Redefined the lines of JUBILEE GARDENS in thinned acrylic paint.

Did a minute amount of tweaking of DOUBLE PORTRAIT, sketched out several pages of notes for a series of sculptures I will probably never realise and completed more EVOCATIONS coloured pencil drawings.

Saturday: Several pages of EVOCATIONS this evening while listening to the television.

Sunday: Redefined the lines of OBSERVED LANDSCAPE using thinned acrylic paint.

Started painting one of two works I started in 1998.  Both have the provisional title of LANDSCAPE IN STONES - although they may eventually have more specific sub-titles.  Both are in acrylic and both are on acrylic primed mounted jigsaws.  I purchased the jigsaws already glued to chipboard panels in a charity shop.  I stripped off the imagery and put a couple of coats of acrylic primer on top.

I also did a little bit of work on THE ANNUNCIATION.

I worked today on the second LANDSCAPE IN STONES.  Painting in the main colour areas and also adding landscape designs to the "stones".  It is quite a protracted process because some of the acrylic paints are transparent and I have to use multiple layers in some places to build up the colour densities.

I am still adding colour pencil/crayon EVOCATIONS to the sketch book.

Worked again on the LANDSCAPE IN STONES.  Filling in the colour areas and adding symbols.  Unlike the Eighties and most of the Nineties where the colour combinations were predetermined, I continually change the colours I put down.

Finished both of the LANDSCAPE IN STONES.  Now subtitled: LILITH SPHERES and LOST PLATES FROM THE LAST SUPPER respectively.  Again, unlike the Eighties and most of the Nineties where the titles actually determined the imagery, subtitles can be suggested by the painting.

After a bit of tweaking of the LANDSCAPE IN STONES paintings I returned to working on THE ANNUNCIATION: I repainted some of the colour blocks and started to add images and symbols to these areas.

More EVOCATIONS

Yet more EVOCATIONS in the evening of an otherwise busy day.

I meant to do some painting today but D.I.Y. for the garden took far much longer than I anticipated - which is usually the case with me!  I have a knack of finding the most difficult way of doing anything!  Just look at my art work!!!

I spent the remaining part of the afternoon writing letters to old friends and colleagues in an attempt to restart various group and projects I had previously worked on.  Particularly in respect of the Science-Art Fusion group I formed in the middle Eighties (a very long time ago now I know!)

Looking back on the Nineties I had devoted a large proportion of my time organising group exhibitions and other arts events for charity - as well a multitude of other fund raising activities and did not promote my own artistic career at all.  Hence all the missed opportunities. 

In an attempt to be organised I did a couple of hours on the computer before work.  I'ts a forlorn hope I know but I plan to be more proactive this year in terms of contacting people, writing about my work and participating in events etc.

I worked for the remainder of the day on THE ANNUNCIATION.  Adding imagery and painting or repainting the structural colour blocks.

Worked again on THE ANNUNCIATION.  Painted in the some of the landscape "characterisiation" images and continued to refine the colour blocks.  Also added secondary images and symbols.

No work tomorrow as I am massively over-committed!

Started work late this morning.  I am doing the preliminary drawing (in charcoal) for two new works on canvas.  The first work entitled SEATED WOMAN comprises of a complex array of intersecting lines into which will be placed symbols an images.  The second work entitled BATHERS has a number of interacting but disparate arrays of lines and images with hints of a real space.

I also worked on THE ANNUNCIATION: adding more imagery and refining the colour spaces.

Finished THE ANNUNCIATION.  Added the final imagery and refined or replaced areas of background colour.  I have repainted this work (and ADORATION OF THE MAGI for that matter) far more than all my previous work.  Acrylic does lend itself to this practice but I have adopted a completely different approach to painting with these works.

Finished the last pages of EVOCATIONS tonight. 

Started working again on LANDSCAPE: AN IMPRESSIONABLE YOUNG BOY PONDERS THE EXISTENCE OF MONO CREATURES WHILE TRAPPED INSIDE THE WORLD'S FIRST TOOTHPASTE TELEPHONE.

Also started painting in RETURN TO JUBILEE GARDENS.

Completed painting in all the colour areas of RETURN TO JUBILEE GARDENS.  I am using Artisan water soluble paint as I like the consistency and finish.   I now need to add symbols and images to the integrated colour blocks.

Started painting in the main areas surrounding the thematic blocks (which will contain the developed imagery) of OBSERVED LANDSCAPE.

Carried on painting in the surrounds of OBSERVED LANDSCAPE.  I now have to introduce image scenes into the sequential blocks.

I completed LANDSCAPE: AN IMPRESSIONABLE YOUNG BOY PONDERS THE EXISTENCE OF MONO CREATURES WHILE TRAPPED INSIDE THE WORLD'S FIRST TOOTHPASTE TELEPHONE by adding symbols and coloured elements to the structural lines.

I planned to spend the day painting but things went awry and I ended up doing none.  Still musing on a combination of poetry and my evolving systems of images.

A bit of sketching this evening: coloured pencil/crayons on medium surface cartridge paper.  Nothing else!

A bit of sketching this evening: coloured pencil/crayons on medium surface cartridge paper.  Nothing else - again!

Started doing the drawing stage (with water soluble oil) for a series of postcard sized landscapes.  They are variations on some of the "Meditative Landscapes" which I produced in 2000-2002.  I did four today: POSTCARD LANDSCAPES - THEME 1 (VARIATIONS 1-4).  I need the works for a cabinet exhibition in February.

I did another four (drawing stage) of the postcards: POSTCARD LANDSCAPES - THEME 2 (VARIATIONS 1-4). 

I started work on the drawing of four others - although these are based on individual paintings rather than a series of variations.

I finished the drawing stage of the third set of four POSTCARD LANDSCAPES (all to have individual titles) which will make a series of 12 all together.

I also started to add the small images and symbols to LANDSCAPE RESONANCES OR INSIDE EVERY THIN MAN IS A FAT ANIMAL which I want to include in my next show.  They mainly comprise of incongruous combinations of simple images with landscape associations.  The water soluble oils I used have produced quite a shiny surface so I am hoping the paint will adhere OK.

I finished LANDSCAPE RESONANCES OR INSIDE EVERY THIN MAN IS A FAT ANIMAL.  Although, I have now thought of other ways of attaching the imagery to the structure so I may do two other works with affinities to this one to explore these options.

I now start work on the images for the completion of RETURN TO JUBILEE GARDENS.

I finished RETURN TO JUBILEE GARDENS today by adding a variety of symbols to the blocks embedded into the composition. All inspired by the premiss that time is actually elastic and expands and contracts at different occasions.

I now have to start exploring the premiss that life is eternal for the related work entitled OBSERVED LANDSCAPE.  I will do quick notes initially.

I do not think I will have much time to paint during the next few days because of other work and personal commitments.  However, next week I have to start painting in the "Landscape Postcards" ready for my next show.

Committed all day but spent a good part of the evening doing coloured pencil drawings on landscape themes in an A3 sketch book.

Out with June today so no painting done.  However, I did roughly work out the imagery for OBSERVED LANDSCAPE before I left.

I completed four of the "Postcard Landscapes".  Instead of being individually titled they are now all called POSTCARD INVENTION.  The works are improvisations based on previous paintings.  This set of four have a slightly more tenuous link than the others.

Other commitments are looming this so I am not sure how many more I will complete this week.

Also returned to sketch book landscapes.

I managed to finish another four of the "Postcard Landscapes".  This set is entitled POSTCARD LANDSCAPES - THEME 2 (VARIATIONS 1-4). As the title suggests this batch are all derived from one "Meditative Landscape" painting which I completed in 2001.

Out all day but managed to do some sketching in the evening.  More A3 pencil landscapes.

Worked on the last four "Postcard Landscapes" but did not quite finish them.  I am out tomorrow but hopefully I will complete them on Sunday.

I finished the final four "Postcard Landscapes" this morning.  Entitled, with huge originality, POSTCARD LANDSCAPES - THEME 1 (VARIATIONS 1-4).

After a rather protracted spell of gardening I started work on four quick acrylics (on Cotman paper).  They are provisionally entitled: STUDIES IN THE THEORY OF MULTI-DIMENSIONAL LIGHT.

In the late Seventies I filled up the margins of a number of art reference books with diagrams and notes for paintings and sculptures etc.  I have tentatively begun to collect these into written essays.  I actually did several thousand pages of similar notes in sketch books and others which I intend to compile into some kind of reference work/s.

Redefined in acrylic paint the charcoal drawing for SEATED WOMAN and  also THE BATHERS.

Started preparing work for my next exhibition which I hang on 16th February.

I spent all of today preparing work for the forthcoming show.  I will finish some off tomorrow but probably leave the remainder until Sunday.  I usually leave everything until the last moment then panic!

I finished off the four STUDIES FOR A THEORY OF MULTIDIMENSIONAL LIGHT  by adding symbols and abstracted motifs to the structures which I had already painted in.

I did a little more preparing for the forthcoming show.

I am overcommitted and out until Sunday (15th February) so very little more will be done until then.

More framing tonight.  For the exhibition I am putting 18 large paintings into the main exhibition space and 18 postcard size paintings into the cabinet.

Finished all the preparations for the exhibition tomorrow.  Strip framed three large paintings, made final adjustments to others and varnished the paintings it was appropriate to varnish.  Did all the paper work etc.  Need to write some letters now!

Hung my solo exhibition in Andover Library: Sixteen paintings on the wall and eighteen in the cabinet.

Partially repainted VIEW FROM MY OLD STUDIO and to a very slight extent VIEW FROM MY OLD STUDIO WITH IMAGINARY SWAN.  I planned to put them in my current show when I discovered problems with the arrangement of colours.

For the same reason I also partially repainted THE SMALL GARDEN.

Painted small work entitled LANDSCAPE INTERSECTIONS in acrylic water colour on paper.

Returned to RETURN TO JUBILEE GARDENS!  Although I finished this work some time ago I suddenly decided to include additional thematic elements - moving out of the isolated blocks and across the picture to integrate the various parts of the composition.

I also started to add the thematic imagery to OBSERVED LANDSCAPE.  I am putting in an evolving sequence of abbreviated imagery based on very simple motifs.

I am looking at the possibility of modifying some figurative sketches to include in my forthcoming solo exhibition at The White Horse Gallery.

I spent all day working on OBSERVED LANDSCAPE.  I thought what I had to do would take a couple of hours but I will need at least another day on it (and this is only the drawing stage!).  Very slow progress - I am not sure why!

Finished the drawing stage of OBSERVED LANDSCAPE by adding all the symbols to the structures that contain them and completing the thematic imagery in the sequence of blocks.  For some reason the day went very quickly and I never managed to get anything else done!

Painted the perimeter of SANDY, a pet portrait I actually completed early in 1998.  I then partially repainted SEQUENCES - BEACH SCENE NEAR MUDEFORD (from 1999) and MITZI IN BED (again from 1999) and finally made some modifications to two paintings of kittens I did in 1998.  All these are for a show I am hanging on 1st March.  This will contain mainly "Meditative Landscapes" but will also include some of my representational work.

Started painting in the thematic sequences of OBSERVED LANDSCAPE.  I am using slightly dirty primary colours to stand out against the earths and greens of the background.

Continued preparing work for next week's exhibition.

More or less finished OBSERVED LANDSCAPE.  I spent the day filling in the remaining thematic areas and redefining some of the lines.

I will probably have to use the rest of the week getting ready for the show.

Finished OBSERVED LANDSCAPE.

Partially repainted two animal portraits which I originally did in 2000 (one of these will go in next week's show).  I also finished modifying two very small paintings of kittens (again one will go in my forthcoming show).

I have now framed most of the pictures for the exhibition.

Not a very productive day although no good reason for this.  I tweaked the two paintings I repainted yesterday and finished all the framing.  I also experimented with my new digital camera so that I can complete the new portfolio I have been working on.

Started a major repainting of a (originally!) representational painting of a dog which I first did some years ago..  I am adding sequences of modified imagery roughly based on part of the dog's head.

Finished the repainting of the early work.  The resulting painting is entitled DOGS DINNER PORTRAIT and is a radical remake of the the first picture.  Organic forms, variations on elements of a dog's face issue from the centre of the painting with gestural symbols added to these.

Finished all the preparations for tomorrow's exhibition this Sunday afternoon.  I put temporary varnish on some of the paintings and permanent varnish on a couple of others - Note to myself: keep records of those works I varnish - and printed off exhibition lists, labels etc..

I am still working on the brochure showing examples of my art works/art styles (I am working on a Group/s one as well).  I also started working on the Free Painters & Sculptors Newsletter which I am editing at the moment.

Spent almost all of today hanging a solo exhibition in the White Horse Gallery, Marlborough.

I did have time to start the drawing stage of a small painting when I returned home.  This is another of the "Doodle" portraits - this one entitled CLARE IN A CHAIR.  It was more spontaneous than I planned.

Working on CLARE IN A CHAIR.  This was not originally going to be a "Doodle" Portrait but a diffusive elaboration with a recognisable process of transformations.  This will have to be the next one!

I have been ill for almost two weeks but today was the first day when it really effected my work.

Finished CLARE IN A CHAIR.  There is no developmental sequences just spontaneous symbols within equally spontaneous shapes.

Painted in all the background (first layer) of paint for the large canvas SEATED WOMAN.  Using predominantly raw sienna based colours with the expansive surrounding space in light grey.

Painted in most of the first layer of paint (background) of THE BATHERS. Predominantly earth colours and light blue.

Finished painting in the main coat of paint for THE BATHERS.  I then redefined the lines of this work and also SEATED WOMAN.

I also started preparing some spare hardboard panels for sketches.  I then restretched an old figurative work to modify or repaint.

I returned to painting today after two day break: working in art shop on Saturday and doing wildlife conservation work in a nature reserve in Wiltshire on Sunday.

I have almost completely repainted an early work.  Transforming a conventionally figurative painting of three dogs into one that contains an area of symbols: which represent the middle dog!  The work is entitled: THREE ANIMALS - ONE REAL (The outer dogs were originally based on ornaments!).

I also did a bit more preparing of panels and canvases for later works.

I tweaked and completed THREE ANIMALS - ONE REAL.  This has become a rather odd work so I will have to return to the subject at some point.

I spent most of the day modifying three works which I originally completed in 1980.  These works were done in a style I never really returned to.  Many of the works in this style were subsequently destroyed or painted over as they were technically weak.   They combine surrealist images with interacting diagrams and an implied poetry.  The works are entitled ARC MARTYDOM - OLIVER TWIST, OLD STONES and TALKING STILL LIFE.

Not a good day!  I decided to paint over a work I completed in 1978/79.  However, the work had several layers of acrylic varnish and consequently the new paint did not adhere very well.  Unfortunately, it took me 5 hours to realise this!  In the end I had to put on a layer of matt medium.  There is another early varnished drawing  which I will also paint over in due course.

I took down my solo show in Marlborough.

I then continued working on the overpainting of an early work.  This work was an extremely complex drawing combining poetry and imagery which I am disatisfied with because of its technical limitations.  However, I am roughly overpainting the drawing, keeping some of the elements of the orginal and obscuring others.  The paint still does not adhere very well - probably because I did not have enough matt medium to completely cover the surface.

This has been a strange, not particularly productive, week.  Today, I spent the first part of the morning making notes from a series of very early drawings which, like much of my work at the time, combined poetry and imagery (of all kinds) in complicated sequential compositions.  The actual imagery is tiny and because of my cataract operations I can hardly see it!

After this, I carried working on the overpainting of another early work from this period (circa 1978/79).

As is it Sunday I planned to spend most of the day in the garden.  Unfortunately the weather was bad so I spent a large part of the day painting.  I repainted the "flower" variations in a work completed in 2002 entitled FIGURE ON A PEDESTAL.  It was one of those works that did not work when I orginally finished it.  In some pictures the development of imagery is paramount and aesthetic considerations play less of a part.  However, in others the composition is also important - in varying degrees!

More or less completed the modifications to FIGURE ON A PEDESTAL.  Although still not as orginally envisaged I am a little happier with the work now.

I then returned to redefining the lines of TALKING STILL LIFE: One of the three very early works I am slightly reworking.

Completed the reworking of FIGURE ON A PEDESTAL.

Finished the modifications to TALKING STILL LIFE.

Started making notes for SEATED FIGURE.

Started redefining the lines (which were originaly in pencil) of OLD STONES: The second of the three very early working I am modifiying.  These modifications consist mainly of making the image lines more pronounced with hardly any changes to the actual shapes or colours - although both of which are markedly different to what I would do now.

Continued with tentative notes for the large canvas SEATED FIGURE.

I spent most of the day continuing to overpaint the pencil lines of OLD STONES.

This will probably be the last day of painting until the 29th!  I am looking after the art shop I usually only manage on Saturdays for a week and a bit while the Manageress is away.  Hopefully I will get some paper work done at least some of the evenings - I might even manage an hour or two of painting.  I am working on a nature reserve in Wiltshire on Sunday.

Back to work at last!  I am continuing to redo the lines on OLD STONES.  I didn't quite finish it today - mainly because the computer went down and I had to devote some time to get it up and running again.

Apart from a few minutes spent refining a large sketch book drawing entitled LANDSCAPE PORTRAIT nothing was done last week.

I finished OLD STONES in the morning.  I then started work reworking the lines of ARC MARTYDOM - OLIVER TWIST.

During the latter part of the afternoon I went to my old studio and looked through my early works.  Most of my earliest work has either been destroyed or reworked - I decided to leave all these remaining works alone.  Many (if not the majority!) I could not even remember doing!

I did most of the reworking of ARC MARTYDOM - OLIVER TWIST.  This is the least promising of the three old works.

Primed some odd bits of hardboard I found with my stored paintings.  I want to begin a new series of Wing Works as well as continue with the "Alternative Portraits"