Nearing completion

Phew! Double Phew!

Ship of the Fens

Ely Cathedral called the 'Ship of the Fens'. It towers above the flat Cambridgeshire countryside

Founded by a Saxon Princess, St Etheldreda in 673 - all part of our tour of English Cathedrals.

Watercolour rediscovered

I have just liberated my watercolour box and cut-down brushes and rediscovered the unpredictability and grace of this lovely medium as it runs across the paper.

Wedding Dress of 2010

Had a coffee catch-up with super-friend 'J' the other day.

Got the full scoop on her wedding which is laterthis year. When she described the dress I got it down in my Moleskine.

But no more detail, Simon might be watching.

22 Reasons to love Mattel Toys

Discovered this picture last evening. Taken 1998. The point? If you must have children, have girls.

Magic Spoons

(Daughter) Bron’s latest work inspired by designer Martin Margiela, who takes things such as old wigs, canvases and silk scarves and magics them into couture
AKA ‘upcycling’ converting waste materials or useless products into new stuff of better quality

So B’s taken spoons and other types of kitchen paraphanalia to create aprons. Part of her A level coursework. Totally cool – I’ve learn shed loads from B over the last couple of years - which has informed my work. Nice.

Floral Tribute

Cycle ride last weekend w/great friend Richard.
We often pass this cemetery in Holtspur, above the roaring M40 motorway. Ricardo and I took a turn around this peaceful place
And discovered this wonderful tribute, quite fresh and full of love
(for John Smith) R.I.P

More detail on the place

Press Work

Following my nose: more mono printing. I have signed up under print maker-artist Christine Lock, her studio is down at Marlow Lock (!)

Who knows where this is going? She has great energy/experience and will teach me things.

It is enough. More to follow.

Christine featured in the photo. My plate featured on her press.

Mono printing more? : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monoprinting

Lyric of the week

Fatherhood has few plus sides. Here's one, discovering the track Starstruck (Lady Gaga) on one of Bron's CD's. Both ladies featured, Bron on the right.

Lyrics
Groove slam work it back
Filter that baby bump that track
Groove slam work it back
Filter that baby bump that track
Groove slam work it back
Space Cowboy just play that track
Gaga in the room so starstruck
cherry cherry cherry cherry boom boom

Rollin up to the club on the weekend
Stylin’ out to the beat that you’re freakin
Fantasize on the track that you’re tweakin’
Blow my heart up
Put your hands on my waist, pull the fader
Run it back with original flavor
Queue me up on the twelve on your table

City Queen Very Camp

Only four weeks ago we were all in Secret Santa mode, unwrapping hideous (?) presents at the office party. Secret Santa, an opportunity to buy and give something purvy. This wonderful piece of packaging was part of a colleague's present. She was good enough to give it to me. The picture exudes 1950's - 60's confidence.

Whitney, Britney, Lady Gagga: Joining the dots

A magic moment this morning. Whitney, Britney and Lady Gagga, by chance on the same playlist on my iPhone. Great singers, great music and that I am glad no one else is in the office yet, so no one is embarrassed by my dancing!

Catwalk Claws

Wandering through iTunes looking for podcasts on fashion I discovered Style.com http://www.style.com/fashionshows/collections/S2010RTW/

The online home of Vogue and its clan. Now no excuse not to know everything about what is going on with the Collections - the three minute fashion films are wonderful!

Heavenly Bodies - fresh work

So I have move the idea for this wonderful composition into acrylics,
limbs and arms facinate, one or two figures in the picture Christa (third from left) and Ruby (third from right)are pivotal to the energy. Megan put the original drawings on Face Book attracting input from all of eight them.

India 4: Local colour

The colour of India constantly astonishes and electrifies

India 3: Lovely Jet Airways

The journey from Mumbai to New Delhi with the lovely Jet Airways.
Our attentive cabin crew put on their yellow jackets for landing
Indian colour

India 2: Dnyaneshwar my driver

Made friends with Danyaneshwar as he deftly navigated his way through the Bombay traffic

India 1: Roof top cricket

Here for the week. The heat, dust and traffic are terrific.
Looked out of my hotel room window onto a cricket match.

Basic Thinking Equipment

A new habit being established: Walk down to town with Bron who again works at Costa. Order one double expresso and a glass of water, catch up on correspondance and thinking.

Heavenly Bodies 1

Once in a while I see the perfect photograph and have to turn it into a painting. Here is a composition that is flawless. A a piece of art who knows where it will end?

Snow Patrol

The whole of the UK has been hit by snow. Everything is covered white including the statue of Diana in our garden.

The way a crow
Shook down on me
The dust of snow
From a hemlock tree

Robert Frost - A dust of snow

English Cathedrals 2010

There are 46 cathedrals in England each has its own specialness. Last year we saw 10 this year we may visit 10 more, drawings are made, discoveries unearthed.

Each place is so very special - illustrated here the majestic nave of Salisbury and its marble columns humans drift in and out.

The Wonder of Westfields

Went to Westfields Shopping Centre today with super chum Sean. A wonderful place. It is sale time in this 150,000m² retail space, the equivalent of about 30 football pitches! I love walking around. How many ideas go into each of the 200+ stores? The window displays, merchandise, layout and people who work there. Stand and watch it all soak it up - Westfields http://uk.westfield.com/london/

Latin Mass in London

Today with best friend Caroline I attended Mass at St Ethelreda's Church in Ely Place London.

The music was exquiste. The mass in latin is so pure and simple with its liturgy paired down to the absolute essentials, free of Anglian fuss. http://www.stetheldreda.com/

Visiting this lovely church a blessing!

Industrial drawing

Following a brilliant course at Central Saint Martins last August I returned to monoprinting yesterday. New year, new creativity.

I see it as a way of 'industrialising' my drawings, scaling them up from the Moleskine notebook format.

Monoprints are the most painterly method among the printmaking techniques, the beauty of this medium is in its spontaneity.


Early results are here some prints made from drawings of Virginia made in December 2007

2010 Survival Kit

I saw this lovely composition of two random objects on the kitchen table. It was Megan's packing list for New Year's Eve Party
A proud father moment.

New Year New Blog

This might be a faster way to get ideas across.
2010 dawned bright and clear, I went for a ride on the bike with camera
Crisp blue and icey puddles.