Back to The Drawing Board

Hey

Some people may know this person below, some people may not. Some people may know the person but cant recognise him through this portrait which means i have done a bad job.

To be honest i couldn't tell what sort of job i've done on it at all anymore. Staring at this painting, looking at it from different angles until the image and colour blur and muddle in my head and staring at the poor victim who has posed for this until his flesh resembled hints of olive green, purples, blues and raw umber oil paint colours have left me inconclusive as to whether this is any good or just a load of old tosh.

I can safely say that this has been the most humbling experience for me as an artist. Approaching this with either arrogance, naivety or perhaps both i thought i would be able to do a sterling job ( It is actually a submission for the National Portrait Awards).  During the process it was apparent that i still have a great deal to learn and the past seven years of sacrificing so much for my practice may have to come to an end. But these could all just be ramblings on how im feeling at the moment.... so maybe onwards and upwards or errrmm maybe not.

Christopher and the Crab

Hi

Im pleased to announce that as of now a illustrated children's story of mine is available to purchase on the online shop that has everything; Amazon. The story is called Christopher and the Crab which is illustrated by myself and written by Alison Molyneux. Its quite nice to have this released as this was first a story started for my final major project at uni three years ago and problems with a different publisher meant at one point that this may never have saw the light of day. So thank you Story Meadows Books.

Also available soon will be the re-release of the 'Thud in the Wood' previously released in 2010, once again written by Alison.

Here below are some pictures of Christopher and the Crab. I often find these more appealing to look at than words. Click these words to be taken to the books page on Amazon

Painting by numbers...

... well not really, just couldn't' think of another title to describe this.


 Hope your all well.
Just incase you ever wondered about how my paintings come together from being a painter yourself, or just generally interested heres a step by step process of how this one went. I will try not to waffle on to much.

Sometime in June i think.
 Heres the first sketch, quite like the idea but doesn't really show whats been in my head for the past month

Week after.
 Better, has more realism in the face. Note to self: need to go back to drawing school. Spent so long just rushing sketches out kind of forgot that I'm really not that good at it.

15th June.
 Getting first colours down, needs to be darker choice of pallet. Happiness in paintings another achilles heel.

22nd June.
 Better. Not much else to say here

Some time in July. Forgot to note it.
 Bit of Chair work, trying to dig in with the pallet knife to create carved wood finish. The flowers need sorting out they don't look very natural

17th Aug.
 Nice to get back into it after life in the way intermission. Lot happier now, used c.d front cover from Mark Lannegan Bands Blues Funeral as Reference. Love the 'GraveDiggers Song' track on that, creates funny pictures in my head. Also added a hint of wallpaper print at the back which compliments the venetian chair (well i think so)

Nearly a month off ,7th Sept.
 Too long off, got to finish this. Created shadow on her right hand side, also you may of noticed her friend she's clutching has changed from the sketch, feels better to me. Adding second layer of paint to girl (think we will call her Sally). Will cut back lighter and highlight to a finish next time.

13th Sept.
 As you can see a bit of a dramatic change. Added more shadow. Major appliance of paint to Sally and her friend. May of been better to leave it and add another layer in the future but quite like the idea of having a bit of texture on the face, one of the reasons i love oil paint so much. Once dry i will hide it away out of site and wonder how to finish it.

18th Oct.

Wanted the skin colour to fit in with the rest of the scene and the general mood i was trying to communicate .After three glazes i think this is done. Been taken off my camera phone so apologies if the quality is a bit naff. Cheers for reading

When the Tide Draws Away

I said i would be back soon so here i am.

Another piece of work being exhibited at the upcoming show has been inspired by a trip to a beautiful part of the U.K (yes, there are some) me and my girlfriend made last year, to witness good friends of ours getting married in St Ives in Cornwall.

During the holiday i thought it would be good idea to take my girlfriend on a journey around the various rock pools scattered around the edge of the beach when the tide drew in. Trying to impress her with my limited marine knowledge i tried to find crabs or any sea creatures of note, by the end of my stubborn pursuit i had found naff all and felt a tad embarrassed.

This poor attempt has since been added to my list of uselessness of things im tragic at such as driving, putting up shelves, winning your girlfriend a teddy at the fair and generally other boyfriend/dominant male stuff.

So i went back to the drawing board and decided to do what i do best and just paint some instead.

So here you go heres loads of them, perhaps i should of gone out at dawn....

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This as well as Mr Malky and a couple of one off prints will be avaliable to view or purchase at the Brick Lane Gallery in Shoreditch from May 9th until the 21st.

brick lane gallery show

Hello everyone hope you are all having a good easter holidays.

As of the 8th to the 21st of May i will have work on show at London's Brick Lane Gallery in Shorditch. It will of course include my friend Mr Malky as well as new projects which i have been locked away in my studio painting for the last few months.

There will be one off limited edition prints to buy of the two paintings below



The ticker tape parade




jamie (family portrait)


The other work will be previewed on here in the next week or so.

Till then take care all and we will chat again soon.

Evan Benedict the Egg Hunter

Hello again.

Heres a painting that has taken me a couple of months to get right, looks finished to me after looking at it for the past week or so so i thought id share it.
The Evan name is inspired from the new member of my girlfriends family making her an auntie for the first time, though since hes only a few months old he wont be hunting for eggs any time soon, not even this coming easter.

At first i found it a tad tricky to find how i wanted the eggs to look but it sort of came to me when i sort of zoned out for a second looking at one of the doors in my house. All the knots in the wood started to look like faces which gave me sort of eureka moment.

Heres an image so you see what i mean and also by showing this proves that im not a disturbed individual.





And here it is...








At the same time another Mr Malky image has been completed. Wont waffle on about this one to much all i will say is that them trees took ages!




To end heres a tune that was the final track on Fabric's latest combination mixed by Visionquest.Its called the song with no ending by wildcookie.I imagine some of you may find the title fitting if youre still reading this...

The Gift

Hello

For the past eight months or so i have been working on a interactive story for the ipad called 'The Gift', written by Jos Carlye for Persian Cat Press.

Its for younger children so its a lot more on the happier side compared to my other exploits. As you would imagine they don't want to be giving the kids issue's in later life. This has been a detachment from my normal work but has been a refreshing change.

Sorry haven't got any images to show but heres a trailer



You can find out information about it here and an interview with myself here

Please note that normal service will be resumed in my next post meaning me waffling on about my personal work.

Since 'tis' the season to be jolly i wish you all a happy christmas and will check back in the new year.

Cheers