Saturday 11 December 2010

The forest



I remain secretive in order to empower myself a little. Things are a little out of hand in one area, so I have caught them and trapped them in a box.
On the other hand, I am working hard and new works are gathering momentum and clarity. A couple of very exciting opportunities have come my way in the last week and it is hard to contain my excitement, but I will. The forest is getting more dense as I enter.

Thursday 2 December 2010

New work

I am working hard on new works for two shows next year. There is a narrative of my own making along with the true one as usual and I am having fun making them. I am being secretive on purpose so as not to divulge too early. I need a sack of loot.

Wednesday 24 November 2010

New work

I am currently working on a new series of works for next year. I have made a few portraits and some new landscapes so far using digital media, gold and drawing. I hope to amass a number of works in order for me to be selective later on. I also plan to make structures.
The show at Transition starts tomorrow and the show at five hundred has been extended to be incorporated into the next first thursday.

Tuesday 23 November 2010

The show at five hundred gallery if being extended to incorporate the next first Thursday and the show at Transition is on now culminating in an auction on Saturday. I have a great day planned for Saturday, lurching through 4 galleries, one of which is completely new to me. Research is carrying on for Ickworth and my ideas are slowly formulating fot next Aprils show. Clearer ideas are coming faster and I now feel quite excited at the potential of what I can make.
I am going to emerge myself in the library tomorrow as well as working into new ideas. Looking forward to the possibilities that may lie ahead.
http://www.fivehundreddollars.co.uk/

Saturday 20 November 2010

Visual Tourettes


All the coordination for next years shows up and down the country are coming into place, like Boeing 747's on a runway out of here. I have had a week of work, meetings, meetings, private views and xrays. Lets hope the excitement dies down a bit outside of artwork production.
I had the pleasure of meeting up with a friend as well as go to the National and National Portrait again before the PV at five hundred dollars on Thursday, where we discussed another project lined up for April. We are planning to get another London venue on board in order for it to make sense, so I hope the others are up for that.
I have been left with a terrific amount of research in place for me to read and absorb this week, including the stories of the lives of people that have lived and worked at Ickworth, Dr Johnsons tourettes, islands and caves, stumps, disguise and escape. Perhaps I will work towards an amalgam.

Saturday 13 November 2010

my head

The last few days have been away from the norm.
Unknown to me a small tornado whipped up to create a scenario, which with hind sight must have been a very funny sight indeed. I was mid haircut when I became involved and intimate with a roof tile from a friends house and now have six stitches in my head. Feeling very attractive with a third haircut, a third tile slice and a third old hair I consider myself very lucky indeed as on returning to the garden after a brief trip to A & E, the offending 1" thick concrete tile remains, now in three pieces, having sliced through my head and the lawn to a depth of at least 10cms.
I have now had two near death experiences, with seven more, if I were a cat, to go.

Wednesday 3 November 2010

London bound


I have been asked by Cathy Lomax to be part of a show of works for auction titled Art Blitz that opens on 27th November if you have some cash and want to buy some really exciting artwork. I have also been asked to be part of a silent auction of works for Five Hundred Dollars Gallery in Vyner Street London, also in the month of November, so this month I am London bound and I hope you will be too.
http://www.transitiongallery.co.uk/
http://www.fivehundreddollars.co.uk/

Tuesday 2 November 2010

nothing from Ken

I haven't as yet, heard from Ken, so time for plan B, Alan. I have much to do. After the day to day today, tomorrow will be much better.

Tuesday 26 October 2010


I have written to ken today, this is all quite exciting as I have been given an address, lets hope something happens. I have also a back up plan, this is Alan, so fingers crossed. I have been working on a new piece that is to enter into a show/auction type event for a gallery in London. So too have I been putting a group proposal together for an exciting show down in the South for next year that is also going to have a presence in Manchester the following week.
My ever looming presentation is on Saturday and at the moment, I just have a feeling of dread as I am ill prepared, but have the next couple of days to concentrate on it, God willing.

Friday 22 October 2010

Back


I am now back from my trip to Devon which was highly charged in terms of excitement and productivity. All venues for next year are now secure and I have one more thing up my sleeve to pull the whole thing off. Its quite a biggie, but we will have to wait and see before I can spill. The last two days have been so busy that the journey down there and back was so full of telephone messages, emails and texts that the hours simply evaporated before me. I have now got to get down to some serious work in terms of coordination and efficiency, eek.
This post is a little secretive in terms of who, what and where I have been having these discussions with, but, no doubt, I will slow reveal as appropriate. Anyway, head down, got things to do and plan....

Monday 18 October 2010

Gosh I have been slack

Gosh I have been slack with my updates. It has been around 3 weeks since my last post and I have been working on numerous projects as I have come to expect of late. Wysing Partnering opened on Saturday sending out clues to myself and Catherine Hemelryk's project that will kick off next year. Such clues as a a closed book, a plait of hair, a purple twig, number 27, some minerals and a scoundrel were left, as well as an indication of a family crest and a series of portraits. Overall, it all looks good, so if you find yourself in the Cambridge area, do take a peek.
I am currently also working on a research question titled 'Is telling a story telling a lie?' I am fully immersed in it and enjoying its playful qualities within my work. Let's see where that one takes me.
Tomorrow I am taking myself to Exeter for a couple of days for a couple of meetings. More on this to follow.
For now, I will leave you with an image, make of it what you will.

Wednesday 29 September 2010

next move

Six weeks in the making, Open House was wrapped up on Saturday at BCA where David and I spent the day talking and schmoozing with the good people of Bedfordshire and the turn out was very healthy indeed.
The work overall we were pleased with and the process of making it with each other successful. On our way back to Davids house I enjoyed my last (for now) reflective conversation that I have grown to love over the last six weeks.
I have spent the last few days attempting to coordinate the expansive life that I appear to now lead. Meeting people, collecting money, sorting out shows, emailing him and her messages all times of day and night....This has, for now, stopped momentarily and I am considering my next move. I hope it is in the forwards direction, rather than the sideways approach that I have been leading for the last month.
I will be part of the next Wysing Contemporary show which opens in little under a month. Lets hope it all runs smoothly. Now, I am off to draw.

Wednesday 8 September 2010

The House, the House..

A good day with exciting outcomes today. Ickworth Hall in Horringer, Suffolk is an exciting place. With intriguing histories, stories and characters that have lived in it, I hope to start researching. My guide was a fantastically inspiring man with a deep knowledge of the inner and outer workings of the site itself. I came away with a head full and visual stimulated beyond my expectations. I have composed a list of things that could be of interest. But most importantly, the Marquis of Bristol returns to Ickworth next month, only wish I was invited.

Monday 6 September 2010

My mind


My mind is a fog. Perhaps 'afog' is a true word, I must look it up, who knows? I am feeling slightly agitated that I have seen little of the summer this year due to my workload being 'busy' throughout the last 6 or 7 weeks. My life is being kept together (just) with a series of lists with so many fingers in so many pies that it is hard to work out the overall priority of my 'inbox'.
One mustn't grumble however, for it is just as well that days are given names from Sunday to Saturday, otherwise I would have been on a dripping pile long ago.
The show in Southend is now down and I am working for a couple of days in Bedford each week with the boys and our project is growing. It would have been nice to have the benefit of more sustained time, but this is at present, difficult for all of us for a variety of different reasons. There is an open house on 25th September, more details to follow.

I am to meet someone this week, veiled in a cloak of mystery, in the Bedford region to hand over a couple of works that he has bought from me. I have bought a new laptop in order for me to function properly whilst 'out of the office', so the guilt of spending so much money, has been relieved by the sales from the show and the promise of new work from it.
This week, I am also meeting some more people at the fantastic Ickworth House to hopefully cement next years 'Telling' project and have everything crossed that we can confirm the venues fully by the end of the month. Catherine has been working on the project going to a London venue, so I am hopeful that we will finally be on target. The majority of writers for this project have also been confirmed and I am really looking forward to moving the project on, collaborating with them as I go.

I have to find the time also this week to discover a sequenced way of working for a research project. This in theory should not be difficult, I am just needing to work through what I have to offer.

The priority this week is to work on images for a book binder to peruse, lets hope that idea works!

Tuesday 31 August 2010


I am currently working on a new collaborative project at BCA. David, Darren and myself have wandered around Bedford to get a sense of what we want to achieve, with the the hows and the whys thrown in.
Our starting point is Borough Hall, a large, foreboding structure which somehow managed to remain quite tucked away in the town itself. I have decided to start some collages off with the idea of working on my own as well as others works. I would really like to interpret these somehow into small and large scale structures with the added process of superimposing a film on top. I am really keen to explore the theatrical side of things and can see it in my head, even if it hasn't been realised as yet. The boys and I really need to put our stamp on the place and tomorrow, I really must explore the idea of installing some kind of work station or surface to work from.

Friday 27 August 2010

Under a heavy blanket


I am currently working through my 'to do' list for the weekend, will it never end?
Coexist
DB photograph
SG book cover
scans for boys
images for studio 8
Telling images
HH research
C of MC research
ALR phone call
neo C project
WH project
Liv's stuff
receipts
postcards
paint
Not to mention: day job and MA

Monday 9 August 2010


Lots of exciting things have come out of the last few days. As a result of our meeting in Northampton and then Bedford our collective have some exciting news that will be revealed in the not too distant future. The day was mad with things flying in and out at a rate of knots but wound up in a 6 week project to work in a new direction. I have since sold work from the show in Southend and have a lead onto a further piece which i am negotiating as I write.
Next week I take a break to think and write more of my stories in the Yorkshire Dales to coincide with a couple of meetings in and around the area. Things, as ever, are super busy which is what I guess I fortunately thrive on.

Friday 6 August 2010

Show opening in Southend done and appears to have been well received. Today I went on what turned out to be a whistle stop tour of Northampton and Bedford. More news about that in the days to come..

Thursday 5 August 2010

So 'None of beauties daughters' is up at TAP Southend after a couple of days flat out installing and drawing on walls. I spent a lovely evening at Chalkwell Hall in between with the peacocks and I am happy as it contains new soundworks as well as new wall based works and sculptures. This show has been demanding of me for numerous reasons, so I am glad it is finally all there.
Yuko Nasu and Liv Penningtons works also showing in the space look amazing and the show looks coherant and exciting. My thanks go to Amy and Jon at coexist for their patience and endurance on my part!

Tuesday 13 July 2010

The show at The Arts Council HQ London has gone live at http://www.axisweb.org/atATCL.aspx?AID=2445 and I am working flat out for the solo. Come and see me and other studio artists at Wysing Arts Centre, Cambridge on 24th and 25th July http://www.wysingartscentre.org/news/208. The solo is at Coexist, Southend and opens on the 5th August http://www.coexist.org.uk

Friday 9 July 2010


Last night I went to the launch of artside in Southend.It was very jolly and you should get there if you can.
http://www.artside.org.uk

Saturday 26 June 2010

I am working on the family tree, writing names in places that mean so much. The identity of the project has hit a point where clarity and honesty must wrestle in the deep waters of my Id.the emblem has become significant in terms of identity regarding the soul of the project, which is crucial to me at it's creator, though will, most likely, confuse others.
I am due to have a solo at Tap, Coexist,Southend which has allowed the ideas intertwined within to be forced to the front in order for it all to make sense. There are to be trophies, emblems, drawings and sounds and sculptures to enhance new portraits within the show which opens in August.
On another note, I have managed to secure a spot at Rogue Gallery and studios, Manchester, to show new works with fellow artists Annabel Dover, Alex Pearl and Mimei Thompson, more on this project later... I am also embarking on making new works on a new project with Darren Banks, David Kefford and Simon Woolham which we are working collaboratively on shared works, again more about this soon.
The shows with myself, the curator Catherine Hemelryck and writers is going well, venues and writers will be revealed in the not too distant future.
I am the selected representative for th Eastern region in a show at The Arts Council curated by Axis is due to open on 5th July, Artside in Southend also opens that month.
Still, back to work...

Saturday 5 June 2010


This last week has allowed time for an outpouring of crises, all of which have been ridden out on a wave of neurosis, questioning, lamentation and loathing, possibly due to overall exhaustion with the demands I put myself under from day to day. In order for me to gain perspective, I have withdrawn from creating any new work in the last few days, filling my time with physical activity away from my desk.
I have now returned after 4 days away to a feeling of slight readjustment, with fingers crossed that I can stay focussed on the things that are important, rather than than the things that are not. All I can do if try to address the balance on a daily basis and hope that it doesn't implode again. I am therefore concentrating on getting work ready for some possible shows in the US and Canada, escaping in my head whilst floating just above the ground in the UK.

Monday 24 May 2010


Ok, so last week was taken up with a series of disastrous events and some fantastic happenings coincidentally mixed with a terrific amount of travelling on my part.
As well as a couple of trips to London, I visited with Catherine Hemelryk, the lovely Brantwood House in Cumbria to look at and digest the world of John Ruskin for the last 28 years of his life on this earth.
We were met by Howard Hull, the director of Brantwood House and its gardens, who led us around the site at much speed (due to our returning train) negotiating waterfalls, rocky ground, crystals and jaw dropping landscapes as well as introducing us to the extensive world of the catalog(ue)ing Mr Ruskin.
I came away elated at the discovery of such a place with many many ideas swimming around my head as well as the added excitement of receiving an invited opportunity to develop our ideas alongside the Ruskin Research Centre and its library.
Swamped under only slightly with other work commitments at the moment, I await with impatience the opportunity to get my head buried underneath some serious reading material.
Oh, and I have sold a number of works this week and have been shortlisted as one of three artists from the east to be put forward for an exhibition on the first floor of Arts Council England's national office at Great Peter Street, London curated by Axis.

Monday 17 May 2010



I have some rather lovely images of 'To taste molten diamonds' at Backlit which is up until 22 May as well as the venture over the wekend of managing a live event of The Gimp at Wysing Arts Centre as part of Wysing Arts Contemporary: Presents, up until later this month.

Sunday 9 May 2010


The show at Backlit is up and opened on Thursday, pics up shortly. I was unable to go, but instead shared a warm moment in time in New York. I am working currently on getting The Gimp ready for his debut at Wysing Arts Contemporary : Presents on 15th May, where he will generally run amuck in the space and outside. I am hoping to get some moving image footage from this event as well as some photographic portraits to send out to people, its hopefully going to be grand.

Friday 23 April 2010

And then Gloria's Crew in Birmingham at The Vaults on Wednesday 28th April.
Glorias Crew
This weekend sees the opening of The Worcester Open, I have three works selected.
http://www.worcesteropen.co.uk/selectedartistwaw.asp?artistID=368

My New York flight has been rescheduled rather annoyingly for the week I am installing the show at Backlit. I had also planned visits to Manchester and Liverpool, so they have been pushed to one side in order for me to take the trip to the US. Now I have instead this feeling of mild panic in my stomach that I have to give over the control of installing to the technicians and curators at Backlit, whom I trust implicitly to make those deciding factors to how it will look overall. This also means that I will miss the PV, which is a disappointment. I have had to remove the complex lighting show planned in order for the show to become simpler, but hopefully I will be able to install this somewhere on later in the year if it fits.
So, I will spend the next couple of days finishing off the large sculptural pieces which will either arrive in a van complete or in parts depending on transport issues, the rest is manageable...

Sunday 21 March 2010




Work on the solo is coming along nicely. Like I said before, its almost top secret. i have some work going off to an auction In Nottingham and have had 3 works selected for the Worcester Open. A mammoth meeting took place on Friday regarding the C-O-L-L-I-D-E-R collective with work ideas abounding for the WAC: Presents art fair. Lets hope we can pull it off.

Tuesday 16 March 2010


I am very excited, in fact so excited I justified a new spend on an iphone...oh well. I have been granted a Grants for the Arts application with the lovely curator Catherine Hemelryk from Bury St Edmunds Gallery to travel up and down the country responding to stately home collections. I am really excited particularly that I will be working alongside writers that will really throw my work hopefully into turmoil along the journey, creating articles and new writings that can only add to the mix of responses. Gavin Wade will be Catherine's mentor on this one, which will I am sure create new ideas for her too. I am, as a result, going to be traveling up and down the country for the next 18 months creating new shows to new and existing audiences. The venues and writers will be revealed shortly.
I have a number of shorter other projects that are happening and I will post anything to do with soon.

Tuesday 9 March 2010


New drawings are being shaped and I am seeking a good sized workshop to create new sculptures. I am devising ways of making new sound works too, so I feel overwhelmed by the starting of new works before finishing others. Still, the back - stories being told somehow appear to be holding it all together in some way, which is rather reassuring in itself.
Whilst working on these new works I have become infatuated with Ludwig II of Bavaria. I wish sometimes that my head would stop, although I understand that for some, ideas are sometimes long coming, so I should feel blessed. Sleep patterns are becoming erratic, black circles are becoming more evident. Am I in my own way following the path of Ludwig's so - called insanity? Time will no doubt tell. I am also reading the Count of Monte Cristo again, so perhaps the two are becoming intertwined?

Saturday 6 March 2010


Work for the show in Nottingham is well under way. I have producing a series of works to date that include portraiture and imaginary modes of transport. These are a mixture of collage, prints and drawings that involve complicated back stories of treachery, collision, violence and laughter.

Friday 5 March 2010

Thursday 25 February 2010

its been a funny old week

Its been a funny old week
1) I have been selected by Rebecca Wilson (Saatchi Gallery Associate Director) for selecting my work as 1 of her Top 10 online artists http://www.saatchi-gallery.co.uk/blogon/
2) One of my works has been selected to be given to a major collector of Modern and Contemporary Art.
3) My love for Ludwig is expanding

Monday 22 February 2010

I have a crush on Ludwig II of Bavaria, this is now common knowledge I feel. His notions of escapism are completely valid in my eyes. His death remains a mystery.

work for an upcoming show

I am being a little secretive about new ideas and work as I have 3 solos to work on right now.
I have added the image below to whet the tastebuds so to speak. New work should include collage, drawings, paintings, sculptures and sounds.

Sunday 31 January 2010

Sunday 24 January 2010


The first SuperNova before being collaged up.

Sunday 10 January 2010

SuperNova

I am currently working on a new SuperNova series of works titled 'To taste molten diamonds'. I fully expect this to be a significant number of works containing drawings, paintings, collages, film and sound. It will be work concerning the act of divulging and keeping secrets.

Blog Archive