Foundries
Whilst my Foundry drawings were the bedrock from which I produced many paintings they are valid in their own right. Charcoal is an entirely appropriate medium for this subject, bringing the grit the grime and contrast of the foundry to the viewer.
BHS
These drawings were made following a trip to Oxford. The large BHS store there was in the process of total refurbishment and although boarded up, I was able to see enough through the gaps to record the scenes from which I made these images and embarked upon the subsequent developmental journey in paint.
Poetry
These working sketches were made in differing mediums and include a small painting.
Same Old Thing
Transposition.
An iconic image of the internment camp in Abhu Graihb is superimposed on a Goya etching depicting a man being hoisted by his arms behind his back as a means of torture.
I exhibited this work in Winchester in a corridor in such a way that allowed the viewer time in approaching it to decipher the content.
Extras
Drawing is an essential activity for any practising artist and charcoal is not only a versatile medium but one of its properties is to produce expressive marks akin to painting.
Pastel has similar properties.
I believe life drawing to be the most taxing examination of an artist’s abilities and an essential “5-finger exercise” I draw and paint from the figure on a weekly basis.
“Wires” was my submission for the Nene Barclaycard Award in 1998. The location was close to Cheddington where the Great Train Robbery of 1963 took place.
