Badge Makes Art

The Brighton Collective

2012-02-01T12:10:00.000Z

The guys at 'The Brighton Collective' Blog have added a nice little feature about me and my work, check it out at their rather awesome blog!

Cheers guys!!

The End is Nigh...

2012-01-31T16:23:00.001Z

Nearly got the last batch of dolls finished :) Will post pics of the end results soon...

Painters Progress Part 4...

2012-01-30T20:19:00.000Z

Painters Progress Part 3...

2012-01-26T21:59:00.000Z

Painters Progress Part 2...

2012-01-22T19:08:00.000Z

The Good, The Bad and The Divine...

2012-01-12T21:50:00.000Z

I received a tweet the other day from a lady called Brandy Shaloo admiring my work and asking if I'd mind being featured on her website! The site in question is the excellent 'The Good, The Bad and The Divine' a site dedicated to the very best in fashion, art, photography, music and literature... I'd be foolish to turn down such an offer!!
I'm incredibly pleased with the article Brandy's complied about me and my work, and extremely grateful for the support, please check out the feature here: http://www.good-bad-divine.com/2012/01/badge-makes-art.html

Painters Progress...

2012-01-10T19:57:00.001Z

A good friend of mine dropped by the studio the other day and saw the dolls I've been working on, she was surprised to see how they're painted, she's only ever seen the finished ones before and as a non-painter she was curious as to how I paint them... rather than post step by step pictures I'll post a few shots of various stages to try give an overview of the process.
It's basically 5 or 6 colour/mixes all built up in very thin washes/layers, some colours take a while to build up others not so much - time consuming but rewarding! This piece is on the second stage of colour [a yellowy creamy colour]

Bones and Bubbles....

2012-01-02T18:23:00.000Z

Bit of experimentation from the studio....
So I had a little stack of the x-ray cyanotypes I did during the summer, well I say summer it was raining whilst I developed them! anyway's I was thinking of how to use them within my work, they do of course stand up as photographs but I kept thinking they looked like they needed something more... so whilst working on the collage I was doing for the C.A.C.S collaborative project I started playing with the leftover paint/bubbles and before you know it I'd started printing bubbles onto the cyanotypes.
I've used up the majority of the cyanotypes [the ones that turned out] so I need to do some more to continue experimenting with the idea, but for me its exciting to do something that I have very little control over, the bubbles and printing them onto the image are virtually random - since I'm printing off the bubbles blind [image face down] and I developed the cyanotypes using sunlight, so I'm again surrendering control, that doesn't happen very often in my work, but I'm quite enjoying it!!
I'm starting to get interested in the links between medicine and magic - not sure were that's leading but I think these are a good little exercise and perhaps a starting point for the idea?? there's a sort of link there somewhere I'm sure... to be honest it was more playing than planning, but I think it could develop or manifest itself somewhere or somehow in my newer works... I certainly like the contrast of order and chaos [bones and bubbles] and even the abstractness of the results... most of all I like the pretty patterns and colours :)

Hello Dolly...

2011-12-30T21:57:00.001Z

As you may already know I've got two exhibitions coming up early next year in Rhyl/Denbigh, since I sold a few of the dolls during Helfa Gelf I figured I best get some replacements sorted and also use up the remaining dolls I had lying around the studio [think of the environment and all that] so I spent the afternoon drawing in skeletons ready to get painting next week....

Let's work together....

2011-12-28T21:49:00.001Z

piece me and Gerallt collaborated on

Here's some of the results of a collaborative project we've been working on in the C.A.S.C studio, each member of the studio has been/or will be giving a master-class based on 'what art is' to them, this one was led by fellow studio member Gerallt Hughes who wanted us to look at what the studio meant to us and to think of ways to advertise it and ourselves... of course I loved the workshop - it's cutting, gluing and collage what's not to love! and naturally I ended up making a Frankenstein/Dr Moreau inspired collage :)

Alternative Life Drawing: Ha Ha Road Part 2

2011-12-16T19:03:00.000Z

Here's the photos from the second Alternative Life Drawing class at Mostyn. The lights in the Education Room where playing up so we held the class in the gallery, amongst the exhibition it was inspired by [Ha Ha Road] it gave the session a whole new dimension and meant people could see and draw the work I'd based the poses on :)

A big thank you to everyone who came along, and also to Sarah and Bernie for all their help :)

Alternative Life Drawing: Ha Ha Road Part 1

2011-12-08T20:34:00.000Z

Here's some photos from last nights Alternative Life Drawing class at the Mostyn based on the current exhibition 'Ha Ha Road' a big thanks to Bernie and everyone who attended and also to Sarah for modelling :)

The second class takes place next Wednesday [14th of December] anyone interested in attending please contact: bernie@mostyn.org

Alternative Life Drawing Prep...

2011-12-04T12:06:00.000Z

In between throat infections and colds I've been getting ready for two workshops that'll be taking place at Mostyn on the 7th and 14th. They'll be based on the new exhibition 'Ha Ha Road' which is a group show exploring the role of humour and boundaries in contemporary art, so I've been making a few props based on the exhibits for the model to pose with and plotting and planning away [pausing every so often for a coughing and sneezing fit]. Some of you will know that I used to run this type of life classes on a regular basis, mixing clothed models with still life & installations and unusual poses, and it's nice to revisit them! I'm actually quite excited about these two sessions as the exhibition really lends itself to the concept of fancy dress life drawing and getting people to look at and approach drawing differently!
If anyone's interested in coming along, they run on December 7th and 14th 6.30 - 8.30pm and the price is £10 per session or £15 for the two, it does need booking in advance via: bernie@mostyn.org

More info on 'Ha Ha Road' can be found HERE

and examples of the last set of Alternative Life Drawing session I did are HERE

New Studio

2011-11-01T21:00:00.000Z

Moved into my new studio today :) I've joined a group studio called CASC in Llandudno, it's a great mix of artists and an excellent space and working environment, with the added bonus of being right next door to the gallery I work in :)
It's a marked improvement on my studio at home which I shared with a tumble dryer and a dodgy roof, so hopefully no more damp to contend with! Although I was slightly panicked as I was packing up getting ready to move worrying that I had too much stuff to take with me, and that I'd have no room to work in, but I took the huge bulk of it in today, got it set up and realized I have heaps and heaps of space left over - enough to dance in as a friend just pointed out to me... but hopefully it'll be filled up with paintings rather than dancing...

Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now...

2011-10-22T12:48:00.000Z

I saw this posted on Facebook a few weeks ago and it's been jammed in my head ever since. The list is the work of Keri Smith, it's a scarily accurate list of how to be miserable as an artist, and I'm not ashamed to admit I've fallen foul of a few of the points, in fact I'm currently very guilty of points 1, 2 and 10...

Joe Simpson: Musician Portraits

2011-10-21T16:50:00.001Z

"Liam Frost"

Oil on Canvas

"Fyfe Dangerfield"

Oil on Canvas

"Dan Mangan"

Oil on Canvas

"Emmy The Great"

Oil on Canvas

"Pamola Faith"

Oil on Canvas

I first saw Joe Simpson's work when I was on the first year of my degree and I've ~~stalked~~ followed his career ever since, his last exhibition was a collaboration with 12 bands/singers who were challenged to write a song to accompany his paintings in the series Almost There.

His latest body of work is another musical collaboration of sorts, only this time he's painted portraits of musicians he admires, the paintings are beautifully executed and flawlessly stunning, and it's an added bonus that he's chosen a handful of my favourite musicians to sit for him. The exhibition is completely self funded and set up - he spent a week converting the former library of Central St Martins into a pop-up gallery; see the video here for whole progress, and the hard work certainly paid off! It's a fantastic exhibition, if your in the area be sure to drop in, you won't be disappointed!!

More details about the exhibition can be found on Joe's website

all photos copyright of Joe Simpson.

Doll Autopsy

2011-10-09T18:35:00.000Z

Living up to my reputation as Sid from 'Toy Story', today I dissected a doll.

Last year I was given 3 hand cast porcelain doll heads - just the hollow heads, no eyes or hair - they interest me on so many levels, so today I finally got them out and started to paint them white ready to paint up as doll skulls, this then got me thinking about the rest of the body... It was at that point I took a knife to the above doll. In my defence her hair fell off ages ago and she was in pretty bad nick when I was given her so I couldn't really use her as a whole. Ssssooo the plan now is to paint up the individual limbs and have them as stand alone pieces, perhaps displayed like an autopsy, maybe incorporating the soft body into it aswell????
I've got a joint exhibition coming up next year with the potter Pea Restall called 'Part Human' so I've been thinking of new ways of displaying the dolls and of new twists to add to the work, so we'll have to see how it goes....

Here's one of the hand cast heads I was given, quite excited to get started on painting this one, the lack of hair means I'll be able to have a go at adding in cranial detail *happily sat with my nose in the anatomy book*

It's Over....

2011-10-08T12:06:00.004Z

Here's some shots from Helfa Gelf Open Studios Art Trail, I took part alongside my friends Susie Liddle and Wendy Dykes [whose house we used as a base] since we don't have an actual studio we transformed Wendy's lounge into a pop-up gallery for the month - hard work but it looked great!

It was alot of work and effort but it paid off, we had lots of visitors, brilliant feedback and some sales :)

You can check out the groups blog for more photos :)

We also had the wonderful potter and illustrator Pea Restall at the end of the lane also taking part in art trail with her amazing little studio! so it felt like a nice group environment :)

Helfa Gelf was also a great networking opportunity, the amount of talented artists in the area is astounding! Swimming in this pool of talent are Clarrie Flavell, Wendy Dawson, Leanne Gilliam, and the delightful Karen Cheung whose studio was the only one I managed to get to this year, her work is quirky funny and beautifully drawn!! Her blog is also worth a visit! Here's one of my favourite pieces - it's pretty similar to conversations I've had with my Mam in the past!!

[Photo: Karen Cheung]

Llandudno Poem...

2011-10-07T13:55:00.000Z

I bumped into Sonja Benskin Mesher last weekend in work - she's come to the gallery to take part in a workshop, she's written a rather lovely poem about the day on her blog [read it here] and I even get a personal mention! Don't think I've ever been mentioned in a poem before, I feel rather honoured! Thanks Sonja :)

David Nash

2011-10-07T10:43:00.002Z

I spent the majority of September working on the David Nash install at work, it was hard work but a goldmine of experience, having giant chunks of trees delivered and installed in a day was pretty amazing! The exhibition itself is well worth seeing! The black room [pictured above] is possibly the highlight for me, the sheer scale of the 'King and Queen' leaves me in awe, and the texture of the wood now it's been charred is beautiful - the grain/rings look almost like fingerprints, and there's wonderful areas where it's flaking/bubbling and chipping off....

The smaller scale pieces are my favourite - I love the fact a chainsaw has made something so delicate and dainty! I also really like the bronze casts of the negative space caused by cutting into wood [picture above] - the concept/idea of the pieces fascinates me, almost as much as the fact the brown one reminds me of Cousin It :)

There's some photos of the install here you can actually see me do some work!

[photos borrowed from Oriel Mostyn's Facebook]

Phew....

2011-10-06T18:43:00.000Z

Sorry for the lack of posts lately, I worked pretty much every day of September so haven't had any time to think about art let alone paint :( however I'm now back to normal-ish so hopefully it'll be all systems go!!

Ram it Down

2011-08-31T17:21:00.006Z

Another highlight from my adventure included the exhibition of Judas Priest costumes and memorabilia at the Leather Museum in Walsall - it seems odd for a veggie to enjoy a visit to somewhere draped in the hides of dead animals but it was genuinely fascinating! of course my morbid curiosity took over and pretty soon I was intrigued by the process the hide goes through to become leather! The Judas Priest exhibit was also top-notch, seeing the costumes go from sketches to actual wearable pieces was pretty neat, and the extra displays of various memorabilia and the design work behind tshirts/posters was excellent, Mark Wilkinson's illustration for the cover of 'Ram it Down' was the main one featured; it was exciting to see the process behind the piece from the initial sketch to the working's out and then the final piece and the various uses of it!!

[Mark Wilkinson's design for the cover of Judas Priest's 'Ram it Down']

Ray Brown's sketches for costumes

More info on the exhibition here.

and more info on Mark Wilkinson here.

Be True To Your Oblivion: Mark Titchner

2011-08-30T16:38:00.079Z

Image Credit: Mark Titchner

Like I said in a previous post I've been a fan of Titchner's work for a while now, I first became aware of him when he was nominated for the Turner Prize back in 2006, the bold use of text and song lyrics instantly appealed to me, as did the subtle and obvious reference to his love of Heavy Metal.

The exhibition in The New Art Gallery Walsall was absolutely amazing! The large scale video projection of Napalm Death's Nicholas Bullen was stunning, entitled 'N (I) B' it's a close up of Bullen's mouth as he recites a monologue written by Titchner, the video is completely silent and slowed down so we are left with is the movement of the mouth/lips/tongue as they speak. This silent performance is contrasted with the installation 'Be angry but don't stop breathing' which invites visitors to perform and give their own vocal response to the exhibition via the open mic set up - in turn providing the soundtrack for Bullen's performance.

The juxtaposition of sound and silence is also apparent in the large scale windchimes which are incapable of producing sound due to their size and weight, and a 2 sets of smaller chimes one of which never chimes and the other only chimes at a set time.

The text pieces were my favourite pieces, Titchner's use of lyrics and phrases culled from popular culture is inspired! Taken out of their original context they become rallying calls to arms, poignant advice or even meaningless statements, very reminisce of Ed Ruscha's work I'd seen in the morning.

"I'll choose my own fate" is the large scale banner in the galleries front window, lifted from Judas Priests "You don't have to old to be wise", it mimics the visual language of advertising yet stands out against the shop windows and their sale signs you encounter on the way to the gallery. Aswell as the large banners, there's also layered metal relief's in steel and aluminium, reflecting Metal's industrial origins, and text carved into heavy charred wood, bringing to mind the darker and sinister side of Metal, in 'The Other Spring' hand gestures and demonic shadows are incorporated into the piece.

More Information about the exhibition can be found on the gallery's website, and there's a great mini interview with Titchner on Dazed & Confused's website.

Helfa Gelf 2011: Open Studio

2011-08-30T12:57:00.002Z

This year I'll be taking part in Helfa Gelf/Art Trail Open Studios event, the event takes place over the whole of North Wales and artists open up their studios and hold exhibitions to showcase their work.

I'm part of a small group 'Gwrych Contemporary Artists', consisting of myself, printmaker Susie Liddle and ceramic artist Wendy Dykes. We will be based at Wendy's house in Abergele, North Wales against the backdrop of Gwrych Castle and it's grounds. We're open on the following weekends in September, 3rd, 4th, 17th, 18th, 24th and 25th.

More details about the group and directions to help find us can be found here.

More information about Helfa Gelf can be found here.

Ed Ruscha

2011-08-29T17:11:00.004Z

"Music from the Balconies"

Oil on Canvas, 1984

"Hollywood Tantrum"

Pastel on Paper, 1979

"Dirty Baby"

Graphite, Acrylic and Pastel on Paper, 1977

"The Final End"

Acrylic on Canvas, 1992

"Miracle #64"

Pastel on Paper, 1975

"Hope"

Acrylic on Paper, 1998

I saw a great show of Ruscha's work a couple of years ago at the Hayward, and I fell in love with his work there and then [in fact it would have been ideal research material for my degree show work but I only found that out 6 months too late!] I was super excited when I discovered that Wolverhampton Gallery is currently showing an exhibition of his work as part of the Artist Rooms Scheme!

I love the ideas behind his work - the faded glamour of Hollywood and the slow death of an industry, there was a great quote in the gallery info saying that his work responds to to life in "ultimate cardboard cut out town" and deals with the falseness and excess of Hollywood, it's culture/lifestyle, and refers to L.A as the city of signs of bright lights, he also points out the disillusionment of realizing that the famous Hollywood sign is merely held up with sticks...

I like his use of contrast and conflict too: in "Hope" there's the jarring of the words meaning and the dark menacing splatter/spray of black paint which is engulfing the word. There's a similar juxtaposition in 'Music from the Balconies" where the beautiful serene countryside scene is overlaid with unsettling text taken from J.G.Ballard's 'High Rise', the defacement of such a beautiful scene is almost a metaphorical act of violence in itself.

and you've just got to love the inclusion of a rabbit!

More information on the exhibition can be found on the gallery's website

Picture Credits: Tate

I am Iron Man...

2011-08-28T18:38:00.001Z

Unfortunately I didn't have time to cover all the exhibitions I'd of liked to, I really wanted to get over to Birmingham to the Museum and Art Gallery - they had a nice stack of Black Sabbath related goodies to see :( fortunately I've found this link to Laney Amps blog with lots of photos of the exhibition so at least I've seen part of it...

I did have Sabbath's 'Iron Man' in my head for most of the trip taunting me for not been able to freeze time to fit everything in!

[Paranoid thrown in for good measure]

It did also get me thinking about another gem of inspiration from my childhood that I actually missed off my post a few days ago of childhood influences on my art

- mainly because it doesn't involve a skeleton... it does however involve an outsider and misunderstood "monster" - The Iron Man, not the Marvel Superhero but Ted Hughes' creation:

Like 'Funny Bones', this was another book I begged for at the Schools Book Fair, I loved the story so much that I'd go to bed each night after reading it wishing that I'd wake to find my very own Iron Man to befriend. I used to get upset and angry when I'd read about the townsfolk tricking Iron Man and burying him alive :(

Andrew Davidson's illustrations are stunning and really enhance the book, creating atmosphere and drama with only simple lines... The opening were he rebuilds himself is my favourite part - the descriptions are humorous yet there's a real sense of pathos at his struggle, and of course to a child fascinated with skeletons and how living things are built, the thought of an iron giant rebuilding himself was amazing in itself!!

Ben Vemon

2011-08-27T19:34:00.006Z

"Am I Demon?"

[Detail]

"Don't Wake Me Lucifer"

[Details]

Mr Ben Vemon is the reason I found out about the 'Home of Metal' exhibitions, I stumbled across his work on the excellent blog My love for you is stampede of horses and saw the mention of his work been included in the exhibition programme - it was then I started plotting my trip!

It's not just the fact he uses skulls in his work which appeals to me, I like the fact he's using techniques and methods you wouldn't normally associate with a heavy metal fan [quilting and embroidery] and he's making them his own. I admire his methodology and reasons behind the choices too, he states that he liked the contradiction in Metal of men wearing make up and outrageous costumes looking like strippers, it's at odds with the perceived idea of what a heavy Metal singer should look/act/be like... think about it you've got Ozzy singing about Satan and biting the heads off bats wearing heavy eye make up and rhinestone crucifixes and that's a tame example...

I do of course like the imagery he uses in the work and also the materials themselves - the old tshirts which are a work of art in themselves, all Metal bands tshirts which again jars with the stereotypical image we have of traditional quilts...

I seriously love this guys work, there's a studio visit features on the "My love of you..." blog which deserves a read, and Ben's own blog is also well worth a visit too!

More information on the exhibition can be found on the gallery's website.

You Should Be Living...

2011-08-27T17:01:00.011Z

The first stop off on my two day adventure was Wolverhampton Art Gallery for the show: "You Should Be Living" [part of the Home of Metal exhibitions] It's an excellent collection of work inspired by heavy metal and the relationship between the aesthetics and the music. For me it was exciting as I've drawn alot of inspiration from music artwork [album covers, tour poster, merchandise etc] and the usage of bones, skulls, skeletons and the like in metal artwork was a big eye-opener for me as a child, so I'd built up some high expectations for this particular exhibition, and thankfully it didn't disappoint! although it was a smaller exhibition than I was expecting - a case of wishful thinking on my part... I've included some photos of my favourite pieces, unfortunately not the greatest quality photos, I was using my old camera which isn't the greatest when it comes to dark environments - naturally it was a black cube rather than a white one ;)

The exhibitions title comes from Mark Titchner's piece, which in turn is titled after lyrics from Napalm Death's 'Scum'... I've been a fan of Titchner's work since his Turner Prize nomination and love the methodology behind his work... I headed over to Walsall Gallery in the afternoon to catch his solo show - more on that later on :)

Mark Titchner "You Should Be Living"

I'd seen Jim Faure's skulls online and also in the promotion for the exhibition, and I loved them in print but seeing them in person was a completely different experience, I was absolutely mesmerized by them, they just appear to float and hover on the ground like a ghost! They have a very sombre almost Religious quality to them, like some primitive sacred artefact - which reminded me of seeing Jake and Dinos Chapman's MacDonald's sculptures... my photos however do not do them any justice *hangs head and camera in shame* you can see much better pictures here at Jim's actual web site

Jim Faure [Jim Skull']

Amy Sakrsian's installation had a similar effect on me - the mixture of glittery, shiny fabrics and sequins felt at odds with the subject matter, an uneasy juxtaposition - which is by no means a bad thing [right up my street actually] I was informed by one of the gallery assistants that it should have coloured lights shining onto it to make it look like the blood is dripping as the light catches the different sized beads and glass blobs but didn't happen, which is a shame as Sakrsian has chosen sequins and beads as they remind her of blood cells and of flowing blood... It doesn't distract too much from the overall effect, you still got a sense of movement, and the two dripping heads were theatrical but very eerie!

Amy Sarkisian "Bloody Amy Sarkisian"

Seldon Hunt's piece amazed me on first glance as I thought it was a woodcut plate and couldn't believe the crisp lines, then I read that it was digitally etched which explained the perfect quality! it doesn't mean I like it any less of course, I still think its a stunning piece of design, I especially like the two crows and the symbolism used, and the wood is beautifully contrasted with the matt black...

Seldon Hunt "Etched Skull Series" 2011

Digital Etching on Wood

More information about the exhibition can be found on the gallery's website

We Are Adventurers....

2011-08-25T15:48:00.004Z

It was a couple of months ago I stumbled upon info about a series of exhibitions and events taking place across the Midlands to celebrate Heavy Metal entitled: 'Home of Metal', and I've been excited ever since plotting, planning and daydreaming about going across and having a gander... Well I've just gotten back from my adventure and added a day round the Liverpool galleries to the trip! I've come back truly inspired and eager to get into the studio [although might be a while before that happens - damn day-job and life!] I've got a fair bit to share so I'll get posting over the next few days :)

Snips and Snails and Puppy Dog Tails...

2011-08-22T16:55:00.001Z

Following on from yesterday's post about thinking back to when my fascination with bones and skeletons began I decided to put together a 'mood board' of inspirations and influences from my childhood, with the focus squarely on popular culture:

I absolutely loved 'Funny Bones' when I was little! I can remember nagging my Mam for the book from the school's book fair, and within a couple of days I had it memorized!! The cartoon of it was also a firm favourite, especially the opening, and the fact I could then watch the Welsh language version was a huge bonus!!

He-man was my all-time favourite cartoon when I was growing up, and I'm still nursing the wounds of my Mam giving my He-man figures away :( Skeletor was a kick-ass villain, neon, over-the-top, vicious and part skeleton what more could you ask for!?! Castle Grayskull was actually my dream house as a child and I still wouldn't mind living there now....

Another childhood staple: Thundercats, although Mumm-Ra isn't technically a skeleton he's still got than skeletal/bones/mummy look going on...

Again Venger from Dungeons and Dragons isn't really a skeleton but his pale face, and Devil like appearance fascinated me, as did his evil looking horse....

The thing I love most about the Munsters is the fact they don't consider themselves any different to their neighbours even though they're "monsters", which is of course where most of the comedy stems from... this simple concept has been a huge influence on both my work and my methodology, especially with the 'Doll Parts' series, I don't consider them scary or monsters, just normal dolls who happen to be skeletons :)

Again The Addams Family appealed to me because of the interaction between the family and the rest of society, the difference here been the humour is more subversive. I also like the fact the family are considered sadistic with a dark streak, but are actually a loving family unit - almost like a gothic version of the Waltons...

I cannot actually describe how excited I was the first time I ever saw 'A Nightmare before Christmas', I was already a Tim Burton fan thanks to Edward Scissorhands' and 'Beetlejuice' and the idea of residents of Halloween Town producing their own version of Christmas seemed like the most genius idea!! Again similar to the Munsters and Addams Family you have monsters and ghouls presented in a sympathetic light, this was a big revelation to me as a child, and I became even more drawn towards things that were "other"....

To me Edward Scissorhands is like a modern Frankenstein, the classic tale of a "monster" attempting to fit in but betrayed and forced out :( Even though I was familiar with the story of Frankenstein when I first saw the film, it was the scene of the Inventor coming up with the idea to make Edward that kick started my fascination with the idea of man playing God and creating another human... and I still like to believe that snow comes from Edward carving ice sculptures ;)

The first Tim Burton film I ever saw, and I love it! ghosts, death, ghouls and possessions! the colours and style of the film were also a big inspiration on me growing up, it introduced me to the idea of mashing dark and bright together...

Like most other kids my age I became very obsessed with 'Jurassic Park', not just because of all the clever marketing hype and special effects, but because it was a genuine masterpiece! and also because it introduced me to fossils and archaeology - which of course led to skeletons!

I used to collect a magazine about Dinosaurs which had a piece of a T-Rex skeleton in it each week, so over time you'd build up it's full skeleton [which I loved!] however it was a glow-in-the-dark skeleton and I frequently used to wake up in the night and see it glowing in the corner of my room, then freak out until my Dad came in to cover it up...

A few of my friends elder brothers and sisters were into more alternative music than my brothers, and I very quickly became drawn to heavy guitars and screaming vocals, I always wanted my own brothers to be more like my friends siblings so I could I borrow their records but alas that never happened... thankfully my older neighbour shared this taste and I used to sit outside in our front garden and listen to Black Sabbath, Metallica and Iron Maiden drift out of his bedroom window... When I first encountered Iron Maiden's mascot Eddie, it was on the poster for 'Number of the Beast' hanging on my cousins elder sister's bedroom door, I instantly latched onto the image of Eddie controlling the Devil! from then on I became hooked on sneaking peeks at various album covers in record shops and browsing the poster racks, stood in awe of Derek Rigg's artwork... by then I was already well on my way over to the darkside :P

Funny Bones

2011-08-21T13:29:00.002Z

I got asked a few days ago how long have I been drawing skeletons, which prompted my answer 'ever since I was little'. Unfortunately I can't remember

the exact moment my fascination with bones, skulls and skeletons began, but I do remember always been drawn to the volume of the encyclopaedia that dealt with anatomy and spending hours marvelling over the fact my insides looked like they did in the book! I can also remember having an x-ray when I was 6 or 7 [I was constantly falling over and in need of mending - it's how they realized I needed glasses!] and been absolutely stunned that they could take pictures of my bones without taking my skin off!!! From then on I seem to of been obsessed!

I'm in the process of drawing together a kind of mood-blog with all my childhood skeletal influences/inspirations etc, I'll be posting that very soon, but before then I thought I'd post a drawing I did in Primary School - I must of been about 7 or 8 as it was around the time I discovered Janet and Allan Ahlberg's book/cartoon 'Funny Bones', and decided to draw a skeleton that had fallen down the stairs...

Glyndwr Graduate Summer Show at The Willow

2011-08-20T13:34:00.002Z

I've been invited to take part in a group exhibition celebrating recent graduates from Glyndwr University, Wrexham: where I did the final year of my degree. It's the second year The Willow Gallery in Oswestry have showcased graduate work, and I'm very excited and honoured to be involved! I have to say a big thank you to Diana Baur for selecting my work and being extremely encouraging and supportive :)

The exhibition has just opened and runs until September 13th, more details can be found at Diana's blog and on The Willow Gallery's Website

Doll Parts.

2011-08-18T10:56:00.002Z

After many rewrites and tantrums here's the statement/explanation for the series of dolls, entitles 'Doll Parts'

Doll Parts:

Ever since I was a child I have been scared of dolls, terrified that they would come to life at night and attack me...

Humans naturally fear the unknown, I fear the doll’s blank lifeless expression that I am unable to read, and whatever lies beneath that flawless facade; watching quietly, absorbing secrets.

I knew that logically it was impossible for an inanimate object to come to life but I still could not let go of my fear. Using Science I tried to face my fear by dissecting the doll both physically and metaphorically.

The “autopsies” performed on the dolls led to an uneasy juxtaposition of childhood innocence and death. Their cheery floral dresses and ringlets jarred with the skeletal image of decay. For me the loss of childhood innocence is the moment you encounter/learn about Death.

I uncovered that if Barbie were real she would die instantly due to her disproportionate body, this eased my fear. Safe in the knowledge that dolls were physically incapable of coming to life I began building their imagined anatomy, unaware that by giving them a skeleton I was metaphorically bringing them to life...

X-ray x-ray x-ray x-ray vision

2011-08-14T20:20:00.004Z

[21 mins - Sunshine/Slightly Overcast]

[Detail]

Here's the second part of my cyanotype testing... I got given a small selection of genuine x-ray's by a friend way back in the first year of my degree, and have always wanted to do something with them but never been quite sure how to utilize them best. I did do some things with them using the photocopier in college but nothing ever came of that, it wasn't until I learnt about the cyanotype process that the clogs started to turn!

I've been fascinated/obsessed with skeletons and the mechanics of the human body since I was little so to be developing actual x-ray is a real kick for me :) and it sits nicely with my paintings - although I may bring in some drawing/painting into these somehow....

I only had enough paper left to try this one plate, so once the chemicals and paper arrive I can get cracking on playing about with the other plates and work out some ideas!

My Very First Cyanotypes...

2011-08-14T18:33:00.006Z

I didn't really enjoy the darkroom/process side of photography when I was in college, I found it very limiting and not seeing eye to eye with the tutor didn't help, I soon grew very frustrated by the set rules I was expected to follow and quickly grew bored. Then my subversive nature kicked in....

I've recently joined a group called Photernative which is all about alternative ways of using photography, so I've become more interested in the process side and all the old school techniques, I'm finding myself becoming more and fascinated by different and unusual types of photography.

I've had an idea for a series of photos for a while, I've had the "negatives" for a few years but until recently haven't had the knowledge or means to follow through with the idea [more info to follow] After learning about the cyanotype process I came to realize it actually lends itself pretty well to what I want to do, but before I ordered all the chemicals and materials I wanted to experiment and test out the process to make sure. One of my friends kindly gave me some paper treated with the cyanotype solution for me to do a test run.

To try and avoid going down the same route as I did in college and been disappointed/frustrated by the process I decided to only learn the very basics and make up/wing the rest as I went along, so that the whole thing became more of a discovery and adventure, which is why I also chose to develop using sun light rather than a UV bed, I wanted to surrender some of the control and let mistakes/accidents occur [which is the total opposite to the way I normally work!] I used the photos I took of the dolls in the garden [the 'Down at the bottom of The Garden' series] and made xeroxed acetate negative to develop....

This haphazard approach perhaps wasn't the best idea I've ever had... I completely over exposed the very first attempt by leaving it out in the greenhouse developing for nearly two days! it gave me a black and blue effect which actually fits in perfectly with the "negatives" I'm planning to use...

Attempt Number One - Completely over-exposed, but I rather like the effect, I did rub off parts of the paper by accident whilst washing it, I was convinced that the Xerox from the acetate had transferred itself onto the paper and that's why it was black, it was only when I rubbed the paper I realised I'd fucked up the exposure!

So for the second attempt I cut down the developing times and applied a bit of common sense! and thought about the exposure times

14 mins - Bright Sunshine/Some Grey Clouds

17 mins - Overcast/Cloudy then Drizzle - Since it started to drizzle not long after I started developing this image I decided to leave it outside in the rain to see what effect it would have on the end result - the raindrops on the glass I was using to hold down the negative have given it a blurred/hazy effect which I quite like....

Rabbit Heart Cut Up....

2011-08-13T15:04:00.004Z

Just after sawing

fixing and clamping the new support into place

Operation a success!!

It's nearly been a year since I took part in Helfa Gelf [the open studio art trail around North Wales] and a year since I painted the 'Raise it up [Rabbit Heart]' painting.

I did the painting as part of a self imposed painting challenge on facebook, completing it in 12 days [from basic sketch to finished piece] it was a great challenge and it pushed my painting, forcing me to make quick decisions, marks and choices, however I was also hanging an exhibition and holding down a day job alongside painting so in reality it took alot less than 12 days to do... this manic rush to squeeze in painting between shifts wasn't the ideal way to do it but I proved it could be done, it did however mean than I didn't have the time I'd of liked to make changes to composition, sizing etc, so I was always a bit unhappy about the bottom part of the painting, there was no need to have the excess jumper and arm in the piece, but I couldn't see that until it was far too late... so nearly a year later I took a saw to the painting! drastic I know, but I'm much happier with the overall piece now :)

" I am Doll Hands"

2011-08-13T14:50:00.003Z

I finished these paintings a while back - months ago actually! they've been sat framed up just waiting for me to get round to photographing them!

I wanted to do some anatomical paintings on a flat surface so I decided to take the Art Attack approach to ageing paper [good old coffee!] then proceeded to draw in the bones of the hands and paint them up in the same way I paint the dolls... I wanted to subtly play on the idea of using dolls, so I added in the pink nails as a little Barbie homage :)

'Muffin'

2011-08-07T19:43:00.002Z

Here's a few shots of 'Muffin' the rocking horse minus the doll ['Poppet']

'Poppet & Muffin'

2011-08-07T19:30:00.003Z

I'm super chuffed with the way this turned out, again the rocking horse like everything else I seem to do was a learning curve - thankfully the work on the previous horses was a huge help! I had to add in extra slats of wood to make the ribs, once I had the idea to do that the rest of the skeleton made sense... It's a relatively small rocking horse around 6 inches heigh, I'd love to now do a full sized one [hint hint ebay]....

'Sweetheart'

2011-08-07T19:15:00.003Z

'Dreamer'

2011-08-07T18:56:00.004Z

Sorry it's taken me forever to get round to posting these photos, I've a rather busy little Bee these past few weeks/months, finally starting to get back to some kind of normality! So here's the end result of the muscle tone experiment... She's called 'Dreamer' [she looks like a daydreamer with her dodgy Joan Jett style hair cut] It was a steep learning curve and a labour of love, I honestly really struggled with this particular one but I soldiered on. I can't say I'm 100% convinced by the finished piece, I think I prefer just skeletons it's more effective and striking....

[I apologise for dodgy photo quality - I've said before photographing the red I've used is an absolute nightmare!]

Gwyl Arall/Another Festival

2011-07-16T12:32:00.003Z

If your out and about in Caernarfon [North Wales] this weekend then check out "Gwyl Arall/Another Festival" it's a jam packed weekend of music, cinema, poetry, performance and art! My dolls are featured in the 'Arts Trail' which is taking place throughout the town :)

More details can be found at:

http://gwylarall.com/2011/GwylArall2011.pdf

Hello Sunshine

2011-07-13T21:35:00.002Z

Just some quick snaps of the new batch of stencil/spraypaintings as they develop in the glorious sunshine :)

Down at the bottom of The Garden

2011-07-08T19:47:00.004Z

Whilst painting the dolls from the 'Doll Parts' series it became apparent that each one was taking on an individual character and personality, I wanted to try and utilize this and try create some kind of story or world for them to inhabit - the result of which is this series of photographs 'Down at the bottom of The Garden'.

For the colour, tone, mood and composition of the photographs I drew inspiration from films such as 'Stepford Wives [1979 version]' 'Virgin Suicides' 'Texas Chainsaw Massacre [1974 Version] and the artist Marnie Weber and her 'Spirit Girls' series.

I was aiming for a hazy idyllic dreamlike world where the dolls can frolic in, which juxtaposes with the macabre nature of the skeleton features. Ultimately I wanted to show the dolls in a softer light, to make them seem normal and happy not the evil creatures many people consider them to be, it's cliché to say but they are misunderstood...

Down at the bottom of the Garden [part 6]

2011-07-08T19:30:00.003Z

Down at the bottom of the Garden [part 5]

2011-07-08T19:18:00.002Z

Down at the bottom of the Garden [part 4]

2011-07-08T18:59:00.006Z

Down at the bottom of the Garden [part 3]

2011-07-08T18:45:00.005Z

Down at the bottom of the Garden [part 2]

2011-07-08T17:59:00.002Z

Down at the bottom of the Garden [part 1]

2011-07-08T17:33:00.008Z

Fruits of My Labours....

2011-06-13T16:54:00.004Z

Here's a sneak peek of the fruit of today's labours... I managed to wrangle a full day in the studio, so it's been full steam ahead with little projects that need starting/finishing. I've re-stretched and primed some small square canvas and cut new stencils to spray onto them - just need some gold spraypaint then I'm away on that one, whilst waiting for the primer to dry [and re-dry after I had to paint over my impatient fingerprints...] I framed the skeleton barbie hands paintings, they've been sat along with the frames for weeks waiting to be joined together but alas I just haven't had the time... I'm hoping that'll change and I can now have more time to dedicate to my work [fingers crossed]

What do you get if you cross a Skeleton with Darth Maul??

2011-05-29T19:31:00.004Z

I've managed to make a start on the muscle tone of the dolls stuck in art-limbo, mixed up the paint the other day and started painting in the first stages, it's taken me a couple of afternoons to do the head, the red in the mixture is quite translucent so I've had to build up the colour in thin layers, so it's a bit time consuming but I'm painting so I'm more than happy to do it!!! I'm a tiny bit concerned that's too dark in places or too red, I might add some more of the dark purple/red shadow to give it some contrast, although once I look it tomorrow with fresh eyes it might be ok, guess we'll see in the morn...

I have to admit I've been giggling away to self in the studio over the fact that she reminds of Darth Maul....

The Rabbit Hearted Girl [Green]

2011-05-26T11:52:00.004Z

The Rabbit Hearted Girl

[Green]

Spraypaint on Canvas

Limited Edition of 2

I wasn't planning on doing anymore versions of this stencil, but whilst ordering some spraypaint I started to think that certain colours would work really well with the image, so I ordered a bunch of different colours and this the first of a new colourway series :) I'll need to make a new stencil for the new set - the current one has seen better days and it needs refining slightly but hopefully very soon they'll be some more versions of this image :)

Art Limbo...

2011-05-25T09:07:00.003Z

I started these dolls what seems like years ago, but in fact it was about 3 weeks ago [maybe 4] I just haven't had a chance to get into the studio to finish them off due to commitments with Oriel Scala and my day jobs :( I finally had a day to myself to spend in the studio yesterday so I'm working my way through the little stack of half finished work that's been stuck in art-limbo. Last night I discovered that I've missed a couple of exhibition deadlines, which pissed me off slightly and set me off thinking... after my thinking spell I've come to the conclusion that I really need to manage my time a bit better and prioritize my own art, and learn to say say 'no' [just say no kids!] I've found lately all my free time taken up by voluntary work which is a means to an end I suppose, if I don't put in effort with Oriel Scala then there's a chance it fails and I lose a gallery slot and a place in a co-op, it's a tricky balancing act... It's partly my own fault, like I said I really need to learn to say 'no' and learn when to stop too... anyway's I've scored myself a second day in the studio, still got lots of loose ends to tie up and finish, aswell as a heap of new work that I want to crack on with so best get myself moving...

Facebook Fan Page

2011-05-07T17:35:00.004Z

Badge [BadgeMakesArt] | Promote your Page too

Darling

2011-05-07T16:55:00.003Z

Meet 'Darling' she's a Southern Belle :)

Darling - Limbs

2011-05-07T16:37:00.003Z

I was shocked when I got given this doll, took its dress off so I could start painting it and discovered she had pom-pom breasts!?! freaked me out slightly, unfortunately during the painting progress they've become a tiny bit lopsided but you can't notice it too much when she's dressed....

Flora

2011-05-07T16:20:00.003Z

Found Doll and Acrylic

Here's Flora the newest half doll - half skeleton doll :)

Flora - Limbs

2011-05-07T16:17:00.004Z

Here's a peek at Flora's hand and leg :)

studio...

2011-05-03T13:12:00.002Z

Some shots of the studio from this morning, the desk as become a limbo for nearly finished work, I've got some paintings that need varnishing, and dolls that are half painted - I've got the skeleton side done, just need to get cracking on the muscle-tone side... also priming in some areas for some small paintings I'm doing of the dolls... just need time to do it all ! there literally aren't enough hours in the day :(

Big Card, Little Card....

2011-04-22T21:07:00.000Z

Once again I've been swamped with day-job work and my volunteer work with Oriel Scala. The greetings cards that I put into the gallery have been selling pretty well, so I needed an afternoon to get some more made ready to restock, I've also made some slightly bigger ones which will give more scope to do different designs, the small size gets to fiddly with certain stencils, but need another free afternoon to get them cut and then sprayed... there aren't enough hours in the day!!

Sneaky Peek...

2011-04-12T20:50:00.004Z

Here's a sneak peek at the half skeleton/half muscle tone doll, it took a bit of figuring out in my sketchbook - despite my protests that working it out on paper wouldn't work! I now stand corrected! First step now is to paint in the skeleton side, then figure out the muscle side, which I'm hoping will be easier than I've convinced myself it'll be....

Muscle and Skulls...

2011-04-08T13:00:00.000Z

Despite my protests that figuring out the muscle tone of the dolls wouldn't work in my sketchbook, I ended up trying it out just in case [well after I confused myself completely drawing straight onto the doll] I'm pleased to say I was wrong and it worked! here's some of the results from my sketchbook :)

Under The Skin....

2011-03-22T18:45:00.003Z

Having spent the weekend masking out and spraying a whole bunch of dolls white, I spent today in the studio drawing in their skeletons ready for painting. I'm starting off with a couple more skeleton ones, partly because its been a good few months since I've done any dolls, and I figure it'll be a good way to refresh myself and get back into the habit of thinking about the bone structure and tones/textures etc.

My plan after completing the skeleton ones is to move onto muscle tone. I've been looking through my little stack of anatomy books and gathering up ideas on which bits to use - I'm not sure if they'll be completely muscle or perhaps a mixture of bone and muscle? I'll have to see how I get on. I guess the only way I'll be able to make a decision is to just do it and see! I have tried in the past to plan it out in my sketchbook first, but because I've painting onto a 3D surface I find it difficult planning it out in 2D first, so its better for me to just work on the actual doll and see how it looks :) so fingers crossed!

Purple Teardrops I Cry....

2011-03-14T21:51:00.003Z

Here's a snippet of the coloured version of the crying girl I was drawing the other week... I definitely think these sketches will end up as paintings, well I think they will, I might try some paint sketches just to be sure....

T-Shirt Auction

2011-03-14T21:29:00.004Z

About a month ago I was asked by artist Connie Middleman for some help, we both studied at Llandrillo College and she's currently in her final year of her B.A, to raise funds for their degree show they're asking artists to donate their time and skills by customizing a plain white t-shirt which will then be auctioned off to raise funds, luckily I was one of the artists asked to contribute :)

I jumped at the chance to help, especially when I discovered there were no rules! I decided instantly to use the heart drawing I'd done in preparation for the 'Rabbit Heart' painting, I transferred it onto fabric and machine embroidered the lungs, I wanted to give the impression of a sort of x-ray once the t-shirt is worn...

Just need to keep my fingers crossed that someone bids on it now!

More info about the auction can be found here:

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=134328519970862&index=1

Drawing....

2011-03-04T12:57:00.002Z

Graphite in Sketchbook

Some sketches I've been working on over the past few days... I've done them in graphite [black and white] so I can figure out the tones and highlights, I'm still trying to decide whether to evolve them further as paintings or drawings... need to do some more sketching/plotting/planning first before deciding.....

Bangor Open

2011-02-23T19:42:00.003Z

I heard this morning that I've gotten two pieces in the annual Open Exhibition at the Bangor Museum and Art Gallery, they've accepted 'Sunshine' and 'The Rabbit Hearted Girl'. The Exhibition runs from March 12th until April 30th 2011 :)

Sketching - Step by Step....

2011-02-22T20:13:00.004Z

Coloured Pencil in Sketchbook

I always have my camera near me when I'm drawing or painting, I take snaps every few layers of colours or series of marks and see what it looks like digitally, sometimes I spot things that need changing or adding that I might not have seen looking at the original piece, its also easier than untaping a piece and turning it upside down. Along with stepping back and looking at the work from a distance, looking at something you're working on via a camera screen is an ideal way to see the piece with "fresh eyes", so I thought I'd post the photos from today's drawing session!

I'm working on mapping out the colours/sizes/layouts of some new drawings to go with 'Under Neon Loneliness', I made a start this afternoon on this close up of a guy sat slumped, I'm planning on trying some watercolour pencil for the hair and t-shirt but only had time to work on the face today :(

Under Neon Loneliness...

2011-02-21T15:58:00.005Z

"Under Neon Loneliness"

Coloured Pencil, Tempera, and Poster Paint on Watercolour Paper

[Detail]

The "bubble" background - printing blown paint bubbles onto watercolour paper

[Detail]

I've finished the drawing I was working on, its the first time I've combined the bubbley background with my drawings, I'm proper pleased with it :) It was a challenge for a normally control freak like me to resist the urge to the paint out bits of the bubbles so that they didn't show through the face but then that would kind of defeat the point of the exercise, so I'm glad I stuck with it and fought that urge! I'm in the process of sorting through some more images for potential drawings, just need to sort, sketch and then I can get cracking!

I've said in a previous post that the Manic Street Preachers have been a big influence on the current work and the thinking behind it, the title for this piece for instance is a line from 'Motorcycle Emptiness' and the working title/buzzword for the series of drawings is 'Cultural, Alienation, Boredom and Despair' which was the working title for their début album and appears in the song 'Little Baby Nothing' - at the moment it sums up the ideas/notions/feelings I'm trying to convey....

Little Baby Nothing...

2011-02-21T15:51:00.002Z

For the drawings I'm currently working on I've been heavily inspired by the Manic's early stuff, especially songs/lyircs/stories from their Début album 'Generation Terrorists'... currently loving this song and the video [and its Shampoo cameo!]...

Sunglasses at Night

2011-02-19T17:49:00.002Z

Currently feeling very inspired by this video [and the song too I guess] really like the harsh contrast of the light and the neon shadows and highlights it creates....

Progress....

2011-02-16T20:35:00.002Z

Progress from today on the new drawing... the face still needs a bit of work couple of tiny things I'm not happy with but I'm going to get the hair draw in first before tackling them just in case the hair pulls it together....

The background is proving a bit of challenge since parts of it show through the drawing, which I actually like/hoped for so it looks like shadows from neon lights, but because I'm working in coloured pencil on watercolour paper I have be quite delicate with the pencil otherwise there's a chance I'll tear the paper, or if I need to erase anything it'll leave a stain, so I'm having to constantly think about each mark, which is great as it means I can complete immerse myself in the drawing, but on the downside doesn't leave me any scope for mistakes....

Bubbles and Bunny Ears....

2011-02-15T20:27:00.002Z

View of my new drawing table in the studio and Betty the headless mannequin posing and keeping me company....

work in progress - coloured pencil and tempera/poster paint on watercolour paper

I managed to escape into the studio for a whole day today! Spent my time in there surrounded by electric heaters, hunched over my awesome new drawing table working on the above drawing. The background is the fruits of my experimenting with bubbles yesterday, I wanted a background that looked like neon lights, so after my attempt with watercolours when horribly awry I took the "art attack" approach and used paint and bubble solution to blow bubbles to print onto watercolour paper. I'm now in the process of drawing in the girl from an earlier sketch wearing rabbit/bunny ears, hoping I can get some more time in the studio tomorrow after work...

C'est La Vie....

2011-02-14T20:30:00.004Z

So lately I've been feeling increasingly frustrated that I'm having less time to sit and draw :(

I've also managed to miss a few exhibition submission deadlines which pissed me off... I've been pretty swamped with work [dayjob work/and gallery stuff not the enjoyable drawing one] I've also had a private commission to finish off, accounts to sort out, emails to deal with, blah blah, you get the picture! c'est la vie I suppose... I guess its my own fault really I have that annoying habit of not been able to say 'no' when someone asks me to do something so I can easily get sidetracked....

However on the plus side I have managed to acquire a massive tilting drawing table [big thanks to Clarrie and to Kurt] I finally got back into the very musky and slightly damp studio over the weekend to give it a tidy up and clear out, after been abandoned for the winter it was need of a spring clean. Set the table up ready, and today I got in there to paint!! :)

Attempt number one went very wrong, I was experimenting with watercolours and the mixture of my excitement and heavyhandiness meant it quickly went tits up :( so that was promptly scrapped in a temper, but out of the ashes of that mistake came some fun with bubbles!

I don't want to say too much in case this goes the way of the watercolours... I'll post some photos hopefully in the next few days, my plan for tomorrow is to lock myself in the studio drawing and developing the idea, so fingers crossed.....

A Book About Death - Memento

2011-02-07T20:17:00.004Z

Here's my entry for the 'Book About Death - Memento' exhibition which will be held at the Willo North Gallery in Phoenix, Arizona, USA in May 2011, more information about the exhibition and my piece can be found at:

http://abad-phx.blogspot.com/2011/02/badge-004.html?spref=tw

Work in Progress...

2011-02-01T19:13:00.002Z

I've finally had time to sit down and get some sketching done :) It's in a similar vein to the drunk people sketches, but focusing more on the notion of escapism than drunkenness... I'm hoping to develop this image/idea further in the next few days, adding in backgrounds, tweaking the colours etc....

"A Book About Death:Life"

2011-01-29T17:16:00.004Z

Here's my entry for the exhibition "A Book About Death:Life" which is been held at Elizabeth Stone Harper Gallery in South Carolina, U.S.A.

You can view my entry on the exhibition blog at:

http://abookaboutdeathlife.blogspot.com/2011/01/badge-32-www.html#links

The Rabbit Hearted Girl...

2011-01-26T14:07:00.004Z

"The Rabbit Hearted Girl"

spraypaint and nail varnish on canvas

50x60cm

Ltd Edition of 2

I liked the painting I did for Helfa Gelf ["Rabbit Heart (Raise it up)"] so much that I decided to turn part of the image into a stencil...

Making Christmas, Making Christmas...

2010-12-09T13:43:00.006Z

After I posted the photos of the stencil/spraypainting 'I think of you on cold winter mornings' [on here and on my facebook fan page] I received many requests asking for the design as a Christmas cards, which I have to admit isn't something I'd even thought of, since the original design was intended as a tattoo for my friend. Not wanting to disappoint I decided to give it a shot and try get the cards out as soon as possible! The stencil and spraypainting would be a little tricky for the card - and too time consuming so I settled upon a lino-cut [I actually turned to stencils and spraypaint after leaving my Foundation Diploma and no longer having access to print-making equipment so its nice to return to it!]

I cut the lino at the weekend and tried printing the cards by hand using a Barren but since the card is quite thick it wasn't giving me an even finish and it also damaging the inside of the card :( Thankfully my friend Susie Liddle stepped in and offered me the use of her studio, which is where I spent yesterday afternoon. Susie's studio is amazing! its like a little log cabin complete with printing press, it actually felt like I was some kind of elf making Christmas cards for Father Christmas working in there :) So a massive Thank You to Susie for all her help!!

The finished cards will be on sale in Oriel Scala from the weekend onwards :)

ABAD: New York

2010-11-29T16:24:00.002Z

I was sent a link this morning to Patricia Mclarnon Sahertian's flickr by Sonja Benskin Mescher, Patricia has taken photos of the Book About Death Exhibition in New York and my entry features in one of the photos!

Here's the link for you to take a gander:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/8382203@N08/5212720580/in/set-72157625354992051/

Alternative Life Drawing @ Mostyn

2010-11-24T18:03:00.008Z

Last month I was asked to run three workshops in the Mostyn based on the Alternative Life Drawing classes. My only condition was that I had to link/base each workshop on the exhibitions currently on show in the gallery: Junkman, Joanna Clark, Tim Davies

A big thank you to Bernadette Rippon, Sarah Morris and Megan Owen, and everyone who came along to draw :)

More information can be found on the Mostyn website:

http://orielmostyneducation.blogspot.com/2010/11/darlunio-bywyd-amgen-alternative-life.html

Dry Your Eyes...

2010-11-16T16:05:00.004Z

"Dry Your Eyes..."

Spraypaint and Nail Varnish on Canvas

[Details of the painting below]

And I Think of You on Cold Winter Mornings...

2010-11-14T16:01:00.001Z

"I think of you on cold winter mornings..." [Black]

Spraypaint and Nail Varnish

"I think of you on cold winter mornings..." [Black]

Spraypaint and Nail Varnish

I started work on this idea around this time last year when my best friend [Annmarie] asked me to design her a snowflake tattoo, I sketched and sketched but nothing worked, I didn't want to use draw some generic or random snowflake, so I put it to one side for a few weeks.

Whilst sat waiting for a train about a month later I noticed the signs for the toilets and the male/female people symbols they had on them, I got to thinking about them holding hands and being linked together - sort of like a circle of friends or unbreakable friendship, this got me thinking about me and my friend, it was on then on the train journey that everything fell into place thanks to the Guillemots.

I was listening to their début album and 'Trains to Brazil' came on, its actually one of my all time favourite songs and reminds me a greatly of my Annmarie. There's a particular line in the song:

"I think of you on cold winter mornings,

Darling they remind me of when we were in school..."

It always makes me smile and both me and my friend have separately said that the line makes us think of each other, it kind of helped cement the idea and images together for me. Things got in the way and new projects came along and it wasn't until a few weeks ago whilst working on the Alternative Life Drawings for the Mostyn that I sat down and figured out the design and finally got to work spraying it.

Frank

2010-10-29T16:06:00.003Z

'Frank' the bunny.

Lucky

2010-10-26T15:50:00.004Z

'Lucky'

Serenity

2010-10-20T15:36:00.006Z

'Serenity' relaxing in her wicker chair....

Liberty

2010-10-19T15:13:00.006Z

'Liberty' - she's a fancy Victorian lady....

Chastity

2010-10-17T14:45:00.008Z

I was given a big box full of porcelain dolls which contained quite a variety of styles, I like the more unusual dresses/costumes, here's the first - 'Chastity' or my homage to the 'Corpse Bride' as she become to be nicknamed :)

Matey

2010-10-14T15:27:00.002Z

Another miniature doll, not quite as small as the Bunny suit doll, and this doll has all its limbs visible so I had the challenge of painting in all the limbs smaller than I usually do :) Its also the only male porcelain doll I've painted so far....

You're Gonna Die Up There...

2010-10-12T13:43:00.000Z

"You're gonna die up there"

Spraypaint on Canvas

I wanted to put something Halloween inspired for the October show at Oriel Scala so I revisited a stencil I first made during the second year of my degree, I was producing work inspired by horror films at the time, and this piece came about after watching 'The Exorcist' and Regan's declaration to her Mother's party guests: "You're going to die up there", the line stayed in my head afterwards and whilst sat daydreaming/doodling I came up with the idea of replacing the Priest on the poster with the Grim Reaper, very very simple idea, but I think it works pretty well...

Bunny

2010-10-09T15:34:00.000Z

I found the rabbit doll whilst browsing on ebay and brought it without even thinking and waited impatiently for it to arrive so I could start work on it!! The actual doll is only 6 inches heigh when standing and most of that height is in the ears, so it was a challenge to paint, but worth the extra effort, I think the juxtaposition of cuteness and skeleton is heighten more in this piece than the dolls in frilly dresses and I couldn't be happier!! :)

Sunshine

2010-10-07T13:20:00.003Z

I wanted to try something slightly different with this doll, I really liked the eyes, so I decided to leave them unpainted, it freaked me out for the first day after I'd finished it, but once I'd christened her 'Sunshine' I found it hard to be scared by her anymore, although I still don't think I could sleep in the same room as any of the dolls....

Buttercup

2010-10-05T12:28:00.004Z

'Buttercup' is my final horse [until I can find some more] I wanted to do a double sided full skeleton, having only done half ones before, really pleased with the finished result :)

A Book About Death: New York

2010-10-04T12:13:00.003Z

Here's my submission for the 'A Book About Death' exhibition in SAL Art Gallery at the CW Post Campus of Long Island University in Brookvile, New York.

This is my second entry into the 'Book About Death', my first was the Welsh branch at the beginning of the year.

More information about the exhibition and my entry can be found on the official blog for the exhibition:

http://rayjohnsonandabookaboutdeath.blogspot.com/2010/10/barry-morris-238.html