Quintadagio - 21

Happy Birthday Jan !

I hope I'll be excused the lack of work today because it's been my wife's birthday. Jan insists she's only 28 years old, but since we've just celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary this summer, I think some recalculations are in order! I took this photo this morning in the local shopping mall where we went to look for a new coat for Jan...it was what she wanted for her birthday. I took my camera along so that we could take pictures of Jan wearing all the coats she could choose between, then had coffee to choose which one she liked best. Below is a pic of the one she settled on.

Jan then had to go off to Birmingham to do some role play training for the Fire Service, this gave me time to get Annie from school at 3:30 and set about making a birthday cake and vegetarian Moussaka.At time of writing, the cake (chocolate of course!!) is decorated and the moussaka is in the oven (ready in around 15 more minutes). I just need to get the table laid with candles and serve....see you tomorrow!

Quintadagio - 19

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I've worked well today...the two faces here both turned out quirky ...but they tend to inhabit my imagination and always seem to come out like this...more tomorrow.

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Quintadagio - 16

Thank you so much for the good wishes for recovery....I can report I'm feeling much better today! I've really only had a heavy cold, but you know what us blokes are like ?......one sniffle and we're dying! Anyway, so back to work...I spend time today planning the faces of the final two cello girls to complete the Quintat....once they have been completed, I'll feel happier about the rest of the composition.I've not fully settled on the background and details, but I'm thinking all things prickly like holly, thistles,nettles,hedgehogs etc..... there's a lot of time left in this drawing as it's the same size as Jigsaw .I'm constantly feeling drawn towards larger scale work at the moment which eventually I hope will result in me moving to oil paints and larger scale canvases.

Feeling blluerk!

Once again ...apologies for not posting. I've been sick for the last couple of days..! I'm feeling a little better this evening, so hopefully I'll be back to work soon.

the photo yesterday was of a mark 19 Supermarine Spitfire owned by Rolls Royce which in 1945 was flown as a photo - reconnaissance aircraft . Above is a better photo of the 'Spit'. I have not yet found out what the fly past was commemorating...I will post any details if I find out.

Quintadagio - 15..I'm back!

It's been a while I must admit. If there's anyone left, then hello! Last week was an amalgamation of things which meant that I took a rest from work....which is good I think. The highlight of the week for me was the visit for three days of my friends Preeti and Satish.Along with their two lovely children, they stayed at an hotel only 3 minutes walk from my house. So we saw lots of each other over the time. It was a privilege for me to take my friends around Derby, visit the Derby Arboretum, the city centre and Industrial Museum (much more interesting than it sounds!). We took a trip into North Derbyshire to visit Buxton where Jan's theatre company were performing their production of 'More Story Please' at St. John's Church.

We shared some wonderful meals together which we cooked on Tuesday and Preeti cooked on Wednesday. On the Thursday we visited a wonderful Indian Restaurant in Derby . The three days passed very quickly for us all and it was a very special time.

Sitting working at my desk today I had the drone of an aircraft flying by. Not far away is the aero engine division of Rolls Royce, and this aircraft was making circuits of the factory. The sky was very angry looking. So, to test your powers of identification, can you tell me what this aeroplane is?

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OK..time to come clean. I think the recovery from my virus is still going on, I was more sick than I thought. I'm finding everything a bit of a struggle inspiration wise, so the amount of time I'm working for is reduced. I just feel rather flat. So I'm not going to push myself. Of course this means you won't have so much to look at here. However, at least you can see the beginning of the second cellist in this composition. She seems to have gained a suspicious sort of sideways gaze.....

Quintadagio - 12

Apologies for no post yesterday....I've been laid low by the same virus my daughter has had...I'm just about better now, so I've only just felt like working again.

I've been wondering how to dress my Cello girl...lots of googling for Corsets, Waspies, Bustiers etc...I remember when I was at art school I was designing a dress for a character in a story I'd written. A visiting costume designer told me that when ever you design clothing for an illustration or artwork, you should aim to come up with something no one can go and buy 'off the peg'..I have ideas for the material and designs of the corsetry I'd like to depict, but I'm wary after the stocking episode in 'Cello' where I spent ages designing the flowery pattern I wanted only to find out that such designs are plentiful if you look for them commercially!...whilst I enjoy the searches (!) I have decided with the present picture to take the path of least resistance...ie no clothes. I still have a desire to depict ever more complex costumes and more of Cello Girl in the future, but for now, my corsetry designs will have to take a back seat!

Quintadagio - 11

I'm finding that every little aspect of this picture needs pre planning...in 'jigsaw' there were areas such ass the sky and trees where I could almost switch to autopilot, but here it's an effort. do you remember the agonies I went through earlier in the year when I first created a Cello Girl ?

Quintadagio - 10

Well...this is the best I can do...I've really had a tough time with Cello Girl's face, but you know the scary thing?...I've got three more to do!!

Feeling down?...high kick yourself happy!

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I've had a difficult day..being the single parent again this weekend.Unresponsive teenage sons,massive piles of wet washing, washing up..meals to cook..(which no one will eat because they're not actually in or they don't like what I cook)..(roast vegetables!).! Looking forward to one perfect point of the day where I'd settle at my drawing desk to work for a short period and watch the start of the Brazilian Formula One Grand Prix. It turned out the I spent a while working and nearly ruined my picture...Cello Girl's face was just too masculine and had none of the magic I was looking for...I toiled and brought it to a stage where I could live with it, then ruined the mouth..many times...tried to erase it...smudged the ink...ended up nearly creating a hole in the paper...was very frustrated...then just as the race was about to start, someone telephoned...I was not in a very very communicative state as cars started crashing and Jenson Button ( The British driver) needed a top 6 placing to ensure he won the world title. Picture dying...race crashing..annoyed person on end of line...aarrgghhhh!

OK..before you come to the conclusion that I've well and truly lost, I can confirm I never actually 'had it'! Now at the end of the day, I've wrestled Cello Girl into submission and satisfactory mouth situation and Jenson button won the F1 world Championship title. I have a glass of rum by my side...I'm not a single parent again until tomorrow and I thought that at least I'd have these lovely Can Can dancers to cheer me up...hope you had a better day than me?...see you tomorrow!

Quintadagio - 9

Having one or two problems with this at the moment. I'm not happy with it...but I've identified the problem and will fix it in due course...meanwhile I need to cook !

Quintadagio - 8

Here's a nice little selection of photos showing in reverse order the work on 'Cello Girl's' face. ( I don't have a name for her other then that.) A lot of people at exhibitions ask me who she is and if I use a model. Well, I don't use a model, I make the faces up ...this face has appeared in my work for many years now.....and I dare say for many years to come! I've always loved the Bob hair cut ever since I saw Wendy Padbury wearing one in 1967's Doctor Who...they were everywhere in the 60's and for me the style (amongst others) represents something that to me never fails to turn my head and gain my attention.

Here you might be able to see the surface of the paper scuffed just above her top lip...this is due to successive reworkings of the shape of the lips.

One the eyes are right, everything else should follow...at least that's the theory!

A close up of the pencil work on the page before dotting. I never really know what the final expression will be..it's almost as if I apply the ink and she appears..I look down and see someone from my dreams materialise before me...( any one remember the movie 'weird Science'?)...all done without me wearing a bra on my head!

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Thank you for your good wishes regarding Annie...she's now fully recovered.Today I have been working on the other members of the quintet...here you can see my pencil outlines for a familiar young lady and her friend...you might not realise, but the features I want on her

face are particular, and I have worked and reworked the the drawing many times today...this evening I am happy to sit back and put down my pencil. I'll have another look in the morning, and if all's well, I shall begin inking her face.

Quintadagio - 6

Slow progress today..I had my daughter at home from school feeling sick.I always find it hard to take myself upstairs to work for hours leaving her to watch a diet of Disney orientated repeats on TV. So we opted to watch a DVD. 'Edward Scissorhands' was what we chose..... Then I left her in the capable hands of 'Nanny McPhee' whilst I did this.

I haven't yet decided what I will put on the buttons of Starman's coat....

Quintadagio - 5

Starman is coming together nicely, once I got his trademark stars in place he assumed the right level of menace. Earlier today I was chatting with my friend Preeti on the phone and she was anxious to tell me that she had seen someone in her neighbourhood who looked just like The Starman. So I just thought I'd ask you, have you seen this man?...send me your photos!

Quintadagio - 4

The challenge here is to achieve the right level of contrast and depict the texture and folds in the material of the jacket.