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

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