Morning my chums!

I trust we are all well and life is good and kind.
I've been merrily merrily painting away like a merry man from old Robin Hood and his very merry men...what was that all about???

Well cover me in a sheet and call me Casper....I'm eating, sleeping and breathing spooks at the moment..........whoooooooooooooooooooooooooo.
The second painting for the "Ghosts and Gods" series is now complete...well I say that, I could very well be tweaking the live long day before it goes to exhibition. Hey hooo such is life and all of that.
I need to thank Tommy and Neale for spending so much time in and out of clothing to model for this one. It's entitled "Ghost of Loss", as per usual I'm leaving it to the viewer to decide what the "loss" is. All I will say is that it is ultimately about love and fear....and....there may well be a second image as...for some reason...I see this painting as part of a diptych.

The whole series seems to be coming together quite nicely and I've lined up a squillion people to sit for me..hurrah! Mind...having the ideas in my bonce and then getting them painted up are two entirely different things. I'm admitting to be on melt down and, like I've said, I'm sort of obsessed with the whole "ghost of this" and "ghost of that" imagery.

I'm also having to stop to get some Christmas commissions done....coooo lummey...I wonder if I'll end up bunging some spooks and spectres in the backgrounds of these by mistake...mmmm...not good if you're doing a portrait and some poor unsuspecting client has to unveil and announce..."Here's a lovely portrait of my hubby...oh and I have no idea who that old floater in the background is"......
Ooooooooooooer.....

Thank you for taking the time,

Ivor x

Well fiddle my dee and tra my la las....

I only went and published the wrong pic of the painting.
This is "Prestons Ghost" in its finished glory....

I do apologise...t'was having a senior moment ho hum.

Thank you for humouring a sad old artistic git..

Ivor x

Well howdy bloody doody to one and all!

T'is me....I'm back once more to blog my little doings off and let you know what's been occurring.

Well I've done the first painting for the "Ghosts and Gods" series. These are the ones to be exhibited in Olde London Town next year. Well from 29th September until the 5th October to be precise. I shall be displaying my ample wares at the Tabernacle Studio in Notting Hill ooooer....am very very excited and keep pinching myself...but not very hard as I really don't do pain.

The first painting is entiteld "Prestons Ghost". It is very personal to the model and is an emotional journey for me as well as him. I wanted to capture the essence of Prestons tale and his "ghost" but I'm not going to go into the details of it. I think it would be wrong of me to divulge exactly what he experienced as it's not necessary. I want the viewer to decide what they get from looking in at the image....if I've been successful then a story will evolve.
It was an emotional journey for me as I wanted to honour the trust that Preston had in me when he allowed me to use him and his story. Thank you young man...I'm well chuffed that you like it and that your "ghost" is a true representation of all you experienced.
This is the first of the "ghost" paintings...not all will be so dark...mind...I'm a right old misery at times so they very well could be ho hum. The whole concept of this batch is to try and depict a load of blokes and their particular deamons/gods/spirituality and ghosts oooooooer. Who the flop knows if it'll turn out like I envisaged...who the flop really gives a doodah? All I know is it is something that I want to do so ya boo sucks with knobs on.............mmmmm....not sure if that's a very artistic statement...I'm sure Rembrant didn't refer to knobs...mind...I know that Leonardo was rather partial to some oooooooer.

Thank you for taking the time...

Ivor x

Morning my chums!

How the devil are you all?
I'm not even going to bother about apologising for the lack of writings on this 'ere blog...I always do and am in danger of everyone not believing a dong dong doodahs of what I'm saying......ho hum.
All I shall say is..."I'm back...hurrah!"

Well shed loads has been going on...I've had quite a few commissions...hurrah and hurrah again.
I've had the pleasure of painting a very nice bloke called Gary as a "Raven/Man" It was a lovely job to do and....thankfully....Gary seems well chuffed with the final result. A big thank you to him for managing to see my vision as his own.
I've also produced a wonderfully over the top camp pice of art work for a wonderful new establishment and night venue in Carlilse called "The Regency" T'is a gay establishment owned and run by two lovely geezers called Glenn and Michael. They asked for bling and camp and got it in abundance ooooer. A big humongous thank you to them for giving me such a fun job. Here's wishing them shed loads of success and an enormous bank balance.....

Now here's a biggie and I'm not talking the contents of a porn stars undercrackers.....I'm going to be exhibiting in Londons Nottinghill for a whole week next year......hurrah and hurrah and another hurrah! I shall be doing a solo exhibition entitled "Ghosts and Gods" I'm wanting to do a series of paintings exploring mans emotional, spiritual and physical "ghosts" so Ooooooooooo and Woooooooooo and all things ethereal. The gallery is called the "Tabernacle" and I'll be buggering off to olde London Town soon to check out it's size and capacity.....a bit like the contents of a porn stars undercrackers again ho hum. So...my amazed chums....the next blog I do will give you some idea of what I'm trying to achieve and probably be the start of many hissy fits and creative meltdowns ho hum.

Thank you for taking the time...

Ivor x

Well howdy doooooody dooo.

Blimey it's hot! I'm melting in this 'ere studio and have resorted to painting in the buff...which is not a pretty sight as I have to keep bending over my board. I keep expecting a bike to be parked at any moment.....t'is not good to paint in constant fear of being violated by a two wheeled vehicle ho hum.
Anyrode...I digress...
I have finished "jessie distracted" all that's needed is for her to be varnished and framed. A big thank you to Jessie for allowing me to paint her. The fur coat was an eye boggling challenge but it has turned out rather well...even if I say so myself. She will..hopefully...be

on show very soon hurrah!
I've also started a painting of "Col"....title to be decided. It's part of this mens series I'm doing...it has bleedin' ages of painting to go but, with any luck, will be worth it. I've discovered my way of painting is changing of late and I'm geting far more loose with my washes ooooer missis...nowt like a loose wash to get the blood pumping. Anywho...I shall have to see where this creative journey leads me and try to just enjoy the bloody bloody ride. So ya boo sucks with knobs on.....
I've also got a few commissions coming up..hurrah and hurrah! All of them really interesting ventures. I shall speak more about the buggers as and when I get them sorted.

Off to French France soon for my jollies......well ooooo la la and squeeze my baguette.

Thank you for taking the time...

Ivor x

Oh helloooooo again...and so soon too ooooer.

I forgot to mention that I had a rather splendid commission from a man who breeds shetland ponies. I was asked to create this 'ere painting. I know...I know...

it's far removed from what I normally paint but it was a rather fun job and...as I love painting body hair...horse hair isn't that far removed when you think about it. Anyrode up thank you Douggie...the painting has galloped its way off to it's stable...hurrah!

Bonjour bonjour bonjour!

Thought I'd go all Francais as I'm buggering off there soon...hurrah!

Now I know it's been a wee while but do you all remember me witteringon about the new series of paintings I'm embarking on? The series relating to blokes and how they persue lifestyle and the like? The series where I chase down men and tease out their dark secrets, worries and "issues"?
Well I've completed one and it's called "Bruised"....a big thank you to Ronnie for making this painting possible....you're a star and a brave one at that. It ended up being an entirely different painting to the one I had planned. I was going to attempt an image of a man as a sexual being but...following a deep, intimate and a rather emotional discussion...I ended up with a very personal dipiction of a man in deep contemplation and some pain. It was a journey that neither of us had planned and neither of us had envisaged but it must be one of the most intimate paintings i have ever done. It also sold before the varnish had time to dry...which...to me...proves it's worth. Hurrah and hurrah! The scary thing about it all is...how do I top that? Mmmmm....we shall have to see. I have shed loads of ideas and I have shed loads of models lined up so...hey hoooooooooo...onwards and upwards.

Thankyou for taking the times,

Ivor x