Good evening peeps,

It is that time once more for me to inform you of what I have or have not been up to this week.

Mmmmm....shall we say that it has been a slightly more creative week than the last one. I have managed to complete the figures of "Romulus and Remus" and am half way through the painting of the birds. It all appears to be going swimmingly well and the crows are shaping up nicely. I do admit to a certain amount of satisfaction as it has been a long while since I have painted any form of wild life apart from homo sapian.... I remember saying in a previous blog that I was trying to create an ambiguity about who's who in this painting, dare I say that I think I have succeeded. I am not even sure myself which one is Romulus and which one is Remus....ooooer is that a cop out...???
I will have produced two paintings for this series when "R & R" are completed...the thing is I have yet to frame them up. This in its self is a crucial part of the finished piece and is going to be a very "learn as you go and hope for the best" time. I have a very clear and distinct vision in my head of how they will look...however....it involves cutting away and distressing, which only allows a fraction of error. Do I look scared...??? Absolutely! Blimey, it takes me forever to get going when I know what I'm doing, lordy lordy only knows how long it'll take me to crack on with the frames. Hey ho...

I have also been asked to do a private portrait and am about to begin the preliminary drawings. It has been a wee while since I was commissioned to do a portrait and am dead excited about it. The thing is when you don't know the sitter very well...in this case hardly at all, you need to bring a whole new way of looking to the table. I've decided to try not and deliberate for too long over how I am going to "do it"....think it will cloud my judgement and fog up my thinking.
The sitter will have his own perception of how he looks, I will see something else...the hope is that the final painting will marry these two up and all will be well. I defy any painter not to admit to wanting so much to please the sitter...

Can I say that when a person is subjected to constant and prolonged abuse they have a tendacy to become extremely knackered and weary. I mention this because it is happening to me at the moment and I am knackered and weary. It has not been a good time on the ward. Please emit waves of sympathy toward me in the vain hope that I will once again become motivated and committed.

I thank you.

Ivor x

Good evening all,

I am writing this following a rather nightmare day on the ward....well, to be honest, it's been bleedin' horrendous! No bodies fault really and not very sedate of me to say so but I need to voice this as it has a baring on how I am feeling and how this blog is written. It is my way of saying that my head is mashed and I may not come across as the usual "up-beat" and "sparky" geezer that I like to portray.
Apologies now to any body that I may have offended with this previous statement but I do try to remain honest about my emotions. I shall shut up now and continue...........

The painting progresses and, dare I say as much, is looking mighty fine...mind you, this is usual at this stage in the proceedings and will, no doubt, plummet in my estimation nearer completion. Once I've almost finish a piece I go through a major crisis of faith in my abilities and convince myself it is all a piece of worthless crap...hey ho the torment of an insecure mind! I am about to begin the painting of the birds to finish the "Romulus and Remus" and am dead excited about it all. It's eons since I painted any form of wild life so it could either make or break this piece of work...ooooer...I'm excited and very worried at the same time. Is this a normal state of affairs? I ask myself...and...going on how much I fanny about before getting on with the actual painting, will I ever finish??? It is inded a concurrent countdown conundrum. I really will have to make a real effort as I am getting dead worked up about the next painting....not giving owt away at the moment as it is all buzzing about in my head.

Can I just say here and now how fantastic and truely beautiful this country is when the weather is sunny and the bluebells are out. I have spent the weekend in the wild outdoors and have been so in awe of it's splendor! Blimey, I sound almost Byronic....or moronic, depending on your view point. I do feel very inspired and humbled when the spring is springing and the summer is about to burst forth...what can I say...???....I'm artistic!
On that very up myself note I shall stop...

Thanks for reading,

Ivor x

Hello everbodies....happy bank holiday!

I have been painting...not much of a revelation I know but I have been struggling of late and have managed to overcome. Yes, I know that sounds very "up my self" but I was suffering the "block". I spent hours and hours and hours the other week painting a pattern on the T shirt of this painting only to discover it looked complete s**t! Only after I had the courage to obliterate the pattern did the "block" lift....voila, as our French cousins say, I am now going full steam ahead with poor old "Romulus and Remus" who had been very negleted.
I always find it very wierd that it takes so much courage to wipe something after hours of work on it...???...I knew it was wrong and had to go but it still took ages for me to actually sit down and do it.
I seem to be doing this procrastinating stuff alot lately, I always did go through a strange ritual before starting a new painting...usually just finding inane things to do just so I didn't have to begin right away. Now, however, I do it every time I intend to sit down and paint. It's like a fear that it's all gonna go horribly wrong and by delaying all will be well. Perhaps it's age?..perhaps it's insanity?....who the flop knows!???

I have very little else to say to be perfectly honest....I expect it's a blessing to most..ha ha he he. I put it down to the "block" and all it entailed. Hopefully I shall have more to bore you with the next time I blog....

Thank you for your time,

Ivor x