Four Sea Interludes Series - Acrylic Paintings

During the last two years of study at Moulsham School, Chelmsford, I studied music and our specialist subject was English Composers.  The Four Sea Interludes by Benjamin Britten from his opera Peter Grimes was one of the set pieces which I loved.  In my latest series I wanted to evoke the menace and sombre moods reflected in Britten´s brilliant orchestral music.  I also used extracts from the original poem used for the libretto and plot:  The Borough.  Letter XXII: Peter Grimes by George Crabbe (1754-1832).  This series about a fisherman outcast by his villagers, also reflects Britten´s own predicament as a homosexual and pacifist in an intolerant (1939) society.  The series has been painted in a "marine" format on linen canvas, using used fisherman´s nets from a local fishing port (Burriana), Malden sea salt, and in Moonlight some paint was applied using a sea sponge.  To see the series in full please visit my web page.

Bulgaria, July 2011

Troyan Monastery and covered bridge, Lovech

"Mixed feelings, beautiful scenery, genuine treasures, pleasant surprises, and friendly people" sums up my thoughts regarding a recent trip to Bulgaria - all made possible by the kind hospitality shown by my good friend Veselin and his family.

Among my travels was Byala Slatina which showed signs of a grander age under socialist rule, historic Lovech and its beautiful covered bridge, Pleven, the Central Bulkan National Park where we met a friendly group of people including Sezi Hasanova and her family, the Troyan Monastery where the famous Bulgarian revolutionary Vasil Levsky hid out during the time of Turkish rule, and of course Sofia where we encountered some real treasures and pleasant surprises (Sofia will be the subject of a future blog).

Overall my trip left me with a deep feeling of sadness - sadness at the fact that the country has been left to rot, particularly outside of Sofia, sadness at the almost total loss of their previous industrial backbone and sadness at the bleak outlook that is currently facing the people of Bulgaria.

Second Chance in Pisa

I caught the train from Livorno to Pisa to get my very first shots of the Leaning Tower of Pisa.  It was 1982 and I just had to get some photos with my new Canon A1. Unfortuately, when I had the reel developed not one image came out - the result of a mistake in the lab, out of date film or incorrect exposure?  I was very disappointed.

In 2008, I had the opportunity to visit this magical site once again.  On this occasion, I captured a series of images with my new Canon Digital SLR - some of which I have posted to the website as black and white photographs. This shadowy image was taken early in the morning from the top of the leaning tower an hour or so before travelling on a direct flight back to Valencia.  I was captivated by the sheer quality and detail of the wonderful sculpture, decoration and architecture.  Magical, beautiful, inspiring - I cannot wait to visit Pisa again, perhaps with sketchpad and watercolors.

 

Painting with Spirit

Have you ever created something that appeared to be an automatic action, from your subconscious deep inside of you?  This watercolor painting was the result of one of these moments for me.  Soon to be released as a limited edition print, this is one of my Dancer Series watercolors.  Painted on Fabriano paper with a limited palette, these enigmatic almost alien figures dance in harmony, casting their shadows amongst a plain cold backdrop - Movement and light, a common theme in my watercolor paintings.

The Strawberry Girl (1773) by Sir Joshua Reynolds, PRA

I remember it as if it were yesterday, a memorable visit to five art galleries in one day - it was a coach trip organsed by my dad`s local art club.

Yes, I saw some real masterpieces that day however there is one particular painting that for me was really special.  The texture of the paint, the very innocent shy fragile looking face, the pale colours, and for me an enigmatic atmostphere that is magical and enchanting - This painting will forever be my favourite portrait of all time.  Reynolds himself described the painting as "one of the half-dozen things which no man ever exceeded in his life"

I have revisited The Wallace Collection many times and even had the pleasure of working there for a while.  I can thoroughly recommend a visit even if you do not share my enthusiasm for this painting!

The Paintings of Marc Chagall

I have been very fortunate in my life in that I have been witness to some wonderful events.

My father was always very keen on art and through his work in the City of London he was invited to a private showing of a major retrospective exhibition of the works of Russian Artist, Marc Chagall. The exhibition opened in January 1985 and needless to say I went with him - canapes and champagne abounded.

I have had since then a lifelong love of his paintings especially the way he reminisces about his home and roots in Vitebsk, his paintings of floating figures, and his use of colour.

Recently I was given the most fantastic birthday present from my mother - a copy of the biography of Chagall, Love in Exile by the author and Chief Art Critic for the Financial Times, Jackie Wullschlager. I would recommend this book to anyone as it is not just a book about a great artist but one about a struggle to survive and love all that is dear to you under the most extreme conditions.

I could not put the book down, and whilst I was reading it, it constantly reminded me of that visit to the Royal Academy with my late father. I felt an overwhelming pain of sadness when on the last but one page of the book, I learnt that shortly before that exhibition closed on the 28th March, "after a day spent quietly working in his studio, Chagall had a heart attack as he was leaving the elevator from his studio to the living quarters of La Colline, and died instantly."

One trip on the very top of my wish list is to his home in the South of France where his spent the last of his days and to his Museum there.

Original and Creative Artwork: Aloha Series

Can we truly say that our work is original?

I love researching ideas especially those relating to travel and faraway lands. One of these ideas related to the word "Aloha" - the traditional greeting from Hawaii. When I looked into its deeper meanings I found many interesting things. The spirit of Aloha was an important lesson taught to the children in Hawaii in the past. I chose to portray my interpretation of Aloha within three works of art. One called "Transformation", which represents the transformation of energy - burning, sparkling and decay. Another I called "InnerPeace" because to me it also represented the steady, constant beating of the heart - in harmony with mother earth. In the final work, named "Awakening" (pictured here) I used a part of the wonderful creation story of Papa (father sky) and Wakea (mother earth) who have a child that dies at birth and is buried, however from the body grows a shoot that becomes the first plant on earth - the Taro plant; a staple diet of the Polynesian people. Haloa (Aloha) also means "everlasting cycle" which is a reason why the series includes many waves and circular brushstrokes.

A small word that to many has only one meaning, has inspired me to use my creative skills in producing a series of watercolor studies and acrylic paintings. Check out the series in my new website: www.artphotographypaintings.com

Am I being truly creative and original ? - Please, I would be interested to hear your views.