Little Gems - 3

I visited the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge recently and this was one of the 'little gems' that I found. It is a George Stubbs' painting - Una and the Lion Isabella Saltonstall as Una in Spensers Faerie Queene, 1782.

I have never seen a Stubbs based on a typical Georgian actor or actress portrait as you might see other painters of the period. So it was great surprise especially as I had been recently looking at Stubbs horse painting. Further thinking I can not remember many other pictures based on the Edmund Spenser's Faerie Queen. I only knew of the book because of Michael Moorcock's novel Glorianna or the Unfilled Queen. This used some familiar Moorcockian themes and a homage to one of his influences - Mervyn Peake - Gormeghast Trilogy.

The Kiss

This is the second entry into an open exhibition on the theme of A Book About Death. The success of this first exhibition has spun off with an exhibition in Brazil and another one in Wales. It is this one that I have send my second submission.

I have decided to keep the same format off the black edged front and the white border reverse. I had been thinking that I might change the stamp on the reverse, but decided against it. One of the reasons is that the stamp might come from the same place or from the person who might or might not be death.

Again the image is from my Highgate Heads suite. The theme is of lovers in the wood and how trees can look like figures amongst the vegetation. The colour is slightly more muted and was down to a light use of washes as well as not wanting to 'overload too much' vivid colours into the image. The use of slightly lighter marking with pen to make a more delicate picture.

Hibernation

I have been quiet on the blogging front as I have been focused on my new job for the last few months. My own output has slowed to an almost a halt, but the ideas have been ticking over or growing from one to the other and not stopping. Also practicing with new software and getting to grips in how it is used in the new part of the print industry, where I work.

I have found myself going back to my interest in comics and graphic novels. Starting to work on some drawings for some of my gaming friends and developing cover ideas. One of the big projects, is to work on a graphic novel or more likely novella. More a case of doing it rather than creating a great bit of literature or drawing. Again it has paused, so my writing about it inception, I am hoping to begin to up the current pace.

After my 'lost year' I have trying to control costs, so have not been out much or into London to see many new exhibitions. I am looking for to go and see the Paul Nash at the Dulwich Picture Gallery. Nash is one those Neo-Romantic painters of the mid-century British artists, who has had to be defined by this grouping. I would say that this grouping is a short hand for critical studies. These painters - Paul Nash, John Nash, Graham Sutherland, Vaughan, Armitage, Ayrton are not a cohesive grouping as others or whether they would claim such an idea.

Another exhibition I am looking forward to seeing is Henry Moore at the Tate Britain. Like Graham Sutherland, Moore's reputation has suffered since his death. It has been fashionable to consider Barbara Hepworth more important than Moore, but in my Art College days Moore was like a giant on the landscape. One of the reasons, I feel I can relate to his work is the relationship to the northern landscape. Rocky crags staggered onto the horizon line, not complete ranges or outcrops dug into the hillside half finished or abandoned villages from the industrial age.

This year, I hope to get to some museums and galleries that I have not seen. So watch this space!