Orbits - 14

I've worked on defining the clouds and adding more shade to the daisies..not much else today. I've spent time watching the closing ceremony of the Beijing Olympic Games on TV..was good to see Jimmy Page play 'Whole Lotta Love' (Dad rock rules!!)....(See previous post!). The show was followed here in the UK by a televised concert in The Mall (the big road leading up to Buckingham Palace ) to celebrate the handing over of the Games to London 2012. special guest was Michael Phelps!

Well, after eight days away on their holiday, my family will return in the next hour...hopefully I'll be able to adapt to the loss of the quiet without too mush of a problem...they'll all be tired and smelly after camping for so long.....see you tomorrow!

Party for one....(warning..contains disturbing images!!)

Hello...and welcome to a visual guide to my personal party for one.Do cats count as guests?..I dunno..but here's Tremble..she's thinking something along the lines of.."and he thinks I'm the dumb animal!"
Here's Wilba..she has a more serious outlook on life..which goes along the lines of: "I wish he'd put me down...I need to crap!"

ahhh!..Cake of cakes!...and wine!..this going to be an evening to remember!..

ooooo!Can you smell what the Rock is cooking?...Here's my gloriously bad for me callorie filled fat busting Chicken curry!

Now I shall take a little time for sentimentality..because once the wine kicks in, it'll add more oomph to my singing!This postcard arrived from my daughter a couple of days ago...aaarrrr!

Now folks...dinner is served.Where are the cats?..maybe it's cat curry?...

After a wonderful meal it's time to do what only the alcohol fueled man on his own can do...it's entertainment time!..now what shall we listen to?

Despite my 'Yes' t-shirt, there is only one band you can turn to at a time like this:...QUEEN!

My daughter Annie thinks that whilst the family is away, all I do is play Air Guitar in my boxers...so here's the proof...."hammer to falllllllll!"

And this is me paying homage to the great Freddy Mercury...with a hair brush!(Tremble is sitting close by looking forward to the moment I collapse unconscious)

Well that's it...the wine has gone..and Freddy has drifted back to rock god heaven...

It's time to have a little sleep and dream that I'm Usain Bolt!

Good night!

Orbits - 13

I'm sitting here..patio door open, cats lazily lounging...an aromatic chicken Jalfrezi cooking in the oven..and If that isn't enough already..my friend came to collect the Smart Car I've looked after for a week and give me a lovely bottle of red wine...and then my good friend Margret from across the road sent what can only be described as baking perfection in the shape of a cake..a marble cake to be precise..so i have an image of myself in a few hours time, slightly blurry around the edges,full of wonderful cooking and happy as a ...as a ..very happy person....although the resemblance to a slightly inebriated beached whale will be also obvious. Thankfully there is no one to witness this excess.

Orbits - 12

working in a confined area of the picture today slowly developing the contrasts and textures..I used photographs of clouds I took from my bedroom window last night as reference and over the next day or two, you'll see massive storm clouds develop behind the Starman and eventually across the horizon.

Orbits - 11

Having spent time working out the other components to this composition, i was able to press on with the Daisy's ...i have decided not to go for the hazy Daisy look as I consider it to be too cliquet.You'll also notice a Bumblebee has escaped from my last picture and sneaked in here!

Today, students all over England and Wales have received their GCSE exam results...My eldest son Sam achieved seven passes and I'm extremely proud of him...I spoke to him on the phone this morning as he and the rest of my family are away for the week camping in Wales. Sam now has the grades to pursue his chosen subject at college: film making and media studies.

Orbits - 10

I seem to have spent an extraordinary time on (what has now become) the Moon.I didn't know what sort of a planet I'd represent...I think perhaps in view of the comment from Bobkat it might be appropriate to have the Moon as despite it's beauty, it is lifeless and therefore matches the allegory . Also it is worth mentioning that I do have a Moon Globe which I used as reference. The effect of the light side will not be apparent until the sky is in place.

'You and Me'

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I just wanted to post this song and video featuring the gorgeously beautiful Sarah Brightman...the song is the official theme to the Beijing Olympics and I find it incredibly moving. It's called 'You and Me'

Orbits - 9

I know they might look a little like palm trees, but they are actually Daisy's..they will form the immediate foreground and be visible behind the Starman forming a haze of flowers.

Paul Delvaux

OK, I'm not an art historian, I'm an artist and I'm often excited by images created by other artists...usually if you question the reason why an artist likes a particular piece you'll be told truthfully if the reason is "I wish I'd painted it".

In the case of Paul Delvaux, I see a painter i readily identify with.Repeated themes and characters..moonlit skies and clearly defined horizons with harsh metallic structures..railway Bridges and trains...severely dressed and serious old men posed alongside sensuous and classically posed female figures. the dreamlike nature of the subjects and the muted colourings do indeed make me wish I'd painted them. I hope you'll be fascinated by the surreal and fantastic world of Paul Delvaux whose biography and works can be seen here

Les Astomones 1961

Tout Les Luminiers 1962

The Sleeping Venus 1944

Orbits - 8

Orbits - 7

I shall return..

12th century stone lion guarding the approach to Nottingham Castle.

Don't worry folks!...I've not fallen foul of some debilitating morose...it's just that we have to get out occasionally as a family and 'Do stuff'...so today we went off to Nottingham castle.Since i spend so much time taking photos...I decided that I'd not take any today...well, all except this wonderful stone lion. you can find out more and much better described information about the castle and the legend of Robin Hood here: Nottingham Castle

Orbits - 6.

It's just a matter of working on the stars and bringing the progress down to a level where I can begin adding in the next elements...Each time I've drawn the Starman, the intricacy of the star pattern has developed..I am always thinking of the phrase "The Stars Like dust" which of course comes from the title of a novel by Issac Asimov. ( Have you ever read the Elijah Bailey stories?)..I am aiming to give the 'scattered dust ' feel .

Below is a photo taking into context the Starman with the rest of the picture area...gives you some idea of the work that is yet to be done!

Orbits - 5

Orbits - 4

Not done an awful lot of work today because I've been sitting spellbound by the sheer immensity of the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympic Games!Did you see it?...and did you see the hundreds of characters covered in little lights?...

i have a favour to ask of you..as you know , I'm currently exhibiting two pieces of my work at the Fresh2 Art And Design exhibition in Nottingham. On the gallery's website is a blog which contains the profile of each artist taking part.At the end of the exhibition, the six most popular artists will be offered an exhibition early in the new year. What I'd be grateful for is for you to follow the link and if you feel able, leave a comment on my profile page...by giving me your support , you might help me to win one of the six places! Whilst you are there, you will also see profiles on the other artists..there is some wonderful work for your delectation!

Thank you.


http://freshartanddesign08.blogspot.com/2008/07/niall-young.html

Orbits - 3

I have included the Starman so many times in previous works that I feel as if i know him...well this is in fact true.I spent time in the early 1980's training as a nurse and met many people from all walks of life...most of them in bed..I've given bed baths and rectal examinations to more people than I care to mention! One elderly man stuck in my mind..He was a very sick man who was bitter and lonely...He had no relatives or friends to visit him,we would try to engage him in conversation but he snapped and complained and basically spent his time demanding all and everyone attend to his needs...he gave one the impression that the universe centered around him..Sadly he died and I couldn't help thinking how tragic it is to have no one to miss you..no one to care.

Thus the Starman was born..I originally used him to represent all things selfish..(the stars being a pun on the universe centred upon him)..but I think he has grown..he represents that which is independent without regard for others..which in some cases can be good..witness the dogged determination some of the great discoveries and inventions of our time have been brought about by single bloodymindedness!

you are of course able to contradict these metaphores and create your own scenario..but here he is...and he'll keep popping up in the future I'm sure!

Orbits - 2

At last I've got this idea up and running..and I've passed the 5 hour mark which strangely enough is an important part of any picture I'm working on.you might be able to see part of a circle which passes in front of the Starman's face...that will be a globe/planet...his gown as usual will be made up of stars and swirling nebulae....

Orbits 1..Re-start

After a short absence, I'm back at work...I've not been anywhere, I've just been unable to spend the time I need to develop my ideas.the down side to all that was the more I considered and mused on my current project,the more I didn't like it. If I'd had the time, I'd have continued regardless and no doubt been happy with the end product..So I decided the original concept was sound and decided to re work the main character. So for this, I used myself as the model...where else do you go if you need a bitter twisted old man?...none of my friends fit the bill. the sketch above shows the photo alongside!

I would also like to thank Claudine who lives in Belgium for introducing me to the work of Paul Delvaux who was an excellent painter of surrealist subjects...I'll prepare a post about his work at a later date, but I now feel regenerated to let the ink flow once again on this subject...

Other good news arriving today was confirmation that I have been accepted to exhibit at the Wirksworth Arts Festival in September....more information nearer the date.

Fishy captives...

why do Goldfish look so glum?..I suppose I would look glum to if I had to spend my whole day in cold water with only squashed ants eggs to eat. The extent of my world would stop abruptly with a wall of glass..unrecognisable images moving about somewhere beyond...still, my one recompense would be the possession of a 3 second memory or something like it if I believe what the naturalists tell us .

Naturalist/naturist?..either way I say it takes barefaced cheek to suggest something so preposterous. how come every day, when I approach the tank, both Goldie and Silvery (you decide which is which...it ain't difficult!) frantically swim torpedo like up to the glass at the corner where I drop the food in if they don't remember what it is that's going to happen?..there they sit/float awaiting the manner from heaven?..of beneficent me and the dried squashed ants eggs...

Orbits - 2

I'm not usually happy to post work I've done the previous day, but I've as yet been unable to do any today..Jan is off working all day and the kids are around..Yesterday we had to buy a new fish tank because the old one sprung a leak...so we've spent half the day sorting that out, and the rest playing and making popcorn.....not a bad day you might think?

Starman's expression is very dour/serious...despite the initial sketches, it's really a matter of chance how he turns out...I like it to happen like that.