Three new paintings. Much productivity.

Link to recent paintings

I am forging ahead creating more objects of desire for the upcoming exhibition at the Blott gallery. To relieve the monotony of painting chimney stacks, fruits and funnelly things I painted a couple of self portraits. I got that out of my system at least. Tricky thing self portraits. Consensus is that I look too intense and angry. I'm in fact just concentrating lots. I did a prototype portrait of me smiling benignly but it looked as if I had special-needs. A smile just does not suit some faces. Another opinion was that I've made the hairline on one portrait too vigourous and thick. I remedied this in the subsequent portrait where I have shown the accurate thinning. I'm not sure how important this is but the comment came from a authoritative source. I tired of my face after two portraits and the third painting in the recent paintings section on the website (link above) is another industrial landscape painted in colours inspired by the American colourist Milton Avery. I am now reproducing the painting Preston sunrise on a really big canvas for the exhibition. It occurred to me the painting has drama and the drama could be increased by increasing the size of the canvas. As the painting has little detail this is tantamount to just increasing the size of the planes of colour as it is the colours which convey the emotion. It worked for Mark Rothko so it should work for me.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Fishwick Parade,Preston,United Kingdom

Yay!! My pictures are showing in a gallery!

Yes, my pictures are currently hanging in the Blott gallery with titles and price stickers and everything.

Just completed two more industrial settings - well one is new and the other is a reworked old. Already posted on my Facebook page but here is the link for those who missed them.

New painting link

The other is in the Preston section and is called 'Red walls'.

Just bought some clippers to cut my own hair. As I get older I find it more and more difficult to deal with chatty barbers. You cannot win. If you engage they chat all the more. If you don't they take it out on your hair. I'm going to get beaten up if grow another pony tail ( I used to have one in the 80s) so I shall have to wear it v. short from now on.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:New Hall Lane,Preston,United Kingdom

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

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

Location:Preston,United Kingdom

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

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

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