing. Had to sort out the pictures I intend to frame for the exhibition at the Arboretum which starts next Monday. I had to go to Ikea to buy frames..came back with around 50 frames of all sizes. The difficult bit is yet to come as I fit the pictures ready for hanging.

Tomorrow we're off as family to visit friends in York. It'll be a lovely break seeing Alison, Mark, Joshua and Freya..hopefully visiting the National Railway Museum,City Walls,Art Galleries etc....the weather forecast is good so here's hoping for a great day!

Corn 25 - Up the tower

Well, as you can see the main centre piece of the picture is revealed!It's the tower of Derby Cathedral..a wonderful building which dominates the city skyline.There are many 'Classic' views of the tower from different parts of the city,I chose this one mainly because it showed an ordinary day in the city last year...and is the reason the picture is called 'Corn'..you see the area I was standing in to take the picture is called 'The Corn Market' and at one time was just that!I've included a couple of links for those of you interested in the Cathedral and the city history.Please take a few minutes to see where it is I live!

Having sketched in the tower, I can see the end approaching!..lots more work yet to do but I think it's like running a race..all of a sudden you get you 'second wind'.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Derby_Cathedral

http://www.derby-guide.co.uk/derby_history.html

http://www.derbyphotos.co.uk/areas_city/industmus.htm

Below is a special link to a blog featuring a pair of nesting Peregrine Falcons who have made their home on the tower at the Cathedral quickly establishing themselves as celebrities!

http://derbyperegrines.blogspot.com/

Corn 24 - Sunday April 1st

I'm really pleased with the way the buildings are turning out..long hard hours of concentration do pay off! Today I had inspiration for something a little bit out of the ordinary..I'm interested in contrasts as I might have mentioned before..I'm interested in the fact that my work takes so long to create and yet some things are instant an temporary. I would like to depict the temporary,disposable and inconsequential in one of my pictures which takes a ridiculous amount of time to create.

Suggestions welcome..you never know..you might see your idea turned into a work of art!!!