A WORLD IN PICTURES: Nike Town London

The other evening I enjoyed a personal tour of Nike Town London with one of the principle ‘architects’ of its creation, Ms Sophie Jourlait-Filéni, now a marketing colleague of mine at BBC Worldwide.

This thrilling experience was a ninety-minute crash course in branding, merchandising and staying a head of competitors. One high spot was Ms J-F explaining the logic behind the Damien Hirst-like displays of football boots.

Nike Town might be a really good place to go do some drawings!

Meanwhile enjoy this homage to Nike click here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hozw9qU3nP8

29 ways to stay creative

LIFE ON MICHIGAN AVE

Discovered this web site gem link on creativity! Each of the 29 ways is a a gem!

The end of year show

There was a large crowd and lots of chattering talent at the De Montfort (Leicester) Art Foundation Show 2011.

It was another one of those proud father moments and happily my enthusiasm for Bron’s final work was un-dampened by the wine having run out before my arrival. As ever, at a really good show, other people’s work fascinates and inspires me, so I walk away (to a meal at Chicken Nandos) with a few good ideas – to incorporate in my printmaking work.

Disneyworld Hammersmith

Before you all start climbing all over the web to start booking your tickets, Hammersmith is actually home to The Walt Disney Company's London office. However Mickey was very much in evidence as I delivered a picture from my exhibition to Client and super-chum Amanda. The wonderful thing about Mickey is that he gets everywhere - check out the details on the handrail in the reception area!

Journeys End

Saturday was the last day at The Circus Gallery . Several pieces from my ‘back studio’* were snapped up which was especially pleasing.
Better still a good crowd of people visited:
In the morning super-friend Katherine, painter-husband Oliver and baby Rocco. Attached to this delightful entourage was Katherine’s father, poet Gene Stevenson. Gene and I chatted about how we both celebrate the world of travel, me in print-making, and he in poetry. Bonus: Gene was acquainted with Thom Gunn**

Rocco was awarded the Youngest Visitor to the Show .

Photos feature Oliver Katherine Rocco and Jo Bergdahl, Partner at Circus

*Back Studio – I picked this useful phrase up from Juliet Johnson, Director at the Frost & Reed gallery who the other day told me how artists often bring out work unsold from previous exhibitions in the hope of selling in a current show. All rather grand I though, must give it a go. ** Thom Gunn (1929 - 2004) In Praise of Cities – a poem I discovered earlier in the year, that was a critical in inspiring my show

Fish and Chip Shops in West London

There was a particular church that I wanted to visit in Chiswick and my cycle route took me past this excellent establishment. This part of London is rich in Fish and Chip shops which leads me to the idea that the topic is worthy of further exploration.

The New Seven Stars Fish Bar on the Goldhawk Road run by two delightful chinese ladies. And even if you don't wish for chips with your sausage in batter they give you some anyway - quite delightful. Stay tuned for more fish tails/tales.

VIP Gallery Guest

My show has been open for a week.

Today we had super-guest Lilianna, who completed a wonderful drawing in my current Moleskine . She also demonstrated the correct use of Anglo Bubbly bubble gum.

Enchanting, wonderful: Lilianna, thanks for coming to see my show!

Full details of the show? - least I be eclipsed by L, visit http://www.timbaynesart.co.uk/

And Lilianna's drawing in my book will be featured shortly - when I cease to be threatened by her .

Additionally: Impressive roll of pencils in photos - artist's own.

Memories of a Geisha

Tokyo +13 days:

My friend Katsu-san took me to MARIFUKU, a Kyoto-style Japanese restaurant. The owner is Marifuku-san (true name is Ms. Ebina-san). Ms Ebina-san is a former Geisha from Kyoto. During a wonderful evening I watched her flit around her restaurant, engaging guests celebrating a birthday, conferring with two other customers. This lady's self possession was delightful.
Behind the counter she commands the Chef and lightly guides her staff and shares a joke.

Her every movement full of poise, her every gesture full of grace. The discipline and exactitude of her former life and her beauty are so very self evident! Each scene like a Kitagawa Utamaro print. We share books; Ebina-san lets me leaf through her album from Geisha School (two pictures featured her) and in return I pass my Moleskine across the restaurant's counter.

Now happy tears from the recollection of this chance encounter and deep gratitude to Katsu-san for bringing me to MARIFUKU.

An incident involving New York

2010

2009

Another strange element to Printmaking are the accidentals.

Clearing up after a recent session I wanted to get excess ink of one the rollers so I ran it up and down a sheet of scrap paper, 6 by 14 inches

"Humm, that's a nice orange" I thought, so I overlaid a darker colour, cut-up of a tiny cityscape I'd been using earlier and repeated it several time across the paper,

"Hey, that's lovely, it looks like New York " said Christine

"Hummm . . and when I got home I checked through some photographs I'd taken in New York about a year prior on a trip and found one that I'd taken from the aeroplane window as I was taking off to come home. . .

Strange.

It's back, He's back

Nearly three weeks without a 'post' and the other evening a long conversation with a supremely intelligent being about to blog or not to blog.

Anyway I am going forward - so before launching into a series of creative ideas around two weeks in Northern Cyprus here is the spring board, a quote from the biography

Robert Graves His life and works by Martin Seymour-Smith (Graves author of I,Claudius and some of the finest love poetry in the English language):

"He worked not in sporandic bursts, but relentlessly, persistently and regularly" .

This is about the long and short of creativity - a massive volume of effort applied to talent.

A finer form of art

The other day I was lucky enough to catch up with Juliet Johnson, long-time chum and Director of Frost & Reed, a fine art dealer whose gallery stands proud at the end of King Street in St James.

Its always a thrill to step into the finer side of painting: Juliet walked me round two exciting shows there at the moment Marcel Dyf and Kate Giles. Exciting for very different reasons.

Marcel Dyf is a 20th century Impressionist, a Frenchman who was a genuine inheritor of the tradition of Renoir and Monet, who was painting in some of the same places. It was wonderful to be intimate with work that transport you directly to the french countryside and the water's edge.
And on to Ms Giles: Standing in front of her work the vigour of St Petersburg and mysticism of the woods around the Pushkin Museum almost overwhelms; as Juliet talks intimately of Kate’s energy, enthusiasm and excitement as a painter. This is an artist who was quoted recently

“I sometimes want to turn the machine off but as an artist you can’t,” . . .

I’ll leave it there, except to share the link http://www.frostandreed.com/

Taking Stock with Lock

I avoid examining my work as it involves two uncomfortable activities: Standing Still and thinking.
Christine (Lock) suggested with her gossamer-touch, that we take stock of the print making todate.
So, six months of work, tution, guidance, suggestion, critique, encouragement, praise, mutual respect; a new and joyous relationship.
So, the output?
Terrific; 12 cities captured (28 x 46 cm) in colour, vibration and warmth. Each different, each attached to a single thread: enthusiasm.
Additionally 6 more pieces are soon to be given the finishing touch through the Press and six more days of press time booked to complete the representation of 26 places, journeys and priviledged encounters of which 18 journeys will be chosen.
In my line of business (trainer - the day job) I am accorded with some status. In January, in India, I was accorded with the title 'Guru'. I am nothing, compared with Christine Lock; tutor, teacher, cajole-er, friend, equal and master. I am totally sure of one thing: I still have much to learn.
The work is on www.timbaynesart.co.uk
x

School's Out - Big Time

Well, the other night we had the PV of Bron's final year Show and v soon she leaves school (for ever)

Lucky that Super Snapper Chris Worthington was there to scoop up the excitement. His Piccassa album is a click away http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/chkworthington/Bronnie?authkey=Gv1sRgCNqGnsyJ9eWnRw&feat=email#

Bron - a massive year of hard work. Some lovely work. Massive Energy and the beginnings of something great. Off to Art School for you young lady!

B's work is in the link.

Clinging to Tracy

Ooops pushed send too early a couple of nights ago. I was going to say that I have renewed Tracy Emin: The Works 2006 - 2009 for the final time as the library service are soon to present me the Most Renewed Book award . Well it is big book and weighs in at 7 pounds - more importantly it full of wonderful work.

Delicate drawings, bold needlecraft, top shelf excitement and more pathos than a boat of Greeks plus sub text to make your hair curl! Go Girl! Her work inspires for its sheer volume and honesty.

Hong Kong Tsingtao saves

Long day, hit on by Producer from LA over breakfast.

Last to leave the office.

Lovely rain, lonely streets, lonely me.

Hotel room, hit one of B's playlists, We are the people by Emperor of the Sun, Bose in the room - a cold Tsingtao from the Qingdao brewery courses through me.

Life is sweet. Sometimes.

The Bookmaker

How about this! My print making tutor, super-person and collaborator Christine Lock is also a book maker. Feature here in all humility by moi is one example of a book with slip case. The whole piece is made by hand, in fact I witnessed a lot of the production when I was working down at the Lock Press today - that's another story.

This story probably means we will be collaborating on book making before too long. OMG!

Norfolk Morning 2

07:35

The incesent slap slap of metal stays against masts

A dispute of gulls

Warm sun cool breeze

My nose drips onto my drawing

A hammer sounds on the timbers of a boat nearby

Norfolk Morning

Three days on the north Norfolk coast this week

Up early each day, recording sounds as I drew or took photographs

Tuesday 07:14

A gull chats away as I draw

Crows, a long way off

The cough of a walker

A lark joins the conversation

I hear the water returning to the mud flats

Oyster Catchers, flute music

Faure Fantastic

Sunday, St Mary's Beaconsfield, the choir swelled its ranks to 34, and we sung Faure's Requiem as part of an Evensong service.

It was quite wonderful. From the first bar we were confident and bright and sensitive to this lovely piece of music.

The congregation broke out into applause as we walked back into the choir vestry

Featured: 11 year old Ali, our solo soprano, rehearsing the Pie Jesu with our Director Debra Ivens.

Saturdays in Hong Kong

Another post Iceland ash flash back. Saturday morning in Hong Kong? A great place to bump into people is along the Hollywood Road, the other Saturday I collided two great former colleagues Nancy Willis and five minutes later with Kenneth Andrew and his wife.

The streets that bisect Holliwood are paved with interesting shops and stalls. A great collection of cameras and glasses are featured PLUS three wonderful gorgeous photos (here as montage) which I had to buy.