Memories, that is. The past is always lying in wait, and invades the present when we least expect it. Today I was painting, as I do most days, and when I was wiping surplus paint from a palette knife I noticed something engraved on the blade. It was the initials of my late brother. He … Read more
I don’t mean the sort sung about by Monty Python (although that brings memories of my childhood) . By “interesting” also I don’t mean that the actual content is interesting. In fact, typically it is desperately uninteresting. What I mean is that the phenomenon is interesting. There is a spam filter on this blog, and … Read more
I was sorting through some reference photos I took several months ago, in preparation for a new item in my Italian series. I had asked the son of my next-door neighbours to pose for me, in the expectation that he might contribute to modelling figures in three pieces in the envisaged series. Actually, I had … Read more
I few days ago I mentioned that I was unhappy about the colour balance in a picture on which I’m working. The violet tone was quite wrong. Having sat and looked at this (off and on) during the intervening time, I realised this morning exactly what it needed. The morning passed in extreme frustration, as … Read more
Getting ready for my (unexpected) role as opener of a local art exhibition, I now think that I have a feeling for how my remarks should go. Yes: I will try to keep it humorous. I thought I would try a comparison of what makes a good marriage partner and the way painters relate to … Read more
….other days seem to have a point to them. Today has all been in bits. They have been good bits: useful bits: but still just bits. The best bit was taking time out for a climb again. This time it was a little-visited crag north of Skipton, called Rolling Gate. The climbing is good, but … Read more
Approaching the finish of the picture on which I’m working I became aware that something was not quite right. It wasn’t possible to point to anything very obvious, such as a badly-drawn figure, that leaped out at me and demanded to be corrected. The problem was a niggle. I was really pleased with the general … Read more
Yesterday’s visit to London really was enjoyable. We are only 320 km. from the centre of London, and the direct rail connection means that it is possible for us to make the occasional day trip from Bradford. The main purpose of the visit on this occasion was to see the exhibition of the work of … Read more
After my earlier remark about the perils of installations it was interesting yesterday to encounter the recent installation at the Tower of London. This has been commissioned specifically to mark the centenary of the Great War. It is an interesting piece. It consists of a flood of ceramic poppies emerging from one of the windows … Read more
Or at least, so we’re told. Today has been a bit like that. I’ve started a new picture (on the canvas I made for myself!) even though I have no idea how it will finish. The bottom half is quite a strong image, and I’m really quite confident that it will work. The top half, … Read more