Thursday 31 January 2019

Hello!

For those of you who are interested in my life drawing sessions at Little Nan's in Deptford, please note that there will be no session next Monday -  on Feb. 4th. We will be back again the following week - Feb. 11th


I'm super excited and very happy that my paintings 
" HMS Impregnable" and "If Only the Moon" were recently accepted for exhibition at the London Bridge Hotel OPEN. 






This is a lovely exhibition taking place in the lobby and bar of this fabulous hotel in London Bridge. It opened last night and is supported by Team London Bridge and Southwark Council.

 More info here: https://www.teamlondonbridge.co.uk/newsdetails.aspx?ref=4379

“HMS Impregnable” and “If Only the Moon” are an exploration of the
wonder and fascination for floral motifs in our history, and a
metaphorical description of the power of flowers to uplift and revive the
spirit in times of adversity.


Vibrant blue roses dance across the canvas, surrounded by rich, cloud
streaked blue skies above, and the choppy waters of deep green sea
below.


The source for the roses springs from an abandoned hospital screen
discovered in the 1990s, when my art expressed itself through installations. Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher rolled out Care in the

Community. Hospitals and institutions closed. I attended an auction of
furniture and equipment and found a hospital screen. The poignancy of
its chintz rose pattern inspired me to start painting again. The patina on the fabric, rich with emotional resonance. Sanderson Chelsea, 1950s
style retro. English beauty, wonder, fascination. I started drawing and
painting as an experiment. Describing and capturing process,
rendering flowers.


Within the paintings can be found 83 names. Some of the people
tragically affected by the Government’s “Welfare Reform”,
as documented in Ken Loach’s film “I, Daniel Blake”. For example,
Colin Traynor suffered from epilepsy. He was denied disability living
allowance and found fit for work. His seizures increased due to stress.
He won his appeal five weeks after his death. His father said: “I firmly
believe – 100% believe – that the system this government introduced
has killed my son.”


Other elements include butterflies, sailors, birds, fish and mermaids. A
Japanese kitsune fox transformed into a woman. Darwin’s famous ship
HMS Beagle, chased by a sea monster. Poetry and song lyrics,
including the artist’s own.


There are fourteen artists exhibiting, all works are for sale, and the exhibition continues until June.