Looking back - and forward

Well it's been a funny sort of year - certainly art-wise I've not done as much as I'd have liked and yet when I look back I have actually achieved an awful  lot - I've continued with the Fantasy Fannies abstracts, painting more of the brightly coloured and highly popular Queyntes and Tarses in acrylics. That in turn led on to the innovative "Living flame" style of painting - translucent colours glazed over each other creating pretty colours to dramatic effect. As well as that I explored  making other abstracts, playing with colour and shape and creating fabulously exciting  paintings like "Interplay", "Wishful thinking", "Camouflage" and "Black jacket".

The "Fantasy Fannies" were also featured very favourably  in Jade magazine which helped to raise their profile as did the radio interview I did at Erotica.

I've also done the "S & M" watercolour painting - hiding the initials within the landscape, so only the people in the know know its there - I really enjoy hiding jokes and secret messages within my paintings and the people who commission them love the joke of it too - the ultimate conversation piece on your wall!

I've been told that I have a reassuringly friendly and professional way of drawing people that puts them at their ease, so that first time nude sitters feel relaxed and comfortable in my company - and the experience is not at *all* as scary as they expected!!!! That's good to hear, then!!!! LOL

I've sold paintings to USA and Canada, and exhibited at Erotica at Olympia, London, for the second year running and feel more established there as an exhibitor. It's hard work, but good fun, and I want to do more art fairs next year as I haven't yet found a gallery that I like the look of to sell my work, and who, equally, likes the look of me. Perhaps I need to go to London to seek my fortune in that direction.................like Dick Whittington ........and his cat! :)

I'm still busy with the local art group that I'm connected with, as well as the Guild of Erotic Artists, and get a lot of help, advice, networking, support and satisfaction from being connected with them. Through them I meet lots of artists and photographers and people generally interested in art and the creative spirit, and that helps in turn to feed mine. Plus, I get some intriging conversations, usually of a very non vanilla subject matter!! :)

I've met some interesting people - quite a few men have offered themselves to pose for me, including one from San Francisco who occasionally comes to England on business and is very keen to be part of my creative output. And  a few others who I may be able to use at some point but the most important one was at the end of the year when  my new male model came into my life and after chatting to him for a while I felt that we could do some work together, and I'm delighted that the drawings of him I've done so far are of a high standard and I hope that it continues in that manner. The fact that he likes the same rock music as me, helps considerably!!! (if he's been a Westlife fan, I'm not so sure we could have worked together! LOL).

Stuart with his outgoing personality and desire to help was a good friend to me throughout the year, and through him I did the talk to his local writers group which in turn led to me being offered a solo exhibition at the library next summer.

And added to the interesting people, is the publicist who has recently contacted me. He doesn't live in England but did for a while, and has a lot of contacts. We've had a few preliminary conversations and I like what we've discussed so far but its very early days yet and may not be exactly what I'm lookiong for. But, if it goes the right way, and its too soon to say yet, I may be painting some very interesting and exciting erotic art next year...............watch this space! :)

So, into the new year, and I've already got a very interesting commission to do - for a male witch - a "Goddess" painting - seven heads of the same goddess, in whatever style I like, in whatever medium I like. But.......each goddess has to be recognisable. This one has got me thinking, and now Christmas is out of the way I can spend more time concentrating on it, because this is a big one and needs a lot of deep thought and focus. Also, I want to put some "magic" into the painting, somehow. As this isn't an ordinary painting. It's a special one, for a special person, for an extra-special reason, and that unique specialness should show within it. So, that makes me think that I may end up painting it twice - firstly as a practice painting to get the creative juices moving, and then as the proper one, the one when I dig into my spirit and pour it into the painting, that's when the magic appears........... and that's what I want to build on next year, making magical paintings for people. The sort that talks to your spirit, your soul, the sort that you want on your walls because its an extension of who you are.

That's what I paint.

Joking apart

I was recently reminded of an erotic art joke and thought I'd share it with you..........


An artist had been working on a nude portrait for a long time. Every day, he was up early and worked late - bringing perfection with every stroke of his paint brush. As each day passed, he gained a better understanding of the female body and was able to really make his paintings shine.


After a month, the artist had become very weary from this non-stop effort and decided to take it easy for the day. Since his model had already shown up, he suggested they merely have a glass of wine and talk - since normally he preferred to do his painting in silence.

They talked for a few hours, getting to know each other better. Then as they were sipping their claret, the artist heard a car arriving outside. He jumped up and said, "Oh no! It's my wife! Quick, take off your clothes!"


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And whilst I'm in the mood for joke telling........


How many artists does it take to change a light bulb?

Ten. One to change it, and nine to reassure him about how good it looks.

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How many modern artists does it take to change a light bulb?

Four. One to throw bulbs against the wall, one to pile hundreds of them in a heap and spray-paint it orange, one to glue light bulbs to a cocker spaniel, and one to put a bulb in the socket and fill the room with light while all the critics and buyers are watching the fellow smashing the bulbs against the wall, the fellow with the spray-gun, and the cocker spaniel.

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How many visitors to an art gallery does it take to change a light bulb?

Two. One to do it and one to say "Huh! My four-year old could've done that!"
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How many surrealists does it take to change a light bulb?



Fish.



 :)

Remembering good friends

This is the time of the year when we think of good friends, old and new, and want to wish them a happy time of good cheer...............

And it's always nice to be remembered by those we hold dear........

Today I spoke to Stuart who I drew just over a year ago and who became a good friend through the experience of it - he wished me a Happy Christmas and commented on how "perky" I sounded. He knows I've had a lot of personal problems recently, and expected me to be down, but I'd had a couple of lovely communications sent to me earlier that I couldn't be low in spirits........

The first was a beautiful poem from my new male model, he'd signed it and framed it for me and given it to me for Christmas. Such beautiful words that touch the heart in the way that poems do - the last verse being:

"The power of the artist is to create;
Images for the mind to see.
There is no greater compliment,
The image? That, is me."

How lovely is that? Gorgeous words and much treasured. I thanked him from the heart and said that the framed poem would be proudly displayed in my studio and is greatly appreciated.

The second communication was a long email from someone who really loved the two new drawings I've done of my male model - and was full of praise of the work I've done on them - he says -

"........These drawings show much more than any of your others. There is a warmth and sensitivity that to me represents a genuine friendship, a bond between model and artist. This model is a natural in your company (hard to believe this is his first drawings) and brings out the very best in your work. He trusts you implicitly and you take great pleasure in drawing him. Please do not interpret my next comment as anything other than professional, but the warmth and detail in these drawings, more than the men in your others, suggest that for a woman, this model is sexually very attractive (As a gay man he certainly is!).

......I must agree with one of your bloggers, (Blazing Scarlet) and the description is "stunning". For me, you have captured the beauty and grace of the male form, yet retained the masculinity and the physical strength of the model............"

Aw, I'm really touched that he liked them so much! But I know I put a lot of hard work and effort into them, so I'm pleased that that shows in the work itself.

And it seems that my artwork has inspired others to pick up a pencil and try their hand at art - someone who likes my abstracts wants to see what they can do in turn....so the art flows on into others, a wonderful gift!

And added to that I've received a very welcome present today from across the seas from someone who has bought art from me in the past, and who I know values greatly the artwork I do, and that makes it all the more special too.


So, thankyou to the people who value my art and the work I do. And who take the time to tell me about it. I always appreciate it.

And thankyou to you for reading my words and the comments you make - some to my face, some by private email, and some here on the blog.

So I'll take this opportunity to wish a Happy Christmas to you and yours and may the spirit of the season gladden your hearts as you celebrate with those closest to you and think of friends near and far...................