- All in all its been a really nice week, but one with many many late nights.
Painting is a funny old thing, people often ask me where I find the time to paint, or how long a painting takes to finish.
On the question of where I find the time to paint, the answer is simple, it’s a matter of replacing things which one would normally do of an evening, like watching TV. In our household we tend to disappear early to bed, usually well before 11pm and read for a bit. So if we take an hour of the Simpsons, and a couple of hours instead of a book at bedtime, you have 3 hours there which can be dedicated to painting. On weekends, there is plenty of time, a late night on Friday after Alan is tucked up in bed and Mrs B is firmly ensconced in bed with a good book, or Sunday Morning after our usual late breakfast, Mrs B likes to spend some uniterupted time with Alan, so I take myself off to the studio Ok, sometimes the discipline goes to the wall, but generally, that’s where the time comes from.
As for how long a painting takes to finish, as long as a piece of string. Painting a picture is like herding cats, sometimes they all come together, but one false move and its back to chasing them again, so it can be anything from a couple of days, to several months of painting on, scraping off (that’s why I only paint in oil) and several false starts.
Back to the exhibition.
The Art of evolution is most definitely evolving and is progressing nicely.
Some highlights of the week
Another two paintings finished and drying for the show. - I have collected together all the initial sketches out my books for the origins of creativity sketches.
- I got a few pictures back from the framers, but have to do it a bit at a time to spread the cost.
- Still waiting for news on a really good sponsor.
- The bus is confirmed, a bus will be running on at least one night from munich city center to Landsberg and back, if anyone is interested, let me know and I’ll book you on it.
- PRINTS, remember that all the images on my website are now available as limited edition prints until September, if you’re interested, please send me an email.
- The exhibition will be advertised in the city theatres “whats on “ guide to culture in Landsberg.
And that’s about it for this week.
Thanks everyone for your continuing support and encouragement.
Derek
Monday, 18 May 2009
Update 7, The Art of Evolution
Wednesday, 13 May 2009
The Art of the One night Stand
It's not as it first seems.
No, I have not been unfaithful to my lovely wife, its about Art, funnily enough.
On Monday night, I finished a painting which I had been working on for a very long time. Through all its stages of development, through paintings on and scrapings off, through phases of OOH and AAH and Aaaaargh, it has been part of my life, a courtship phase in the quest for ultimate satisfaction.
The painting was finished, and I sat down on the floor, glass of Glove covered wine in hand and considered it, and thought, hey I like you a lot, I'm really pleased and I'm looking forward to having you in the house for a while.
less than 17 hours later, it was sold.
I get attached, perhaps too attached to my paintings, they grow on me and I like to see how the colours develop in different lights, and moods. I love to see how the painting makes a difference to a room, and reflect on how the relationship began and developed.
I am delighted that it is sold and that it is going to be in an amazing new home, owned by someone who really loves it and will enjoy the care, love and effort which I put into it every day. But at the same time, I will miss it, as it has been part of my life, my imagination and my studio for all that time but at the same time am proud as the painting has proved its worth and will continue to do so as long as it remains hung.
As Kids growing up and moving out is part of every parents life, so paintings developing and being sold, I guess is part of an artists life. Like a one night stand though, I cant help wondering if it could have come to more, if I could have done more, made it better or done something differently. These questions cant be answered, because there is nothing to answer to, if I didnt think the painting was finished, I wouldnt have called it finished.
Still, its and interesting thought.
Derek
No, I have not been unfaithful to my lovely wife, its about Art, funnily enough.
On Monday night, I finished a painting which I had been working on for a very long time. Through all its stages of development, through paintings on and scrapings off, through phases of OOH and AAH and Aaaaargh, it has been part of my life, a courtship phase in the quest for ultimate satisfaction.
The painting was finished, and I sat down on the floor, glass of Glove covered wine in hand and considered it, and thought, hey I like you a lot, I'm really pleased and I'm looking forward to having you in the house for a while.
less than 17 hours later, it was sold.
I get attached, perhaps too attached to my paintings, they grow on me and I like to see how the colours develop in different lights, and moods. I love to see how the painting makes a difference to a room, and reflect on how the relationship began and developed.
I am delighted that it is sold and that it is going to be in an amazing new home, owned by someone who really loves it and will enjoy the care, love and effort which I put into it every day. But at the same time, I will miss it, as it has been part of my life, my imagination and my studio for all that time but at the same time am proud as the painting has proved its worth and will continue to do so as long as it remains hung.
As Kids growing up and moving out is part of every parents life, so paintings developing and being sold, I guess is part of an artists life. Like a one night stand though, I cant help wondering if it could have come to more, if I could have done more, made it better or done something differently. These questions cant be answered, because there is nothing to answer to, if I didnt think the painting was finished, I wouldnt have called it finished.
Still, its and interesting thought.
Derek
wine, wine and turpentine
It's that old problem, trying to do two or more things at once. I like to enjoy a glass of wine or two when I'm painting, I find it adds to the overall relaxing experience. I can often be found listening to music, glass of wine in hand, looking at my sketchbook and painting with one or either hand simultaneously. Who says men cant multitask.
A problem I do have though is wine glasses. Have you ever tried to clean and polish an oil paint smeared glass. I have tried using plastic cups which just make the wine taste horrible, and tend not to survive turpentine attack for very long as my fingers tend to dissolve through the side wall. I have tried drinking out the bottle, but it just doesnt look, or taste good and there is still the problem of a paint smeared bottle.
The solution, rubber gloves. Stretch a latex glove over the glass and fix it at the base with tape, then trim the top off, leaving a wee notch for your bottom lip otherwise the wine will just taste of latex, hey ho, it works. No more dirty glasses.
Now food is another matter yet to be solved. Mrs B recently brought me some baked camembert to eat. The first thing I did was forget I had a paintbrush in both hands and painted the crispy blighters blue. Fortunately it was a non toxic pigment, and they tasted fine, allbeit rather turpentiney. Maybe it is time to change to linseed oil.
Back to the canvas
A problem I do have though is wine glasses. Have you ever tried to clean and polish an oil paint smeared glass. I have tried using plastic cups which just make the wine taste horrible, and tend not to survive turpentine attack for very long as my fingers tend to dissolve through the side wall. I have tried drinking out the bottle, but it just doesnt look, or taste good and there is still the problem of a paint smeared bottle.
The solution, rubber gloves. Stretch a latex glove over the glass and fix it at the base with tape, then trim the top off, leaving a wee notch for your bottom lip otherwise the wine will just taste of latex, hey ho, it works. No more dirty glasses.
Now food is another matter yet to be solved. Mrs B recently brought me some baked camembert to eat. The first thing I did was forget I had a paintbrush in both hands and painted the crispy blighters blue. Fortunately it was a non toxic pigment, and they tasted fine, allbeit rather turpentiney. Maybe it is time to change to linseed oil.
Back to the canvas
Sunday, 10 May 2009
Update 6, The Art of Evolution
Another week, they seem to be flying by so quickly, blink and you’ll miss it.
Things are progressing reasonably smoothly, although I am finding it a bit hard to find sponsors for wine and catering, but will keep trying. It could be, that we will get a big boost soon with a well known sponsor, but I cant say more at the moment.
It looks like the attention is staying on the show, and hope that I can maintain it until September, I need to get as many people as possible through the doors and interested and it looks like all the investment in time, money and effort might pay off.
Before I go any further.
SPECIAL OFFER.
LIMITED EDITION PRINTS:
On my website, I have 10 of my paintings available as limited edition prints. Each print is numbered and signed and is printed on high quality, fade resistant paper.
And on to the evolutionary highlights of the week.
- The flyers were delivered and look great, I have already started distributing them, if anyone would like to help, please let me know and I’ll send you a batch.
- In its infancy, is the idea of running a subsidised bus service from Munich to Landsberg on a few evenings of the week. It works out cheaper than the train, but has to be booked in advance. Lets see how it works out.
- Posters are designed, and the first press launch should take place next weekend here at the gallery in lengenfeld.
- The exhibition list is finished. The list of paintings, pastels and drawings for the exhibition is finished, as is one of the signature paintings. I need to have anything oil finished by the end of June to ensure enough drying time.
- Started work on the exhibition brochure, an 18-20 page full colour booklet to accompany the show.
Other news from the exhibition world this week, I will be attending the Greenfarm festival. http://www.greenfarmfestival.de/ in June this year with a stall selling my Scottish themed pastels etc. It’s a great day out if you can make it.
In August of this year, I will be exhibiting in Dumfries, Scotland from the 8th August until the 16th September as one of 6 artists at the “ties that bind” homecoming exhibition in my home town. If anyone is in the area at the time, let me know and I’ll send you invites to the opening night.
Thanks this week to all my supporters and to the memory of Julia Hember(see post below)
That’s about it for this week, please help me keep the momentum by spreading the word, or adding my link to your website and emails.
Evolvingly yours.
Derek
Friday, 8 May 2009
Just a thought 07 May 2009
Here is a touching story, which I hope those involved won’t mind me sharing.
When I was at Art School, we went on a trip to Prague in 1988, or was it 1989, I can’t remember. To cut a long story short, I got stuck in an elevator with a girl from London, Julia Hember was her name. We instantly became good friends, and corresponded and met up throughout my time at artschool, but unfortunately lost touch in 1995 when I lost her address. The last time I spoke to her when I was living in Mallorca in 2001, where I learned she had taken up diving and was a professional photographer. As things often happen, I lost her details again, and when I tried to catch up again in 2007, all I found was one of her photos, a portrait of Jeffrey Barnard in the national Portrait gallery. The author of the photo was listed as Julia Hember, 1970 – 2003.
Sadly, Julia died in 2003 from what I now know was Leukaemia. It upset me to think that my friend from art school had died without my knowing, particularly Julia, who I used to talk long into the night about art, life and the world, Julia, whom I had visited in London and at her home near Bath where we collaborated on a painting of her grandfather. In her memory, I painted two pictures, one of shadows falling across leaves, called “Julia Hember, I remember the light through your hair was like autumn leaves” and the other, a portrait from memory of her. Both of these paintings you will find on my website. Painting them helped me come to terms with her death, and helped me preserve the memory of my friend.
I hoped, that perhaps one day one of her friends or family might one day see them on the internet and be comforted to know that she is not forgotten, and lives on as part of my life through her portrait which now hangs in my hallway, encouraging me to keep painting. It is a lovely thought that the people we touch and influence in our lives can influence so many others after we have gone.
Yesterday, I received a touching email from Mary, Julia’s mother who asked how it came about that I had a portrait of Julia and I immediately replied with the story above, and some memories of her, her art and her influence on mine. As a memorial to Julia, the family have planted a wood in her name.
What a beautiful and fitting tribute, for a beautiful and inspiring woman and it is a memorial to her that I am sure she would have approved of immensely. I remember having a conversation with her in Brixton, London, walking down electric avenue, about all the statues in the city. She said to me ( and I am paraphrasing it to the best of my memory )“The true mark of a life well lived is not the grandeur of the monument or the expense of the memorial as they are simply things built by people which will crumble with time. If you can touch someone’s life, influence it for the better, or plant the seed of an idea which helps them grow, that is immortality, that is a far better legacy than any bronze statue”, somehow, planting a growing, living wood in her name couldn’t have been any more perfect and fitting a tribute to her memory.
Emily Dickinson wrote, “Unable are the loved to die, for love is immortality.”
Julia touched my life and influenced it for the better, she planted the seed in me to work as an artist, to keep at it regardless, and in that way I will never forget my friend, nor will she ever be forgotten as part of her influence on me, her encouragement and her determination must be present in all my artworks, how can it not be.
This is for you Julia, still miss you.
Derek
Here is a touching story, which I hope those involved won’t mind me sharing.
When I was at Art School, we went on a trip to Prague in 1988, or was it 1989, I can’t remember. To cut a long story short, I got stuck in an elevator with a girl from London, Julia Hember was her name. We instantly became good friends, and corresponded and met up throughout my time at artschool, but unfortunately lost touch in 1995 when I lost her address. The last time I spoke to her when I was living in Mallorca in 2001, where I learned she had taken up diving and was a professional photographer. As things often happen, I lost her details again, and when I tried to catch up again in 2007, all I found was one of her photos, a portrait of Jeffrey Barnard in the national Portrait gallery. The author of the photo was listed as Julia Hember, 1970 – 2003.
Sadly, Julia died in 2003 from what I now know was Leukaemia. It upset me to think that my friend from art school had died without my knowing, particularly Julia, who I used to talk long into the night about art, life and the world, Julia, whom I had visited in London and at her home near Bath where we collaborated on a painting of her grandfather. In her memory, I painted two pictures, one of shadows falling across leaves, called “Julia Hember, I remember the light through your hair was like autumn leaves” and the other, a portrait from memory of her. Both of these paintings you will find on my website. Painting them helped me come to terms with her death, and helped me preserve the memory of my friend.
I hoped, that perhaps one day one of her friends or family might one day see them on the internet and be comforted to know that she is not forgotten, and lives on as part of my life through her portrait which now hangs in my hallway, encouraging me to keep painting. It is a lovely thought that the people we touch and influence in our lives can influence so many others after we have gone.
Yesterday, I received a touching email from Mary, Julia’s mother who asked how it came about that I had a portrait of Julia and I immediately replied with the story above, and some memories of her, her art and her influence on mine. As a memorial to Julia, the family have planted a wood in her name.
What a beautiful and fitting tribute, for a beautiful and inspiring woman and it is a memorial to her that I am sure she would have approved of immensely. I remember having a conversation with her in Brixton, London, walking down electric avenue, about all the statues in the city. She said to me ( and I am paraphrasing it to the best of my memory )“The true mark of a life well lived is not the grandeur of the monument or the expense of the memorial as they are simply things built by people which will crumble with time. If you can touch someone’s life, influence it for the better, or plant the seed of an idea which helps them grow, that is immortality, that is a far better legacy than any bronze statue”, somehow, planting a growing, living wood in her name couldn’t have been any more perfect and fitting a tribute to her memory.
Emily Dickinson wrote, “Unable are the loved to die, for love is immortality.”
Julia touched my life and influenced it for the better, she planted the seed in me to work as an artist, to keep at it regardless, and in that way I will never forget my friend, nor will she ever be forgotten as part of her influence on me, her encouragement and her determination must be present in all my artworks, how can it not be.
This is for you Julia, still miss you.
Derek
Bit of a scare today, someone very briefly hacked my Facebook account and started posting rubbish in my name. Fortunately I was online at the time and changed my password. Scary place the internet sometimes.
Sent off a really nice sponsorship application, Thanks Karina for the translation. Here's hoping that the art supplier Boesner thinks its worth all the publicity to help me out with some materials.
The article from yesterday is now front page on the talk munich website.
Sent off a really nice sponsorship application, Thanks Karina for the translation. Here's hoping that the art supplier Boesner thinks its worth all the publicity to help me out with some materials.
The article from yesterday is now front page on the talk munich website.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
