busy busy

not been near a computer for a while....

spent five days in Czech republic - with four friends, staying in the country, more to follow

went to a truly fab gig, originally turned down tickets but soooo glad I went - again more detailes to come.. edwin Collins (I'll write my own version but in the meantime here is a taster)

All things considered, he's doing fantastically well. In February 2005, Edwyn Collins was hospitalised with two cerebral haemorrhages. The very worst seemed a very likely possibility but with the help of the finest surgery the NHS could offer, his family and his iron will, he survived.
Two years later, he has a new album - mostly recorded before his hospitalisation - and he's back on stage. So far, so miraculous, but, despite his plainly sincere assertion that "I'm enjoying this gig immensely" and the manner in which he couldn't stop himself laughing like Basil Brush's giggly cousin between songs, I'm not wholly sure whether performing is the ideal way forward for him right now, despite the wishful thinking of a crowd willing him to be further into his recovery than, for the moment, he actually is.
The effects of Collins's condition were plain as he sat before his lectern and sang his 50-minute set, accompanied a band led by former Aztec Camera leader Roddy Frame: he cannot walk unaided and the right side of his body is seemingly partially paralysed.
Although a wretched, ear-splitting sound distorted everything, as Collins smiled his way through his best known Orange Juice songs What Presence?, the deliciously languid Rip It Up and even a punky Blue Boy, his voice was shorn of its pre-illness wry warmth.
There is always hope though and the man who had surprised the medical profession surprised the Arts Theatre shortly before the end when Collins, accompanied only by Frame, unveiled a brand new song (the first written since his return from hospital) provisionally titled Some Sweet Day and, magically, Collins found his voice. When, clear and true, he sang "I've always been lucky in my life ... some sweet day we'll get there", it was as moving as anything I've ever seen. He hasn't beaten his body yet by any means - but he'll get there at his own pace and in his own time.

then the other night.... Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - he was on form.... more to follow

on the home front - rugby season has now finished, sunday mornings are mine again!

here I am looking best and describing the underhand trick of hair pulling!!!!
currently my two laptops are causing me problems and have had to resort to using Jos, nothing of mine is stored on it so at present things are a little thin
hope to be fully upto speed by the weekend

where, why, and then back!!

doesn't time fly..... yet again a month has passed without me surfacing on the old blogsite.
where: czech republic, at home/busy working/work
why: internet connections down, spending time with family and friends
going to gigs, recently saw Madness at the teenage cancer trust - albert hall, took JJ first gig he 's been to - loved it, great night
involved in rugby club/coaching
visit down to devon
basically, haven't spent much time sat at the computer and needed a break from it - well, refreshed and raring to go, my aim in the next two weeks is to complete nail work, finish portrait (drawing for a chap in czech) and get back to the wonderful world of bloggin g

the good and the bad....

Many of you might know that I have links with Zimbabwe, if you didn't basically my uncle lives their, has done for over 20yrs (a great story apart his past may one day be written by myself - starred in the film Cry Freedom as himself, a small featured part), anyhow, thats for another time. I visited Zim last February for a whistlestop tour of schools and some of the sights, again a very long and at times not a nice story. So, I keep an ear to what is happening over there partly to make sure he is safe and follow the news as it happens.

the good:

DOMBORAMWARI Arts Centre in Ruwa is conducting independent studies for artists in various art genres.
Established in 2002, the centre provides resources for resident students in line with their aim to nurture upcoming artists and shape the careers of established ones.
"We want to share the exposure that we have acquired from various prestigious exhibitions that we have participated in to help other artists realise their dreams," said Chenjerai Mutasa, one of the centre's founders.
Mutasa said they came up with the idea of studies as a way of ploughing back to the community, adding that providing an artist-to-artist platform was critical for the development of artists.
"This programme is one way of showing our gratitude to the community which has made us what we are today and we aim to sharpen each other's skills," Mutasa said.
The centre is currently housing 10 artists who specialise in sculpting, painting and ceramic works.
Tendai Dhlamini, a Bulawayo-based artist undertaking the studies, said the programme was of immense benefit to him.

the bad:

Zimbabwe's soaring inflation hit an annual rate of 100,000%, new official figures show.
Ongoing shortages of food and fuel helped drive inflation from December's rate of 66,212%.
Government officials say the shortages make it hard to work out inflation with any degree of accuracy.
About 80% of the country's population lives in poverty and it is estimated that three million people have left the country for a new life in South Africa.
The economy has been in trouble for seven years, with supplies of basic foodstuffs, cooking oil and petrol all running low.
The central bank has introduced new banknotes to cope with the spiralling prices. Last month it issued a 10 million Zimbabwe dollar note

for those sticky moments!

Getting back to it now with a new charge of energy after weeks of bid writing and the other stuff.

Came across this new dimension in creating artwork, not up my street (excuse pun!) but clever nonetheless. I don't like the images, then again, working on this scale and on the provided materials, beggars can't be choosers!!

A STREET artist who paints on pieces of discarded chewing gum is back and working in Muswell Hill after a court case against him was dropped. Ben Wilson, 43, a father-of-three, of Colney Hatch Lane, Muswell Hill, specialises in tiny artworks - not much larger than a penny piece.He said of his work: "I try to encourage spontaneity and for there to be more random events. By painting on chewing gum, technically you're bypassing bureaucracy."He added: "It's taking something that's been thrown away, a thoughtless action, and turning it into something more positive."The artist was touching up a collection of works on the corner of the Broadway and Queens Avenue and residents were pleased to see him out and about.

Daniela Jovic, 25, of Hampden Road, said: "My three-year-old is a fan. She gets out her magnifying glass from her bag to see them. She still hasn't spotted these ones.

"Subject requests for the paintings - which can take up to seven hours to create - are taken from the public and he always uses gum already on the pavement."I do a lot of pictures for people that have died in car accidents," he said. "I've been arrested so often for doing dedications to people, but advertisers have a monopoly over public space. Hopefully this redresses the balance."He has worked all round the world in countries including Finland, America and Australia, and used to make impromptu sculptures in woodlands before moving onto gum art.

Mr Wilson was charged last year with resisting arrest near St Paul's Cathedral after he began work on a piece of gum. (source: Hornsey and Crouch End Journal)

Picture artist alphabet - just for fun! K

Just in case I don't get time!!!

Happy Mothers Day

(got card and present for JJ to give, although I dont' think he will use the card I chose; he spent time today creating a collage card, will post soon)

bbc newsnight review - Banksy

caught the end of this, discussion on Banksy, it takes a while to get through total program time 35mins - Banksy discussion appears approx. 29mins!
click for link

Banksy - on show

One of Banksy's earliest commercial artworks - complete with Tipp-Ex amendments - is to go on show in one of the largest exhibitions of his art yet seen.
The original drawing was made for the band Onecut in Banksy's native Bristol in 1999/2000. It pre-dates album covers he produced for Blur and other bands.
But time pressures meant the graffiti artist did not follow his usual method of producing a stencil. His original workings on paper include the use of felt tips and correction fluid.
The image, Underground Terror Tactics, goes on display at the Andipa Gallery in Walton Street, Knightsbridge, from Friday to 29 March. Its price tag is £35,000.
Gallery director Acoris Andipa said: "It is believed to be one of Banksy's first commercial works."
His previous projects for Onecut included a stencil that caused a scandal when it was sprayed on the wall of a sex clinic.
Some 60 works can be seen at the exhibition, all tracked down from private owners - many in Bristol.
Titles include Paranoid Pictures, Roadwork Rat and Precision Bombing.
Prices range from £7,500 to £300,000 - higher than the current £288,000 auction record for a Banksy. (source: evening standard)

last but one about nails, I promise!!!!!

Picture artist alphabet - just for fun! I

okay, I know I missed letter I out, but in conversation with Oz, despite pronunciation differences here's an artist beginning with I.........

Again; back to nails!!

Nail quotes

Painting is a nail to which I fasten my ideas. Georges Braque

My name is Kurt Schwitters... I am an artist and I nail my pictures together. Kurt Schwitters

A nail is driven out by another nail. Habit is overcome by habit. Desiderius Erasmus

If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail. Abraham Maslow

A nail will come out, but its hole remains. Turkish Proverb

The Joy of the folk law bubble bursting

Well, I am the first to admit I can be wrong... during a very interseting discussion in the Angel with Oz last night, the conversation led to the previous posting about album covers; specifically Unknown Pleasures by Joy Division, contrary to common folk law (and maybe teenage rumours), the design by Peter Saville was not as previously thought (particulary by us) as being the heart rate of a man during an orgasm; it was, as Oz mentioned (saw an interview with said Peter Saville previous week) an image taken of a pulsar. Well, after years of thinking we knew what it represented we were to say a little taken aback, who wouldn't be? Thinking you knew a secret that only a few knew, like a cone of silence was fantastic - well that bubble has been burst.

Here's the real definition of the album design by Peter Saville:

The front cover image comes from an edition of the Cambridge Encyclopedia of Astronomy, and was originally drawn with black lines on a white background. [1] It presents exactly 100 successive pulses from the first pulsar discovered, PSR 1919+21 (often referred to in the context of this album by its older name, CP 1919). PSR B1919+21 is a pulsar with a period of 1.337 seconds and a pulse width of 0.04 second. It is notable for being the first radio pulsar ever discovered (in July 1967 by Jocelyn Bell Burnell). Its original designation was CP 1919 and it is also known as PSR J1921+2153. It is located in the constellation of Vulpecula.

Oh well, it was always gonna happen!!!!

The Nails

The Nails were a six piece New Wave band that formed in Boulder, Colorado, during the mid 1970s. In Colorado, they were originally named The Ravers, and their roadie, Eric Boucher, later became known as Jello Biafra of the Dead Kennedys.
The Nails moved to New York and by the late 1970s had established themselves on the club circuit. Hotel for Women, an EP recorded in 1981, contained an early version of "88 Lines About 44 Women", a song that caught the attention of RCA. The Nails were signed to RCA By Bruce Harris, also known for bringing The Clash to America. In 1984 "88 Lines About 44 Women" was re-recorded for RCA and included on The Nails' full-length debut LP, Mood Swing. The song received regular airplay despite a number of double entendres and lyrical references to masturbation and sadomasochism. [1]
Two years later they released Dangerous Dreams, also on RCA. Both Mood Swing and Dangerous Dreams made the Billboard top 200 album chart. But after the release of Dangerous Dreams RCA dropped The Nails. RCA did not release either LP on compact disc. "88 Lines About 44 Women” continued to appear on compilations 20 years after its release and was featured in a Mazda television commercial that aired in the late 1990s.
The Nails were composed of vocalist Marc Campbell, bassist George Kaufman, saxophonist Douglas Guthrie, drummer Mike Ratti (Dennis McDermott on Mood Swing), keyboardist Dave Kaufman, and guitarist Steve O'Rourke.
In 1988, the band reconvened (without Guthrie and Dave Kaufman) to record a third album, Corpus Christi, which wasn't released until 1993 and received little exposure.
In 2007, the band licensed Mood Swing and Dangerous Dreams from RCA parent company Sony-BMG Entertainment and released these albums on compact disc for the first time.

nails, nails, nails, nails

It just goes on .......................!!!!!
Types of nails
boat nails
box nails
brads
broom nails
casing nails
common wire nails
common spikes
cooler nails
deformed shank nails
escutcheon nails
finishing nails
joist hanger nails
railroad spikes
ring shank nails
roofing nails
sinkers
spiral shank nails
wire nails
apple-box nails
beer case nails
cleat nails
hinge, latch plate and lock nails
strap nails
berry-box nails
cigar-box nails
date nails
egg case nails
fruit box nails
hoop fasteners
hook head metal lath nail
orange box nails
BLOCNAIL
CLOUT
CLYDE RAIL SPIKE
CUT CLASP
CUT FLOOR BRAD
DECOR
FLAT COUNTERSUNK HEAD
FURNITURE BRAD
HOLDFAST
MOULDER BRAD
PALMHOLDFAST
ROSEHEAD FINE SHANK
ROSEHEAD FLAT POINT
ROSEHEAD SQUARE SHANK

Nails - some interesting facts!

As you may be aware one of my current pieces is based on the use of nails; well true to form, I have done a little research about some historical facts about nails, their names over the years and modern equivalents. You may wish to gloss over this post!!! But, when working with mixed media I do like to get involved with the materials I am using.

(source: glasgow steel nail company)

The Penny Nail
This article in 'The Ironmonger' from 1915 tells us the story of the 'penny' nail.
As you can see from the above picture, the details come from the account books of churchwardens and builders in the Middle Ages in England. In this case, the researcher examined the records dated 1477 from the Church of St Mary-at-Hill in the City of London.
Although many different handmade nails were in use at the time which had specific names, a large proportion were named simply by the number of pence paid for a hundred nails.
For example, four penny nails were those of which a hundred were purchased for 4d. (The 'd' stands for pence in the days when sterling was denominated in pounds, shillings and pence - £ s d).
The account records of the Church of St Mary-at-Hill show -
'ffor a c of v peny nayle vd'
The 'c' is the Roman numeral for 'hundred' and 'v' is the Roman numeral for 'five'.
The amount of money paid for a hundred nails - fourpence, fivepence,sixpence - is thought to depend on the size of the nail. The larger the nail, the more expensive it was. The largest nail appears to have been the tenpenny nail, also referred to as the 'fyve stroke nayle' - possibly because it took five strokes of the hammer to get it home.Nails in Stuart Times
Moving on a couple of centuries and we begin to see some of the nail names appearing that we still use today.
This article, again from 'The Ironmonger' this time dated 1924, reports on a young man named Ambrose Crowley who lived in the days of William & Mary. He was a Quaker who was in business as a 'naylor' and by 1682 had set himself up as an ironmonger in Thames Street in London to sell his nails.
Apart from explaining the best size of bags to use for packing the nails to stack them successfully in a pile the document reviewed by the researcher showed the following nail names being used at that time -

Batten Brads
Pound Nailes Long
Plain Brads
Port Nailes
Kings Brads
Patten Rivetts Long
Bill Brads
Horse Nailes Short
Pound Brads
Patten Rivetts Short
Clout Nailes
Rosehead Nailes -
Deck Nailes Sharp
Dogg Nailes Square
Flat Head Nailes
Sheathing Nailes
Flat Pointed ditto Dutch
Flat Pointed Short
Filling Nailes
Tenter Hooks
Weight Nailes
Lyne Hooks ditto Diamond Head
Horse Nailes Long
Weight Nailes for ye King
Lead Nailes
Spikes Copp Head
Pound Nailes Short
Spikes Diamond Head
Spikes for ye King

Handmade nails
In 1946, 'The Ironmonger' tells us under the Trade Chat section of a Mr S R Naish who put together 'a fine private collection of nails made by methods in use before nail-making machinery was invented....which must be by far the most comprehensive of its kind that has ever been compiled'.

Listed below are the types of handmade nails Mr Naish had collected at that stage.

Batten, Fine
Hob, Wrot. Sq.
Boc king(Welsh)
Cider Spike
Hob, Wrot. Patent.
Cider Stub.
Hurdle, 6 in.
Clasp, Fine.
Limer, Stock Head,
Clasp, Fine Wing.
Wrot.
Clasp, 4 in. Wrot.
Mop, Rd.Hd., Large.
Cloth Hook
Mop, Square.
Clout, Best.
Ox.
Clout, Best Strong.
Pig Rings.
Clout, Common Wrot.
Plate.
Clout, Csk.Wrot.
Prison Door, Cast.
Clout, Double Deep Csk.
Prison Door, Wrot.
Roofing Stud, Cast.
Clout, Fine.
Rose, Fine.
Cooper's Flats.
Rose, Flat Wrot.
Cooper's Hook
Rose, Pointed Wrot.
Cooper's Nails, 2 in.
Rose, Pointed.
Crib.
Rose Spike.
Essex Hurdle
Rose Wherry (or Cooler)
Rose, Wrot.
Fencing Spikes, Wrot.
Scupper.
Flemish Tacks.
Scupper, Fine Sq.
Frost, Chisel Head
Sign Hook.
Frost, Snap Head.
Slate, Fine.
Gate, Wrot.
Staples, Wrot.
Horse.
Tenter Hook.
Horse, Csk.
Tiling Hook.
Horse, Half Csk.
Tyre, Cast.
Hob, Wrot. Clasp
Tyre, Wrot.
Hob, Wrot. Clinker.
Tyre Stubs, Wrot.
Hob, Wrot. Fancy Sq
Wrot. tip.

Ah yes, life can only get better!!!!!

nail sizes with prices (US), as an image I like it, using it as a starting point for a graphite and biro sketch

album art

In the news at the moment is the sale of the painting - Kerze (candle) by German artist Gerhard Richter used on the album cover by Sonic Youth - 'Daydream Nation' (1988), not an album, which at the time was a major chart success! Its said that the popularity of the image is worldwide - symbol of peace, its probably going to sell for at least £2.5m, maybe more

This got me thinking about my own record collection - most of it in boxes, some lost in time (parties, friends borrowing them etc, currently updating on CD - I know its the day of the i-pod, I do own one and use it all the time!) and which ones stick in my mind as cherished album covers.

I have included a few here for various reasons, some more obvious than others - the immediate shock value of the Pistols; as a very young teenager smuggling it into my bedroom so the parents wouldn't see it!

Ian Dury, just loved the image of him standing there outside the shop with slightly flared trousers (not hip at the time!!), constantly looking in the shop window and setting to memory what was there whilst sat in the lounge with headphones on (so my parents couldn't hear some of the lyrics!!!

Then there is Joy Division, a discovery thanks to Oz, the cover looks at first like a mountain range in contour map formation, but, when you found out what it really represented you felt like you were the holder of a secret and only a few knew, especially not parents!

Another one I have posted is that of Klaus Nomi - I just loved the theatrical element to the black and white image, a strange mix of b/w classics and slightly comical approach (at the time I saw Metropolis for the first time and felt a link between the two - well I was young and impressionable at the time!)

Over time I might droop a few more in, of course, there's nothing like thumbing your way through old albums, which of course does lead you to sitting down and playing them... which can't be bad.

Picture artist alphabet - just for fun! J

I know I haven't been upto date with this but all will be resumed!! You may notice that I haven't posted an artist with I as the initial letter - to be frank I couldn't remember one that I like/has influenced me. No doubt, there are one or two and hopefully I can recall them at a later date.

So as a bonus I am including two yes 2 artists just to make up for the lack of 'I'

Both artist work influenced me in my early college days and I have selected works that I remember seeing for the first time and thinking wow, other images are ones that I have chosen because of the mark making/drawing technique. Enjoy

Its that connection thing again

Following previous posting about nails and the artist David Shrigley I found an interesting interview by him from the Independent, it follows; I like his earthy honesty and sense of humour - shame about Notts Forest: although I agree with him on his understanding of their skill!

I will tootle over to the Haywood Gallery in the next week or two to have a butchers at his latest exhibition - running 25th Jan to 13th April

Contemporary art borrows the structure of a joke, then takes out the humour – that's what makes it art. In my twisted mind, it makes sense. But pretty much everything Gilbert and George do is funny.
* My aesthetic is a form of shorthand. I made a decision that I wasn't going to draw anything in a more sophisticated fashion than it needed to be.
* My parents are not at all interested in art and never thought I would be an artist.
* Art is not a great career path, as very few people make money from it. Then again, nobody expected to make money from it when I graduated, so it's changed a lot.
* Art can be a bit of a rich kid's thing to study, in the United States particularly.
* There's always good work coming out, there always has been and there always will be. I think it's ridiculous to say there's no good art around. It's true in any discipline. People always say there isn't any good music around, but they're not looking for it in the right place.
* I'm a big consumer of music. Now I've made some money, I really like the fact that I can buy records without having to worry. That's a big luxury in my life. The ironic thing is I get lots of freebies now.
* I tend to put too much emotional energy into following Nottingham Forest, but they're never on TV because they're crap.
* 'The Mighty Boosh' is the best comedy on TV by some distance. It's crazy, but quite sweet and innocent at the same time.
* I'm proud that I do what I enjoy, and I can do it and support my partner. And I don't have to get up dead early in the morning. I can wander around the house in my pyjamas and do drawings. That's quite nice, but I'm not sure if that's an achievement or just a stroke of good fortune. Maybe it's both.

Interview By Luiza Sauma

Hirst - that leaky old touch!

(picture doctored by myself for fun!!)

Came across this - it tickled me, even the 'great' have problems with their art!!

Buying a work by Damien Hirst is always going to be a costly exercise. He is, after all, the highest-selling living artist on the planet whose pieces command unprecedented prices. So spare a thought for Oslo's Museum of Modern Art, which was forced to return the artist's installation of a bisected cow and calf for repairs after the tank of formaldehyde they were in sprang a leak.
Just over a year after Hirst's famous shark was found to be suffering from rot, a second pickled piece, the 1995 Turner Prize-winning Mother and Child Divided, had to be sent back to the artist's studio for emergency repairs, The Art Newspaper will report in its October edition. The tank was on display at the Astrup Fearnley Museum of Modern Art in Oslo when the leak was spotted. The work was immediately sent to the artist's studio in London for emergency repairs. It brings into question the longevity of contemporary works of art that are made with unconventional materials. Gunnar Kvaran, the museum's director, said the damage was caused by a flaw in the glass, and some formaldehyde was lost. "Our insurance will probably have to cover the costs of conservation," he added.
Although only one case in the work was found to be damaged in June, all four parts of the installation were sent back to Hirst. The work was the gallery's most popular and will not be returned until next year.
Grete Arbu, head of collections at the museum, said it had been discussing conservation of the work with the artist before the leak was discovered.
"It had been installed permanently in 1997 and it was just getting tired," she said. "The pressure inside the container is enormous. We just noticed a small leak on the floor beneath the glass, and we sent it back within the week.
"Formaldehyde is very dangerous material. The same container will be kept but the layers of glass will be replaced. We could see it needed to be conserved.
"Many of the contemporary artists' works need to be repaired because they work with so many different techniques, so these things can't last a thousand years," she added. The museum is believed to have bought the piece in 1996, for about £135,000 from White Cube Gallery. It has since acquired several other pieces by Hirst. The intricate restoration work is anticipated to be "quite expensive."
A new version of Mother and Child Divided will be lent by Hirst for the Turner Prize retrospective opening next week, which traces past winners in the prize's history. The original was deemed "too fragile to travel" by the Tate, which has used the artwork as a key image in its promotional poster campaign. A spokeswoman for Hirst's company, Science Ltd, confirmed the leak was being repaired.
A statement read: "The 1993 work is undergoing repair as a minor leak has appeared in one of the tank's seams – this is not a major repair job. Damien has made a second version of this piece for the Tate retrospective." Last year, Hirst was to replace the rotting shark in his The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living, which was bought by the American collector, Steve Cohen from Charles Saatchi, in a deal brokered by the Gagosian Gallery for a reported £6.5m three years ago. It was found to have deteriorated dramatically since it was unveiled at the Saatchi Gallery in 1992. The chemical solution that surrounded it had become murky and the shark had changed shape. (source:independent)

getting hammered!

Isn't it amazing, as soon as you start on a piece of work/idea you start seeing things that are related. Its like when you want to purchase a new car and it appears that every other car on the road is the one that you want - I can't remember the official terminology for this but I bet there is one, rather like there seems to be a phobia about everything. (once did a pub quiz and asked players to match 12 phobias to particular words) ....any how I digress!

I was searching for the now infamous nail painting/sculpture of Leonardo by Saimir Strati

when I happened across some great work by an artist.. David Shrigley

whos use of language combined with his artifacts are brilliant, I had a butchers at his site an loved one piece -

Then came across another sculpture who uses bent nails, in the same manner as Terry Border (bent objects)by pjlighthouse

whos slant is that of a comical approach. Also on the trek came across Bill Secunda who makes huge sculptures using a combination of nails and other materials.

Well, enough time spent trawling, time to get back to the nails!!!

Following my interest the the artist Banksy there is more news on his work -

Now you see it, now you don’t . . . and now you do again. A large-scale artwork by Banksy, the “guerrilla” graffiti artist, disappeared last weekend after a rival graffiti artist sprayed white paint over it.
Just as everyone assumed that the original work – painted on the wall of an arts centre two years ago – was beyond saving, it somehow materialised again yesterday.
The stencilled figure of a chambermaid appearing to lift up part of the wall like a curtain to sweep away some dust is protected by both the Roundhouse arts centre, northwest London, on whose wall it is painted, and Camden council, which spends thousands of pounds removing graffiti from its streets.
Whether someone removed the white paint or painted a new version of the Banksy work is unclear.
Banksy, who insists on anonymity, enhanced his reputation in a more conventional way on Thursday night, when one of his works sold at auction at Sotheby’s in New York for a record price. Keep it Spotless, a spray-painted canvas depicting a chambermaid appearing to lift up a Damien Hirst spot painting to reveal a brick wall, was sold for £950,300. A year ago the most that had been paid for a work by Banksy was £102,000. (source:timesonline)

I am aiming to use this stencil style to produce some lettering for a piece of work within current project, having drawn out some sketches and currently experimenting with materials I'm in the process of formulating an image with which it can be combined.

I bet my work wont be in there!!

Having had my work on the saatchi online gallery for some time and entering the ongoing voting competition, I very much doubt that my work will feature into this venture!! One can only hope....

Charles Saatchi is to open one of the world's largest private galleries of contemporary art and go into direct competition with Tate Modern.
The new gallery, in King Street, Chelsea, is replacing Saatchi's previous site at County Hall, which closed after the collector breached the terms of the lease.
The new location will feature 15 large rooms spread over three floors and cover 50,000sqft.
The Tate features a huge Turbine Hall and three floors of galleries that run the length of the 200 metre-long building, with a total of 371,350 square feet floor space.
Like the Tate, the Saatchi will be free to visitors when it opens in spring.
It will have longer opening hours than any other British gallery or museum, running from 10am to 10pm most days, thanks to sponsorship from New York-based auction firm Phillips de Pury, which is opening a British European HQ and auction rooms in Victoria later this month.
Saatchi, 64, is planning to launch his gallery with a show featuring his vast collection of contemporary Chinese art.
It will be followed by an exhibition by new US artists and then a show of contemporary Indian art.
The latest purchase by the collector, who has fostered the careers of Damien Hirst and Tracey Emin, is a painting of Nazi Holocaust mastermind Heinrich Himmler. Saatchi paid a reported £3,000 for the portrait by Jasper Joffe, 32. (source. evening standard)

couldn't help with association!!

working with nails couldn't help thinking of the actor/singer who first appeared in Auf Wiedersehen Pet then had a fairly good album with crocodile shoes. Later had own series and hasn't been around for a while............

nailed it!!!

small detail of work in progress - its going to take some time I think, but I am working on other things as this progressess!!

a clue to new piece!

when life takes over!

I know, its been a long time... but with the best will in the world, sometimes life takes you by the scruff of the neck and commands that you spend more time with everyday life! I have been very busy with both work and home life, writing a specialsist bid has meant that most of my working day is spent number crunching (not my kettle of fish or even a pond I would normally dip my toe into!!), writing and then re-drafting, drafting again etc. still not completed - 12th March is deadline day!!! As for the day to day teaching that has gone out of the window - I prepare a days worth of lessons which somebody else delivers - things have to be so explicty laid down that this takes on massive amounts of research, planning and setting out lesson timings (those who teach may have some idea of the implications of this!)
home front - had an outbreak of white spot - a parasistic nasty that kills tropical fish, before we managed to control it we lost over 35 fish - just watching JJ come home and look into any of the tanks and say 'there's another dead one' broke my heart. He lost all of his specialist fish including his favourites - a black ghost knife fish, talking catfish and his clown loaches. After many hours researching, water changes purchasing UV sterilisers etc and four weeks down the road we have managed to to get everything on an even keel. (added to that there was also the cost of another tank - a quarantine tank!!)
Set myself a couple of new challenges - one to lose some weight! going ok at present 1 stone in three weeks, eating and cooking sensibly, also, getting my bike back on the road - ended up purchasing a bike store (another cost both financially and time!), one advantage.... cleared up the back of the studio now have so much space!! Whilst clearing out old stuff came across a load of baby items - brought back fond memories- first shoes, bibs, all in ones etc-didn't throw them away, sealed box marked for JJ in later years!!!
On the art front....... have managed to work ideas in sketchbook and finished off a painting I started some time ago. Started mapping out new piece to go in the 'bollocks' series using nails..... I'll post a clue but me thinks its gonna take some time to complete it, well Rome wasn't built in a day

Picture artist alphabet - just for fun! H

hi, I'm back!!!!

Wow – what’s that old saying …’time flies when you are having fun’
Well, looking at the date of my last post time has certainly flown past, not to sure about the having fun part.
My recent dash to hospital has take its toll – I still am having a lot of trouble with keeping my balance and standing for long amounts of time is difficult – considering I spend a lot of time standing when painting this has hindered progress. I have been working out lots of new ideas for work and have been gathering materials and resources and researching for the next instalments!
Also, domestic life and work have been recent priorities – currently writing a sports bid for school, off timetable for two months; hoping to complete by early March, up to 30,000 words so far and only quarter way there!!
I have enjoyed relaxing with Jo and JJ – hours of playing Othello and Frustration,

plus the usual things; reading and seeing friends etc
Other developments: JJ for his 7th birthday requested an aquarium rather than a playstation!!
Well, that was over a year ago and now we have 5 tanks, containing freshwater tropical fish. Latest additions are two new tanks – 360 litre and a small nano tank for his greatest desire – puffer fish, well, we now have three Indian dwarf puffers who are basically as cute as fish can be!!! They only grow to under an inch and we have spent hours watching them!

Anyhow, tryin not to spend too much time sat at the computer (not a new years resolution)
But aim to back as often as last year, oh yes, happy new year to you all and hope the stitches came out ok Oz