Sunday 31 July 2016

Exhibition Time.... 'Art Lovers' by Zoe Eaton & Bobby Wotnot and Torsten Lauschmann etc


Above is a small drawing I did yesterday......

Today was a more relaxed day than yesterday, no hospital visits etc...... I went out with my son to get a few things to help hang our exhibition. We bought some screw in eyes and some bulldog clips. Then went for a wander around town.


Here is a shot just a few seconds before three lots of balanced rocks fell on Lambeth Beach aqnd the St Ives rock balancer stood up to ponder and then go again.....

After that we picked up a Moomaid Ice Cream each and then went off to experience the Torsten Lauschmann installation 'After Images' at Porthmeor Studio 5. It is great fun and you get a UV torch so you can play see the next few photos below.






After a game of 'left handed' bowls, due to evening the playing field because of my son's broken hand I returned home to pick up lots of the art work for our/mine and Zoe Eaton's exhibition at CafeArt.


Above are some of my 'Graham's Conifer Series' all framed up ready to hang.


Ego time... here is me with my work on the wall and a lovely Zoe Eaton on the right.


Above is a close up of one of my pieces in the exhibition....


Above are two of my wife's paintings in our joint exhibition 'Art Lovers' and I love them dearly. I am so looking forward to the public seeing our work all through August. Theses last two photos were taken by Jordan Jackson.

I will put up more of our work over the next few days just to keep everything up to date...

Cheers

Wood etc......


Above is the only drawing I managed to complete yesterday, the summer holidays are in true effect, these are busy times in life, we had friends down from Bath one of which it was his 40th birthday so we had organised a beach barbeque as there are about eight of us with birthdays within a week and a half of each other.

However my day started with taking my son to the minor injuries clinic in St Ives and then being sent over to West Cornwall Hospital for a better look at what he had done to his hand the night before. After an hour and a half we had the verdict, a broken metatarsal in his right hand, plaster was put on then we went for a late lunch in Penzance and a bit of shopping, all this left little time to get extra presents for people and set the BBQ up.

The hospital staff were excelent.

While I was at the hospital I manage to read all but the last chapter of Grayson Perry's Playing to the Gallery which is a joy....

Anyway this is a short blog because we are late back from a fab night on the beach, we had great food, great company, Dolphins and a fabulous sunset all of which I was unable to to take any pics because my phone ran out of battery...


Above two works from the last decade...

Night all....

Friday 29 July 2016

Wood Paper Stone


Above is one of two wood drawings I completed last night all part of my nearly finished 'Graham's Conifer Series'


Above the other one. The reason the series is almost complete is due to the fact that I have nearly used all the the cuts of wood I had only a few to go.

I had another little go at honing my bio the other day, every now and again I re-write it so here is the latest one.

BOBBY WOTNOT

I am an abstract Artist living and working in St Ives, Cornwall. I started exhibiting in earnest around 15 years ago and had my first solo show in 2008/9, although I had been 
dabbling since the late 80's. Since then I have been in many group shows and quite a few solo shows.

My work is mainly drawing with small marks, dots, lines and grids. From small works on 'sea pottery' and stones that I use for 'art drops', to larger A1 size drawings on paper.

I was brought up in a few English towns and cities, my Father worked for Kodak which is where my fascination for dots must have started. Looking at photos and newsprint with a 
magnifying glass and seeing the whole world was made of dots.
I use concepts and processes to arrive at a set of rules for each drawing these might be as straight forward as I must try my new pens out to what would it look like if I did a whole 
A1 work using a very small nibbed pen.

Over the last year or so I have had gallery representation and am now trying to get my work further afield. I now do a daily blog www.bobbywotnot.blogspot.co.uk it is a very good 
discipline for me and my thought processes and a good platform for me to show what an artist does each day. I have started an irregular series of handmade 'Wotnot Art Books' and 
work mainly on Wood, Stone, Slate, Sea Pottery and Paper.






The above images from my art book 'Double Chill' that were taken by Jordan Laurence Jackson and sent off with that bio. He also has his photos used by Tate St Ives from time to time and does a fab job. www.flickr.com/jordanlaurencejackson.

Today I have helped facilitate a crystal resin workshop at The Barnoon Workshop, I also have been down to my framers to have a little alteration made to one of my frames for mine and Zoe's exhibition that opens on Monday at CafeArt St Ives.


Above and below are some close ups of an A1 size drawing I have embarked on which I was hoping would be done for the exhibition but now I very much doubt if it will be finished in time. The image above shows a timeline of probably nearly ten hours work done over five or six sessions, maybe it is more than ten hours, hey who's counting.....



Make of this what you will but you can see the toe ends of my Vans.

Thursday 28 July 2016

New and recent...... Art Lovers


Above is a drawing I did today on handmade paper done at The Barnoon Workshop. I love drawing on paper like this because of the way it sucks up the ink. I used Letraset Pro-Markers.


Above is a drawing that was unfinished yesterday and now seems to be finished - I think.



Above is a little reveal of some of my works that will be going into Zoe Eaton & Bobby Wotnot's 'Art Lovers' exhibition that we hang 5pm on Sunday. I will report in on it when we have got the show up.

I am trying to find the time to read more of Grayson Perry's Playing To The Gallery but fitting it in with workshop's, drawing and the family we have down at the moment. I think I am making a chapter a day.

Today I have found how to put a 'follow' button on my blog so feel free to follow. I have been very pleased so far to the response to my daily blog, it is good for ordering my thoughts and showing what I get up to on a daily basis.

Below are a few works from the recent-ish past for your eyes.




Cheers all :)

Wednesday 27 July 2016

Work in Progress art on the BBC again.......


Above is a drawing I was working on last night and I now know that I have to do more dots to finish it off.


Above is an update on a drawing I started a couple of weeks or so ago and today I spent more than two hours on today it has grown. Below shows where I had got to on it last week for comparison.


Today has been quite a nice relaxing day for me I got a half size classical guitar operational by making the bridge part lower and giving it a new set of strings. The guitar was given to me by our next door neighbour Tim and will come in handy for my guitar classes.
This evening I have delivered a guitar class for a father and son, which was nice and it looks like they will be regulars too.
I have also attended a meeting of The St Ives In December Group, representing Barnoon Workshop and our Christmas Lantern Parade that is going into year two after it's success last year.

Inbetween times my Mother in Law has arrived and we now seem like a full family house, from us two to now five.

I am shocked to report that art was on the BBC again last night in the form of a documentary on Georgia O'Keeffe. It was part of Alan Yentob's Imagine series and was quite an insight into her life and work and I did really enjoy it, not just because I feel starved of culture on the television at the moment but it was a damn good watch.

I have read another chapter of The Grayson Perry 'Playing To The Gallery' book and it continues on very much with his wit wisdom and voice all sounding true. I would highly recommend it if you are into art or even just want to get an angle on the art world.

Right I am off to be with family and do more drawing too.

Tuesday 26 July 2016

Sketchbook, shell art, art on the BBC and Grayson Perry.


Above is one of of the drawings I did last night in my sketchbook.


Above and below trying to be more minimal again...




Above and below is a limpet shell I have drawn on inside and out, it will probably be used on an art drop later this week, so keep a look out if you are in St Ives.


There was art on the BBC last night, don't be too shocked it was a repeat of A History of Art In Three Colours, this week it was blue and it featured all sorts of art after Lapis had come to the western world and how it set western art alight. I was fascinated by the part that was about Yves Klein and his 'International Blue'.

I have started to read my birthday book 'Playing To The Gallery' by Grayson Perry and already I am agreeing with the reviews on the back cover, 'A Joy' and Lynn Barber's 'I have never read such a stimulating short guide to art'. It seems very insightful and witty to and just what I need to be reading as my quest for getting my art more out there. Under a week now until mine and Zoe Eaton's exhibition 'Art Lovers' opens at CafeArt in St Ives.

I also did an art tour of St Ives today and had my first monk on the tour a thoroughly engaging chap with his own art focus. We also did a successful 'make and take' at the Barnoon Workshop www.barnoonworkshop.co.uk

After the workshop we nipped over to Penzance for some art surplies.

Blog blogged and now dinner to make, then more drawing......

Cheers all!

Monday 25 July 2016

Work and Birthday Presents etc


Above is one of three drawings I did last night, quite bright isn't it....



Above is the reverse bleeding narrative with some additions.


Above is the third in the series and one further bleed through with additions....


A difficult still life from today's Drop In and Draw but interesting....


 Above me enjoying a visit to The Penwith Gallery on my Birthday. Pic courtesy of my son.


Above interesting book and draw your own postcards and below a new set of sharpies I am sure they will come in very handy......

Having a fab birthday and just been on facebook to find a message from David who had found one of my art drops, looks like they have gone to a good home, I like it when that happens.

Well I am off with family and friends tonight for a meal out and a couple of beers.

Sunday 24 July 2016

New works, new Jordan Jackson pix of my Work, Colin Birchall, 'art drop' and more.



Above is another in my 'Graham's Conifer' series, done with Letraset Pro-markers, uni-pin and white gel pen. I am very happy with this one but it won't get in my exhibition because I have already got eight framed.


Above is a small 'art drop' I did today near Barnoon Terrace, I wonder who will find them.


Today I went for a walk around town with my son and via the Moonmaid Ice Cream shop we then went up to see the Final Works exhibition of works by the late Colin Birchall. Colin was a real character around St Ives and did some lovely work. I was very proud to have him as a friend, unfortunately Colin passed away in January 2014 and I certainly miss him still. 
Above is a picture of Matthew and Jenny Birchall, son and ex wife, they are also nice people and Jenny is an artist too and exhibits in The New Craftsman Gallery, Fore Street St Ives.
I was so pleased I popped in to see Colin's work and remember a few of them from the shows that we put on in CafeArt a few years back. It all brought back many memories and emotions, Thanks for the conversations and the art Colin.

Below are all the photos that Jordan Jackson took for me on friday evening. I think you will all agree that they are better than the ones I take on my phone.


Above is the front cover of my book Double Chill that hopefully will be off to Dalston soon. The cover is made from fused plastic carrier bags and fun to make. www.flickr.com/jordanlaurencejackson


Above and below are a few pages of drawings from inside the book. I am very happy with the contents of the book and I am pleased with the narrative throughout the work.


The page above left had a good quote when Jordan saw it for the first time, he said 'Oh my god I have been Riley'd' I am happy with that...


Above is the inside cover and first drawing including a pen diary and some musings.


Above is the whole cover to the book and explains why it is double chill.


Jordan then went on to take a few more pictures for the archive from my latest 'sketchbook. I think the above drawing has come out very well.


Above is a more recent one from my sketchbook and below is a slightly earlier one.


Above is another earlier drawing from the same book, I think it zings nicely.


Above is a photo that Jordan took friday night that I hadn't seen before, his own assemblage of my 'Graham's Conifer's'. I like what he has done with them.


Above is another Jordan from Friday's session this one is A1 size and has a working title and a nod to Alban so in my head it is called St Ives TV http://stivestv.co.uk/. Go take a look at Alban's videos you get a much better sense of some of the things that happen in this town.


Above is another A1 size drawing that might well make mine and Zoe Eaton's exhibition that we have to put up next Sunday. Blimey just a week to decide the content and to finish off any last minute stragglers.


Talking of last minute stragglers above and below is the next A1 size I am working on but I don't think I have a enough hours in the day to finish. Below shows a detail of some 8 to 10 hours work that I have done so far. It grows very slowly but it is starting to have a sense of what it will look like when completed.



Above is a quick shot across the bay earlier today a bit cloudy but really bright and nicely warm....

Also a quick stats update for those who are interested and I know some of you are.... I also have to say on the stats are 'Hello Russia'.

Russia
169
United Kingdom
53
United States
46
Ireland
13
France
6
China
4
Germany
4
Australia
2
Latvia
1
Thailand
1

Cheers all.