Fine Art
The Fine Arts Gallery is the main motivation behind my setting up this website. Although I have had to work at other things, the creation of art pieces has been a central drive in my life. With the help of friends I manage to average about two exhibitions a year. Making the time to produce more work seems to have been a lifelong problem for me. At the moment I am working harder towards finding that time. My Lady has been an enormous support in this endeavour.
The experience I have gained over the years is helping me to see new creative visions all the time. As I have always had a strong sense of the social and political environment we live in, it is hard for me not to include that in my work. I find others bring their own experience and incites to my work (a common observation of artists). Our life experiences can be very different, so I continually learn by looking through others eyes. I hope this selection will “feed your head”.
The work falls into three basic categories.
The first is Painting in the traditional sense, mostly oil on canvas.
The second is sculptural pieces, mostly clay, but some other materials also.
The third is what I chose to call constructions. These pieces are a mixed bag of materials, mostly three dimensional, sometimes incorporating paintings. Sometimes with wood and paint, found bits of old metal or vintage pieces. I seem to use this category of work, most often, to make social comments.
I like to include a little bit of humour in the work, which is a reflection of how I try to take life (not always successfully). The fourth will be drawing and prints that are often the groundwork for greater things.
(By clicking on one of the images below you will open up the gallery. As you scroll through, right clicking on an image will allow you to save the image. Although I am happy to allow you to save the image to your device, I would ask that you do not use these photos for any projects as they are copyrighted. Should you wish to use a photo for any reason, please contact me using the email at the bottom of the page).
Paintings
Self Portrait
In The Clouds
In The Campo
Dreams of Spain
Reflections in a Room
Sculpture
Beautiful
Kiss
Sensual Curve
Italy
Simple Form
The Dove
Stone Maiden
Soft Skin
Coming Out
Aphrodite
Electra
Constructions
Romulus & Remus
Homage To Goudi
Plumbers Helper
Camus
Cosmic Consciousness
Genesis 1:29
Herself
Marilyn as a Tool
Lady of Spain
Norma Under Pressure
What You Say
Muse
Passion
Father & Son
American Gothic
Dreams of Pirates
Trauma
On The Beach
China Sea
Book of Secrets
Warren & Shirley
Venus de Framilo
Navy Cut
In The Park
The Present Moment
Drawings & Prints
For a long time drawing was the first step in a process that lead to oil on canvas. It was on a trip to southern France in a caravan with a friend and my lady that things changed. I had taken a sketch pad and pencil to fill in the times when we would stop for a break or to camp for the night. I had not bothered with trees, street and buildings before this. As I copied what I saw I knew they would not become paintings so I was free to leave areas unfinished and look at the sketch as a finished work where texture light and shadow became important.
Many of the drawing here were intended for future paintings. I still find no substitute for a live model. I was very fortunate that our local art centre had a life drawing class. I taught crafts at the centre and sat in on the life class when they had a model posing. My first wife was one of the models and I have many drawings of her from the class and when she posed for me at home. I also got some of the models from the class to pose for me privately as well as some of my friends. Interestingly, my present lady also posed for the class and I have some drawing of her from way back when. I would also take a photo of the pose I had drawn for later reference.
I don’t like to work directly from photos as drawings taken from them lack a personal artistic touch. After having the line drawings taken from life I do find the photos useful for placing shadow and colour intensity. Photos are not so great for picking up the slight variations in skin tone and the “under the skin” colours.
As I have never had the luxury of having a model for more than one sitting I have had to make do. At the moment I am working on improving my ability with faces. I want more control and practice is the only method that works for me. I have not bothered much in the past because head portraits have never been popular at shows, but every little thing you have not mastered holds you back in other areas.
The few etchings I have here are an extension of my drawings. The great thing about printing is the finished look it produces. Even the simplest of drawings glow when printed. Another fun thing is the treatment possibilities. I have shown here a single plate with different ink and paper treatments to illustrate the range of looks you can get from one drawing.
Finally I would like to say what a pleasure it is to draw, being totally absorbed for sometimes hours. On that trip up north to France they would patiently wait for me to finish a drawing so we could move on. As the hand draws what the eye sees the mind is absorbing it all. The subtle detail of a females curves or the true colour and shape of a leaf.
(By clicking on one of the images below you will open up the gallery. As you scroll through, right clicking on an image will allow you to save the image. Although I am happy to allow you to save the image to your device, I would ask that you do not use these photos for any projects as they are copyrighted. Should you wish to use a photo for any reason, please contact me using the email at the bottom of the page).