Narcissitic

I love my mobile phone and the internet, BUT I think that the digital world is turning the population into narcissistic self absorbed people. The amount of people that are taking "selfies" is alarming. We used to take photos of our loved ones, family and friends, but not of ourselves. But it might be argued that self-portraiture was the original "selfie". That might be so, but the whole population was not artistic - sitting in front of a mirrors, painting. What is more: the reason most artists painted self portraitures was because they needed the practice and could not afford a model, or one was not available at the appropriate time. As much as I love my electronic items, it pains me to say that it has resulted in a more lonely, depressed society. We are more connected to others thought the interment than actual speaking to them face to face. In some cases people are not even touching others. On a BBC program, (I do not remember which one though) it mentioned that people are even having less sex than before. Why? - because they more connected to others via the internet, than those in the room. Have you ever been lonely in a crowd - well this is the way of things now - a room full of people but they are all connected to some else at the other end of the world. I think that in terms of social health and inter-reaction, the world is very sick. Could this epidemic be one of the unforeseen deterrents of human population explosion that Malthusians could never have imagined?

Mobile phones

What would we do without them now? Who are them ? You know - mobile phones and the internet! Internet is just great, its what we are using right now, and it con be done on your phone (Old news, I know). Anything that you want to know, anything that you want to see (the good and the bad), it's all available, just a few key stokes away. Talk about an utopia. I can not imagine what life would be like if we no longer had internet. But all this depends on digital circuits - and they are beautiful in their own right. It is almost like abstract expressionism. Jackson would have been very impressed with a board if he had seen one.

Wired Ring

This is a new dawn for me, yes - I know it is an awful cliché, but it was the first that came into my mind - sorry. This new way of doing gold leaf has sparked off a creative intensity that I have not had for many a year. Serendipity is such a pleasing experience. The finding out of a thing by accident is truly invigorating. Having dismantled an old phone for pure fascination and anger, because it no longer was useful, I discovered how beautiful the digital board was. And what is more all these boards are hidden away from sight, almost as if they are to be unseen, unheard, the ugly ones. But, it is they that are most fascinating, captivating and enchanting. It seems almost sinfully to cover them up. A lot of old digital equipment has now been dismantled at home, and is being used in my art. Over the next few weeks, images will be uploaded showing the results.

Life with Phones

I have not been around for that long, a mere 55 years, but I have noticed one major change in our lives: The extent that we are now connected to our phones. When I was young, phones were only used to make phone calls (Wow, but that is absolutely true)and, you were not always lucky enough to have a phone installed in your house. I have memories of one of our neighbours, coming to use the our phone once in a while. It was not considered an object of entertainment, but rather a very important part of emergency communication. You did not call anyone for a social chat, it was used for short brief necessary conversations only. But today, it is used for a thousand and one uses and new ways of using this ubiquetes item are been invented daily, from social to business or even medical emergencies. You can even make phone calls free But, do you remember the economic principle: "There is no such thing as a free lunch". You might think that you have all these wonderful apps for free and phone calls to boot, but you ARE paying. Please don´t get me wrong, I love the modernity, but it comes at a price, some times not in the form of a direct cost, but a indirect cost, health and medical bills. Please use your phone with discretion.

Phone Art

It seems to me it's time for a change: I have a predilection at the moment to do more abstract art, and with the current, or should I say the "on-going preoccupation" with mobile phones being the theme. Have you ever given any consideration to what it would be like to have no mobile phones and the internet. Do you think your life would be better? I think in some ways it would be better: like spending more time with family and friends, and one might even be more productive. I knew an artist that would not have a TV in the house, because it prevented her from painting (Unfortunately, she had to give-in to buying because of the husband and children. Needless to say she is no where near as productive as she used to be) This painting that is displayed today, has been done on gold and silver leaf, and the frame is part of the creation. I have many more ideas about this type of creating.

The Blue Haired Lady

Have you every been "just-messing-around" and that piece of art seems to be the best that you have done in a long time? well this is what happened with this little canvas. It was lying in the studio and became a useful item on which to clean my paint brush. So, after a while it had accumulated a variety of coloures and textures. Then, looking at it, without any particular objective, using the brush that I was about to wipe clean on the canvas, started painting the outline of this woman that was balancing more on one leg than the other. The coloured seemed to morph into the body of the woman, it was a very visceral moment. The feeling was completely satisfying and a sensation that one tries to replicate again and again with each painting. Unfortunately it does not always raise to the occasion. It is very much like having a run a very fast 10km (or any other distance), and one is on a high for a while. The next time one goes out to run this distance again, one knows that to achieve this "state" a certain amount of discomfort must be invoked first: the lack of oxygen, the fatigued muscles and the wanting to stop, before the sensation of flying starts to happen. Sometimes I think painting is very much the same, one need discomfort to bring out the best in one. But it has to be self induced, and a want. There is a common way of mentioning this: "break out of your comfort zone"

Coffee in Portugal

If you think that France has a coffee society, come see what Portugal is like. Coffee shops are ubiquitous, some times they stand shoulder to shoulder along the same avenue. On a warm summer night, they are jammed packed and quiet well attended on a winters night as well. This drawing was penned on paper, I don't remember when, but I do remember the feeling at the time. It was one of those very rare occasions, when one was feeling relaxed and in tune with everything. Sometimes referred to as "in the zone". Although the brandy was at hand, it was not the cause of the feeling, but the rather the sheer satisfaction of a successful day's work (one can work daily and hard, and still not have this sensation). These rare feeling do not happen that often, so, they are note worthy to the person experiencing them. It is rather a selfish experience, it can not be shared with anyone. Probably a case of self-satisfaction.

Waiting Again

Does it not seem to you, that we spend a lot of our time waiting for some people. Not necessarily waiting for them to meet with you, but rather waiting for them to come to some sort of realization or the "Aha Ha" moment. When I used to frame pictures, a photographer arrived at my shop with some very thought provoking photos: one of these was a chap sitting on a bar stool. But once the artist explained to me how he took this photo, it became even more provocative than before. His explanation was that the subject was seated in the dark, the camera aperture was set to be open for a long time, and source of light was shone on the subject's feet. Very slowly the focus of the light was moved up the side of the man sitting on the chair. All this time the image was being captured by the camera. This impressed me no end, and so I casked the photographer if I may use his image in my art work, and thank goodness she did. So using gold and silver leaf on canvas, that had been glued onto masonite, the image was reborn. The frame has also been included into the artwork.

Detached

Have you ever been in a room , filled full of family , friends and interesting people, and felt totally detached? This situation has absolutely nothing to do do with the quality of the people in the room, nor with the fact that you love, like or dislike anyone of them. It has more to do with the Grande Canyon of space between the way that I think, and the way that others think about certain subjects or themes. When they discuss certain themes, there seems to be absolutely no link or attenuated bridges between the rest of them and me. Is it my fault that I feel like this? I'm pretty sure that they will jump at the opportunity to shout : Yes! Thank goodness these moments are rare and hopefully they will not become frequent. So, if you have a closer look at the painting you will see me (or yourself) sitting on a chair, and in the far distance some other people wondering about, but together. Maybe you can recognize this situation

Amedeo Modigliani

Every artist has another artist that they admire, and more often than not, it is more than one artist. During the artist life he will go though stages of having a particular artist being his favourite. For a long time Modi was mine, and I don't think he will ever totally leave the ranks of those that influenced my creations. So here is one of my works that was born out of one of his. My painting used gold and silver leaf as well as some varnish to add depth to various parts. Amedeo Clemente Modigliani, born July 12, 1884 and died January 24, 1920) was an Italian painter and sculptor who worked mainly in France. He is known for portraits and nudes in a modern style characterized by elongation of faces and figures. His production is known for its nudes, which were not received well during his lifetime, but later found acceptance. Modigliani spent his youth in Italy, where he studied the art of antiquity and the Renaissance, until he moved to Paris in 1906. There he came into contact with prominent artists such as Pablo Picasso and Constantin Brâncuşi. Modigliani's oeuvre includes mainly paintings and drawings. From 1909 to 1914, however, he devoted himself mainly to sculpture. The main subject is portraits and full figures of humans, both in the images and in the sculptures. During his life, Amedeo Modigliani had little success, but after his death he achieved greater popularity and his works of art achieved high prices. He died at age 35 in Paris of tubercular meningitis.