Today I went climbing again. To start with, I was rubbish, although things did improve. The reason I was so poor at the start was that I had no opportunity to warm up before attempting more difficult climbs. If we go to an indoor wall it is always possible to warm up on a couple … Read more
“What do we do now?” The ravens picture is just about done. It has reached the stage at which it needs to be put on a stand somewhere, so that I keep passing by, and catching sight of it out of the corner of my eye. If it doesn’t irritate me, then it’s OK. What … Read more
Some regular visitors to the blog will possibly have noticed the all-too-frequent attempts to spam me, originating with some nut-case in France. I am taking steps to counter this, but it could possibly mean that for a short period the “Comment” facility is suspended. I’m sorry about that, and things will get back to normal … Read more
The experience I reported yesterday has given such a stimulus to my painting that I haven’t really time to give thought to a proper blog entry today. So: sorry about that. I hope to be with you properly again tomorrow. I suppose it’s an ill wind ….
The picture on which I’m working at the moment has quite a complex composition. I wanted to introduce three figures into the foreground, but it was very important that they related subtly to the areas of the picture already in place. I came up with the following idea to simplify the process of establishing a … Read more
Last night we tried a different kind of artistic experience …. the theatre. We went to see Romeo and Juliet at Harlow Carr Gardens, near Harrogate. Several things were memorable about the occasion. Not the least remarkable of these was the fact that it was an open air performance. Readers living in the UK will … Read more
There is another dubious understanding of “inspiration” in relation to art, that I really think needs to be questioned. We are familiar with the phrase “a flash of inspiration”. The assumption seems to be that an idea enters the head, more or less complete, in a sudden moment of enlightenment. It is rather as if … Read more
Today is Tuesday. That means it’s my regular day for rock-climbing. I have to have something to keep me sane and take me away from art. Some people to whom I’ve made similar remarks express surprise that, as a landscape artist, I make no connection between painting and climbing. I do paint landscapes that have … Read more
One of the surprises of life is the way in which chance discoveries can send one off in novel directions, or cause one to rethink in a different way things that appeared to be settled plans. Suddenly there are new possibilities not imagined before. This has happened, in a minor way, to me. Clearing out … Read more
I don’t often do buildings. One of my earliest surviving pieces is a view of a Georgian terrace in Leicester, and I did have a passion for ruins in the ‘seventies. Since then I have rarely included buildings in a picture. Things have just taken a surprising turn. The piece on which I’m working at … Read more