It’s that time of year again, the art portraiture silly season! The Royal Society of Portrait Painters exhibition coming to the Mall Galleries, The BP National Portrait Awards judged ready for the annual show at the National Portrait Gallery, The Sky Arts “Portrait Artist of the Year”, another TV series Continue Reading
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February 2017 Blog Restlessness, Spontaneity and Leonard Cohen
As I grow older and time becomes more precious, as an artist I live in the moment and on occasions act on impulse. I always need a muse or something to inspire me and sometimes this happens immediately and at others long after an event. In an earlier blog I Continue Reading
January 2017 A brighter, better year perhaps?.
By general consent 2016 was not a good year and I’m not going to mention many of the grim world issues or celebrity deaths or trivia that have preoccupied the media, social included, during the last twelve months. Suffice it to say that the words “peace”, “hope”, “equality”, “justice”, “freedom”, Continue Reading
December 2016 Blog The Sensational Camille O’Sullivan
About six years ago I was listening to BBC Radio 3 and happened by chance to hear an interview with Camille O’Sullivan who then performed, singing live in the studio. I suddenly became mesmerised by the sound of her voice as I had never come across her name before. It Continue Reading
October 2016 Blog: Fund Raising, Conceptual Art, Exhibitions, Alma Mahler and Jonas Kaufmann
Much can happen in a few weeks where art is concerned and I’m delighted to say that some of my paintings were sold in a silent auction last month to raise funds for a couple of charities, the Royal Marsden Hospital and the Daniel Spargo -Mabbs Foundation.” The Music Continue Reading
August 2016 Blog Art and Music – Painting Sound
This is the last blog for the time being about art and its musical connections. I recently starting watching a television series about the history of recorded music and one of the episodes was entitled “painting sound”. This is exactly what has captivated me in recent years. Is it possible Continue Reading
July 2016 Blog Music and Art(3) Love, Sex and Death
Love, sex and death are some of the most frequently explored themes featuring naked or partially covered bodies in the history of western art and music. Venus, Adam and Eve, naked Gods and Godesses, reclining female nudes, seduction and even rape have been regularly featured in visual art history and Continue Reading
June 2016 Blog – Art and Music continued: Themes and Subjects
There are many recurring themes and subjects that have preoccupied painters throughout the history of western art including self-portraits and identity, the reclining nude, the Madonna and child, mother and baby, heaven and hell, Greek and Roman mythology, femmes fatales, nymphs and sirens. The list is endless and art students Continue Reading
May 2016 Blog (2) Art, Music and Synaesthesia
Some of my earliest childhood memories are of art and music. I clamoured for pencil and paper so that I could draw – anything and everything. Certain pieces of music sent strange tingling feelings down my spine at a tender age too. Sketching, painting, listening and performing subsequently became central Continue Reading
May 2016 Blog “Challenging” Art?
How often do you see the words “challenging” used by art reviewers and critics when referring to works exhibited in shows or featured in reviews and books? “Challenging” always irritates me as so often it is about pieces which shock, outrage, disturb, offend or fool people into believing that they Continue Reading