Good afternoon my lovely chums!

I trust you're all well and managing to enjoy this splendid weather...it is so hot in my studio that I am forced to paint in the buff. Not a pretty sight and full of hazzards and hidden dangers...mainly from knacker bashings on the table corners....ho hum.
I shall desist from ellaborating further as I realise it's close to some folks tea time and I don't want to be resposible for putting anyone off their crumpets.

I continue to paint and paint and paint. I am in danger of having to be surgically removed from my paint brush. I must say it's all going swimmingly well and I seem to be on schedule to gather together a lot of work...hurrah!
I've finished the "Saint or Misguided" Diptych....I think it works ok...well I'm hoping it works ok. Only time will tell really as I'm doing so much painting I am now unable to tell if something is any good or not. T'is a concurrent countdown conundrum to be sure. I think it was Leonardo who said you have to walk away from your work for a while and come back to it later...that way you can see the positives as well as the negatives. Mmmmm....probably worked for a genius like him...I...on the otherhand...just get more depressed ho hum.

I've also been organising commissions between all of this...which has proved rather beneficial as it's forced me to go out and research other topics aside from mental health issues...abuse....religious fervour and ghosts. Hurrah to that. Mind...I've no time to do these commissions until after the exhibition anyways so I thank my clients for their patience. I also reckon that I'll be on such a come down once the exhibition is up and running that I'll be dead enthused about doing these pieces...hurrah again.

I'm having to rethink how I display some of the paintings at this exhibition due to some persons being offended by a mans willy. Mmmm....methinks they need to get out more...or failing that....buy a "Playgirl" magazine ho ho ho ho. Actually...I did panic when first I was told of this little hic cup...but it has turned out rather splendidly as the way I will be displaying really enhances the mystery of the work. A big mega hurrah to that.

Thank you for taking the time...

Ivor x

Well good morning to one and all!

This will be brief as I just want to post up the poster for the exhibition in London...hurrah!
As you can see it says it all and I'm very much hoping that as many people will come along and have a bloody good gander at the work...................please.
I will be posting up further reminders from now on until the exhibition...well a bloke has to self promote ooooer.

I'm plodding along merrily...working my butt off and trying to create a show that will dazzle and inspire....mmmmmm...here's hoping the London crowd will think so to ho hum. I've just got back from the "Smoke"...I've been sorting out a commission. It's alovely job...a very nice man and I'm really hoping that i can do the guys idea justice. Thank you Colin for having the faith in me to do it.

Well must bugger off and get some more work done....will keep you posted.

Thank you for taking the time...

Ivor x

Well what can I say and what can I do?.....am a shadow of my former self due to excessive ammounts of waving my brush about...ho hum........
Oh how bloody bloody rude of me! Howdy doody my chums....I forgot to greet you...what would my old granny say?

Do you know...I'm so immersed in my work and exhibition and commissions that I've forgotten what I've told you and what I've not. T'is a terrible thing to be so "senior" so soon.
I think I was about to draw out and paint "The Reluctant Adonis"....? Well hurrah and hurrah with knobs on...he's finished. I went monochrome and colour once more. I reckoned it was the best way to go with this one and...I think...it works. Here's hoping the general public do and no one takes offence at coloured Y Fronts....oooooer. A big thank you to Greig for being such a wonderful model and for allowing me to put him in such awesome underpants. I was trying to put some humour into the work as alot of it is so emotional and a tad gloomy. Mind...not sure you can jolly up sexual abuse, self harming or psychosis....but maybe I'm just being terribly old fashioned.

Apparently "Waterghosts" the event has been nominated for an arts award...hurrah! Must say I'm dead proud to have been part of it all. Well done Jamie......

I've also been featured in the "Art of Man" magazine which was bloody splendid. Please check it out...there's a link on my links page. A big thank you to Eric Gibbons for featuring me and for being so helpful. You're a star Eric!

I'm now working ona dyptich entitled..."Saint or Misguided" It's a sort of "opposite" painting. One is showing full on stigmatyr and the other is self harming. I wanted to do a piece highlighting that there is a very fine line between religious fervour and psychosis. I reckon it's odd how people who "hear the voice of the Lord" are deemed "deeply spiritual" and others who have command hallucinations are deemed "bonkers" Anyrode up...what ever you believe...I wanted to try and paint it. The "Saint" has been a bugger to do and is still undergoing major tweekage and fiddling....ho hom. I always think things will got to plan when I have a clear image in my head but......oh NO! Still these things are sent to try are nes pas?
I shall post up the results when they done. I'm just hoping that if I get the first bugger right then the second will be plain sailing....mmmmmmmmm.

Thank you for taking the time...

Ivor x

Morning peeps!

Just a wee quickie...nowt so fine as a quickie on a Saturday morning ooooer.

Well splash it all over...cover me in sea weed and make me wet...."Waterghosts" is on its way to Brighton to exhibited in an event/exhibition all about...well... "Waterghosts"
If you remember eons ago I did a collaboration with an audio artist called Jamie Sturrock....well the whole event has come to fruition and can now be seen in Brighton...hurrah!

Well done Jamie and thank you for sharing it with me my chum.

If anyone is nearby...pop along and have a gander. I'm sure it'll be bloody splendid.

Thank you for taking the time...

Ivor x

Hello and good afternoon to one and all....and a bloody maaaaarvelous one it is to.

Alas and alack I'm locked in my studio so am not able to enjoy the wonderful sunshine. This old carcass will have to remain lilly white and pasty for a little longer...not that I'm willing to expose this body much these days...I've seen old people throw up and birds flee in terror...ho hum.

Anyrode up..enough of this nonsense...I just thought I'd blog to say the "The Reluctant Narcissus" is now finished...hurrah! I think it works...well I'm hoping it does. I sort of went for it and kept everything crossed. The model loves it so that's bloody brill...thank you Hayden for agreeing to pose for me.
I've also managed to do another wee painting....coo lummey...my brush has been out and active for days and days and days. Hence the lack of sunshine and white carcass. This one is entitled "The Shy Actor" The model who posed is actually an actor so hurrah! For some very very odd reason he seems to think he isn't as gorgeous as everyone else believes he is. Mmmm...t'is a conundrum because I know if I looked like that my body would be forever exposed.................Thank you Jason for being shy.

I'm now working on a painting about a "Conchie"....it seems to tie in with the "Ghosts and Gods" series and...as it's 100 years since the start of World War One...is rather timely. It's very early days and it quite a bloody challenge. It has been inspired by the Pat Barker "Regeneration" trilogy. Here's hoping she'll approve..........

Thank you for taking the time...

Ivor xx

Good evening my chums!

Well bing and bong and ding and dong....it's been all go these past few weeks and I've not had to work this hard since the war. I seem to be constantly painting so hurrah to that with knobs on. I must admit that having longer days of natural light certainly perks me up and allows ones muse to flow....ooooer.
I have now finished the first of the "Abuse" images....it's called "Hear Me". Methinks that it may well be a tad more difficult to gaze at than some of my other stuff but...hey hoooo. I really wanted to do this tryptich. Mind....I may just make it a dyptich as I think the two images may prove more powerful than the three. Mmmmm...I shall decide after the second is complete.
I must say a big thanks to Daryl for allowing me to use his person to depict such a controversial subject. Thanks my chum...you're a star!

I'm now working on another painting for the exhibition...this one is entitled "The Reluctant Narcissus" It's all about how a man who is obviously handsome, fit and with a body to die for...but still thinks he is in need of more work. Thanks to Hayden for aggreeing to do this one....I'm going  a slightly different way with this one and combining monochrome with full colour. Hopefully it'll all work out swimmingly well. Fingers and toes crossed.

Aussi...as our french cousins say...I've only gone and sold "Christmas Angel" Hurrah and fa la la la la la la la la laaaaaa....deck my bowels with sprigs of holly and all that feative doodah.
Thank you Craig and Gorden for liking it enough to buy it.....che

ers boys!

I thank you for taking the time...

Ivor x

Good morning my lovely chums!

I trust all is well with you and life is being kindness its self. Ooooooer.

Well slap me twice and call me Leonardo...I've only gone and sold some paintings. HURRAH!
There is a lovely gallery in Jersey called Studio 18 and a very nice man called David has managed to flog four of my paintings out there. Cooooo lummey....I feel like Bergerac...mmm...which could be true as I'm equally as craggy as the lovely John Nettles only not as tall....a pint sized Bergerac really. Sorry...I witter...must be the excitement...or vodka..............
Anyrode up...I'm well chuffed to say the least.
SO......Burlesque Noir....The Escapologist....Hare Lady and Hound Lad are now winging their way to new homes. HURRAH again.

I'm still plodding along toward the London exhibition and have begun a creative period that I am very happy with. I seem to have hit the flow so to speak....all very good for a hobbit with flow problems...mind...that could well be middle age ho hum.
The first of the "Abuse" tryptich is very nearly finished....will post that up shortly.

I've also just completed the commission of the two blokes who wanted to be angels. They are very pleased with how it turned out...as am I. Thank you Simon and Colin for having the faith in me to do it. Sending waves.....

Thank you for taking the time...

Ivor x

Good morning my fine chums,

I trust all is well and life is kind.....?
I am plodding along on my "Ghosts and Gods" series of paintings and have completed another one for the exhibition....Hurrah! It's called "Responding" and is the one about hearing voices...all based on my time working on an Acute Psychiatric Ward. I'm hoping that it speaks for its self...if you'll forgive the pun. It was a bugger to do if I'm honest...not sure if it's because I so want it to work or that I'm just going into artistic meltdown and self doubts. I seem to be having many hissy fits these days about my flow oooer. Mind...my eyesight is getting worse so it could just be the fact that by the end of the day I'm unable to see what I'm painting ho hum. Mmmm...methinks a new set of re-entry shields are due.....Oh why oh why is it I long to look like Clark Kent but know I'll end up resembling Mr. Magoo? T'is a sad twist of nature indeed.
I think I'll do the "self adoration" one next in this series. It'll be nice to paint someone who is that confident about their body image....mmmmm....hope I don't make them look too arrogant...they're much bigger than me and a tad scary ooooer. All those muscles could certainly do damage to a wee hobbitesque artist with a dodgy hip.......

I've also to finish the first of the "Abused" tryptich. Now that one has been a tad challenging...mainly because the subject is so emotive. I really struggled about how much imagery to put into it. I didn't want it to become a "shock...horror" piece of art. I really wanted to create an emotion in the painting that would create an emotional response from the viewer. I think I'm getting there...it's so not a commercial piece but it was something I really wanted to do. Just hope I'm not judged too harshly by those who have experienced abuse or work with those who have. Mmmm...test will be when they go to exhibition............

In between all of these shinanigins I've been working on a commission....coo lummey who said us blokes can't multi task...? Well who ever did say it were so right...half the time I don't know what I'm doing or which painting it is....I mean...what client would want a portrait where they look less angelic and more like they've done two rounds with Mike Tyson? T'is a conundrum indeed. Upshot is...I had to stop trying to work more than one painting at a time and focus on just the one. Big apologies to Simon and Colin....your painting is sooooo on the way....honest.

Anyrode up...I've wittered on enough and there's logs to gather and my flue to clean out....ho hum.

Thank you for taking the time...

Ivor x

Good morning peeps!

Well hurrah and hurrah and bloody bloody hurrah! I've managed to sell three paintings in one week and to one lovely lady from Moffet. All I can say is I'm splendidly elated and I can't thank her enough. They were all from the "Shapeshifter" series from way back and..if all goes to plan...I should have sold the final two of the series in Jersey to another lovely lady. Ooooer the ladies love a shapeshifter.....

 

These are they....I did enjoy this series as the stories were so beautiful and lyrical.                              

 

 

Hellooooo peeps,

Just a wee quickie blog ooooer missis.
Just to say that the "Face of Christ" painting is now done and dusted and just has to be framed...hurrah!
I started with a lovely bright blued eyed Jesus...he was so not middle eastern. However...the designer wanted him with brown eyes and I had to tone down his colours and darken him up for the stage. Mmmmm....even Jesus had to be in make up ho hum. Anyrode up....he's finished and looking rather spiritual so hurrah and hurrah!

Just hope his "run" throughout the play isn't to demanding....he's only wee. Ho hum.

Thank you for taking the time...

Ivor x

Well fiddle my dee and tra my la las....Hello peeps!

Coooo lumey I've been dead dead busy of late. I've been organising commissions and arranging photo shoots the live long day. Hurrah and hurrah!

Mmmm...where to begin? I'm about to embark on a wee image of Christs face. It's for a theatre group in London...I'm not sure how it's to be used but it's dead exciting having ones work on a stage for a "run". Ooooooer...how theatrical of me so slap me twice and call me Dame Judy.
I've also been out and about taking photos of a very nice bloke called Daryl. He has bravely agreed to be the model for a wee sereis of painting that I want to do on "Male Sexual Abuse". These are going to be a very difficult challenge as I'm not wanting to be to "in your face". I'm hoping that, between us, we've manged to strike a balance. Anyrode up...these are for an exhibition in Glasgow later this year. I'll post up more info as and when I get it......
A big huge enormous thank you to Daryl for shedding his clothes on such a bloody cold day and for an artist who was very unsure as to what he was doing....ho hum.

I've managed to finish another piece for the "Ghosts and Gods" series. This one is "The Actors Ghost"...it's an actors biggest fear that he looses the ability to speak or move. This image was inspired by a conversation with the model...it is his "ghost". Thank you Alex for being such a bleedin' fine model.
I've sort of started another...it's still very early days. This one hasn't a title as yet...all I can give you is that it's about a man responding to voices. Needless to say it has been inspired by the work that I did on an Acute Psychiatric Ward and the clients that I met there. I'm really hoping this one works as it's a difficult subject to paint...so pinkies crossed and pecker up.....

Anyrode up...I'm off to have a conversation with a couple of rather nice lads who want to be painted as angels....oooooer.

Thank you for taking the time...

Ivor x

Helloooo helloooo helloooo!
I'm back after a bit of a sebatacle....well the festive periodical really...hardly a sebatacle but it sure as hell sounds better than "I couldn't be buggered" HO HUM! Oh...Happy New Year to one and all. May it bring you everything your hearts desire with knobs on.

Anywho...I've been well busy painting for the exhibition entitled "Ghosts and Gods"...hurrah! I've finished two and am well into the third. It's been a strange old process because the whole theme keeps evolving. I started off with a clear idea in my head about creating a lorry load of images about spiritual and emotional "spectres" and I keep going off at a tangeant ho hum. I'm now toying with full on Mediums...self harming versus spiritual flagelation and male sexual abuse. Mmmm...you can tell what sort of Christmas I had nes pas? I'm not sure if it's got owt to do with the fact that my body seems to be rejecting me at the moment or it's because I'm hurtling toward old age at an alarming rate and my heads telling me to think deeeeeeeeep.....
What ever the reason I am being bombarded with all sorts of ideas and images and it's bloody wonderful. The true test will come when I try putting the ideas onto board and create the images. I don't want to go "full on in your face and be twatted"...I want them to be more emotional and make the viewer have to think about what's infront of them. I'm flopped if I know if I'll make them work or not but am so excited with the challenge of having a go. Hurrah to me! Mmmmm...how does one make stigmata look less messy amd more emotional?.....

In between all this exhibition stuff I've had commissions to do and am about to embark on some more. Bloody splendid and marvelous don't you know. I'm doing a rather interesting job for a theatre company in London oooooer. They want a painting of the face of Christ...not too sure why but am happy to give it a go. There's talk that they may require two...one of a peaceful ethereal Jesus and one where he's being well tortured...should be interesting. I do enjoy painting Jesus...he's got such an interesting face...think it's the beard.
I'm also organising a lovely commission for two really groovy blokes in Olde London Town. They want to be painted as naked angels...can't wait to do this one as it'll be dead colourful and loads of fun. Thank you so very much Simon and Colin for having the faith in me to make you winged...am well chuffed. Now go and get the pictures taken so I can start the bleedin' painting he he he he.

Thank you for taking the time,

Ivor x