Seven Seas I have travelled since birth with my parents, coming from a mixed background, and have always been interested in the way new things are perceived from different angles. Reading works by Ibn Battuta, Marco Polo and the wonderful (mythical?) Sir John Mandeville encouraged me to go on my own journey into archetypes found in my personal Seven Seas.
Theyyam Theyyam ("God's Dance") is a
multitude of ceremonial and religious performances from the Malabar coast of S India. While these are very inspirational, my paintings are a
personal response rather than anthropological
explorations. I continue to be fascinated by the whole ritual and its
multi-faceted effect on the communities there, past and present.
Linda Marshall the poet has written poems which are her personal response to the paintings, appended to the individual pictures.
Fairish Tales These aren't illustrations of fairy tales ... but nearly. I try to capture the mood I feel when I hear a particular tale. Sometimes a story is part of a series of fables from a particular culture, sometimes the same theme is found across the world. Occasionally it seems to stand alone; perhaps I just haven't yet come across parallels!
Lockdown wildlife Lockdown has been ongoing for so long now! I bought some Mungo soft pastels, and I've been trying them out. I've been drawn to our wildlife, and found some very old pictures from calenders which I've kept, possibly RSPB? They're small cutout pics and I based my pastels on them. It's been a lovely way to pass the time, and I hope wildlife has had a chance to thrive with less pollution around...for now...
End Game Finally uploaded the last few images! These are based on the major arcana, from the Tarot cards. These are illustrations of the cards reversed, therefore a gloomier outlook which should serve as a warning. "End Game" refers to the origins of the cards (probably medieval) which indicated a pathway through the Christian life, and possible pitfalls en route. The subconscious can be stimulated by images perhaps more than just speech.
Passing Fancies Passing Fancies is back again! Brief exhibition of quick art I've been doing. Mostly, at the moment, life classes where the model poses for short periods, and we experiment with various media. The photos really don't capture the subtlety of the originals, but present a general impression.
