Wednesday 29 February 2012

Nature red in tooth and claw






Sometimes life plays out it's most dramatic moments right in
front of you. Sitting quietly at the computer yesterday there
was a huge thump upstairs as a Sparrow Hawk took a Magpie
mid flight and slammed it into the bedroom window spiralling
down to the patio. I got up, looked out and the Sparrow Hawk
took fright, flew a few yards and watched both me and the injured
Magpie. It soon returned and a fight commenced ending up on
the lawn where the Hawk used it's skills to win the day.
It's not often you see a Sparrow Hawk take a bird its own size,
least of all a Magpie which, let's face it, is a tough bird.

Tuesday 28 February 2012

Delia Baillie





An exhibition worth seeing in Edinburgh in March is
paintings by Lee O'Connor and Delia Baillie at the
Patriothall Gallery in Stockbridge.
Delia was a finalist in The Aspect Prize in 2006 and
always comes up with good challenging works. She can
draw which allows her to experiment and produce works
which have a greater validity than many who try to work in
the area in which she excels. The three here (under the ad)
are from Delia's web site...from top to bottom:
Give-us-our-eleven-days, Field and...Remember the Wind.


The exhibition previews on March 8th (6-8 pm)
Runs 9th to 19th March. Mon-Thurs 12-5 pm.

Monday 27 February 2012

Devon exhibition

The end of April sees my solo show in the Brownston Gallery
in Modbury in Devon. It will be a mixture of work from Devon,
Greece, France, South Africa and Maine. Above is the Harbour
in Port Clyde in Maine.

Friday 24 February 2012

With waters running high here it's extraordinary that
there are drought warnings down south. Such a dramatic
divide in only a few hundred miles.

Thursday 23 February 2012

Ever since I was a kid I've had a thing about Land Rovers. I learnt
to drive when I was eight in a series one on my uncles farm. I
didn't know then how lucky I was to be driving around in a
series one. Anyway...I've done a couple of Land Rover paintings.
A director from Land Rover has one which is great.
Found this Land Rover in the town of Procopi in Evvia, Greece.
The painting has just gone down to The John Davies Gallery
in Moreton in Marsh.

Wednesday 22 February 2012

Love the cars on this film set.

Tuesday 21 February 2012

Graham Murray

When in London I visited a couple who wanted to show me
some works by the late Graham Murray. Graham was a cousin
of my father and was responsible for persuading my dad to let
me go to art school. He was a friend of Stanley Spencer and
Spencer stayed with Graham and Charlotte when he was doing
the war time Clyde ship yard paintings.
This little painting reminded me of a wall of paintings I'd seen
the day before at the Hockney exhibition in the RA.

Monday 20 February 2012

Ben Eine





Street artist Ben Eine has work all over the world. This lovely
collection is in the Shoreditch area. It was a work by Ben Eine
which Prime Minister David Cameron gave to President Obama.

Friday 17 February 2012

Clerkenwell




For the first couple of nights that we were in London we stayed
with a friend in Clerkenwell. This is not an area we knew so
exploration of the area was high on our list and we found it
fascinating.
Here is a taste of the history. The top picture is of the Jerusalem
Tavern. Named after the Priory of St. John of Jerusalem which
began in 1140. The village of Clerkenwell grew up around the priory
and the first Jerusalem Tavern came into being in the 14th century.

I'm told that the Crusaders gathered there and at St John's Gate
before heading off on their adventures.

The Tavern moved a few times until it finally settled in this building
which dates from 1720. It was originally a merchants house and a
workshop for watch and clock makers. The current shopfront was
put in place in 1820.

Over the years the Tavern has had some interesting characters
partaking of it's ales. The artist William Hogarth, Samuel Johnson,
David Garrick and, on several of his trips to London, none other than
Handel.

Just down the road is St John's Gate. Part of the original boundary of
the City of London. It was illegal to hold gatherings or demonstrations
within the city so gatherings were held on the other side of the gate.

This is a fine piece of old London. In all the years I lived there I was
unaware of its existence. I'm looking forward to my next visit.

Poor old Piccadilly Circus, known for its lights, now
has this overshadowing Eros. Not what I'd call a sensitive
approach to the problem.

Thursday 16 February 2012

Hockney


Went to see the Hockney exhibition at The Royal Academy.
Tickets are hard to get but opening times have been extended
so it's worth a try. Do go. This is an astonishing exhibition. Not
that everything in it is brilliant but the work that is will blow
you away. If I could go again I would.

Wednesday 15 February 2012

London



Spent weekend in London where I had a couple of meetings
with galleries. Sally came along as well and wanted to see
some street art in the Spitalfields...more of that later.
The strange boat shaped thing on top of the Royal
Festival Hall is a temporary placement of this new
moveable apartment which can be rented. It is going
to be placed in various interesting locations.
Nice idea.

Thursday 9 February 2012

Iceland

This is a quiet wee painting of the coastline at Hvamstangi
in Iceland. A very nice lady bought this a few weeks ago
along with another two Iceland paintings (the last ones!).
She then asked me if I would do her a favour and die a
dramatic and painful death to increase the financial worth
of her new purchases. I said I'd rather die a peaceful and
painless death. That won't do she proclaimed...how about
having an affair with someone notorious like Tracey Emin?

I'll take the painful death I said....

A somewhat bizarre conversation and not one I usually
have with clients.

Wednesday 8 February 2012

I like the way farms sit in the landscape. This one
is particularly good looking.

Tuesday 7 February 2012

Dunlop

This is a view of the village that I like. I've been looking
around at the various views as I'm currently in email
contact with someone in Canada who wants a small
painting of the village. I've given my price and am
now awaiting a response. Let's see what happens.

Monday 6 February 2012

This is a photo of my grandad's car. I'm not sure what it is.
Someone thought it might be a Humber.

Friday 3 February 2012

Exhibition of Scottish painting

Running now until February 11th at Wimbledon Fine Art,
41 Church Road, Wimbledon. This exhibition is organised by
Stafford Fine Art in conjunction with Wimbledon Fine Art.

My painting above is 'Near Castine'.
Castine is in northern Maine.

Thursday 2 February 2012

More Huck Bergius images








Couldn't resist more images of Huck Bergius's lovely
stained glass crosses.

To contact Huck: huckbergius@hotmail.com