The Things Memories Are Made Of

The Things Memories Are Made Of

This painting was one that I used this year as my Christmas card and so I am aware that I have shown it here before. It was a painting I did and it sold the day it was completed.

Since then I have had many comments about this painting and have also used it on my business card.

While I was a way I received an email from somebody wondering if I could paint another version of this in the same colours. The person want it to give as a gift of love.

There seems to be something about this abstract that speaks of love. Is it the colour or the theme? I am not sure but it seems to  say Love in many different ways to different people.

I hope I can do justice to another version of this palette and this idea.

This blog is linked to my other where I speak of the idea and thoughts of love. Love Is All Around

The Warrior Watches.

The Warrior Watches

I said I would not inflict you with all of these painting and yet I find myself doing just that. This I think, I hope, is the last of the series of Warrior paintings.

Yes this one is very similar to the one I showed on my last post, but it has a number of differences. This one please note has no shield just his spear. It is also much smaller that the last one painted on a canvas board it is framed and behind glass at only 16" x 20" so much much smaller.

The warrior watches, what for the coming of the enemy or is he at peace and looking for his wife, lover or friends. No battle shield so not war but peace. ye he has his spear but that may just be for his own safety.

I have also added to the bottom the only other one I have not shared. Very very similar to the warrior waits but this one is painted over three box canvas.

The last of the warrior series. I have amazed myself in painting these, being a confirmed pacifist I have given this series much thought in the painting and have learned much myself.

The Warrior Triptych

This blog is linked to my other. You Cannot Just Blame The World

The Warrior Prepares

The Warrior Prepares

Yesterday I painted nonstop for most of the day. I was working on the same theme I have been working on for my last two paintings. I have now done enough of these to call them the Warrior Series. I did promise not to inflict too many of this series on you and I will try very hard to keep to my promise.

I am finding it strange that I , a confirmed pacifist have painted a warrior series, but then not all battles are the battles against others, there is also the inner battle to be fought, and I have been fighting that these last few weeks.

Using the same palette and feeling full of good painting vibes I prepared four canvas. This one that I have used here which measures 40" x 16" and three smaller box canvas that together will measure pretty much the same size.

Ont the three box canvas I painted a triptych of The Warrior Waits, I wonder how long it will wait until somebody wants to give it a place to hang.  At the same time as painting these I worked on this one also, The Warrior Prepares. When complete I set them up where I could see them. A very good friend discussed them with me and pointed out, in a very kind way what might have been a mistake. I went to bed and in the middle of the night I awoke and was compelled to get up and put that "mistake" to rights. I also noted that the shield was far from straight but i have left that because in painting these I have looked at many shields and spears and dress and I am happy that shields were not made to perfection but to protection.

I hope the change i made has left this painting with the feeling i was trying to convey and removed the opportunity for the critics with the nails of despair a little less room for emptying my bucket of life.

For more on this idea see my other blog. I Do Not Need My Bucket Emptied.

The Sound Of A Distant Drum.

The Sound Of A Distant Drum

As you can see from the blog prior to this post this is a second version of this painting. I so enjoyed painting the first one one and the person who commissioned it was so happy with it he insisted that I put it on my website so that others could see the finished work.

On the day I delivered it to him two other people offered to purchase it so I did warn him that if I put it on my website I might end up painting other versions of it. He seemed happy with that stating that his would still be an original because he could not see me being able to produce two the same and how correct he was.

Now the strange thing is this, this second version I think is already sold, and not to either of the other two people who offered to purchase it so I have a strange feeling that they may be another version of this pointing if not another two. I do promise not to bore you by posting them.

I am beginning to understand why Monet paired so many lilly pond paintings. He obviously enjoyed doing them and each time he would be striving to get something just that little bit better, or different. Like the little extra detail on the warrior shield on this painting.

This blog is linked to my other. Who Is My Neighbour?

The Warrior Waits

The Warrior Waits

When I wrote my other blog I said I had not new artwork. I did though have a commission waiting to be done. I have worked on this all morning in an interesting fury of paint.

Painted using acrylic paint on a box canvas 40" x16" so it is a fairly large and eye catching work. Not exactly what I would have chosen but the whole theme has some meaning to the person for whom it was painted. 

As usual after finishing a work I am so full of doubts about my feelings, but as I say they are not really so important. 

I delivered this painting and at the time of delivery could have sold it three times. Customer is very happy with the finished work.

And The Earth Said Peace.

And The Earth Said Peace

This painting is similar to the one I used on my christmas cards this year but I have used another palette and made some changes. 

This is one of those paintings that i do not know why I painted it and that is maybe why it is another that has not sold. I was listening to some meditative music at the time of painting an I hope that the sense of peace I was felling is a part of the work. 

Painted on canvas using acrylic. A number of people have given me differing interpretations of what this painting says. In fact not long after hanging the painting i received a letter from a stranger who had seen it. The person thanked me very much for having hung it where i did and for having painted it. That said it has not sold.  I make that comment not because I see the painting as any less than any other I simply have been amused at the many comments and differing views people have of it. 

I do actually like it and I do find peace in it so this just might be one that ends up hanging in my own study.  I speaks to me of peace friendship and harmony and the fact that the world is bigger than any one of us. Alone it would indeed be a frightening place but surrounded by friends it is marvellous. 

This blog is linked to my other. It Is Amazing How Many Friends I Have.

Crosswords

Crosswords

On my other blog I was talking about anger control and not reacting to hurt. This painting in many ways is an outward expression of this very idea.

My father always taught me that the inner feelings that can lead to anger and hurt can be softened by being aware of just what those feelings are. As a small child I was afraid of words, I was a hopeless reader and speller, would probably now have been diagnosed as autistic and dyslexic.  My father was still able to say to me that if I wrote down the words associated with my feels and considered them it helped to get rid of the bad feelings inside. When I consider it now, I am aware that he had a wealth of learning way beyond the manual job he did.

Later in life I developed a love of crossword puzzles and so of words. This painting build on both of these ideas. It on one level is about a crossword puzzle. It is also though, on another level about Cross  and Angry words and the effects that they have on us. The female form in the bottom right was just a hint of a reminder of the fact that we play other games with peoples minds. The sunflowers are the results of getting rid of negative thoughts and replacing them with positive ones.

I do not expect this painting ever to sell. I think it is probably far too personal. It is probably too personal for my wife also so it will never hang in my home, and I am not sure it should. It will I suspect one day go the road of others of my works off to that place that unwanted art disappears to.

Have a good day.

This blog is linked to my other. We Should All Get An Art Wall

Summer Days And Peace.

Summer Days And Peace

Somebody commented on my blog the other day that my art had changed since I last blogged. I thank the person so much for that comment. She also said that there was signs of more passion in my latest works. That may indeed be true. Sadly I have not been as prolific as once before, yet my paintings continue to sell.

There have been things happening in my life that may well have added passion to what I show, I have been trying to convey not what I see but what i feel in what I see.

I have shown this painting on my blog before on one of the rare occasions I did post in the last year. I use it again today because it does very much seem to fit with the theme of my other blog.

I painted this after walking one day. During the course of the walk I saw a number of groups of people and it occurred to me how some groups of people can seem threatening and worrying, while others make you feel that you would like to be a part of the group and enjoying the company. I saw one such group of people and as I passed heard myself say, "Is this a union meeting or can anybody join in?" They all laughed and said that i should feel free to stop and join them. I went on my way feeling very much at peace.

I tried to capture that little moment in this painting.

This blog is linked to my other:  What You Are Is As Important As What You Do

Thoughts of Sumer and Love.

Thoughts of Sumer and Love.

There are some subjects that I cannot stop myself returning to, fortunately they seem to the subjects that people who purchase my art seem to like also.  I love painting seascapes and poppies. I also love painting abstracts that catch my whole being in the painting of them. Above all though I love painting those little captured moments that on later reflection fill you with a sense of joy and yes love.

The painting I have added to todays blogs is one such painting. I think this must be about the fourth version of this painting i have done. It makes no effort to depict a place, although strangely every time I paint one of these somebody says that it reminds them of a particular place. What I really try to capture is that feeling you get when you are in a strange place and you turn a corner only to find yourself in some little back street where day to life goes on away from the main streets and business centres.

How I love these moments. This painting was on canvas painted using knives and fingers and the old credit card. Like all versions of this painting it sold within a very short time of being hung.

THis blog is linked to me other. Being Blind and Seeing Deeply

Early Morning North Beach Iona.

Early Morning North Beach Iona

I have mentioned often before that I was fortunate enough to spend a year of my life living and working on the building of Iona Abbey on the beautiful little Island of Iona. During this time I spent many hours walking the island on my own in the early hours of the morning or late evenings. During the winter months there were only about six or so of us lived in the Abbey, the summer brought a great many visitors who would come and stay for a few days or a week.

I got to know the island very well. I can close my eyes and fill my head with the many pictures of the little coves and beaches.

This painting is one of the larger of the paintings I do. It was painted from memory but I have no doubt at all that it is fairly accurate. I painted just a two weeks ago or so and as yet it has stirred little interest. I suppose it is one of those paintings that will mean more to me than to others. As I was saying in my other blog, "It all depends on how you see it."

This blog is linked to my other: It All Depends On How We See It.