01/01/20
New Decade. A quiet start to the year but with a feeling of resolve and drive to get things done.
02/01/20
“For the dead travel fast.” - Jonathan Harker’s Journal
Bram Stoker’s Dracula
03/01/20
mem: Sickert’s approach to “Portrait of Hugh Walpole” - one of my favourites - could work. Drastic yes but by simplifying the colours… more painterly…. ambiguous.
04/01/20
The Optimism Gap: Locally good. Nationally bad.
“Unsafe” Commission
Finished commission. Looked at Sickert and Dumas. Previously it was haggard and stale.
05/01/20
…relieved!
A lot of scanned drawings tonight.
06/01/20
Renewal
07/01/20
Five posts in five weeks.
09/01/20
“Confessional”
Potential title?
11/01/20
Performed open heart surgery on the 206 today.
“No Remorse” painting is moving very very slowly.
Detail of “No Remorse” in progress
Overthinking personal issues.
12/01/20
Belfast today.
Incense in sunlight
Issues of “crown” install is mind boggling.
DIONYSUS
13/01/20
Office updating and uploading.
14/01/20
Jade Riley wrote a little piece about my practice. Chuffed!
16/01/20
Ideas with Dad for install concepts.
Hodge-Podge.
17/01/20
Bit of breathing issues but otherwise OK.
19/01/20
Winter sunset
“Shoah” - 1985 A film by Claude Lanzmann
Eventually got out of a rut (well even a foot out of the door is good) and got sketching.
22/01/20
“To remove unwanted threads of your past (regrets or mistakes) is to undo the tapestry of your life.” - JLP
24/01/20
25/01/20
Last night I had the pleasure of attending the opening of “The Dark” in the CCA. Agnes Meyer-Brandis’ work has made me look at geese in a slightly more positive light.
Started two new canvases and pleased with the progress of “Crown of Dionysus”.
27/01/20
“Crown” finished - including wall fixing designed by Dad.
C.E.’s shouldn’t be halted until the weekend.
Finally getting around to reading the collection of art essays by Julian Barnes. I think since I got it the day I visited John in the Royal I’ve been avoiding it.
28/01/20
Late night sketching is better than no sketching at all!
Hatchet sketch
30/01/20
“Time dissolves the story into form, colour, emotion. Modern and ignorant, we re-imagine the story: do we vote for the optimistic yellowing sky, or the grieving greybeard? Or do we end up believing both versions? The eye can flick from one road or one interpretation, to the other: is this what was intended?
Julian Barnes - “Géricault: Catastrophe into Art”
31/01/20
All in all a horrible day.