Wednesday, 26 February 2014

Two new paintings up

Link to paintings.


Both are trippy industrial landscapes intended for consideration for a forthcoming exhibition at the Blott studios. I'm spending more and more time at Blackpool so that the Tower is likely to replace the ubiquitous Preston chimney in my paintings. I'm well aware of the phallic overtones of these landscapes. All I can say is that I like the way the lightness of the sky is divided by and connected by darkness. That's my story.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:New Hall Lane,Preston,United Kingdom

Saturday, 15 February 2014

A historic moment for me!






First two of my paintings hanging in the Blott gallery for in 'situ shots'. I spoke to interesting guy who came to the gallery and who is an extreme fan of HP Lovecraft (and therefore can't be all bad) who said that I had done pretty well to get this far. He has Lovecraft's portrait tattooed on his arm which is courageous as his likeness is not commonly known and he was not a particularly good looking dude. I'm going to ask his permission to show said likeness and mention his name in a future blog. I am also a lifelong fan of Lovecraft's eldritch universe. Indeed one of my first paintings was my interpretation of the lurker on the threshold or the thing in on stairs or The thing which cannot be described .... I've actually forgetten which. It had many legs and a single red eye I seem to remember. Probably not the most appropriate author to be read to small children at bedtime but my father was also an enthusiastic Lovecraftian. I don't think it did me or my siblings any lasting damage.





Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Monday, 10 February 2014

An experiment

Link to Nude in box

Sitting in a Costa in Blackpool dictating this and waiting for picture framing shop to open. The latest picture started out as semi abstract after Milton Avery but with colours suggested by Rothko - namely a subdued ochre against a rich ultramarine. Half-way through the painting I noticed how uninteresting the painting was becoming. You need big surfaces for colour abstract stuff - A2 just does not have the same impact as a canvas the size of a car. Rather than bail I added texture and zing to the colours. I quite like the result and might attempt another on a larger scale. I can feel a big canvas coming on. It was only a matter of time.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Adelaide Street West,Blackpool,United Kingdom

Wednesday, 5 February 2014

Officially in a gallery now

Welcome from Blott Studios

Phase 1 complete, phase2 includes selling an original and pursuance of world domination etc.

Stuff I'm currently working on right now. All very exciting stuff I'm sure you'll agree.



















- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:New Hall Lane,Preston,United Kingdom

Thursday, 30 January 2014

Blott Artist's studio and Collective

Link to gallery
A selection of my original canvases are to be shown in a trendy/edgy Art gallery in Blackpool. I stumbled upon this place on Boxing Day and felt immediately at home there. It displays real art. Not absolutely sure what I mean by that but I mean it very strongly. The art it displays aren't just objects meant to be sold - they are objects meant to say something. I think I mean something like that only more so. Anyway, very exciting. I am vindicated and can now die.

Note to self.
Big exhibition coming in May/June. Need to work on more pieces so existential demise will have to wait.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Winery Lane,Preston,United Kingdom

New painting: Kurtz

Kurtz link
Kurtz is, of course, the nutter in 'Heart of darkness' or 'Apocalypse Now' for the hard of reading. I use him to illustrate the extremes of madness caused by looking too deeply and to long at the ego. An Amazonian background would be more fitting but I don't see the horror the early explorers report. I see the setting for ' I'm a celebrity ...' and other banalities. An industrial landscape is more fitting in my humble but final opinion.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Winery Lane,Preston,United Kingdom

Thursday, 16 January 2014

Calvary

New painting: Calvary New paintings link

The point of this painting is that the spectators at the crucifixion are looking beyond their ego discs at something bigger and more important than themselves. This rarely happens so I thought it was worth illustrating. The shock of apprehending the torture and death of the Son of God has destroyed their little life stories and they apprehend instead the life story of the Christian cosmos.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Winery Lane,Preston,United Kingdom