Reaction to the Turner exhibition

This is my reaction to the fabulous  'Painting Set Free' exhibition of late Turner at Tate Britain, another 'All Roads Lead to Godney' 2014, oil on canvas 163x131cms.  Subject matter of now, traffic lights and rain on the road between Coxley and Wells

Winter's here...November 2014

All the excitement of WAC is over for the year. A very successful show, I think. I have been finishing my partner to the August Artichoke...September Gunnera. Painting the 'female' flower took weeks, as it an extremely complex structure

September Gunnera, oil on canvas 163x200cms

Also working on past paintings, and hope I have made improvements. I think the time is coming for another journey

August Artichoke

And now its Somerset Art Weeks, we have had lots of visitors in Godney, and also at the Red Brick Building in Glastonbury where this painting is on show.

I have been painting this, thinking hard of my good friend who I loved dearly, who died today.  Hilly. A celebration of her wonderful life and personality, with great sadness for her family, Michael and all her siblings, and her many, many friends.

August Artichoke, oil on canvas 200x160cms

July 2014 the weather continues wonderful

On most days, that is of course, but I did have to travel back to Godney along the M5 again on one wet evening

All Roads Lead to Godney 2014 oil on linen 163x131cms

June 2014

What more can one say about a month? (except of course it rained for Glastonbury)

June 2014 oil on linen 150x120cms

Painting the Dawn

Too much green around at the moment, I don't want to paint any more green!  So I have investigating the dawn at around 5 am recently, and have painted these 4 small paintings of this incredibly beautiful time of day.  Swan on the lake, the industrial silo looking like a cathedral, the peat lake dark and brooding, and lichen on a stone wall.

May Effulgence

May Effulgence, yes I think that's the word, a few days when its too much, too beautiful.  chloraphyllia, a word learnt from listening to Melvyn Bragg this morning, a love of green, and all that soft white. Last Sunday there was a lot of wind, the sky was blue, and Godney looked amazing. I went out with my camera in the middle of the day - I just wanted to get the MOST. Now 5 days later it is almost all gone.

May Effulgence 2014 oil on board on calico 120x100cms

April is the Cruellest Month

Well, if you are thinking of a title about something which is April, and its about an old ash tree, and thoughts of ash die-back, then April is the Cruellest Month is not a bad title. I have always been a bit over-awed by T.S.Elliot..
Last week, we went to the opening of Wilhelm Sasnal at Lismore Castle Arts near Cork, where I met the great man, and was thrilled to see some of his new work.  Influential in the different brush stokes he uses, and his very limited use of colour, almost as if he were colour-blind.

April is the Cruellest Month 2014, oil on canvas 163x131cms

'Half the Seed of Europe, One By One'

Resurrection, Remembering 1914 and Stanley Spencer. I have been thinking about my Godney Resurrection picture, and realise that it must say more, work harder, and so it changes.  This year is 100 since The First World War, WW1. I have been thinking of Stanley Spencer's work, of course, and the line, 'half the seed of Europe, one by one' from Britten's War Requiem.  I have been arguing with myself as to the inclusion of figures, a first for this series, and have come to the conclusion, even if it is a one-off, that they are necessary here to tell the story - you read a novel, a child is born in the 1890's (A.S.Byatt for instance, or Kate Atkinson's 'Life after Life')) and you know what the story will be about. Oh the arrogance of those of us who have not experienced war, and the dread we have for our sons and grandsons!

The flowers at the front are now Remembrance Day poppies. the painting is making more sense

'Half the Seed of Europe, One By One'  2014 oil on linen 163x131cms

Back in England, back to work

Somerset is beautiful and invigorating:  I have started a new regime of finding images, walking in the early morning or evening, and have started on a couple. I have been working on the image below, one of the many abandoned and dilapidated sheds around here Currently I have work on exhibition at StrodeTheatre,  www.strodetheatre.org.uk/‎ and the Sheppey Inn, thesheppey.co.uk/‎

Tripps Drove - Falling Shed 2014 oil on linen 163x131cm

I am in Florence

I have been here for nearly 4 weeks, and I am still enjoying things and the city very much.

The Square at Santa Croce

New Years Day 2014

Foul all day, the rain and wind are ceasing now towards evening as I finish this picture.

New Year's Day Weather 2014 oil on calico on board 120x100cms