Art drop, art drop prepared, new drawing and another sale.

Above is a drawing I started and completed in one hit in my sketchbook I am managing a rough average of nearly one a day.

Above are some pottery shards we collected yesterday evening that I have now drawn on for my next little art drop.

Above is a small art intervention, it is a drawing on some rusty metal I found and now I have hung it somewhere in town. I do wonder if anyone will notice it.

Above a small art drop but I seem to have focused on the sea, what a colour it is today.

Above is the slate drawing I did a while ago and I found out today that it has sold and will be off to Germany soon. Love it when my art travels.

Today has mostly been running around town getting things organised for our pottery session tonight at 7pm. I have also witnessed a massive dust-up between about 50 jackdaws and some sea gulls it started to remind me of 'The Birds' film.

New Drawings, art drop, more sea pottery etc.

Above is a new drawing that might be finished but I will make the final decision later when I either carry on adding dots and if I don't I will start my next work. It is A3 size so there are quite a few thousand dots on this one already.

Above is another new drawing, it is a bit more minimal this one. Sorry about the rubbish pic I will try and take a better one soon.

Today I attended the 'Drop In And Draw' session as usual at Barnoon Workshop and this time we were joined by my son who did a couple of lovely drawings. Below is a display of what we all managed to do.

Today I also did a little art drop near the Barnoon Workshop and below is the evidence.

It has been a gorgeous day today in St Ives, the town is so busy and full of many nationalities, the beaches are full. So at the end of the day we went off for 'fish and chips' on the beach and then collected more sea glass and sea pottery so I had better get on with the next art drop.

Today has been a day of bumping into people to many to mention but I am sure it is because it is such lovely weather.

I also popped into The Uys Gallery to report to Melanie that I had had a sale at The Society Of St Ives Artists and she reported back the a couple were very interested in one of my wood drawings, fingers crossed for that one...
It does seem like St Ives and its visiting art buyers are alive and well after what has seemed like a very long winter.

Cheers

Continuance and 'Bleeding Narrative'

Above is a revision of an earlier work that I wasn't quite happy with so I have picked it out for extra dots. I am not sure how it will go from here but a few thousand more should do the trick. We will see what happens next.

Above and below shows a good example of my 'bleeding narrative' series. I really do rejoice sometimes when the ink bleeds through the paper and I love it it has started to feed into a lot of my work since I first got really excited by it. I had originally thought that I would do and exhibition out of a sketchbook but on completing the first drawing I realised the ink had bled through and that I was just as excited at drawing on the other side of the paper too. Thus my exhibition idea was no longer viable but I had lots of ideas, as I always do, too many in fact but that is much better than a lack of them.

Today was a day to think about art when driving, which I had a good 3 hour think whilst driving to Bristol to pick my son up for his Whitsun Holiday with us. In 7 weeks he has grown taller and his voice is still dropping. Glad I am not 15 anymore. He always seems intrigued by what new work has been done and what has been sold so,  I had good things to report this week about my sales and some new images to show him.

Well I have more drawing to do now and a few ciders to consume, my reward for over 6 hours on the road today....

Cheers all :)

Mariners Gallery

Above is a picture of me at the private view standing by my replacement artwork after yesterdays sale at The St Ives Society of artists. I took the work in this morning. I was really quite pleased with how my work was different to anything else in the show and yet they still seem to fit in. The exhibition is up for a whole month so plenty of time to see it.

Above is a pic of my other work in this exhibition, it is called 'Fizzy'. Not the greatest photo but....

Today comprised of taking a lot of posters and flyers around town then we finally ended up at The Rum and Crab Shack for a coffee and I continued work on a new drawing in my sketchbook, then onto the private view. I have also been working on an A3 work adding secondary dots to it, hopefully will have this finished soonish, although it does depend on how involved it gets.

See you tomorrow...

Another sale, visit and Truro.

Above is a new drawing I finished off last night, a nice wonky rectangle. I can tell you it took about six hours to complete.

Today started with a nice little visit to our friend Ann's. She regularly attends our 'Drop in and Draw' and in the next few weeks we will be having a DiaD field trip to hers for a change. We had a goo look around and there are plenty of trees and other objects and scenery to draw.

Ann is an author and photographer and I am looking forward to seeing her next exhibition in the Borlase Smart Room at Porthmeor Studios but here she is in her new work cabin.

After leaving Ann we headed off to Truro to get some bits, paper, tracing paper and a whole wealth of other stuff including some shopping for tonight because we are having a little gathering with friends. Should be an interesting jolly night.

On returning home we sat down to have a cuppa and I picked up my emails and had a nice shock. I got  an email from The society of artists saying that if I had another work to replace 'Colour Mass' which had been sold off the wall before even before the private view. Which is fab news but also means I have to find a new frame and get a new work mounted ready for them to replace a gap in the wall tomorrow, not an easy task in St Ives to get it done in time.

So dinner party is about to begin so I better be sociable.

Cheers Everyone

Not so many dots, recent work and thoughts.

Above is a drawing I had framed it was done on the thin ply wood from a vegetable crate.

Above is a small scale drawing done with sharpies.

Above is another small scale drawing that was done on  a piece of sea pottery.

Above another small scale drawing done with sharpies and a uni pin pen.

Today has been a busy guitar lesson today my students worked hard today working on new guitar tricks. I between lessons we have been out and about postering and I also met up with Carl from BID to bring him upto speed about our future arts festival meeting last night. He thought it sounded quite productive.

Whilst I was drawing last night, although I didn't finish it, I was think a lot about what I do with my work, is it drawing? Is it printing? Is it just making a pattern? Is it conceptual? I know it is process driven.
I again came to the conclusion it is partly all these things and testing pens to destruction too. It is also something that I do find rather relaxing. I am not saying that in too much of a hippie zen thing but it might be close, a kind of meditation that pushes away this mad world a bit.

Cheers for now, more dots to do :)

New circles, Michigan Central University Students.

Above a new little drawing graphite and ink on wood, straight forward and minimal. Shape kind of dictated by the circular wood form.

Above a similar circle not dictated by the form, ink on paper.

A very mixed day today my wife Zoe was running a Beach Find Mosaics workshop all day as I went into town to welcome business students from Central Michigan University, we all met up at Cafe Art and after lunch I took two of them up to the workshop, very pleasant young ladies who are over here in England doing their final course work visiting English Businesses in Cornwall, Devon and then they are onto London. Jerry who organises this trip with the help of Steve McIntosh from 'onestives' blog and website. We have been involved with them since the first visit five years ago. It was really nice to see Jerry again and to take the two Students around town. Being from Michigan one had never seen the sea before as they have the great lakes near and it is a long way to the sea.

The Beach Find Mosaics Workshop with added students.

Cultural moments over, we then had a meeting about what should be the inaugural 'arts festival' it will not be called that, next meeting is in 3 weeks time at The Porthmeor Studio's. We really need to get this future it could be very exciting and good for the Town too.

New art drop being prepared, a sale and Blackstar/Starman delivery.

Above is one of my bark drawings that has sold today from The UYS Gallery, apparently it will be winging its way back to somewhere in The Netherlands. I am always grateful that my art makes it into peoples homes.

Above is the prep for my next 'small' art drop. All of them have marks made by either a uni pin 0.5 or 0.8 and I might make the whole art drop out of them. The last 'drop' I did on Sunday has resulted in a couple of messages, which is always nice.

Today I also delivered Blackstar/Starman to the Uys Gallery, Tregenna Hill, St Ives. Melanie seemed pretty happy with it too. I then picked up two framed works from The gallery to put into the Mariners open tomorrow.

This afternoon we have been sprucing up the workshop ready for the season which starts in ernest next week but hey it does seem to be busy this week, they almost unbroken sunshine certainly helps and I am certainly changing colour.

This evening after falafels and potato salad I have written this blog and am now thinking what art I can fit in to tonight.

Cheers all :)

Blackstar/Starman finished and new drawing.

 

Well I can't quite remember when I started this drawing but it must be 7 or 8 weeks ago and finally I have finished Blackstar/Starman. I dread to think how many dots it took, I am not going to count them but if somebody else wants to, feel free and let me know.
So I have finally left behind my David Bowie tribute and this week it will go off to the UYS Gallery.

Above is another drawing I finished yesterday. This is untitled as most of my drawings are so feel free to make your own title up. If you have a good suggestion I might use it, let me know.

Today consisted of a nice vibrant Drop In and Draw session, we were offered to draw on all sorts of paper and the whole group did a mini exhibition, you can see this below.

For details of our session and other fun things to do in St Ives, take a look at our website www.barnoonworkshop.co.uk

Above is some of my armory of pens that I use for my work.

After the workshop this morning Zoe (my wife) and I went for a quick bite down the Harbour Front, lovely sunny weather and it would seem quite a lot of visitors are around, plenty of German families are here enjoying our fair town.

After lunch I went back home did a few website things for Barnoon and filled in my form for the St Ives Society of Artist open exhibition, I do hope I get chosen. I have to take my pair of framed drawings down there on Wednesday, fingers crossed. I then took down my form down to hand in and ended up back at the workshop where Zoe was making paper for sale and our drawing and water colour courses.

Back home dinner eaten and now blog, later more drawing.

I almost can't quite believe I have finished that large drawing but hey ho onto the next small scale one in my book and onto the next big on which is already started. I will post some progress in the next few days.

Cheers all :)

Clodgey, Art Drop, Sunshine etc

Above art two pics of today's little art drop. The decision was made after a late breakfast that as it was so sunny we would get out for a walk in the sunshine. So we wondered off just after 2pm and went off towards The Garrick Hotel and then off onto the path that takes you down to Clodgey Point.

Beautiful.

Source material, bluebells and wild garlic.

Wild iris's in a wild place. So lucky to have this on our doorstep.

The view back into Porthmeor, with The Barnoon Workshop hardly visible from this far.

Whilst I did my art drop my wife is sketching, prep for tomorrow's 'Drop In And Draw'. After this we went to the workshop and I then went into town, bumped into Lauren and Graham from yesterdays blog and sorted them out for coming for a meal next week.

After that we went home and started cooking french onion tart.

I haven't started work on finishing the BIG ONE yet, so will have to get on with it after dinner.

Cheers for now.

Somebody else's studio etc

Above is a small bit of sea pottery that I did a little drawing on while we had an after work pint in the Rum & Crab Shack. We decided we would have a little relax after hosting a kids birthday at Barnoon Workshop. So not much art done today, mainly work for the workshop, turned clay at 11am then back up there before 3pm to get ready for a pottery party.

Above and below are our friends who have a studio in the shadow of Rosewall Hill. Graham and Lauren came back to St Ives towards the end of last year to set up a studio. Graham is making his own classical and flamenco guitars, I can tell you that Graham is a master craftsman. I have played one of his guitars and they are wonderful. The guitar above is a blonde flamenco that is having its final polish.

Lauren shares the studio and does her painting and she seems to be making great strides and selling too.
It was a lovely visit, some great coffee and cake and some very warm company, they really are very sweet people. We first met them when we opened Cafe Art and they soon became firm friends. Graham played a few little flamenco shows in the cafe before they left for Spain where Graham went to learn how to make guitars. I am so glad they are back because they were such a part of our initial St Ives experience.

I am aiming to finish my latest big drawing tomorrow, only a few hours work on it I think but until then I will be thinking and drawing in my sketchbook with a couple if ciders, well it is Saturday night.

As I am writing this Tom Robinson on 6Music is playing some great retro stuff The The and Wire, just up my street but hey I am still 'digging' new tunes too. Talking of music I was very impressed with Iggy Pop on Jools Holland last night, what a dude.

Cheers, more drawing to do.....

That Friday Feeling and new drawings

Above is a new drawing completed last night with the print through 'bleeding narrative' versions below.
I have been trying to be more minimal to a few of my drawings, probably a reaction to having still not quite completing the big one.

Above reverse of the top drawing.

Print through minimalism. Above and below.

Above is the latest update with how Blackstar/Starman is coming on. To be frank there is only a few hours left now. I have just got to fit that into my life, hopefully it will be done by the end of the weekend and ready to go off to the gallery unless anyone wants to buy it before it gets there. As I have said before this is one of a few drawings that actually isn't just a pattern and is my tribute to David Bowie in this year of his passing.

Today has had its frustrations but we are curing that by visiting our friends studio later for the first time since they moved back to St Ives, so we are off to look at Lauren and Grahams work space. Lauren is a painter and Graham makes spanish guitars.

See you again soon, well tomorrow actually

New drawing, more sea pottery and stuff.

Above are a few more little art pieces for my next drop all drawn on 'sea pottery'. We have a good source of this material around St Ives, if you know where to look. Much of it is said to have come from The Leach pottery although I think that is slightly too big a claim but I have found pieces with bits of Leach design and sometimes the Leach mark too.

Above is the drawing I finished last night, my thoughts are that it is quite a subtle drawing on it's own but in the context of my 'whole' sketchbook I think it fits with the narrative very well.

My day as an artist so far, answering emails, poster designs and guitar lessons and one more guitar lesson to go. Then we have the last quiz of the year as The Barnoon Workshop Team, then some art and sleep.

Short blog today as it is a busy one, quick bite to eat then onwards....

Art drop prep, new drawing finished and stuff

Above is some prep I have done for my next small works art drop. When I use the metallic ink I have to wait and extra day for drying so they don't smudge so these and some others will probably go out tomorrow in between my guitar lessons.

Above is my new drawing that I completed last night, initially I was going to fill the whole thing in with the small black dots but when I got to this point I felt satisfied with it as an image and on showing it to my wife she felt stopping was the right idea, so I have started on the reverse now. The whole sketchbook is now really starting to become quite a cohesive work. When I have finished it I think it should be one complete work. I may even see if I can sell it as such all I would have to do then, 'all' is find someone who collects whole sketchbooks. I don't know what my chances are?

Above is a little picture I did, whilst working on design idea's. A long time ago now I used to use the head design as my mark, so it was on posters and at least on record cover for the New Mutants' first album 'My Head'. I made a plywood version of the whole 'man' and this is a simple drawing of him.

I am getting ready two drawings to put into the Printmaking, Ceramics & Drawing open exhibition at The St Ives Society of Artist's. I do hope I get into the finished show. The society has a long history in this town with many luminaries in the past. I had a wood piece in a couple of years ago that seemed to get a bit of notice, this year I have two works both framed. So fingers crossed that I will get in The Mariners Gallery for this show. I will try and get suitable pics of them to show.

Other things to report today is I have run around town trying to galvanize people for our meeting next week about starting a St Ives Arts Festival, I also went to the BID office to report in a few things and got involved in conversations about all sorts of Town stuff. It does seem that I am never short of an opinion when asked.
I also had to transport a bag of un-reconstituted stoneware clay that is now getting itself ready for me to tip out so I can prepare it for a Birthday Party workshop on Saturday afternoon.

I better be off now, more work, thinking and drawing to do.

Cheers