Abstract Minimalism

January texture

2012-01-19T10:19:00.000Z

I find texture in paintings very appealing and have been using a new technique on my last few paintings, since Christmas I have been trying to develop this further, here is my most recently completed work.

January texture. Mixed media on panel. 16" x 24"(40 x 60 cm)

Winter solstice

2011-12-13T15:09:00.001Z

This is the first in a planned series of four depicting the seasons of the year, I hope this works out satisfactorily. I have already made a start on Spring only to paint it all out and start again, I hope for better luck this time.

'Winter solstice' Mixed media on panel 40cm x 40cm (16" x 16")

Untitled (as yet)

2011-11-18T10:59:00.002Z

After a lengthy absence, at last, a new painting to post, as yet untitled.

I am not sure this is the right way to approach titling but in this case that is the way it is.

Any suggestions would be welcome.

Untitled Mixed media on panel 16" x 24" (40cm x 60cm)

Number 4

2011-08-04T11:22:00.001+01:00

Number 4 Mixed media on framed panel

This is the fourth attempt to make something of this panel (hence the title). The three previous efforts have been completely painted over although much of the texture here is inherited from the three previously aborted paintings.

I had begun to think that I would have to destroy this panel but in the end I am relatively happy with it.

Adwalton Moor

2011-06-11T15:05:00.000+01:00

This is the second in my abstract series on the major battles of the English Civil war.

Adwalton Moor 30th June 1643. Acrylic on framed panel 24" x 24" (60cm x 60cm)

This battle was fought on 30^th June 1643 on Adwalton Moor near Bradford in West Yorkshire. The Earl of Newcastle marched on Bradford with a Royalist army of about 10,000 men; Bradford was Parliamentarian in sympathy and was defended by an army of 3,000-4,000 commanded by Lord Fairfax. Despite his inferior numbers Fairfax marched out to meet the Royalist army at 9am, the battle lasted about 3 hours but the Parliamentarians were defeated suffering around 500 losses.

Breckland - April

2011-05-15T12:45:00.002+01:00


Breckland - April 24" x 24" (60 x 60 cm) Acrylic on framed panel

The Breckland is an area of sandy heath lying in the south of Norfolk and the north of Suffolk. The Scots Pine is the predominant tree and many areas are covered with gorse and bracken.

As I was taking my son to Stansted airport in April I was struck by the lovely yellow Gorse and the dark green of the pine trees. This is my abstract interpretation of the scene.

Edgehill

2011-05-08T15:50:00.005+01:00

Three of the four paintings that I submitted to the Wymondham Arts Centre spring show were hung so I was quite pleased. Unfortunately none were sold.

A member of my family has remarked that I have not posted anything for quite some time (I didn’t know they cared) so I thought I had better remedy the matter.

Edgehill 23rd October 1642
Acrylic on panel 24" x 24" (60cm x 60cm)

This is the first in a projected series of pure abstracts based on the major battles of the English Civil War.

In the early afternoon, Charles sent his army down the hill to meet the Parliamentary army commanded by Essex. On the royalist right was Prince Rupert who broke Essex's left flank. In the centre, reinforcements arrived and they managed to push forward putting the lives of the King's sons, Charles and James, in danger. The battle was a stalemate with neither side able to advance.

Urban decline

2011-04-11T19:42:00.000+01:00


Urban Decline acrylic on canvas 36" x 36" (90cm x 90cm)

On Friday I submitted this painting, along with three others, to Wymondham Arts Centre for inclusion in the spring show, which runs from 13^th – 24^th April. The private view is on Tuesday evening 12^th April.

A curator will mount an exhibition by selecting from works that have been submitted, I wait with baited breath to see whether I have anything selected. I understand that there are too many submissions for all to be hung. Wish me luck.

Skid row

2011-03-21T14:52:00.002Z

Skid row, collage and mixed media on panel, 16" x 16" (40cm x 40cm)

I am sorry if this one seems a little menacing, it turned out rather more that way than I had intended. I wanted to experiment with attaching some quite three dimensional objects to the image, I quite like it, I hope you do too.

Untitled

2011-02-27T14:48:00.002Z

Untitled Mixed media on canvas 39" x 39"

There is not much to say about this painting. I felt that I should try something quite different from many of my efforts and I am well aware that I need to be a bit looser in my work; perhaps this is a small step in that direction.

Shattered

2011-02-08T19:22:00.003Z

'Shattered' Mixed media on cradled panel 16" x 16"

This painting started life as something entirely different until I reached the stage where I had to admit to myself that I didn’t know how to create what I really wanted, at this stage I was forced to change horses in mid stream and this is the result.

I have only been painting for 2 –3 years and have never had any instruction of any kind, so I have to learn everything by trial and error. I closely study paintings that I like, trying to figure out how this or that effect was achieved and I also read everything about painting that I can lay my hands on. Gradually I am gathering the knowledge to create the image that I have in my mind but sometimes I run into a brick wall and have to admit defeat.

A Cautionary Tale (part 2)

2011-01-12T08:26:00.001Z

Success!, she likes it.
(see previous post)

A Cautionary Tale

2011-01-03T11:37:00.001Z

Untitled, mixed media, 40" x 30"

Several months ago my daughter asked me to paint an abstract for her dining room, which I agreed to do. She told me that she wanted landscape format and her preference for size, colours and even emailed me some images of paintings that she quite liked. Armed with this information it would surely be easy.

After a somewhat tentative start I was not very happy with it but I persevered, I made several ‘improvements’ and after each I was even less happy. There followed a long period of inactivity during which time I would look at it from time to time and plan the next development, all to no avail. Eventually I painted over the whole thing and came up with this, which is nothing like what she requested. I think there is a moral here.

I am quite happy with this and one or two other people have made approving noises but my daughter is yet to see it.

I wait with baited breath.

Diamond crossing

2010-12-08T09:48:00.005Z

I bought the old book from which the background of this collage is taken many months ago, it is full of engineer’s formulae, tables and diagrams and I fully expected to make frequent use of it, but so far this is its only appearance and even this has been lurking about for many weeks.

I think the poor thing has rather given up hope of being posted but as I have nothing else worthy of a public showing at the moment I will give it a try.

P.S. 2^nd Ashes Test, England win by an innings and 71 runs!!

...a thing of shreds and patches...

2010-11-04T15:16:00.003Z

This is a re-incarnation of a previously posted painting called XIV, I never liked it much so I decided that it must be given a makeover or be thrown out. This is the result and I am much happier with it.

'A wandering minstrel I-
A thing of shreds and patches'
W S Gilbert The Mikado

I planned that this would be rotated 90degrees anti clock wise but there has been some dissent in the family and for the moment, at least, my son has prevailed and it is hung with the patches at the bottom.

Callanish

2010-10-07T10:31:00.000+01:00

The mysterious and romantic Callanish stone circle was the inspiration for this collage

The Callanish Stones, Clachan Chalanais, in Gaelic, are to be found near the village of Callanish on the west coast of the isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland.

The site was constructed between 2900 and 2600 BC. The 13 main stones form a circle about 13metres (42 feet) in diameter, there is a long approach avenue of stones to the north, and shorter stone rows to the east, south and west. The individual stones vary from 1metre to 5 metres (3 feet to 16 feet) in height.

Andaman and Ochre

2010-09-19T15:48:00.000+01:00

I painted this some time ago and I thought it would make a change from my current obsession with minimalist collages.

This was intended purely as an abstract but I am sure many people will see the colour change as an horizon and will regard it as partly figurative, I am happy for it to be regarded either way.

Andaman and Ochre, Mixed media, 16" x 16"

neither...nor...

2010-09-08T11:16:00.001+01:00

I seem to have surrendered to the charm of collages recently, not least because they are much easier to handle than paint and canvases and they appeal to my ability as an artisan rather than an artist.

This is not the collage that I had intended to post at this time but I have become rather dissatisfied with that one, if I can rescue it I will post it at a later date.

Seaweed or no seaweed

2010-08-23T11:08:00.001+01:00

I am sorry that I have not posted anything for such a long time but things should be more or less back to normal now.

Following a walk on the beach I was rather enchanted with the seaweed and was determined to use it, now I am not quite so sure. If this had been a digital collage it would have been simple to remove it but as it is a 100% glue and scissors job I am afraid it will have to stay.

Two new collages

2010-06-02T10:06:00.000+01:00

I have become increasingly dissatisfied with the collage in my last posting, it is rather too ‘busy’ for my taste, so here are two collages of a distinctly more minimal nature.

That feels much better.

A New Collage and a walk in the woods

2010-05-17T11:01:00.001+01:00

I started out with the intention of making this a proper ‘scissors and glue’ collage, but the frustration of not quite being able to achieve what I wanted has driven me down the digital route.

Last weekend my wife and I took a walk in the woods at Ketteringham Hall to see one of the spring spectaculars of the English countryside: the Common Bluebell ( Hyacinthoides non scripta) in bloom.

Bluebells occur in deciduous woodland in many parts of the UK and they flower in early spring before the leaves appear on the trees, creating a thick blue carpet on the woodland floor. To many people in this country the bluebell is the quintessential sign of the arrival of spring.

Bluebells are found to a lesser extent in other parts of Europe but as far as I am aware they do not occur in any other part of the world.

XIV

2010-05-03T15:03:00.001+01:00

XIV Mixed media on canvas 16"x 16"

Today is a public holiday in the UK and it is windy and rather cold, not very conducive to going outside, so I have, at last, managed to get this painting finished.

Wingfield barns

2010-04-22T09:24:00.002+01:00

Last Saturday I went to the “Artworks” exhibition at the recently refurbished Wingfield Barns in Suffolk where the work of 30 established East Anglian artists was being shown.

Photography within the exhibition was not permitted but I bought three small paintings that I have photographed at home for this blog post

Untitled 13 by Eleanora Knowland
Watercolour

Sketch Blue 2 by Gabrielle Stoddart

Acrylic and Ink

XIX by Jazz Green

Mixed Media

The exhibition was a delight, a wonderful mix of painting and sculpture was displayed in the marvellous old barn complex at Wingfield College and it was a beautiful warm spring afternoon as a bonus.

The tiny village of Wingfield is deep in the Suffolk countryside and the juxtaposition of the church, village pub and the 14^th century Wingfield College with the adjacent barns makes a classic English village setting.

The following images are all of Wingfield village, I used the Topaz Adjust software on all of them to give a slightly HDR effect, I am not sure whether it was a good idea.

Painting failure

2010-04-13T08:25:00.001+01:00

I have been struggling for a couple of weeks, on and off, to rescue a painting that had already had several previous manifestations each resulting in failure and being painted over. Unfortunately this latest effort has ended in the same way so I have decided to burn the canvas and make a fresh start. Is there such a thing as a rogue canvas?

On the edge 1 Digital photograph

Subsequently I have no new painting to post so I am showing a couple of photographs taken a few weeks ago with my favourite lens, the f 2.8 60mm Macro.

On the edge 2 Digital photograph

I am constantly delighted by the abstract images that are available by closely observing the most mundane objects, these two shots are of the edge of a dried up leaf which I picked up almost at random.

Herdwick

2010-03-29T09:26:00.006+01:00

Several weeks ago I had to replace a post in my garden fence, wondering how best to dispose of the old 3” x 3” timber set me thinking about the work of Rosalie Gascoigne.

I cut the wood into slices about 1/4” thick and set about arranging them on a board, after many false starts I decided to call the work ‘Herdwick’ as the collection of similar but slightly different pieces reminded me of a flock of sheep and after painting the pieces in appropriate colours this is the result.

Herdwick, acrylic and sawn wood on MDF panel

Herdwick sheep are the native breed of the central and western Lake District and live on the highest of England’s mountains. They are extremely hardy and are managed in the traditional way on the Lake District fells that have been their home for generations.

The word “Herdwyck”, meaning sheep pasture, is recorded in documents going back to the 12^th century. Herdwick sheep are the most hardy of all Britain’s breeds of hill sheep, grazing the central and western dales of the Lake District with fells running to over three thousand feet.

Herdwick sheep

Herdwick farms have typically less than 100 acres of lower, more productive land and rely on the common grazings of the high Lake District fells. The lambs graze with their mothers on the “heaf” belonging to the farm instilling a life long knowledge of where on the fell they should be grazing. This is crucial as the central Lake District fells are inaccessible and a sheep which strays from Borrowdale to Eskdale will involve a 100 mile round trip by road for the farmer to collect it.

A new painting.

2010-03-11T08:40:00.003Z

Untitled 16" x 16" mixed media

Usually when I start a new painting I have a title in mind or at the very least I have settled on one before the painting is finished. In this case I had a firm idea of the colours and layout of the work but I still have not settled on a title so I will have to resort to ‘Untitled” for the time being.

Following the recent blog from the Katherine A. Cartwright Studio and the subsequent long discussion of the subject in the comments I am left feeling rather guilty. Perhaps I will add a title when inspiration strikes.

The elements of design

2010-02-21T17:05:00.005Z

I don’t know how widely known this book is but I find it endlessly fascinating and I quite frequently pull it out for a quick browse even though I have seen all the images many times. I have had my copy for several years but it is still in print and I urge any artist who doesn’t already own a copy to try to obtain one.

Back cover

For a description of the book I cannot do better than quote from inside the front flap,

The bark of a plane tree in Paris; a detail of a cotton towel in Japan; sunset in the Egyptian desert; soil in the Yosemite National Park, California; a tiled floor in Bangkok; a wall in Ferrara; an iron cart wheel in Antwerp…colours, textures, forms and shapes are the basis of this unique sourcebook that reveals the elements common to all design and literally teaches us ‘how to see’. Hauntingly beautiful and deeply instructive, it surveys our whole environment, natural and manmade, and shows how it can be defined in terms of basic elements: variable arrangements of dots; lines that are straight, curving, bending or crossing; planes such as rectangles, squares, lozenges, triangles and circles.

All these are represented, with telling juxtapositions, in a wide range of materials and techniques, in one sense timeless and universal, in another datable and culturally conditioned. Ever-recurring design elements, they take us to the heart of the creative process: a transformation that may involve inspiration or imitation, representation or interpretation.

Destined to become a cult book for artists, designers and craftspeople of all kinds, as well as being an important educational tool, this amazing volume is a startling reminder of how the search for something new is a voyage of rediscovery into past and present form.

The book contains 177 colour illustrations and here are a few images as they are shown on opposing pages.

Brick wall,Troyes, France. Detail of woollen kilim, Central Turkey.

Woman's hat, Zulu people, Cotton bag, applique, China.
S,Africa

Drain covers, Antwertp, Belgium Detail of blouse,Tokyo, Japan.

Nightfall

2010-02-17T09:01:00.000Z

Nightfall 24" x 28" mixed media on canvas

I have just finished this painting, which is a sort of progression from my earlier effort ‘Fired Earth’ that I posted a few weeks ago. I know that some may regard this as rather gloomy but I am quite pleased with it.

On Sunday I went to the ‘Watercolour in Britain’ exhibition at the Norwich Castle Museum and Art Gallery, which was very interesting, the gallery was very busy, more people than I have ever seen there before. The exhibition covered a rich variety of subject matter by many of Britain’s finest painters from the eighteenth century through to the present day.

Norwich Market c 1950 Watercolour

Earlier works were by JMW Turner, John Sell Cotman, Thomas Girton and many others while later paintings were by such artists as Edward Burra, John Piper, Graham Sutherland and Anish Kapoor.

I have never attempted watercolour painting nor been particularly interested in it but I was intrigued by this exhibition and the wide variety of styles on show.

Mahonia Aquifolium

2010-02-02T10:43:00.003Z

I recently came across these photographs that I took about 2 years ago, I am still quite pleased with them so I thought I would share them with you.

I was doing a little gentle gardening when I came across the remains of a Mahonia bush that I had dug out because it had grown very misshapen. The roots caught my attention due to their lovely sinuous shapes and the texture of the bark.

After some cleaning up and trimming I took them into my ‘studio’ and set about trying to make something artistic of them. I decided to use a very short depth of focus to produce a more dramatic effect and after several attempts I came up with these.

What a great boon digital photography is when you can see your results almost instantly on a large screen and make any desired corrections right away.

Fired Earth

2010-01-24T10:41:00.005Z

Fired Earth 24" x 24"

Mixed media on canvas.

I recently finished this painting, which was a bit experimental and not entirely successful. The texture, that is a bit difficult to see in this photo, was created by covering the canvas on the right hand side with Japanese paper well soaked in dilute PVA adhesive and then pushing it about into ridges and creases, all the time keeping it well doused with the PVA.

The left side was treated in the same way but using newspaper to create rather deeper ridges and creases.

Your critical comments would be appreciated

Wabi-Sabi 3

2010-01-12T09:40:00.003Z

These three images seem to me to have a distinct Wabi-Sabi feel to them, they are definitely in a state of deconstruction and show ample evidence of human use over a long period.

The photographs were taken at Landguard Fort which is on the River Orwell in Suffolk UK and was built to guard the entrance to Harwich harbour.

The first fortification on the site was built by Henry VIII in 1543 and has been rebuilt and modernised several times over the years, much of the current structure dates from 1871.

The fort was deemed to have no further military purpose in 1956 and was sealed up and left to disintegrate. In the 1980s local interest was aroused and the fort was consolidated by English Heritage in 1997/8 in whose care it remains.

There is reputed to be paranormal activity at the fort from time to time!!

Found Abstracts

2009-12-20T10:41:00.005Z

A recent posting by Nancy Neva Gagliano has motivated me to look through my collection of ‘found abstracts’ and to post a few of my favourites. I get a special thrill when I find one of nature’s abstracts that really speaks to me, especially if it is of a minimalist nature.

Untitled

This was part of an old door that was being thrown out of a house that my son was renovating; I find the colours very appealing and the sheer simplicity just perfect. I feel that this photograph must have had some influence on my recently posted painting ‘No Title’.

Untitled

At Wymondham station in Norfolk UK, there is a siding with one or two near derelict railway wagons parked in it, this image is a detail from one of these. The colours and textures attracted me, and the bolt head is in just the right place.

Melegis

This is one of my special favourites; it was photographed in the small village of Melegis, which is in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada in Andalusia, Spain. To me it is the epitome of Abstract Minimalism.

Triangles

I found this little arrangement around the old fishermen’s huts at the tiny fishing port of Brancaster Staithe in North Norfolk UK, I thought it was a rather pleasing composition and it is exactly as I found it.

Solstice

2009-12-13T19:44:00.002Z

A week or two ago I started to think about a painting to mark the forthcoming winter solstice. I thought that it needed to be fairly bleak and minimal to reflect the weather we might expect for the next few weeks and so after a few false starts and alterations it is finished (I think), but I do not guarantee that there will not be some changes.

Solstice, mixed media in canvas

I have also finished the painting that has been languishing in my sidebar for some time as ‘Work in progress’. I have to confess that this has not turned out as I had expected, I think it is much too sinister but I thought it was beyond rescue and as it has been on show as ‘Work in progress’ it seems only right and proper to come clean and show it to you.

Untitled, mixed media on canvas

Ground Naturale 1

2009-11-22T14:08:00.001Z

In the summer of 2007 during the month long Open Studio event in Norfolk UK, my wife and I visited the studio of Susan Gunn and what we found there took my breath away.

Ground Naturale 1 61cm x 61cm x 7.5cm

Oils, wax, pigment & gesso on canvas & board

Susan’s work is minimalist in both colour and form and yet is deeply moving and inspirational. Using traditional gesso and encaustic she has developed a technique of controlling the cracks and fissures that occur which, despite her flawless craftsmanship, give the work a timeless feel.

Sacro Terra Study 2007 61cm x 61cm 4cm

Genuine 22carat gold leaf, encaustic waxes, pigment and

gesso on finest linen & board

We bought Ground Naturale 1 there and then and have since bought another smaller work from Susan’s Norwich Castle solo exhibition in the autumn of 2008.

Black Wide Straits, 2008 76.5cm x 76.5cm x 4cm

Oils, wax, pigment & gesso on canvas & board

To see other work by Susan Gunn including some of her very large work click here.

No title

2009-11-06T19:32:00.002Z

Acrylic, gesso, muslin on framed panel, 15” x 15”

At last I have plucked up the courage to post this, I worry too much about what other people will think.

No explanation

No excuses

No title

Wabi-Sabi No.2

2009-10-31T11:48:00.003Z

In his book on the Wabi-Sabi aesthetic Leonard Koren states,

Wabi-Sabi represents the exact opposite of the Western ideal of great beauty as something monumental, spectacular, and enduring. Wabi_Sabi is not found in nature at moments of bloom and lushness, but at moments of inception or subsiding. Wabi-Sabi is not about gorgeous flowers, majestic trees or bold landscapes. Wabi-Sabi is about the minor and the hidden, the tentative and the ephemeral: things so subtle and evanescent they are invisible to vulgar eyes.

I often dip into this small book to keep my Wabi-Sabiness topped up and on reading this passage a day or two ago I thought I would browse my photographic images for something that would illustrate this statement. I have always favoured things in a state of decay or deconstruction over those in a condition of growth or creation so it was no surprise to me to find many more photographs depicting the former than the latter.

I thought these three photographs fitted the bill rather well and as it happens all three were taken in Andalucia, Spain. I find that Spain, particularly in the rural areas has far more things Wabi-Sabi than anywhere in the UK where a great deal of tidying up goes on much to the detriment of the Wabi-Sabi hunter.

gHy

2009-10-20T09:09:00.001+01:00

Following my recent rather ‘busy’ collages I thought that I should create something more minimal that would be more to my usual taste.

After several days spent occasionally adding an element interspersed with long periods of gazing at it I eventually reached the decision that this one was also too ‘busy’, and so began a period of deconstruction.

I methodically removed and /or repositioned various elements until I reached the stage you see here, which I was reasonably pleased with, as a matter of interest I have taken 5 items away from this and I feel that it is much improved for it.

Hosta leaves

2009-10-13T10:19:00.002+01:00

Autumn is well and truly established here in the UK, the leaves on the Sycamore and Maple trees are turning wonderful shades of yellow and red and the garden plants are beginning to die back in a serious way. We have even had a touch of ground frost in sheltered spots on a couple of occasions.

In spite of this feeling of slight melancholy I do love this time of the year because of the exciting colours, shapes and textures displayed by leaves and flowers before they finally disintegrate altogether.

My favourite plants from this point of view are the Hostas; I am quite unable to resist photographing Hosta leaves in this state of semi-decay year after year.

October is nature’s funeral month. Nature glories in death more than in life. The month of departure is more beautiful than the month of coming – October than May. Every green thing loves to die in bright colors.

Henry Ward Beecher

William Stone 1811-1887

2009-10-06T09:10:00.001+01:00

This collage is to commemorate my Great Great Grandfather, William Stone, who was born in 1811, married his wife Elizabeth in 1835 and died in 1887.

Many of the elements in this collage are taken from his family bible, which is in my possession, and which records the births of their 10 children and the deaths of two of them.

William Stone had no great claim to fame having worked all his life as an agricultural labourer and always lived in the same small town in Dorset, England. I imagine that he would have started work by the age of 14 and that his life would have been very humdrum and unadventurous compared with what we are accustomed to today.

I think a couple of verses by Thomas Gray are appropriate here.

Let not Ambition mock their useful toil,

Their homely joys, and destiny obscure;

Nor Grandeur hear with a disdainful smile

The short and simple annals of the Poor.

The boast of heraldry, the pomp of power,

And all that beauty, all that wealth e'er gave,

Awaits alike th' inevitable hour:-

The paths of glory lead but to the grave

Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard

Thomas Gray

Digital collages

2009-09-29T11:00:00.004+01:00

I realise that I am likely to be regarded by all you “real artists” out there as a bit of a charlatan because I have created these collages on the computer instead of using all that messy glue and paint. In my defence I must say that all elements are my own photographs or scans and in the case of gestural marks were painted by myself and then scanned.

I started out thinking that I would try my hand at collage but would mock something up on the computer first but one thing led to another and here are the results.

This was my first effort which uses elements from an old door rescued from a skip, a rather derelict railway wagon, a letter written in 1925, cracked plaster on a stable wall, a Chinese airplane ticket, bolt heads from a church door and a few textures taken from other images.

I was sufficiently encouraged by this to try another one, this is based on a photograph of a small portion of a rather cracked tiled floor, it is in fact the floor of Hethel church mentioned in my previous blog, although I had no plans to try this when I photographed it, I just liked the colours and shapes. To this floor image I have added elements from a 19c book, a piece of a very old farm wagon, an envelope from 1930, a small piece from some sheet music, the number 16 from an old railway wagon and a cast iron cog wheel that I found embedded in a wall. The paint drips and the black gestural mark were made on paper and scanned together with the number 7 and added using Photoshop CS4

By this time I thought I should try something rather more abstract and came up with this. Everything here with the exception of the type was scanned and assembled in Photoshop, the Khadi paper and background texture were existing items and all other marks were painted on paper before scanning.

Although when printed these images lack the tactile and 3 dimensional qualities of a traditional collage they do have the advantage of making use of elements that it would be impossible to use in any other way.

Hethel

2009-09-22T08:00:00.029+01:00

A few days ago I decided to drive to a small church not far from my home to see if I could get any pleasing photographs.

I was quite pleased with these two shots of the charming little painted organ, which at one time was pumped by hand, but is now powered by electricity.

The stone slabs in the church floor over the graves of those who are buried inside the church caught my eye. I was delighted by the quality of the lettering, which still looked crisp and fresh despite having been walked on for nearly 400 years in some cases. It took a great deal of scrabbling about on the floor to get a suitable angle for these shots but I am fairly satisfied with the results.

The much reduced population of the parish of Hethel live in scattered houses down leafy lanes, and as visitors approach Hethel church - never easy to find for the first time – it is difficult for them to believe that they are a mere seven miles from busy Norwich.

Hethel people have always earned their living principally from arable farming. Generations of farmers who have struggled with its heavy clays – the Brewertons, Cranes, Claxtons, Myhills and Rackhams – are remembered in the names of houses, lanes and in the churchyard itself. One Hethel farmer, James Rush of Potash Farm, achieved national fame. One dark November night in 1848, he, made his way to Stanfield Hall and there shot dead his landlord, Isaac Jermy and his son. The crime, trial and execution caused great local excitement during the winter of 1848-9.

In a meadow to the northwest of the church is the Hethel thorn. The hawthorn (crataegus monoguna), now in rather a sad state, was described in 1864 as “having a girth of 14’ 3” at five feet from the ground, whilst the circumference of the space over which its branches spread is 31 yards”. Its trunk is now reduced to a mere shell and the branches are strangely entwined. Its bark is hard and heavy and nearly all the interior wood is gone. It is covered with lichen and crowned with mistletoe, but still blossoms profusely each spring. Tradition says that this tree is mentioned in an old chronicle as the meeting place in an insurrection during the reign of King John. The thorn is first mentioned in a deed from the early part of the thirteenth century as a boundary tree. It is certainly well over 700 years old and is now in the care of the Norfolk Wildlife Trust.

During the Second World War, Hethel airfield was an air base for the 389^th group of the 2^nd American Air Division. B24 Liberator bombers flew from Hethel in raids over Germany. This memorial to those who lost their lives stands just outside the church door.

Waterline

2009-09-08T08:00:00.010+01:00

Remarkable things happen in the transition zone between air and water, especially along the waterline of boats where wonderful textures and colours are created by the corrosive effects of sun, wind and salt water.

The charming seaside town of Southwold on the coast of Suffolk, England, has been a source of photographic subjects for me for several years. I am particularly attracted to the area around the small working harbour in the mouth of the river Blythe. Here longshore fishermen still take fish from the North Sea as they come in season, and sell them fresh from several fish ‘sheds’.

The harbour is also a popular centre for leisure craft, including a flourishing yacht repair and maintenance business. While the harbour offers lovely vistas of boats on the water and a charming view across the river to the village of Walberswick, my photographic eye has been drawn to the ‘found abstracts’ available on the battered boats that have been taken from the water for repair and refit. There I’ve found a wealth of opportunity for creative photography.

It is an easy trip to drive from my home along the 40 miles of country back roads to Southwold and then back again. Each time I explored Southwold I became more aware of the delightful colours and textures to be found along the waterline of these boats. I quickly found beauty in the result of weathering and decay caused by neglect and the exposure to the elements. This is an unusual subject, in that it is constantly changing. Each time I returned to the harbour I would find that repaired boats had been returned to the sea and tired-looking boats had taken their place. While waiting their turn to be patched painted and restored I was provided with a fresh opportunity to make new images.

Since most of my work is close-ups of derelict buildings, rusted metal, graffiti and peeling paint, it seems only natural that I would be drawn to these timeworn boats as well. These subjects allow me to apply my love of photography to my love of abstract and minimalist subject matter.

During the past five years I’ve returned to Southwold many times, and gradually built up a collection of abstracts. In this Waterline series I’m pleased to commemorate boats of all kinds, and their constant battle with the corrosive effects of the sea.

Wabi-Sabi

2009-09-01T08:42:00.008+01:00

Wabi-Sabi is a beauty of things imperfect, impermanent and incomplete.

It is a beauty of things modest and humble.

It is a beauty of things unconventional.

From the introduction to

‘Wabi-Sabi for Artists, Designers, Poets and Philosophers’ by Leonard Koren

I don’t think for one moment that I fully understand the Japanese Wabi-Sabi ethic but I do know that the kinds of images that I like have a great deal in common with it. Much of my photography features derelict buildings, rusted metal, graffiti and peeling paint. I find beauty in the result of weathering and decay caused by neglect and exposure to the elements.

Most of all though, I love images of articles and artifacts that exhibit wear or damage that has been caused by frequent human use and I like to contemplate the many and varied characters whose hands have touched these items over the years.

These three images portray humble and well-used objects that demonstrate my personal interpretation of Wabi-Sabi.

I found this little stool in the church of Waterden all Saints; it is a tiny church in a remote rural setting that is approached by a short walk across a field. The village of Waterden has completely disappeared now and in 1854 only consisted of 4 houses, 39 souls and 763 acres, all that remains is a rectory built in the middle of the 19^th century and a farm some way up the road. A church was described in Waterden as early as the Domesday Survey of 1087. Waterden church seems hallowed by centuries of devotional worship and has a profound influence on all who know it.

This weary looking chair was discovered nearing the end of its life in the church of St. Mary Magdalene at Warham in N.Norfolk not far from Waterden. This church was nearly lost as it was declared redundant in the 1960s and looked likely to be demolished as this small village has two churches only about a mile apart. Fortunately the redoubtable Lady Wilhelmine Harrod, ex boyfriend of John Betjeman, set up the Norfolk Churches Trust which has saved many churches that were in near ruinous condition, one of which was this church at Warham together with its venerable old chair.

This old catch is on a stable door on a farm where we used to live and I have often wondered how many hands over how many years it has taken to wear this groove in the wood.