View from the Studio

New Portrait

2011-10-13T20:06:00.000+01:00

This new portrait is possibly one of my most complicated paintings with a lot of different elements that had to be balanced. The couple (Fritz & Bev) in the painting travelled South America on a motorcycle and the painting is not only of them but of their journey too.

It's always nice to technically experiment and push your work further; however a commissioned portrait is not the safest way to achieve this. After speaking to them I knew they would be very open to new ideas and so I went with my gut and painted without any constraint.

I wanted to capture a sense of movement (but not speed) and so the bike became fractured and I used from their own postcards which acted like markers dotted onto the canvas. On these postcards were images of roads which again added to a sense of travel and movement. One of these postcards depicts a landslide. This was chosen as after talking with them about their trip, you realise how adventurous you must be to embark on a journey of this type. This is not your average package holiday but the rewards are far greater!

Photo shoot at GGGallery

2011-10-12T18:22:00.001+01:00

A photo shoot took place at the GGGallery with my paintings as a backdrop!

GGGallery was the setting for the promotional shoot for the new indie band Alaphabet Saints for the Guardian Online.

Take a look at the article here

Art London

2011-10-05T20:31:00.000+01:00

If you are near Royal Hospital Chelsea in London pop in and see my new collection of work which is being exhibited with Heartbreak Gallery at the art fair Art London.

This new series of work carries on my love of pulp or low brow imagery that is re-imagined using a pop art sensibility.

All the figurative imagery (the women and men that appear) have been taken from original photographs in 40s and 50s pulp detective magazines, they have then been ‘tweaked’ and then reworked into imaginary pulp novels with myself as their fictional author.

These small pocket book novels are then oversized to grandiose proportions and paint is applied liberally allowing me to focus on areas that please me and smudging and blurring others with a heightened use of colour. The titles and logos are treated in this same manner which creates a tension between the image and the text imposed upon it.

The collection can be viewed on my website here

How to use Color in Portraits

2011-10-02T20:08:00.001+01:00

How to use Color in Portraits 28" x 20"

This is one of the paintings I have completed over the last few months.

It is based upon an old Walter Foster 'How to Paint' book but using a Playboy centerfold as the figure, make of that what you will!!!

It is available from Gallerina.

Bring a Bottle

2011-09-27T20:38:00.000+01:00

An artist friend of mine recently organised an art event which was based around the concept of a 'lounge'.

They used a large room in an arts centre & filled it with old sofa's, chairs, china cabinets etc!!!

Artists were invited to create site specific work based upon the concept.

They also asked artists to donate a re-designed bottle, can etc. which would become part of a 'bar' & then raffled to raise money to support future art events.

That's where I came in as an e-mail arrived from my friend asking me to create a bottle!!! Of course I had to oblige & couldn't think of anything better than a Newcastle Brown Ale bottle and a free book!

The event was great & they had a huge number of visitors to the event over the two days it was on.

On the final night we all sat around on large sofa's surrounded by 70's style coffee tables, china cabinets, low lighting provided by old lamps & of course the artwork drinking beer & watching a live band perform!

The lucky winner of my bottle in the raffle was a guy called Chris. So congratulations to Chris hope you enjoy the book too!

Mixed Show Exhibiton

2011-09-08T20:07:00.001+01:00

I have some paintings in a mixed show exhibiton at the

GGGallery London.

The show finishes on the 18th September.

Other artists in the exhibition include

Kristian von Horn$leth & Adrian Wilson.

Visit the GGGallery website for more information.

Last few days

2011-07-20T18:44:00.000+01:00

It's the last few remaining days of my solo exhibition in London!
So if you haven't been to see it yet, head on over to the GGGallery in Notting Hill!

Visit the GGGallery here

Journey

2011-07-09T14:59:00.002+01:00

This is the magazine cover that I recently completed for Hawker Beechcraft's new lifestyle magazine Journey.

Not only did I get the opportunity to creat the front cover I also produced four small portraits which appeared inside the magazine.

The magazine was launched at the end of May at the Ebace convention in Geneva.

You can see the magazine cover online here
The magazine was also available as an iPad edition here

Visit Hawker Beechcraft here

Styled with Lastex Yarn

2011-06-29T12:31:00.002+01:00

Martin White (page 11)

30" x 24"

Slix (page 16)

30" x 24"

Meridian CLINGKNIT (page 12)

30" x 24"

I've recently taken these three paintings to Gallerina.

They are based upon old swim-wear adverts from a 'Lastex' catalogue.

---

Las·tex

[las-teks]

A trademark used for a yarn having a core of elastic rubber wound with rayon, nylon, silk, or cotton threads.

---

I always like vintage adverts highlighting a new technology for the time, that we now all take for granted!

The first two paintings were exhibited in an art exhibition in Bath last year which was based around fashion.

The paintings are currently for sale from Gallerina & for any more information do contact the gallery here

Modern Memorabilia Opening Night

2011-06-21T18:49:00.005+01:00

It's about time I talked about the exhibition opening night isn't it?

It was a really great night & despite the rain a huge amount of people came, so thank you to everyone who came.

The gallery did a fantastic job & I even had my own cocktail named after me too which was electric blue and very potent, see above!

It was great to see that the painting hung so well together & I had a good time meeting & chatting to so many people too!

The gallery itself was incredibly busy all night so photo taking was slightly difficult but my wife Alison, managed to take a number of photos throughout the night so I thought I would post a few of them here.

Jimena & Kat at the gallery had predicted the weather too & had erected an awning outside the front of the gallery so that people could stand outside without fear of getting soaked by the rain!!!

There was even a singer & guitarist to entertain everyone for part of the evening!!!

It was a really great night & I met so many people & received such wonderful feedback from everyone, so thank you again to everyone who came & a special thank you to the GGGallery for a fantastic night!

If you couldn't make it to the preview night I have added the entire collection of work to my website which you can view HERE

The exhibition is on until July 22nd so there is plenty of time to visit the gallery to view the work if you are in the London area.

Visit the GGGallery's website HERE for more information.

Exhibition Night - Tomorrow!

2011-06-15T12:36:00.000+01:00

Modern Memorabilia
my solo exhibition in London starts tomorrow!

The preview night is tomorrow night at the gallery from 7pm.

The exhibition will run until July 22nd so I hope some of you will be able to make it to

GGGallery in Notting Hill to view it.

Commission for Redana

2011-06-11T14:22:00.001+01:00

This is a painting that I recently completed for Redana, a new company specialising in bespoke clothing & accessories. The painting is of their 'Hugs Covergirl'.

As part of the commission the client wanted a film produced of me completing the painting.

The film was produced by Gallerina which you can watch below.

Modern Memorabilia - Solo Exhibition in London

2011-06-08T17:43:00.002+01:00

Gent (Through the Looking Glass)

40" x 30"

Next week sees the opening night of a solo exhibition of my work in London.

The exhibition is called Modern Memorabilia & is being held at the

GGGallery in Notting Hill.

The exhibition will run from the

16th June until July 22nd.

The opening night is on Thursday 16th June at 7pm.

If you are in the London area & would like to visit the exhibition you can find out more information by visiting the GGGallery's website here

If you would like to come along to the opening night, I will be there to chat about my work & you can contact the gallery & RSVP by e-mailing info@gggallery.co.uk

The work being exhibited will be added to my portfolio next week & which you will be available to see on my website.

Hope to see some of there in London next week ...

In the News

2011-06-07T12:00:00.005+01:00

In April The Northern Echo published an article about my portrait work.

In article I talk about how I started & some of the more colourful commissions!

You can read the full article here

Lego Mini Figures

2011-06-06T17:43:00.001+01:00

Here are some of the Lego Figures which are currently in Gallerina - although since I took this photo many of them have sold!!!

They have been received really well & lots of commissions from people wanting their Lego figures from their own collection have been coming in too!

Each painting has a diagram & part names of that particular figure on the back - see below.

If you are wanting one of the Lego Mini Figures be quick they are selling quickly!

If you are interested in any of the Lego Mini Figures visit the Gallerina website here

Spacemen

2011-02-20T16:14:00.000Z

Some new pieces I've been working on recently are these Lego Men.

This is the first set - Spacemen!

Like the paintings of bottle caps, the Lego figures are a simple way to explore colour, form and design. The familiarity of the imagery allows me to almost explode the image while still retaining it, something that I find is only possible with easily recognisable objects.

Also like my other recent work it focuses on an interest in the hobby of collecting in which the displaying of any collected objects (worthless or priceless) becomes more than its individual pieces.

This set of four Spacemen sold immediately in Gallerina last week, on their first day of appearance!

The feedback to the Lego paintings has been great!

But who doesn't love Lego?

Recent Portrait Commissions

2011-02-16T17:29:00.001Z

Some of the recent portrait commisions that I have completed over

the last few months.

Visit the Portrait collection on my website to see more work.

HERE

One Two Three! Prints Available!!

2010-09-17T19:41:00.000+01:00

A set of very limited editon prints of

One Two Three!

is now available to buy.

This small edition of prints is strictly limited to 15 sets.

Each set consists of the three prints & are signed & numbered.

The print set costs £225 & are available to buy from the website.

Click here for more information & to buy.

Save the Arts!!

2010-09-13T20:25:00.005+01:00

The Save the Arts campaign is organised by the London branch of the Turning Point Network, a national consortium of over 2,000 arts organisations and artists dedicated to working together and finding new ways to support the arts in the UK.

The aim of the Save the Arts campaign is to encourage people to sign a petition which will be sent to the Culture Secretary, Jeremy Hunt. It points out that it has taken 50 years to create a vibrant arts culture in Britain that is the envy of the world and appeals to the government not to slash arts funding and risk destroying this long-term achievement and the social and economic benefits it brings to all.

Over a hundred leading artists including David Hockney, Damien Hirst, Anthony Caro, Howard Hodgkin, Anish Kapoor, Richard Hamilton, Bridget Riley, Antony Gormley and Tracey Emin have joined the campaign to make the case against the proposed 25% cuts in government funding of the arts. The campaign acknowledges that reasonable cuts and efficiencies are necessary but that the 25% cuts being proposed will destroy much of what has been achieved and will have a particularly damaging impact on smaller scale arts organisations, as well as on national and regional museums and their collections.

The first stage of the campaign presents a new video animation by artist David Shrigley highlighting the effect of the funding cuts and a new work by Jeremy Deller with Scott King and William Morris. Each week, the work of a different artist will be released. Mark Wallinger will present the next project.

The costs of David Shrigley’s animation have been covered with a grant from the Paul Hamlyn Foundation. All artists engaged in this project have generously donated their time, talent and art.

Click here to sign the petition!

Rules are mostly made to be broken and are too often for the lazy to hide behind*

2010-05-03T12:30:00.006+01:00

N 6231 Patons Piccadilly 50" x 40"

N 9832 Patons 4 ply 48" x 36"

These are my two latest paintings using the simple repetition of a single image to create a new experience. By releasing myself from the constraints of the original design I can explore a more painterly rhythm within.

As an Artist I often find myself creating rules in which I must work, one of them being, working within the original design of the source material. The reason behind the was not concrete but an idea that in reproducing lowbrow imagery as 'fine art' there was a need to be truthful of the source material. This, over time became unmovable and it is always liberating to throw away the constraints I have applied to myself.

12” x 21 ½” 2 x 4” x 9½”
No. 11 Kings Of Speed Captain G.E.T. Eyston

Also in the same repetitious vein a new kings of speed painting with actual cigarette cards and packets

*Quote by Douglas MacArthur

New Works - A mixed Bag!!

2010-02-07T16:05:00.004Z

Test Card F 20" x 16"

You may recognise the TV as it seems to have become my archetype for vintage televisions.

14” x 25 ½” 3 x 7” x 3½”
No. 30 Kings Of Speed “Bluey” Wilkinson

This is a large scale work on paper based on Churchman's Cigarette cards from 1939. The piece includes 6 original cards all of which are Bluey Wilkinson. The back of the card has been hand painted and over scaled. Mounted on top are another three hand painted versions of Bluey slightly smaller but still oversized.

19” x 13 ½” 2 x 6” x 8½”
Spook Talk No 46

Another large scale work on paper is based on American Leaf Brand gum cards from 1961. Like Bluey Wilkinson The piece includes 6 original cards all of which are Frankenstein and his bride and 4 original reverses with terrible jokes!.

Again the back of the card has been hand painted and over scaled. Mounted on top are another two hand painted versions of Frankenstein slightly smaller but still oversized.

14 x 10 ½” No.56 Cheese Fondu

Finally a new work on paper that is based on adverts found in 'Woman' magazines from the 60s. Unlike the earlier works on paper - see here- which were all full page ads this is one large ad and two that are smaller.

They were all taken from separate magazines and chosen to create a tension that is found when disparate images are combined. This also gave me a great title in the misspelled No 56 cheese fondu

No.56 Cheese Fondu (detail)

When DO you call a painting complete?

2010-01-18T13:31:00.018Z

Benjamin West, The Treaty of Paris (1783 Unfinished)

I'm often asked how do I know when a painting is complete and in my case the answer is difficult to explain.

Personally the act of painting can be best described as a game of balance between the abstract nature of paint and the image that is reconstructed. A painting can be described as 'complete' when I run out of spaces to move.

It is therefore an individual choice of what I believe the painting needs in order to convey my intent and still hold a painterly balance. When I am satisfied then it will be left.



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Willem De Kooning referring to the same question spoke that

"I refrain from 'finishing it. I paint myself out of the picture, and when I have done that, I either throw it away or keep it'

It is this idea of not actually 'finishing' in a traditional sense that is very important to me. The viewer must be the person to 'finish' the painting (not by painting in my gaps!!) but by adding all of the disparate imagery and making their own connections. This open ending allows you to constantly revaluate the painting.

Because of this I have no qualms of re-working a painting sometimes years after it has been exhibited if I still feel connected to it. This is not because the painting needs to be improved in any way but over time as I have changed a new aim and vision for the painting can develop.

This does not always happen as paintings have a strange way of disowning you. This I must add is not negative. As De Kooning said you can paint yourself out. Sometimes you never see a way back in as a painter but can then fully enjoy it as a spectator.



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Ex Post Facto Available Now!!

2010-01-07T12:21:00.008Z

My new book 'Ex Post Factor' is now available to buy.

The book costs £25 & is available to buy from either Gallerina or from my website.

Ex Post Facto is a book which is based upon a loosely tied together series of works created over the last three years.

It examines my influences & the main aims of the collection which is split into four sections, Objects, Advertisements, Knitting Patterns and Magazine and Book Covers.

Each book is signed by myself.

You can have a look inside here

Nice to see you, to see you nice ...

2009-12-09T17:51:00.002Z

Thanks to everyone who dropped by Gallerina on Saturday it was great to talk to everyone. It was also good to see Mark Johnston there too chatting about his work.

Also an update on the book situation is that it should be here in about a week so will be available very soon. It will be available to buy online & in the gallery for those nearby.

If you want to be contacted by e-mail when the book is available click here for more info.

New Works On Paper

2009-12-04T21:29:00.002Z

2 x 13 x 9.5” Men DO MAKE Passes at Girls Who Wear Glasses

14 x 11” Keep that Schoolgirl Complexion

14 x 11” How right she is (Drink at least one pint of milk every day)

These are a selection of new paintings on paper I have just finished & I will be dropping them off at Gallerina on Saturday.

It seems I'm painting adverts again which I haven't for around a year. The inspiration is a pile of Womans Own magazines from the 50s I purchased from a car boot. I think they had been stored somewhere a little damp but I really loved the aging on them. This has been the main influence to paint them onto paper, ripping the edges and aging them artificially. I like that they blur the gap between the original and my reproduction.

If you are in the Darlington area on Saturday drop into Gallerina as I will be there for a few hours to chat about my work. If you need help getting there click here.

I will be there from Noon until about 3pm if you want to come along.

Portrait of Regan

2009-12-03T19:58:00.002Z

Hope you watched Imagine the other night.

If you missed it you can watch on BBC iplayer Click Here

Also here's the timelapse film of the painting too.

In The Telegraph

2009-11-30T17:55:00.002Z

The Telegraph ran an article on Saturday about the upcoming art show Imagine which features myself & Gallerina.

You can read the article full article online here.

New Painting - Silky Lashes!

2009-11-27T15:01:00.002Z

'Silky Lashes' 20" x 16"

This is a new painting I have just finished & dropped off at Gallerina today. The painting is taken from an advert found in a 1950's Woman's Own magazine.

BBC Art Show Imagine

2009-11-26T21:37:00.003Z

Next weeks BBC1 art show Imagine will feature myself as they followed me through a portrait commission earlier in the year.

They filmed myself & Gallerina for the show which focuses on the Arts Council scheme Own Art.

The photo above shows the completed portrait with Alan Yentob & Regan who commissioned it through the Own Art scheme.

Catch the show on BBC1 Tuesday 1 December at 10.35pm.