Fee Fi Faw Fum

I smell the blood of an English man! Well three actually as this blog is basically about men! 

First up is my brother Roger of who I am very proud, he got it together, secured an arts council grant and has just had his first solo show

The big event was on Friday 1st May and I'm over the moon for him as it was a great success, a good turn out and the work looked super. So forget watching telly this weekend and get yourself over to Pendle gallery at the Ace centre, well the show is on for a few months so go have a peek! Below looking at the work

And a drawing of me!!

And now I would like to welcome my good friend John Boldwin to these parts, yes he's the new artist taking up residence in Higherford Mill, we are so excited to have him and he will be a good asset to our community! John below putting up the first pictures. Come and see him and say HELLO to colour!

And talking of Higherford, it's our studios opening this weekend so please pop along, I'll be helping dish out tea and cake this Saturday so come and see me about that or even a drawing/painting or two?

Just over a week ago I had a few visitors to the mill my good friends Malcolm and Katie Fryer, so lovely to catch up with them and to put the world to rights on the painting over lunch, a perfect sunny day!

See you this Saturday!

Cutting It Fine

Holy smoke Batman I only just made it to the C.A.C for our Easter Hatting, lucky I had my grandmothers nightie as back up and skull of a bunny.... You know, just hanging around, as I've been so busy painting, my other creation for this party didn't emerge. My friend Clive set the bar high though with his bunny number, don't get me wrong. I love a mad March hare but let's not kid around, he's taken it to another level with this, leaving all amateurs aside and together as a pair we've weeded out the chick wearing bonnets!  Hurrah!

It's still pretty cold in the mill so luck for my studio tech Montee, Miss Miles (one of our artist) is looking out for him, with her new Monteee knitted pullover, check him out below... OMG this boy has style!!!

The next thing I have to say is that I should shut my cake hole on the picture is finished thingee, below is the painting "Pin Up" I'd like to say is f*****d. Anyhow I am now on another and the title is "monster" so yes... You can all see where my head is at.

Toodle looo

Albert Irvin

Gutting news, Bert died yesterday, a wonderful man and I am so lucky to have known him

RIP Bert.x

Word Up

Eeek! Spring is nearly upon us- Easter adventures are only just over a week away but you wouldn't believe it up in the North as that bloody wind has a nasty bite! I have just come home from the studio with yet another frozen shoulder but I'm as happy as a Spring lamb as my latest picture "Pin Up" I can now declare FIN!

Although this image is a bit dark (studio light has gone)  you wouldn't believe it's four foot?

Artist from the Mill where out to see this weeks eclipse, should I say, a few of us came outside, although it was early, some artist hadden't arrived yet, Montee didn't seem amused?

Next I am on with my easter bonnet for our annual Hatting at the CAC....so what can one do with a stocking, a load of hay, gloves that could only have belonged to Super Man and some plastic, well you will have to wait and see, I just made a squeal of pleasure (excitement) made when you get cake, or is that more of an ooO, well.... You know who you are!

I'm also going to see my super friend Catherine Nicolson, who is having a showing of her wonderful 'Spingle' necklaces next Tuesday at the Chelsea Arts, so I can't wait for that as they will be wonderful and weird.

Fashion and styles change so quickly but you will now see me out and about sporting Big colour, who cares what the weather has planned, inject a little sunshine into your wardrobe, yes shiny happy people below with Montee dog......or is it Ab Fab? Oh dear, have a great Easter and dont forget to Egg Hunt!

                                           WOTSITS!

Chart Gallery

I was in London all of last week for my solo show at Chart, the in crowd wasted no time to get in and get down to the viewing of my latest show "Dummy" they'd been given to explore..................AND THE SHOW WENT WITH A BANG!

So if you didn't buy a painting talk to the hand

And if you hated the show ............well

Toodles

All White Now

It's happened to us all, you don't want to go out (in our case the winter scene was cold enough to make a duck cough) but you end up having a great time! We went off this gone Saturday, over the snowcapped moors to Dean Clough gallery for John Baldwin's show of super Ice-lolly bright paintings, Small and Tiny.

This was our view, we laughed about not making it, but then went quiet, as it could of become our reality.

 John has had a long-term partnership with colour, so it didn't matter what the weather was doing outside, inside we said hello to Spring!          The man of the moment below

Below: Dee, DC co-ordinator (lovely lady poet) John, me and Jake Attree(Artist)

There is such a family atmosphere in here,
I had my arm around this chap before we even spoke (Simon Thackray) who famously runs "The Shed" in Brawly

Helen and Kath were up to no good, poor John ended up with a bag full of pusseys!

Peeps were stopped in their tracks when they got a glimpse of John's work,
There is a lesson we can all learn here: Pay attention to detail, just like Mr B, his mini works will give you a zing, break up a white wall and lead you to Spring!

Frolic into 15

 HAPPY NEW YEAR!

 And my first Arty outing 2015 was back to the gallery in the Park for a collection of artists on display put together by Mary Gavagan who has taken it on until March. Lots to see and I can tell you that not only is it a diversity of brilliant work in all kinds of form but also striking prints of Bert Irvin's are on display...I mean Wow, that's what we want, Albert Irvin in Pendle!

Below: Johny B and me checking out the situation

Next having some fun infront of a Bert

So go along to the park in Barrowford and enrich your understanding of art and you'll even get to meet Mary.

 Below, with Mary

I was drawn to David Cooks wonderful pictures below, the composition was just right to me, and he's such a lovely chap!

All the pieces in the gallery instantly and easily transform the space and kill the white, it's a super show of work, so go on, pop along (also fit in a piece of Pat's pie across at the Heritage) it's so much less stress than tennis!