contemptuous mind

other than the occasional restock of supplies and daily trips to the newsagents for cigarettes there is little enough time to go sight-seeing while paint occupies much of my time.

On a whim I ventured into the town yesterday evening to catch a glimpse of the fading light as it streamed down the hi-street I found a bigger than normal crowd flocking around the bird-cage, a local meeting point, in addition to the music that blared out through the town there was also an international food market inviting all to sample the delights of a variety of places from around the globe, for the average kendalian ( a resident of Kendal ) a treat for sure and guarenteed to bring the folk from their homes.

For me I could feel little more than a level of contempt while remembering so few that had lined the streets for the recent Remembrance Sunday, are people so wrapped up in their lives that they are not aware or worst still even caring that we are a country at war while our young men fight a daily and constant battle for life, do they even realise that, even in their own country, a third of the world is in starvation, my friends wonder why my life is so apart from society today provides the answer.

The wars continue, Iraq, Afghanistan, Terrorism, the death toll continues to rise, the end never in site, it is difficult to paint such bright and lite paintings while this remains the focus of my attentions but not impossible and something that I need to address if I am to move forward in my paintwork.

latest works

15th october was my last blog entry up until today 10th November, the Day of Remembrance is more than just a day for me for me, these past three weeks has been a Period of Remembrance, it is the time when fallen friends are paid respect to and personal Demons battled, it has been a long 3 weeks bringing an expected though unsolicited change in the 14 paintworks and one print created during this period.

other images are available through the Fan Box link on the right of this page.

In addition to paintwork I have also been working on the Sept 2010 show that is locally inspired, In addition to fotografing and sketching the town I also attended my first Town Planning Management meeting at the Town Hall this evening and what a wonderful experience.

To witness a room filled with individuals each sharing a passion for the town and its future that until now I have been unable to find in my time here, even within the bounds that are the rules for public awareness I was still able to hear first hand changes that were not only expected to be happening around my environment but also the opportunity to imagine how those changes would effect me in the future; while living in a town of around 120 + thousand people, my expectations were that there would be at least a dozen or so other interested citizens, I was wrong and entered as the only insignificant other, my lone arrival however allowed the council members to encourage me to join the table and participate as an observer in the most intimate manner, definitely something to be repeated in the future.

the only negative in the week was a computer crash which destroyed all of my images collected over the past two years and every word document ever saved, such is life, it is said that it is not the number of times a man gets knocked down, it is the number of times he gets up.

Take care and gods blessings

First Steps

While I currently run two blogs, the other being the ongoing research into my town I will, until the blog is launched, together with the facebook fan page, double up as it were and put the posts here also.

here is the second post to that blog;

First steps

Despite many photographs and locals, sketches of buildings and points of interest and a varied assortment of paintings, there is still much to encompass to capture the fullness of a vibrant and growing town, particularly if I am going to gain an absolute cross section of life.

For starters there is the Civic society whose role takes in both the historic and contemporary aspects of town planning, listed buildings and the erection of the many 'green plaques' that adorn the walls of many of the towns buildings, plaques that list the general history, characters and original usage, many of which were the founding places of trades that no longer exist, the wool, cooperage, livestock, dignitaries and historical persons of some renown such as Sir Alfred Wainright et al.

There are also a multitude of groups, clubs, sporting and charitable organisations, many of which are probably unknown to the many such as the Philosophical and literary meetings of which I was not even aware until a recent bout of research uncovered them, as I visit each location I will, where applicable provide both internet links and names of those involved in the general running and membership for your information.

Where books that will help in the research are concerned I am already getting directions from interested persons, books I am sure that will, not only unravel many of the towns mysteries and folklore but also help and inspire me in my work.

The fan page on face book is beginning to grow now and, following my forthcoming trip to sussex, be launche

001 0301009

Owner wrote:

001 0301009

Succumb to a passion

 

It has finally happened, the town, Kendal, that I have been bleating on about, my musings growing steadily over the past year, have finally taken hold, unable to continue piecemeal to record its buildings and folk I am now forced to commit a dedicated time to this pastime.

 

With it now being October the nights are drawing in and the ambient temperature already forcing me out of my sandals, what a stupid time to make a decision that forces me out into the weather but hey, such is life.

 

I am not sure as yet how this study will take place and have set up an additional BLOG for purpose, I already have many fotographs of the townsfolk and sketches of buildings, I even have a couple of books, donated by Andrew, a Kendalian born and bred, which provide many photographs of ‘Old Kendal’, despite its sometimes desperate history it nonetheless continues to be a place of great romance for me.

 

I have set up a dedicated facebook page that will act as a fan base and have started to mailshot many local people who might have an interest, either in following an artistic study of their town or wish to follow my research as a part of their own learning curve, research! The thing I had most difficulty comprehending in college only now makes sense in as much as I have an open time scale to do it properly, one hopes.

 

This will not be a blog of historical facts laid out in the form of a chronological story though it will be impossible to avoid the historical facts, these will however materialise and form in the most organic way as I complete my wanderings around the town and will lead, ultimately to the Doodle Room Exhibition arranged for September 2010, more details on this nearer the day.

 

03280909

Owner wrote:

03280909

WORKLOAD

 

In my journey of self exploration it is of great importance to seek out the working practices of other artist, not so much in the seeking of sameness but in establishing the differences, one such difference I have found from the norm is in the creation and ongoing workload of artists.

I have found many artists who will create several or many pieces of artwork simultaneously, for some as many as thirteen at the same time.

I tend to work in the creation of series, bodies of work that are quite different from each other, each to accommodate the different times of the day, or night;  for what the future may behold I feel very fortunate to be able to do this and adds further to my belief, and endeavours to be, an exhibitions artist.

My sketches of the local Town continues as, with each announcement of the availability both of funding and employment opportunities comes another portion of the old town that moves a little further away from the public eye, taking with it the grand history of a place once built with the toil and physical graft of the Cumbrian man and the sufferance of their families in times gone by.

My contemporary social pieces are being met with great affection from those who both smile, laugh and provide negative emotional reactions in viewing either the finished pieces or the photographic inspirations; I am not sure who is more looking forward to seeing the entire series, they, or myself.

This morning I completed four small landscapes that end the 7 or so year wait that my mother has patiently lived awaiting a landscape from me, terrible to make your mother wait so long!!!  These images are an additional series which, with the large contemporary canvases make up 4 separate bodies of work that I am working on at the moment.

Tim (Leeson) friend, artist and poet, remarked that were he to be so constantly creative it would drive him around the bend, a difficult scenario for me to imagine under any circumstance when, for the most, my life is spent in quiet restful contemplation of beautiful things.

 

02270909

Owner wrote:

02270909

What a fantastic day the Royal British Legion Roadshow turned out to be, meeting friends, old and new establishing contact with a local artist who was busily trawling for work as a portraitist.

With only 15 children throughout the day I was far from overstretched, fortunately blessed with attentive parents each with this natural talent that parents have of disallowing their children to make a mess with paints!!! How some children are prevented from being fully creative simply by having to be clean and tidy, how much responsibility to parents have for instilling self doubt or even unknown ability by making sure that they paint ' only inside the lines', how many artists become a victim of life, of ego of depression and lifelong sadness through unexplored creativity, perhaps there should be art therapy for parents, or politicians, accountants and bank managers even!!!

It is true that which was said, by whom I am not sure (answers on a postcard please) that we spend half our life time unlearning to paint like a child and the other half trying to recoup the lost freedom, or something like that.

One of my favourite exhibitions was the, now defunct, annual childs eye exhibition, with over 500 images all by children in the 5 year old age range.  What a fantastic array of colour of diverse mixes and abstraction, true art from the heart, it was sad day when that exhibition had its venue taken away in preference for monetary gain, perhaps I might one day have to opportunity to remedy this travesty.

All in all, the week continues well with my people series continuing to grow, now falling into the bracket of the short lived arts movement of the 50s and 60’s known as contemporary social realism (thankyou Peter Wallis for the description) which, at the time depicted the common working class struggles in society, washer women, the poor and downtrodden, the menfolk in the pubs following a hard days graft.

Unsurprising to me the general demeanour of folk continues to have the batterings of life imprinted in their faces while they go about the jobs that many claim to dislike however, during my constant and never ending interest in people watching ( there is a link to many of these fotos on the right of this blog) I have found a mix of tragedy, humour and life that continues unnoticed by many but nonetheless makes for an interesting social study in paint, I will get some of these painted images on line as soon as my current problem of being camera free is resolved.

Until then, onwards, so please have a day as nice as mine continue and remember, be happy for unhappy people never recognise, let alone attain, their dream.

 

BLOG POST what its all about

Owner wrote:

BLOG POST what its all about

This morning I was reminded what art is all about. 

 

I delivered a commission yesterday morning to a very happy couple, imagine my surprise when I had a knock at the door and found the couple on my doorstep, the joy in her voice, the sparkle in her eyes and the love for the piece quite apparent would have calmed an army, to feel and witness a persons absolute joy for something that an artist has created, that is what art is all about.

 

If that were not enough reward for one day, What a gorgeous day today was, a sprinkling of rain, more due like than rain, settling on you and warmed from the slow passage to earth, I could quite understand why everything looked so green and alive, glowing almost, even, down through the stone walls that dominate the town and contribute to it’s much loved other name, The auld grey town.

 

In my revelry I could not help but to notice a couple, , either due to their lateness, or, as the umbrellas would suggest, fearing their smart suits should get wet, both he and her, rushing along the pavement. Imagining that perhaps it was raining more than I was enjoying I looked around to find not a single soul with an umbrella.

 

My ponderance regarding this avoidance to tarnish ones best clothes, for that they were, led me firstly to imagine all that they were missing in the world, eyes down with nought but a damp pavement to enjoy, and secondly how odd some folk live their lives, an afterthought for those that have little or no rain in their lives either to wash or drink led to a prayer and I quickly returned to thoughts of art and folk.

 

Remembering that I had several hundred fotographs of people going about their business during last summer when people and their habits took me on a long and sometimes scary journey of capturing people in the street, I should add that the scary part was that not everyone was particularly enamoured by some guy poking a camera in their faces, unsurprising but fortunately got away with little more than a somewhat aggressive stare.

 

I have set about creating a series of gouache paintings on 200gramme paper, it is almost card like with a slight texture (a tooth to grip the paint) and supports a wet paint with ease.  Other than a bit of a play a few years ago I had not actually used gouache for any particular work, for this series of works however I remembered the quick drying, (and bad mixing of colours) qualities of the medium and the colours that I felt would work well on my chosen subject.

 

After working recently with both oil paints and acrylics the gouache was so much quicker drying, and bad at mixing than I remembered, once an adjustment was made in my coming to terms with its qualities the first piece is now underway.

 

thoughts on my college education

My conversations with Tim over the past few days have brought me to pondering over my own college education and the benefits therein.

Despite a life-time of practice, notwithstanding my senior years ( thankyou to the person who thought up 'mature students) going to college for sure a necessary part of my growth as an artist, firstly I had to satisfy the academic absence that gave me the credence in this modern world to put a price on works, works that had either seen the bottom of a bin or hanging on someones wall, for what reason I could never fathom, given away as tokens of my friendship, work that had been done in times of artistic retreat away from the world in which I both loved and despised.

It was also a necessary step to take in my confidence for it was only when I had enveloped myself in a creative atmosphere was able to remember the intense joy that I used to feel in the creation of things not only in the outcome but also of the journey that I used to take each time I did something, or even, I was saddened to remember, that I could create a place to disspaear into for days on end, .

On the negative side, having found my creative self, lost in worldly endeavours, I found that working alongside a course that was gauged toward the youngest and least experienced of students in the group both restrictive and constrictive, in as much as throughout the course much of the information and contents [of lectures], were of matters that to me absolute second nature, stuff that I always imagined was known to everybody, both in relation to the artistic mind set and in practice; is that, I wonder, a pointer toward an unrecognised or practiced inteligence throughout my life, or, is it similarily indicative that the youth of today either have totally different lives than the teenagers of yesteryear or have a completely different attitude towards life than of my generation, perhaps they dont even get the full level of tuition in their secondary years in preparation for college; my tutor was easily able to recognise this and was quite vocal in getting this across, a lesson however easily learned but as difficult to endure while the status quo continued.

For the now however, and returning to my last Blog and this ongoing and new ponderance regarding learning, taking into account that I do have knowledge that others have yet to learn, I guess my blog should point toward those who have no knowledge of the practice of art, though what I shall write about I am not sure for I know not what others know, I still am the apprentice .

same difference!!!!!

currently unable to provide an adequate title for this blog I hope it is not misleading.

I am a great subscriber to the school of thought that suggests that it is always better to seek the sameness in people that are met through the course of ones day rather, that is, to seek the differences, in recognising the differences in others from oneself only proves to anlienate others, whereas to seek the sameness is to find friendships and knowledge; that nonetheless doesn't stop one enquiring over matters of life and interests for that is how we come to understand others.

I have always imagined that I am pretty much the same as everyone else, I think it comes under the terms of being seen to be normal and of being accepted, my journey now, this part of it at least, is about me understanding myself and, rather than to seek differences in others I delight in finding the differences about myself!

One of the wonderful parts about sharing information about oneself is that to actually hear the words about actions that to me seem mundane and general knowledge, in this simple action of imagining that everyone knows the same as me I am actually depriving others of information that, in some instances, be absolutely essential for the others own growth in terms of the knowledge bank , we all have one and it is this that must be filled in order to grow as a person, without knowledge we can not move on, improve, change and reach for goals.

the realisation of this prompts two actions, the first is to share, the second is for myself to seek out more knowledge, my ponderance now is simply, what do I learn about, art is my passtime, art is my work and art is my pleasure, I dont want to learn any more about art as part of the joy is discovery, of new materials, practice, skills or technique.

Oh well, another day over and a ponderance for the near future, learning, knowledge, pottery, glass art, perhaps it is time for me to return to explore sculpture, I met a most experienced sculptur called Peter Liddle some years ago who offered that I visit him some time, perhaps that time is iminent, watch this space!!!

kind regard to those reading this post and thankyou, I may even become interesting in the future.

all work and no play makes for a dull day

with a one week sabbatical at the Bruderhof and a trip to auchincruive for the glasshouse project both iminent there never seems to be sufficient time, with the energy of the town craving attention from my sketch pad I find more and more that my time away is wasted however a rest, even if only a busmans holiday is always welcome.

I have recently finished a short series that my friend and critique Tim, fondly terms 'my blue series' that was prompted by an initial piece destined for submission to the Sue Ryder Care Foundations 'Art in Recovery' fund raising event later in the year. this piece, in acrylic on canvas (101 x81) is entitled 'inner sanctum', a piece, though I say so my self, that I am more than a little pleased with.

Other pieces that flowed from inner sanctum

since my last emage entries I have also finished a series of Karmic Mandela type pieces that were, to say the least fun and in a surprising way still finds an addition to the collection quite regularly, as meditationary pieces they are part and parcel of the 'blue series and form a singular story, more of that another day, perhaps

I have already mentioned the town, without which I am sure, madness would lie in wait at the end of each days labour, without the inspiration, pleasure and sheer fun of sketching the town it would simply be work work and no work, it is as they say, all work and no play makes for a dull day. The more involved I become with the town the more of its secrets that it reveals to me, even to a point where I have started to take a canvas and charcoal out at night in a bid to capture a part of it that by all accounts is missed in a greater degree by the average person in the street than the town in daylight, for me it is a beautiful and vibrant town, steeped in history that is evident at every turn of a corner, why are there not more artists out in the town I can only wonder but then maybe that is just a thing of the past and probably where I am in my career, still trying to capture those lost years of living in the 'real world'.

Both the sketchwork, charcoal and accrylic works are coming together into a wonderful history lesson and will be the exhibition works for next septembers exhibition in the Doodle Room in Kendal, as far as newcastle and the career stuff is concerned, I am still keeping that under wraps until more progress has been made, both on the venue and the work being prepared for there.

I will be posting the full range of mandela pics, town sketches and paintworks on the Fototime site and will publish links in subsequent blog entrys.

Oh well, another day over, another blog entry, I hope you have enjoyed the images, apologies for the quality of the pics, or lack of, the new camera, following the demise of my tried and trusted, is giving a few teething problems but hope to rectify that in the near future.

good bye, thankyou and God Bless.

andrew

you only have to ask

I have been sketching madly around the town for some weeks though concentrating on specific areas that are the basis of my Sept 2010 Exhibition, only this evening however did I realise that despite being within the town an extraordinary amount much of the place had become forgotten; as I wandered I started to re-explore, even managing to find some things that I had not previously found.

around 8.30pm the light started to recede leaving me wonderfully enveloped in an even newer world than I had forgotten. I have often cometed upon a specific time of the day, be it dawn or dusk, where the very fabric of ones 3-dimensional world changes, when all but the boldest of collours become one of the same, reduced to a shade of...... nothing, no colour even rendering all but the most obvious of buildings and structures to a simple and 2 dimentional grey scale drawing, even pushing from site some of the ugliness that is a populated area, rubbish and minor detritis.

While on my wander and just enjoying where my feet take me, ( for this is how I wander, from one architectural or visual delight to another without realisation nor care of where I actually am geographically) on this occasion I found myself in what was in essence a 'tunnel' formed by the enveloping walls, only a little wider than a mans shoulders on either side, and, towering way above me, a comparatively long thin strip of dark blue sky that formed the roof, I felt for an instant as the tiny figure that I had used in a maquette that went towards a sculpture built during college ('maggie and barbara do lunch 2007) this path that I had found myself in led to a dead-end, what was most noticable however was the cleanliness and care that had been given to its very end, even the pipes that protruded from the walls about 5 feet up and 4 inches long, maybe eight in all, each had been painted nicely in the same blue colour as the church window frames, the base of the drain pipe even had a homemade box surrounding the drains entrance and, unusually for such a hidden place, no graffiti.

turning to leave I found a thermometer stuck on the window frame with a label requesting it be left alone, conservation? I was not sure but my curiosity warrented my finding out. on the way from this place I noticed a man standing at the far end, a further reminder of my sculpture, unwilling I am sure he was to come into such a narrow inexcapable place he waited for me.

Although his finding me was not surprising in as much as I was somewhere that you would not expect to find anyone at any time of the day, but with explanations easily made and accepted I was grateful for his finding me, he was a caretaker and was about to lock the gates, how embarrassing it would have been for me to have had to climb over a 4 foot gate that exits into the main street of town, not only was I saved me the embarrassment but I was also given a partial answer to my question regarding the thermometer, they were, he said, "all over the church", I asked a question and got the answer, at least a part of it, only time, retrospect or an unsatisfied ponderance will force a follow up visit for more information, for now I am satisfied it is for conservation or research, watch this space!

coming soon, Live streming Studio Cam

It has been thankfully quite hectic since my last blog, completing two commissions and have earned a further four, My First Exhibition for 2010 is now confirmed for September October at Dickie Doodles, the now premier artists exhibition centre following the closure of the warehouse in the Brewery arts.

Currently I awaiting further information and the exhibition proposals ( dont you just hate having the red tape that goes with life) which are essential before either I can make final application, or, and more importantly, I have ticked all the boxes for the Gallery to accept me, The Biscuit Factory in Newcastle, my first out of county show.

For the Local Exhibiton I am creating a series of local scenes though not so much with the postcard images of landscapes and buildings but concentrating upon the fantastic light that filters and around the 'auld grey town', the light that, for me, transforms the grey into a myriad of almost magical colours.

For the Biscuit I entend to stick with this study though producing a more contemporary feel, still using the light but presenting it in a way not disimilar to Mondrians graphical works, unlike Mondrians love of the primary colours that dominated his later works I shall be concentrating upon Black white and grey, each with a hint of something that I see which transforms those colours.

The third exhibition is as yet awaiting too much to even make a greater note of at this time.

For those of you who have notices some strange black squares at the top of the page, one marked with play, these are in place for a future addition to the blog, if indeed the blog is able to take it, that being a live 24/7 streaming video into the studio to observe my workings, it is as yet not functioning whilst I await the arrival of someone, either to continue and finish what I have started or to inform me that it is all wrong and who will set it up properly for me.

I have had the most excellent feedback from a critic who, so enthralled with a single piece, is currently spreading the word around the local art buyers community to help with the September show and of course, earlier commissions.

Still no images for you all as, if you would remember my earlier note that, until more work is created I am keeping it a little under wraps,,,watch this space...

Until the next Blog,
Peace and Light to you all
andrew charles

No peace for the wicked, so they say.

This week has seen quite a surge in work having taken some time out for family affairs, now back and, (almost) in full flow the work continues


With the Royal British Legion Roadshow less than 60 days away I have been forced to cancel the two lectures that I was supposed to be giving through ill health, as a healthy replacement I am arranging an interview with the local press to cover the aspects of my lecture that I would have otherwise covered.


The Powerpoint presentation, the poster and the childrens workshop for the same show are coming along nicely and will be published nearer the date (sept 09)


I have recently finished the commission piece for the veteran in Northern Ireland with it only needing a glaze and postage, that completed there is no rest having gained two more commissions from local folk courtesy of some recent press coverage.


My earlier difficulties with the new medium, water based oil paints, are all but resolved now and my new series for future exhibitions are well underway, the paint giving me that which I had wanted to achieve, currently I have one local exhibition confirmed for Sept - Nov 2010 and one other which awaits a decision from the powers to be at the biscuit factory exhibition hall in Newcastle. I still need at least one other confirmation to fill my minimum quota for next year.


I have also embarked on an epic as far as projects are concerned; there are over 150 ginnels (connectings Lanes) and Yards ( former resedential and work areas off the main beaten track of the town), each with its own personal history and ambience that is quite palpable, sitting on the side of the street sketching the entrances to these areas brings a lot of personal satisfaction and attention, from tourist, local and artist alike, for sure this is a marvelous marketing experience, over the next three years I hope to compile a comprehensive file covering all aspects of these areas, in sketch, photograph and written experiences and acquired knowledge; it is not an exercise that has not been undertaken before, as one local put it, the ginnels have attracted artists for many years, they have been done before, my answer is simple, 'not by me!'

Yard 5, comprising the recently converted Time and Tide

affordable accomodation and home of the artist and poet Tim Leeson and Oscar, the cat.

I look forward to bringing more information regarding this project to future blogs

Other projects initiated include a short term public art instalation of which contact has already been established with the local council arts officer, more on this also later.

240209

Owner wrote:

240209

A lot of my problems in life stem from the simple fact that, “I have just seen too much”; my problems in life are not the average sort of normal problems that people experience day in and day out, but of a nature that affects not only my creative side but also my ability to understand why change for something better is not the constant and entirely selfless search that is for self!

 

What brings me to now ponder upon such thoughts?

 

This evening I sat quietly absorbed in the roves above the shops, sketchbook, pen and mind fully engrossed in what I was drawing that my personal security issues just were not there, until I suddenly realised that a hand was right in front of my face with a 50 piece between finger and thumb.

 

With a laugh and a shaking of his hand I had to inform him that I wasn’t busking merely an artist, his insistence that I had earned it came from his heart as he explained that he passed many a busker and ignored them, they could “afford a violin or a cello”,  he mused, I knew the buskers he was referring to but said nothing, do me a drawing he said, I drew the green and yellow mood ring complete with ear-lobe, a real and honest commission for a fair price.

 

He went on to say that he himself had been down as far as a man could go and there was a way out for people in difficulties, “if they were only to open their eyes, if they don’t, it is down to them and their fault”;  there you sit, sketchbook in hand and bottle of milk beside you, keep the money, I could only smile and shake his hand bid him farewell and thankyou. 

 

To add to my good fortune I was also given a hardly read today’s local newspaper.

 

old eyes with refreshed vision

Absolute Disaster today as my trusted little camera found its way to the cupboard where it now sits with its predecessors, the disaster not so much being the premature ageing of the camera but the experience of being unable to replace it with a camera of comparable quality.
Where other cameras have slowly failed I have had spare cash to replace it however such is the economic crisis that we all find ourselves in I am forced to live, camera free.

It is said that every crisis is enlitenment, taking this in hand my initial thoughts were of panic on seeing things that I wanted to photograph and being unable to, soon enough however I started to realise that I had become so reliant upon the camera that I had actually stopped looking at things properly, even my sketchbook was spending more time in the rucksack than out.

by 9.30 this evening I found myself sitting on the pavement drawing a water collection drain that sat between two gutters, seeing every detail and finding amusement, joy, even humour while identifying missing features and the ancient looking but crooked stone wall that encased the drain.

The sky also captivated me for much longer than the time it took to take a photograph and what a joy to behold, colours that dont even have names and light that could be arguably on a parr with any place on earth, I cant photograph it but I can paint, thankyou camera for breaking down.

Yesterday, prior to the camera breaking, I did manage to capture a kingfisher hovering, fishing and returning to the nest, absolutely wonderful sight to behold, even between fishing trips it chose to perch, either on the hand rail that ran along the river path or on the rocks nearby to the water, with the absence of trees it was just so easy and captivating to witness. I now know of several Kingfisher nesting sites however this latest discovery is by far the icing on the cake for those who love to watch the reality of nature in all of its simplicity of life; sadly the camera I had was totally inadequate to justify such a beautiful thing, definitely oportunity, ney, excuse to upgrade in the photographic department!

Art Head back on

Now that the business of life, barring a few residual bits and pieces, is over I am so glad to put my arty head back on, life is tiring, ney, exhausting, it is no wonder that the world seems to be running around like the proverbial 'headless chicken'.

So much so have I put the business head away in its little box somewhere in the recesses of my brain that to try and pay my bills on line is proving such a frustrating task, spending, no wasting over 40 minutes going from page to page trying to find the make payment tab, all to no avail, I shant worry now, they well send a red bill in a couple of days and I shall try once again to sort it out.

Meanwhile, back to the arty head, my 6 pieces started last week without too much headway, now totals seven having picked up a commission last week.

Yesterday saw another visitor to the studio, a chap called Mark, his visit to the studio was due to his trying to show his sons, where he used to live 20 years ago, as it turned out his old dorm was where the flat opposite the studio now sits. with him he brought a fascinating insite into the building in which I now live from a perspective 20 years ago, a plunge pool in the basement and a Dojo, (martial arts gymnasium) on the upper floor; he left with my email address.

The transition of this building was not without historic interest in the press with both the building and myself getting good coverage.

Church hall conversion

The conversion of an 19th Century church hall into 16 'affordable' flats has been completed.

High Gate Hall was most recentlyu used as a school, gym and judo club. now the stonefronted, four story building, built in 1844, has been transformed.

I have been here for six weeks or so now and only at this time am I able to now to consider the future with a greater understanding and belief as to my future as an artist.

The plan that Emma in Newcastle is quite comprehensive and overall quantifies the past 2 years work allowing me to see that all that has been done has been in absolute keeping with the direction that I had hoped for two years ago, in fact, I have exceeded my own expectations and taken a huge chunk of Lost Years and brought me nearer to where I imagine I would have liked to have been at this period of my life had I taken the artistic route in life from the very start; my only regret being the reduction in health and energy that once took me around the world.

K-Shoes

Another great Historical event for the town was the demolition of the old K-Shoes complex and the rebuilding of a new and contemporary complex, completion comes with the possibility that the dynamics of the entire Town could change, some say for the better, some for the worse with arguments ranging from, huge employment and Tourist interest to, the reinvention of the main part of the Town returning to more Traditional values, cafe street culture and an overall more quiet day in the town.

For me, for now, I delight in the reflections borne of the thousands of tons of the red metal skeletal structure in the River.

A River, reportedly to have the fastest downflow from source to outlet in the country, remains totally captivating, the lights and darks, the shadows and inner worlds that exist in a single shot can be as beautiful as any image on a par even with shots from alien universes brought to us from the Hubble telescope, do we need to continue looking deeper and deeper into space to satisfy our ever searching inner selves when there is so much more here to explore and understand, probably.

Well, that is my blog for today, for now, back to the canvas

quick catch up

No pictures with this blog, trying to keep the next ones a little close to my chest so, some mental thoughts toward the future.

With Emma from McMillans Consultancy in Newcastle now looking after some of the affairs on the Business and Baltic side of life it gives me more time and opportunity, notwithstanding a freeing up of the brain, to work on my own paintwork and that for the next exhibition, a lucky breeze blew me into contact with someone who has exhibition space available, although it is one of the local art bars for an exhibition I am fortunate to have it as an ad hoc venue, that is, as and when I have a body of new work to show I want to keep that venue for the start of Emmas Time Line plan for the 5 years leading to 2014.

I have the painful and daunting task now of searching out an accountant, finding one is easy but finding one who shares similar ethics and practice as I and Emma, they are never easy people to deal with particularly when one doesn't speak money language however, faith in a guiding and omnipotent force will for sure help me along in the right direction.

More close to home and moving swiftly away from the business side of life, I find more and more that the studio that I am working in has such a wonderful 'Ginnel' feel about it that if I were not an artist before I came here I would have started to learn.

So? why no pictures? The work is flowing and progressive allowing many aspects of my innermost self to show through; perhaps not the most darkest or brightest or even most intimate, not yet any way, that I intentionally hold back for the occasion that has yet to manifest, it is, as am I, for the future.

Back on Line

Pics of the New Studio

My move is complete, the final piece of the Jigsaw being the telephone and internet connection, on reflection and despite being off line for the past six weeks I have to wonder where I would have had the time for blogs and websites and stuff.

There came a point, once I had packed my worldly goods, that it became impossible to start any new work until the move was complete, the move went smoothly and the absence of telephone and internet allowed me to get on with many other aspects of forging a career in the arts.

During that time I received an award from the Cumbria Council and the University of Cumbria for work following studies and came as a result of nomination by Tracy Robinson of Stonham Home Housing. I have also seen 3 press reportings, two local publications following both the award and another courtesy of Two Castles Public Relations that marked my move into the new studio, and one National in a Military Veterans quarterly publication, courtesy of Jerry Lyons of the Stonham PR Office.

On the career front I am now under the direction of McMillan Consultancy of Newcastle who have taken me on for the next 5 years and have formulated a plan which culminates in a show at the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Arts in Gateshead and a UK Tour, were I to consider such an audacious plan myself it would all be a bit scary really but being under the direction of someone now looking after the admin side of my career it frees me up wonderfully just to create and go a bit wild!

For much of the past six weeks I have buried myself in the local culture and have spent a vast amount of time out on the street with my camera, this has produced successes on two fronts, the first being my knowledge of the town and its folk and, and secondly, it has allowed people to match the face in the press with the artist in the street prompting the offer of an exhibition space when the new body of work is completed.

End of a Chapter

Now with everything bagged and boxed, my worldly goods spread between 3 addresses I reach the end of another chapter of my life. The new studio is spacious and well lit, most of all, it is soundproofed with ancient walls and modern Fire doors that are a struggle to open.

My time now ended at Stonham allows brief reflection on the journey that I have made over the past 20 months, so rapid has it been that there has hardly been a moment when I can remember that I was not working blindly and not knowing where it would lead, while caution was thrown to the wind while I went in search for the artist within the point where I felt that I was wearing the wrong hat never arrived and only now am I able to see the full fruits of my labour.

Ending on a high note, shortlisted for a personal achievement award, a level of artistic ability that has taken me to a level whereby I would feel comfortable exhibiting at a national level, engaging a business manager to handle my affairs with a corporate funder in the United States, a good rapport with the local media and so many supportive friends and colleagues that, for sure, my mailing list will be larger than ever before come christmas.

My computor closes down this weekend and takes a well earned rest ready for its move on sunday, the rest being appreciated more by my eyes I am sure.

A new era begins and a new direction and step in my blog, that of an artist of renown and accomplishment with thanks to my support workers, friends, long suffering girlfriend and of course with acknowledgment to God who first showed me the path all those months ago.

until then
Peace to all
andrew

Frustrations

Frustratingly all work has come to a halt, albeit loose ends are tied up however, I nontheless am forced to abandon any and all work while I prepare for my change of home and Studio, the move is good providing me with a 'centre' of Town apartment with much better light to paint by than I have at the moment.

If it were not enough to have no work to do my evenings with my partner force an alternative universe upon me as she feeds her self with any number of woes by virtue of hours infront of the television, News channels, world Recession, Soaps, horror stories of Rape, Violence, wars, of G20 riots and exposed public figures ( mostly politicians getting caught doing something or other, a world I have been absent from for so long now that it all seems as though I have been transported to a torture chamber!

There is little of beauty transmitted over the air waves and leaves me in no doubt that the english way of living a life filled with misery is as strong as it ever was and, while people in general seem unable to be either seeking a better life or even willing to take a chance at change, it all seems too much for my brain to even want to be part of it and leaves me in little doubt either that my decision some years ago to alienate myself from society in some small way was a good one.

Moans and Groans, Doom and Gloom, it is no wonder people feel miserable when they surround themselves with it, are people ever happy unless they are miserable? It seems not.

My frustrations continue though in recognising the opportunity for additional opportunity and inspirations I do worry that to reinvolve myself in the misery of social deprivation for the sake of art will take more than a little resolve to avoid it having some profound effect upon me, having taken myself to the depths of misery earlier in my career and nearly falling foul of its effects I wonder if I am willing to retest my strengths of faith and personal welfare, perhaps I should just ride the storm and ignore all that is put in front of me, we are, as it is said, what we digest.

As a sort of result of this sudden dive into the real world I have realised that I have started to involve people in my photography, a first of all time and I wonder if it will lead to my introducing a different aspect to my paint and installational work, for sure and up until now I have always avoided placing people in my work in an attempt to fully explore myself and the new world in which I found myself living in, this was not a concious direction but one that I am willing to continue and see where it leads.

On the positive side I have taken the plunge in a life long dream to seek an additional source of occupation in the world of drama, signing up recently to the local amateur dramatics society in a bid to explore the thespian within, this will be a true test of my own confidence having lost comfort with public speaking some years ago. The thought of standing on a stage although once a great imaginary passtime became an impossibility at some stage during my depressive period though now, armed with the supporting fact that it wont actually be me performing but another character, it is something that I am looking forward to; for sure, much of my life has been fun as I pursued the self and the necessary wearing of many hats.

Little more is of note other than a continued journey of exploration amidst the Social Networking sites that I am part of though now it seems that the initial trials are coming to an end as I start to recognise some use for them from a career point of view, watch this space andy.

space, the ultimate luxury

Space, it is said, is the ultimate in luxury; as much as I appear to enjoy the networking and communications with others it nonetheless tires me immensely, so much so that to 'get away from it all' as is the dream of many is not so much an appreciated break for me as an absolute necessity, it took me hours to find my bit of space.

It is a fact that to escape to the wilderness allows clarity of thought, a oneness within the simple beauty of Gods creations for me allows the confusions of life to be organised into priorities, the frustrations of life to become simplified and the answers to lifes dillemmas to become answered, it is from solitude and time with God that brings me the answers, my weekends walking was not wasted.

I am a great believer that within every victim dwells a creative and for each untapped and unexpressed creative their resides a victim of life awaiting a catylist for a multitude of depressive type illnesses, this philosophy is borne, not only of my own lifes circumstances but also that of others, the walls of Hollybush House, the Scottish centre of Combat Stress an ex- forces mental welfare charity, are adorned with paintings by veterans, television documentaries based around the used and abused hilight creative outlets of their victims, always, even the residents within Stonham Housing exhibit no end of talents, so much evidence only adds support to my words.

I am also a great believer that there a great artist of the 21st century already exists and remains unfound, an artist whose genius equals that of Rafael, of Da Vinci of Reubens and Turner, on the strength of this I also believe that the person who will hold that title will not be found in any of the great schools of Art but in the waiting room of a Charity or Care Facility, after all, did they all not have some intrinsic mental disorder that, in this modern day world, would have seen them in some psychiatric or mental health unit , as a dedicated artist I believe that I have a shared duty to providing yet another opening to the one who may be that great artist of our time

Over the past years there has been much offered by way of a serendipitious breeze to confirm what it is I should be aiming for as an artist, supported by my own achievements and successes over the past couple of years leaves me in little doubt that there is great need for rehabilitation through art and, as obvious as it now seems to me, there is little or nothing in existance for such a dedicated unit, of course there are art holidays but these are directed towards individuals who already recognise themselves as artists to some degree however, there is nothing that is dedicated to recovery through art, perhaps there is but not that I can find.

I had the idea for a veterans respite centre as far back as 1993 when I and a friend discussed this, he had the premises however a lengthy spell at Her Majesties Pleasure brought an end, both to the acquaintance and the shared dream, this arises now with art at the core of the respite.

I now have a goal that, although separate from my artistic journey, is both entwined and reliant upon my success not only as an artist but moreso as a person.

grounding

since 10 March I have been in my own little world, pondering and pottering while the world and its mother, passed me by. I have little need at this moment in time to move at the same pace as everyone else, and, while youngsters on their bikes, supported with stabilisers, and by animals with far less purpose than even I at the moment, I have reorganised my life, sorted out the wheat from the chaff as it were and broken my workload down to a point where I am able to move forward, both as a person and as an artist.

My current fixed projects are as varied as they are separated by simple geography, the Glass House restoration and the Film company, Dog Tag Media both based in Scotland and my Autumn Show here in Kendal.

My recent contact with Melvyn Bragg is now at an end though not without my realising that there really was no connection between us sufficient as to reap the full benefits of being in contact with such a genuine person, the lack of contact simply of my own making and borne of the gulf that lay between, in realising this however it provides the most perfect grounding in much the same way as I found my level of health amongst veterans at Hollybush House I have now established my presence in the art world, a presence that, with its very existance, I have a place in life.

The Glass house project is tremendously exciting for me and, despite early, though knowingly false, ideas that the project would be a simple undertaking it has proved to be far from simple but nonetheless; with people to interview, stonemasons, carpenters and glaziers to film while they mimic the craftstrades of old and, in virtue of that I have no doubt that those who are responsible for the restoration work will be of the same qualities as those who built the glass house in its original state, there are photographs to take, drawings to do and paintings to be done, there is filmwork and all of the associated artistic skills combining with those of the workforce, what magic that could spawn.

The theme for my autumn show is to be a response to the changes in my environment, and will be based around the five paintings [those from the recent Stavely show] each supported by black and white/sepia photographs depicting life in and around Kendal, hopefully I can bring in some moving images as well but only time will tell, for the moment this is the direction and I can only follow the path and see what lies ahead of me.

Finally I have Dog Tag Media, a new film company that is truly at the very beginning, I feel so fortunate to have stumbled upon them and allows for so many joint ventures in the future that I can only start to imagine what the future will bring for all concerned.

I have spent a vast amount of time over the past two weeks examining the different techniques in film making and the different forms of acting trying to decide where and how I make my first move forward in the world of moving image, currently I have gelled with performances such as Upstairs Downstairs where emotions seem so overly staged as to be a simple honesty in the false world that is 'acting', with this at one end of my scale it moves along to a point where there is such a good rapport between camera and script as to create an illusion of reality such as soaps and mature drama, this is something that I have to work out, not only from the work point of view but also from a personal point of view, while trying to be something that you know you are capable of while not knowing how is very different from trying to be something that you are not meant to be in life, I have tried the latter throughout the entirety of my life to know the difference, I just have to keep trying to be.

The waters settle

Time allows for me now to continue to relax, at least on the creative side of life, now, with my home a studio from one end to the other it is time to find my living space once again and start to pack away, (and dispose of!), all the crap that has accumilated over the recent and manic creative period, where does it all come from and, in retrospect, what part did any of it play in the final pieces; not a lot practically however from an my minds perspective all the junk has contributed greatly to the overall rustic appeal of the works; for the next works only a tidy environment will do.

At the moment I am struggling with Adobe Illustrator, and, with Gilbert and Gilbert as my inspirational directions, I head off into the world of the unknown yet again in a bid to find a place in creativity that I can call my own, in a frustrating manner Gilbert and George seem to be what I call brick wall artists, ( rather than bridging artists who provide direction for travel) brick wall artists are those whom I see as taken a genre to its limit, even they themselves seem to be struggling to move forward from where they are, their most recent exhibition in Brooklyn in New York supports this as I find little new coming from their world.

Who knows where my new software will take me, perhaps even the possibility that there is a step forward from Gilbert and George in the creation of a moving image collage, while not knowing what my new Illustrator software is capable of and linking it to my current and equally difficult struggles with the Adobe Film software, both learning curves have to be quite steep; it is unlikely that I will be able to create any self satisfying works in time for the next exhibition but it is worth a try if only as a stepping stone.

The recently found sound artist that would have been so useful for the artwork side of Dog Tag Media has pulled out through work committments, it is a shame because now I shall have to go and find another, until then the story boards continue to clutter the front room and fill my desk top with trials that are not fit for publishing, I have the sound editing software myself but feel I would be stretching myself to try to get to grips with that at the moment but if no-one appears it may have to be me.

I await with anticipation both for the decision from the exhibition selection committee for the local arts centre in response to my CD submission for an autumn show and also for the short list for the ALW Award to be published, both nail biting opportunities that I am quite excited about until then however life goes on.

(Images courtesy of Penny and are snapshots from within the finshed pieces from the recent exhibition)

Happy Birthday Mr Burns

I can only apologise in advance for the length of this post, since my last post however my weeks have left me with hardly a minute when something new and exciting wasn’t happening; at this moment in time a small part of me considers that I may have taken on more than I can chew however the greater part considers that with regard to the differing timescales of each of the new project time allows for an acceptable level of headway along my journey.

I have just returned from The Combat Stress Residence, they are the charity that provides me with the care and support I need to help me along this step of my journey, they only have 3 such places throughout the uk leaving me feeling so lucky to manage to get a placement as there are so many veterans needing this kind of help as to provide for a lengthy waiting list.

My arrival in Scotland was greeted by the news that a Burns Supper was planned for that evening, apart from it being the birthdate of Burns himself for me, the evening was a celebration that not only another chapter in my life had been reached in a most gratifying manner but also that it included all aspects of my life, the highlite being the successful exhibition of my most significant work thus far.

The entire nite was in gaelic, although understanding many of the words I was more reliant upon the expressions borne of passion, nomoresoe than the delivery of the Tam O’ Shanter, (sincerest apologies for spelling errors) a 3000 word poem by a young lass who could not have been more than 13, word perfect to mine ears and with such expression that I was easily able to recognise the story with such finite accuracy that my laughter and expressions of pain were as honest had they been borne of my own tongue.

That evening I met a remarkable man called AlanBrunton, a man so spiritually aware that it was of his character, a gifted artist even at the very step of finding himself, his enthusiasm and vibrancy was so contagious that I was truly able to appreciate, not only his achievements but also the significance of my earlier thoughts toward personal celebration, if that were not enough a friend I had yet to meet entered the room in the form of Tom, the Film maker who, like myself had been introduced to each other through Alan Harpur, a mutual friend and great fisherman of his rivers,

Over the course of the next two days Tom and I spent much time sharing both our personal lives and our professional aspirations with regard to Dog Tag Media to a point that such frankness and mutual respect at that level seems rarely to exist amongst mankind, I have little doubt that over a good period of time each of that which we expect to achieve on behalf of the veterans of our armed forces will be satisfied, still leaving ample time for our personal lives to continue to grow with debt of gratitude repaid and nought but healthy respect remaining; it is strange how guilt can sometimes lead to the greatest humility and how only from that point are we able to grow as human beings.

From this point on my trip simply improved, I had met a young lady called Anna who was transporting the veterans to the gardening leave project.

The Gardening Leave Project the innovation of Anna Baker Cresswell, a North East lass who has a personal understanding of the plight of Veterans. Just outside of Ayr sit the grounds of Auchincruive Estate, a beautiful and tranquil place encompassing the River Ayr beside which sits the ornamental gardens of the Gardening Leave Project.

It is here where veterans of a particular nature are truly able to be themselves surrounded, not only by a creation borne of love and understanding but also amongst others who are in essence their brothers, attached by inclination and shared experiences, for these veterans a world outside of these grounds just does not exist, in essence; a garden of Eden; it came of no surprise when one of the men told me of the existence of a ley line that ran through the garden.

Within the walled grounds, I found a Jewel, it was here that Anna managed to catch up with me and told me the story. At 85 metres a wall of mirrors sat resting against massive heated walls in the fashion of a lean-too, before me a reflection of every part of the world in which I stood, though not as a single mirror but as a mosaic, each square minutely offset and brilliantly lit as to capture in each a different picture of beauty itself, my immediate panic was that the work Anna was telling me about was going to absoulutely destroy something that was so perfect that any change would have destroyed that forever.

The more I listened however the more I was able to realise that indeed this building was held in such high esteem as that which I felt myself and felt comfortable that any and all changes would be so completely sympathetic as to merely enhance it and bring it back to its perfect former glory, I had no choice other than to want to capture every aspect of this beautiful building before it was returned to ‘brand new’

Remaining for the entire day rather than the half day planned I found myself so attached to this glass house that I had to return the next day and on the following day of my departure home enforced with the loss of my mobile phone, a small price to pay just to visit both the glass house and the veterans that were working there.

Now, I find myself working on several projects, the corporate identity of Dog Tag Media, an archive to build of the restoration of the glasshouse in Auchincruive, a steep learning curve with some film software, to finalise my week another opportunity to create something for the Royal British Legion.

a lesson learned

even before my holiday starts there is always that one last issue before you can finally close the work book and start thinking about holiday insurance.

The exhibition hung well, a little annoying to arrive and find that neither the walls or area had been cleared from the last works, an annoying little thing that I have about leaving the place as you found it I suppose and, even though it erks me more than a little I find fault with the artists on this account more than those who are kindly offering their space.

it was those two words, kindly and space however that brought to me the dizzy heights of being forced to provide an arguement for art and against business'. It was partly my fault for failing to check out the venue properly, having always managed to fit the round peg into the square hole and making it fit perfectly as it were, one of my pleasurable experiences that is [the exhibition] is the actual standing back and knowing that every piece even those of different genre is as well ballanced as possible with each piece occupying a physical area that extends from the artwork or the sculpture, a space that the viewer must be standing within to appreciate it fully, for this task

Where an appraisal has been made the outcome is usually an entire area where one piece melds into its neighbour a little like walking through a carnival and passing along different bands musicians and artists, the sounds, no matter how different, there is a flow which carries you along from one sound to another, while the one fades the next harmonises and appears as if by magic, the only real evidence of change is that of the heartbeat, as rythm and theme change you are brought into a synchronisation of emotions, of the viewers and the artist; that for me feeling for me is that is the exhibition, and that is what I aim to achieve.

To find that within the paintings space someone in their wisdom had decided that if they put in an extra two tables and eight more chairs they could accomodate more people, how can you get someone whose goal is to raise revenue that only understand what they can see, how do you get them to comprehend the importance to the soul of a person to enjoy the art, how can you get them to understand that by putting 8 chairs into a small space they are actually preventing people from enjoying themselves, even from a business point of view it is ludicrous and defeats the brainwave that was, '...if we offer space to an artist we can expect a function each and every month' kindness is not always borne of a passion for art nor artists, it is borne of sound business sense, to plan and create growth, however, that growth is a concern directed towards money, on that account I was left with my cards on the table and even then I was only left with one question, how do you get someone who does not understand the essence of art to experience that which they cannot feel, I had to conceed defeat and accept that my exhibition held one dissapointment that being that the artworks were not able to be exhibited and shared in the manner which was intended.

lesson learned, that is not to say however that the exhibition was any the less a success the works do look comfortable in the space, the work does relate accurately and honestly to the time that was given them most of all they do justice to all the things that I believe and the people who have offered me sound guidance along my journey.

I have no stress

As another small chapter in my life draws to an end I sit here at 4.30am completing the final task, the downloading of images to my foto site.

I have been as serendipitous on the web as I have been in the real world, through a combination of sound direction and a lot of searching I now have a web presence that I am happy with for the moment, it was a little complicated to set up with several sites that provide links to the others, my social network (facebook) providing both contact with friends and supporters and a link to my Blog.

Penny deep in vocation

My blog in turn links directly to various foto album pages that provide invaluable supporting material related both to my blog and my facebook contacts. Finally I have a web site that aligns with my 2014 project in the form of proactive research and information to charities and funders alike, this links back to my blog, as I said, it is a little complicated attempting to maintain them all however as the creases iron out it is well worth the £20 or £30 per year that by far competes with an official one click reaches all web-site, that will have to await the penny jar.

This evening has been spent doing just that, pre holiday maintenance, uploading fotos, organising albums, making out a things to do list, stringing up the paintworks for hanging Sunday, editing the exhibition paperwork, a couple of hours with Sheila and took her a gift as a congratulations on getting her new work, a bracelet, necklace and earings set made by a young and knowledgeable artist on the market who even wrote down the names of the stones from the top of her head for me, as it turned out the properties of the Rhodonite , a calming stone with effects on anxiety, attention to detail, helps with self esteem and restoring physical energy after a trauma, so, perfect.

I have dug out my hammer and spirit level, written a letter to Dan and Patti, a couple of e-mails added more to my ‘things to do’ ,and that is it, only time now to finish the image download and this blog post, a final check on all web links and then call time-out.

It is planned for next week that I just relax, spend time with Sheila and the dogs, take loads of fotos and generally take it easy so that I am psychologically ready to maximise on the support at Combat Stress, if I arrive there still with unfinished business here then I shall be distracted and my time there does not allow for a lack of attention if I am to participate and contribute in a manner that only the issues that specifically effect my forward motion in life are of concern.

The only outstanding problem I have at present that has to be sorted sooner rather than later is the viewing of images on my fotosite (link on right hand site of my blog start-up page)

There is no problem viewing the entire album as a single page however, when you click to view a larger one it doesn’t show just a visible larger image it shows the image 10 times bigger than my screen, you also have to scroll to the bottom of the page even to find the viewer, from the point of view that you are immediately able to start examining the prints and images in the tiniest detail it is fantastic, but for those who just want to see a large overall view it is of no use; until then you will just have to enjoy the music that plays during the slideshow, I know they say you should not have music on your site as it effects the download speed, I shall await feed back on that score, images and music have gone together since time in memoriam who am I to argue with a time tested tradition.

So, fantastic project and good results in the end, a lot of good contacts made, a lot of good work available as inspiration toward the next project, off to Scotland in 7 days and little admin in-between (including my blog! Too many words of late and not enough images by far) my prayers to all who pop in here now and again to see how I am getting on, before then however it is 7.45am and time for 40 winks.

-----------------------------------------------
parting thoughts of the day
I cant remember where to find out who said these but they fit together nicely,
in celebration of today;

"Successful people are always looking for opportunities to help others. Unsuccessful people are always asking, 'What's in it for me?'"

Enjoyment is not a goal but a feeling that accompanies important ongoing activity as as long as we complete what we are doing we continue to enjoy that upon which we are occupied, Stress comes, not from having too much work but from not finishing what we have started,

And for me, an affirmation;
I have no stress, I have reached the end of the beginning and have finished.