I am working on a series of paintings at the moment with my trademark woman in front of an interesting and recognisable Bristol backdrop. I have taken a lot of photos of North Street, the street where I live, as it provides a centre each year for Upfest, a street art festival held in July. Graffiti and street artists from all over the Uk and Europe descend on North Street and cover virtually every available space with some pretty spectacular art. I have also been roaming around the ‘people’s Republic of Stokes Croft’ which is a myriad of wonderful paintings, murals and street art as it is a hub for artists, much like North Street. I am very excited. Further afield, I have been wandering around the streets of Camden and Kentish Town in London for the same reason and in the future hope to paint several paintings featuring some amazing backdrops for my woman sliding past, and no doubt including Amy Winehouse somewhere, as she and Camden are synonymous. I plan to do the same with Cape Town and my ‘Don’t Be A Dick’ was the first painting I did which gave me the idea for all of the…
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‘Rendezvous at The Labia’. Work in progress. 07/06/17
Strange title possibly ?! The Labia is South Africa’s oldest working cinema and is such an iconic place. It was founded by Princess Labia around 1945 I think, and is one of my best go to places to visit when I am in Cape Town. It is a small theatre but has four screens and has a small bar with snacks available, both of which you can take in with you to see the film. The usherette is a fabulous local who has been at the Labia for as long as I can remember and you can get home made popcorn which always smells delicious and costs a fraction of the stuff you buy here in England. It’s a real favourite with the locals and shows all up to date films plus more arts based ones. I love it. I came out from the film and saw this young woman on her phone. The lighting, the pose, the colour of that wall – my favourite shade of blue – all conspired to make me feel a painting coming on. I will be adding in more zestful colours as I go along and need to accentuate the lights and darks more…
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‘Bristol North Street Blues…Reds & Oranges’. Completed. 01/06/17
This is a wonderful piece of street art which I felt would really compliment one of my paintings featuring my trademark female. The colours are so vibrant and alive, although the painting of the geometric shapes proved very taxing for this impatient artist. I like the result at last. It was a cold morning in April when I set this up and am indebted to the model as she braved the east winds of Bedminster to slide past this street art. She attracted many an admiring glance in her high heels and red dress as the rest of the population on North Street wrapped up in scarves, hoodies, gloves et al. I always have mixed feelings about street art. I love the immediacy of it all, and can stand watching for ages as these artists produce such wonderful imagery with their aerosols and paints, usually using a small postcard as a guide to the finished large piece. I say mixed feelings, because sooner or later the said piece is destroyed by a new work being painted over it! This is particularly true of here in North Street where we welcome Upfest every year. This is, I think, the largest…
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