It is always nice and comfortable to be back home again, whilst at the same time travel is great fun. Image making in all media for me, expands the experience and gives me lasting aids to my memories. Beer in Devon is one of those places which I return to constantly in my mind.

Beer is a small fishing inlet, at the end of a steep narrow valley, this valley opens up as it reaches the sea into a wide sheltered stone beach; idealy suited to beach landing small fishing craft. The beaching and launching is aided by this tractor, which has added tyres on all axles to help give traction over the stones beach; it is altogether a bit of a beast and I love it.

 

We spent hours there the other week as the place has everything we needed, whilst remaining quiet and reserved. No Blackpoolitis thank goodness. A friendly pub, pleasant tea room, art gallery, a few shops, church and not much more; we love the place. Liz always wants to visit the galery for the crockery, she buys a couple of pieces on each visit. This time I produced six images of the same ilk as above; good fun, even if it was a little on the cool side. However wear a good jumper and that is no problem..

 Good morning one and all, as you may be aware I have been out of contact for nearly three weeks, the reason is because we were away whilst a new bathroom was fitted and it must be said that the bathroom is rather splendid; we are very pleased.

Whilst away we lived as nomads in four hotels along the south coast, from Southampton, all the way to our favorite, Sidmouth. We paid two trips to Beer (the location and not the beverage), that amazing fishing hamlet and above is an ink/water-colour produced plen-air.

Liz is always so very suportive with my artistic obsessions; but occasionally she does stamp her feet and lay down rules. This rule this trip was; "One water-colour a day", she likes my water-colours. I almost managed the challenge. Almost because water-colours in this country can be tricky. The above image took about 40 minuets in the open air, the work was finnished of in the bar of the hotel that night. However the open air bit was a tad rough because it was lovely and sunny, but and it was a big but, the wind was blowing and it was ever so cold. That morning I produced three images like the above, so you can imagine that I was slightly chilled when they were finnished.

The trip was a story about hotels, more about that in a few days.

As we were in Cromer the other day I thought that another image from Liz's home town would be nice. It is a view from above the cliffs at Overstrand a mile or two, to the east of the town. Although a very simple composition; note how the rope barrier leads the eye into the pictuer, where all the chaos of a typical seaside village pile of detritious lie, forming an interesting corner into a mish mash of all sorts of shapes and sises. Without that the picture would have been flat and uninteresting.

Very simple tricks like that help us to make an image work.

 

Given an oppertunity, always try something new, or go back to something which you have not done for a while. As many of you are aware last week Liz and myself attended a funeral in Cromer, Norfolk. A sad occasion, yes; however the lady who died was an inspiring person of great faith. The service was as a result a true thanksgiveing for a wondedrful life.

However when attending a srvice of that nature, to go tooled up for a photographic or painting trip would simply not be appropiate; although there is no reason why an A3 pad and a HB pencil should not be in the car. So having traveled a distance to be there, we were a little early, so a short wander around the back of the chuch and a quick pencil sketch appeared. The key to this kind of work is simplicity, 1 paper pad, 2 basic HB pencil, no rubber. or fancy H4 or B8 stuff, eep it simple, it works.

Working in this way, makes you work quickly, without to much carefull draughtmanship being used. The result is sadly sometimes a mess, but more often than not a freedom of expression evoplves, which says so much more than a crefully planned wonderfully finnished work.

 

Well it is time to unveil my latest paper sculpture, which is called "A jolly good read", because if you look carefully in the chaos of the fishing inlet sits a Sam Salt sort of individual, ignoring everything and being deeply engrossed in his book. The photograph was taken just before the glass was put over the frame and it was sealed.

The exhibition last Autumn in Guildford took most of my sculptures so now I have two works towards and exhibition, although another is in my mind! It is so exciting wanting to create all the time; it must be pointed out that I am aware that Liz is very patient.

Well must go as Liz wants dropping at Goldsworth Park and I need to pack as we are off to Norfolk in the morning to the funeral of a dear old lady whom I only meet once; she and her husband sort of held together and supported the youth in her home town church, a marvelous couple. You might think it strange to mention a funeral in an art blog; but people pass us by in this life and encourage us; they are important and are a part of our make up.

 This morning has been rather pleasant.

It started in the Lightbox gallery in Woking, where there is an exhibition of art about the Basingstoke Canal, which I am exhibiting in, see the above image.

The exhibition is in aid of a fund raising effort to finance the building of a new community trip boat as the old one is on its last legs. 

Present was our local MP J Lord, I write to him often, we have got to know each other fairly well through our communications, so it was good to meet him face to face and have a proper chat; we did not talk about politics. It is all right to disagree and say as such to a person, but manners, politeness and respect are always essential. We had a good chat.

Next a lady came up to me in the exhibition space whom I have not seen for a few years. I met her in a mental heath drop in session which as an artist I was leading, apparently I gave her a drawing pad and got her drawing. She is now very well and continues drawing, indeed selling a piece of her work the other day.

Next I walked into town to do a little essential shopping and met another friend. He is a pretty decent guitarist and was busking. That was a nice chat.

So it has been a people morning and I enjoyed it, this afternoon I am ensconced in the studio and I will enjoy that. This evening Liz and I are locking the door and we are having evening on our ow, we call them date nights.

So what a super day, life is good, even if a tad tough at times. 

 Just for one day a change of direction. I find variety withing my art work helpful and refreshing. As well as my conventional work which is progressing very well, I am still persevering with my sculpture. The above five boats are all inspired from trips to the Cornish peninsular over the years. From the left is firstly a lobster inshore fishing boat, which could well double as round the bay day trip vessel in summer. Then we have a small dingy, used for odd jobs around the harbour, possible owned by the local chandler as it is full of tools, obviously ready for a repair job somewhere. Next we have two double enders, these can take slightly heavier seas, so go further out, then finally we have a dingy which is being prepared for a days rod fishing, including a picnic. they aren't finished, details of the characters of each boat owner need adding, such as, what type of hat do they wear, which paper do they read, do they smoke a pipe. prefer tea or beer? Its good fun.

Next stage is building the harbour wall and then the water; remember everything is approximately 85% paper, 10% PVA glue and 1% from the kitchen bin and 4% acrylic paint and other glues! I think that adds up to 100. A little ingenuity is called for at times. Then lastly comes the framing and that is a nightmare. This piece is going to take a while to complete, but it is good fun: now that is the important part.

Please enjoy your art.