Saint David’s Day Night

 

Tomos March 2019

Husb and I went to a lovely evening at GS Artists (formerly Galerie Simpson) on Swansea’s High Street yesterday. In an evening celebrating Saint David’s Day (the patron saint of Wales) the talented Tomos Sparnon introduced the first of a series of Welsh Conversationals, Welsh Language events at the gallery focusing on ‘Mynegiant’ (Expression) in Welsh art. It was bi-lingual in an easy and lighthearted way, with a slide show of work that illustrated the list of Welsh words. He covered artists Gwen John, Peter Prendegast, Seren Morgan Jones, Ogwyn Davies, Tim Davies and his own, rather lovely, work. Of course, I had a scribble. And made notes, And learned some new Welsh words. And there was some lovely home-made leek quiche made by the effervescent Jane Simpson.

Peace And Pies

laurel museum

Husb and I have had a busy couple of months so we took ourselves off to the Lake District for a few days to stay with some of our favourite people and have a rest. I didn’t do any art at all! We were staying somewhere with very poor Internet and mobile access as well so we were really cut off. We just chilled out and had fun with no work to do, lots of peace and quiet. We’re both crazy about Laurel and Hardy and we went to their museum in Ulverston, Stan’s birth place. It’s lovely, one of those old fashioned, personal museums that has been obviously painstakingly put together by a real enthusiast. If you’re ever passing that way, treat yourself to a visit. It’s a town with great pies , proper old-fashioned pies with a pastry bottom as well as a lid, from Irvings Butchers. The cheese pies are good too, if you’re not a meat eater.

Unveiled!

Yes Cymru

So, over a year since the initial idea, four months in the research and making, my artwork “Here Be Dragons” finally unveiled at the Sky Arts ART50 festivals in Newcastle and London. Here I am with the original at The Barbican in London yesterday talking to visitors about the concept – a new flag for Britain – in printmaking natch – a woodcut actually – biggest one I’ve done but more on the tecchie stuff later.

Newcastle 2

And up in Newcastle they printed up a whole load of them and covered the place!

I met so many lovely people at The Barbican who were really interested in my sketchbook and my printmaking – if you’re looking in THANKS FOR STOPPING BY.

And also many thanks to all the people who have been encouraging me over the past year and more to push out of my comfort zone and create “Here Be Dragons”. Crikey, it’s like the flippin’ Oscars lol 😀

 

Drawing At Night

 

London 1

Husb and I are in London overnight, for the Sky Arts ART50 festival at The Barbican tomorrow. We had a wander around central London, hanging out in the Charing Cross / Leicester Square area, found a nice Vietnamese restaurant for our dinner and then went to the National Portrait Gallery, which stays open late on Fridays. They had an artist in residence running a drawing session so I had a quick scribble. They provided the materials, thank you very much.

London 2

The original is Lady Ottoline Morrell, painted by the rather scandalous Augustus John. The subject has a pronounced underbite and distorted teeth, which the artist didn’t shy away from. We arrived at the drawing session late so I only had a few minutes to sketch.

Here Be Dragons At The Barbican, London

A free arts festival at London’s Barbican Centre on Saturday February 23rd from 12 noon to 8pm. My work, “Here Be Dragons” will be featured alongside many other artworks commissioned by the TV channel Sky Arts for their ART50 project about post-Brexit Britain.

finished

I did this humungous woodcut print with chine collé inspired by the concept of a new flag for post-Brexit Britain. My work is dystopian, I cannot remember the nation being so fractured and divided. One of the roles of an artist is to hold up a mirror to society and reflect back what’s going on. That’s what I’ve tried to do here.

 

The Sky Arts series of films and programming will be aired in the UK on March 25th.

sky arts 50

A Heavy Fog

kilns 1

Here’s a drawing I did a while back, en plein air, walking on the Brecon Beacons in winter with a sketchbook of black paper and a stick of white soft oil pastel. It was a very misty day, the fog hung heavily over the landscape and washed out the colour from the surroundings.

 

 

 

 

Hairdos

2019 gvag3

I go to lots of talks at galleries and museums and it’s a good opportunity to have a bit of a scribble, but it usually means drawing backs of heads. That’s okay though because any practice is good. And if there’s a cluster of people, there’s a chance to get to grips with a bit of proportion and perspective as well.

2019 gvag2

And hairdos….

 

Tatts And Flowers

2019 gvag

I went to a talk at the Glynn Vivian art gallery in Swansea a few days ago and had a quick scribble of people in the audience. I noticed this woman with an armful of tattoos, a big hairbow and a retro floral dress. Made me smile.

We Are The Revolting Women

revolting women

The Revolting Women. That’s Patricia McKenna-Jones and me! We’re up to all sorts of arty shenanigans for International Women’s Day on March 8th at Swansea’s Cinema & Co. You are very welcome to join us from 5.30 onwards  for the launch of our exhibition “The Personal Is Political” and an evening of art, film, cake, inspirational women and a pop-up kitchen.

There will be a guest speaker, local entrepreneur Laura Niehorster of Proud Pads will do a short talk about her venture; and two short films from Jen Wilson and Margot Morgan. There’s also delicious South American food from Ele’s Pop Up Kitchen and Patricia and I will be making loads of complimentary cakes.

And if you want more, later on Anna from Cinema & Co is showing the film “Infinity” about the artist Yayoi Kusama. Tickets for Infinity are separate and must be bought in advance – here’s a link.

Patricia and I have been drawing in out sketchbooks for many years and we’ve taken a selection of these sketches and turned them into monotype, cyanotype and woodcut prints based on our ethos that the personal is political. Our observation of everyday life represents a conscious decision to portray ‘ordinary’ people rather than the wealthy and powerful, who we feel are over-represented as subjects in art.

So come along if you’re out and about.

ps – “What about International Men’s Day?” some might ask. Well, it’s every year on November 19th…..

Tent City

tent city

Back in 2012 I was up in London for a couple of days and looked in on the Occupy London camp outside St. Paul’s Cathedral. I had a scribble, it was a higgledy piggledy mass of multi-coloured tents and ramshackle structures and it was great to draw in my little sketchbook. This is a detail of a larger monotype I’ve just done, based on my original drawing. I’ve used Caligo Cranfield Safe Wash relief ink onto a lovely vintage paper by WH Saunders and various tissues for chine collé to add splashes of colour.

This monotype will appear in my forthcoming exhibition, “Revolting Women” with artist Patricia McKenna-Jones, on International Women’s Day, March 8th at Swansea’s Cinema & Co.