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!!!

Corn 23

Usually when a picture has taken so long I can begin to lose interest and concentrate less on some of the less central areas of the piece. So today I did the opposite..looking at some of the great paintings of the 'Masters' you see an attention to detail in every area of the picture. So today I applied myself 100% to the top most areas of the blue buildings on the left.I tried to avoid overlapping the dots as much as possible to the extent that the area covered is less, but the quality of image increased.

I am having a break now because my children and I are to watch the first episode of the new series of Doctor Who..a show I grew up with...

Corn 22 - Friday

I had to go out to a meeting today with head of buildings and maintenance from Derby City Council. to hang the children's exhibition I need a wooden baton fixing to the wall. The 'Orangery' is a grade 3 listed building so needs special permission...which I managed to get!I then joined Jan at an Easter Service for the children at my Daughter Annie's school.

I was able to get down to some drawing this afternoon..slow progress with the dark buildings..but they will soon be finished. I'm just under the 100 hour mark just now!!and I've still not reached the top of the page!

Corn 21 Thursday

Today I began to think I could see the end approaching with this picture...although actually a long way off, the finish is in sight..You will see that I've left out the centre piece to this composition..it will draw the whole thing together.Working on the very dark buildings to the left of the scene..is labour intensive and slow progress.

Today I paid my six monthly trip to the dentist..I used to be afraid of the place..but have come to pay no heed to the approaching appointment. Now I learn that I need a crown!..Please note my dear American readers that my teeth are all my own and my overbite is perfect!!

I also transported the three large 'Impressionist' Tree boards that I worked on with the children at school to be stored in the exhibition space on the Arboretum..the exhibition there starts on 9Th April. The venue is a Victorian built 'Orangery' which is beautiful and overlooks the main part of the park. Lots of photos will follow closer to the date.

Corn 20 - Wednesday

I spent six hours solid dotting the light blue area of the buildings to the left.This evening I've had the use of the daylight lamp again..this time Jan managed to find a screw fitting bulb whilst at an art shop earlier..so now I can dispense with the 'contraption' I had yesterday. I've found it much easier to concentrate when it's dark now I have this light..my eyes don't feel at all tired sitting down to write this.

I find the words of the 'Decadent' painters mixing with something Gaugin said about painting what you feel not what you see..I think I'm reacting against such a closely accurate drawing such as this one and want to just let loose once in a while. I'm also extremely aware that my residency which should begin next month will focus on a specific subject for a year..this will mean either introducing a symbolic,surreal element to my work or having two lots of work going at the same time. I'm sure it'll work out but I suppose I'm thinking out loud (albeit on the page).

I feel I should be reading other peoples Blogs more often. Don't you sometimes go through phases of reading every day then leaving it until guilt makes you return?..I find that despite not reading that often, I catch myself during the day thinking of someone I have read about as if I will see them later in the evening. You know, I'd love us to have matter transporters (like Star Trek)..then we could all meet up in some wonderful bar in ....oh ..say Paris and drink and talk..then all transport back to our own homes. ......I can dream!

Corn 19

I've worked on the narrow looking building In the centre of the page ..some intricate work here and I'm happy with it.The most tedious part will be the buildings on the left , most of which are in shadow.

I'm currently working with a 'Daylight' bulb in the evenings..This photo was taken by it's light. It's all been a bit comical really. I met a man at my exhibition who told me about a store in Derby which sold them..so I went there on Sunday and bought one..it's actually in the shape of a standard light bulb but is blue in colour.(I'd hoped to find an energy saving version..)..then I bought a cheap desk lamp. Aat home I eagerly tramped off upstairs to try it out only to find that the bulb has a bayonet fitting and the lamp has a screw socket.

It turns out that the bulb only comes with that fitting(in this town anyway)..and nobody sells bayonet desk lamps..So I've put the bulb in an old table lamp and tied it to my old Ikea lamp so that it can sit at an angle over my drawing...there's no shade so if I look up I get blinded..also my forehead gets hot from the proximity of the bulb and so I have to sit back often. I hope you feel free to laugh at my situation because that's exactly what I'm doing!....more tomorrow.

Corn 18+ A380

Back to work but still feeling tired..I guess this is due to me being so old!(LOL!Thanks DM!)..still..pressed on with 'Corn'. I am now half way through the picture and having completed nearly 80 hours it's shaping up to being the longest I've ever worked on one piece.

The morning was also exciting (for me at least) as the Airbus A380 made a low flypast. I live near to the Rolls Royce aero engine division which produces the mighty Trent Engines that power the largest airliner in the world.As a thank you to the people of Derby the A380 made a series of flypasts.My pathetic little photo doesn't do it justice..it was surprisingly quiet but one was aware of the huge amount of power available to the pilot, as it hung in the sky like an angelic metal eagle.

Ripples - A time to relax.

I'm taking time out to relax today. After such a tense and stressful week I feel the need to take it easy. So I thought I'd post a video of my favourite band 'Genesis'. Taken from their 1976 album 'A Trick Of The Tail', it's a beautiful song called 'Ripples'. Blogger was unable to accomodate the embed request, so I've pasted the link here. I hope you like it..along with others, Genesis music would fearure in the 'Sound Track to my life' if there was one! Take a look..and I'll be back tomorrow with the latest on 'Corn'.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vgk5i3vY9Kc

Corn 17 - Exhibitions end

The week came to an end with a flurry of visitors. Today I have probably had in excess of 500 people through the exhibition.Some were actually prepared to buy!The result was that we have managed to break even on the costs plus a little more!I was so worried that we would make a loss that I'm contemplating doing a few cartwheels later!So I'll write the next post from my hospital bed no doubt! I was greatly honoured to have an old friend Alison visit with her husband Mark and two children Freya and Josh. Making the journey down from York it was wonderful to see AL again.I was also visited by many other friends,Allan,Sheridan Honor,Brigid and others made what was an exhausting day very special.

I do however need to say a very special thank you to Kath (pictured here with me) who has given heaps of her own time to help and support me with this and past exhibitions. I'm sure you don't really know Kath the extent of what it means to have such a fantastic,warm,gorgeous,giving,sharing and friendly individual there with me. I know you'll hate this photograph (and I must admit it doesn't do you justice)..but I just wanted all my friends out there in BlogLand to know you were there!

Corn 16 - Exhibition day 5

Today went really well..I sold around 10 prints and spoke to about 70 people. I should also mention that there is a performance each night in the theatre with audience figures around 150 each night..so the daily total seeing my pictures is around 200 +.

Other news: I have been told today that I will be able to move into the studio at the Derby Arboretum soon. I'm having a meeting next week to agree a lease and conditions. More on that as it develops!! It's actually the best news I've had in ages and should raise my public profile quite a bit.

Tomorrow is the last day of the exhibition and potentially the busiest. Please check back for the result.

Corn 15 - Exhibition day 4

Hello!..I'd firstly like to take this opportunity to welcome new readers if you're joining me tonight.Please take time to look into my archives and see what you've been missing!..then why not leave a comment on today's post...It was good to meet you today or over the past few days, please take time to return again and check on the development of my work.



Today was good. Sold three more pieces and had around 76 visitors to the exhibition...and the numbers should increase towards the weekend!. There were many favourable comments and I had the opportunity to meet some genuinely interested and knowledgeable people. Of note were a couple from Nottingham who struck me as being not only familiar with art and artists, but had an air of something deeply humbling ..peace, love and beauty.They were interested in my Little Nemo and the friendly Dragon. I was also able to work on and off on my current picture for around four hours.(see above)

If you exit the exhibition and turn left, you enter the Market Hall(pictured above)..a gloriously Victorian cast iron girded roof.A balcony houses many small stalls selling all manner of things .Below is a picture of one of the fruit stalls.Thursday is usually a quiet day in the market..but on it's busiest days there is hardly room to walk..it's such an atmospheric and friendly place! My Osnabruck Square picture is from a view leading into this building.

Leaving the Market hall and going back to the exhibition you come back under the clock tower of the Guildhall..this picture below is taken outside the door to the exhibition area which is on the right.

I hope to see many more people in the next two remaining days of the exhibition..please remember that my website has many pictures available to buy as prints..P&P is included in the price and I'll post to anywhere in the world! Thanks for reading..see you tomorrow