The Easter Paradox

Here in the middle of the Easter weekend I find myself compelled to put a little time aside to post something here and paradoxically lost for what it should be. So what I have settled on is a painting and just a few thoughts. Easter has always seemed loaded with paradox the more I think about it, not least for the fact that the most pivotal and important event in the christian narrative has somehow got itself strangely entangled into what was a pagan celebration and hence its moving timetable around the lunar cycle. I've been drawn to one painting in particular this time 'Crucified Tree Form - the agony'
by Theyre Lee-Elliott (1903-1988) from the Methodist art collection and I thank my mate banksyboy for introducing me to this wonderful collection. The painting as the title suggests very directly conveys the agony of the crucifixion with none of the often bolted on distractions of iconography that often clutter pieces about this subject, instead we find a string of barbed wire, rotting flesh on a rather jaundice yellow background.

The artist Theyre Lee Elliott I have discovered to my surprise (after the ubiquitous google search) was a quite brilliant graphic artist too. Brought up as a Christian, but his sister says that he was '..definitely not a practising Christian, Lee Elliot seemed to occupy a space similar to the one I find myself in at the moment, which also resonates with me when I look at this painting.

I can't end this post without confessing that for some unknown reason this Easter I've been thinking about Judas' part in the whole narrative. Perhaps a psycho analyst could shed a bit of light on that! But I seem to keep coming back to his role in this whole story, in fact, how this deeply flawed and tragic person, the ultimate 'bad guy' alters the course of events, of history even, then remorseful he's still unable to live with what he's done.

A Woodcut Print For St Valentines'

Here's a very simple two colour design woodblock print I made a couple of years ago for the tartist for St. Valentines' Day. It's actually an MDF print to be precise which I find quite easy to carve but unfortunately MDF being a really soft material doesn't tolerate too many impressions before it breaks up. I used a block for each colour with this one, rather than my preferred reduction method and was kind of taken with the loose registration between the two colours.

Snow Comes To Mersea Island

So the snow arrived just as the forecasters had predicted, it must have been snowing most of the night because we had a covering of about six inches when we awoke this morning. After a cup of tea from the warm confines of our duvet the tartist and I decided the best course of action was to get outside in it (not innit!).



So we decided to go for a bracing walk down to the Artcafé, where else? for a coffee and a bacon sandwich.


The snow was quite deep and powdery







When we arrived at the Artcafé there was already an improvised sled park as quite a lot of people had obviously had the same idea as us and were warming themselves inside.



As we left the café to continue our walk someone came skidding along in a plastic fish box being towed along on a rope by a Landrover. Please believe me when I tell you this is not at all unusual when it snows here on our island, and is often indulged in after the pub when the bruising effects of such a ride can be dulled by one or two 'tinctures'.


The houseboats on Coast Road



We continued our walk along the coast past the sailing barge 'Dawn' who has become something of a fixture these days on our waterfront as she over-winters beside the oyster pits.



Just beyond in the distance can be seen packing marsh island with the iconic Packing Shed standing on its' stilts amidst the ice.



And the sea really has been freezing this past week when temperatures have barely clawed their way over freezing point during the day, and during the night have been well below.



On past the Company Shed just opening up for business as we continued past and on up The Lane.





When we arrived home tingling from the cold the stove was still well alight to dry us and our boots out, we love our stove, especially in weather like this.



And the tartist cooked us a 'cockle' warming chilli con carne, very seventies, but was just what we needed to complete the day.

Etta James, January 25, 1938 – January 20, 2012

Quite a few years back now, I had the good fortune to be introduced to the wonderful voice of Etta James, by my great friend and fellow musician and singer 'Grip'. Back then we'd listen to all kinds of random stuff, making up mix-tapes (remember them?) just searching for inspiration or songs to sing.





Etta James it seems was an enormous influence upon ever so many singers and musicians down the years, so, sadly we learned of her death a couple of days ago. In the spirit of giving thanks for her and her singing I thought I'd post a little something up here. In the unlikely event you've never heard her voice here's a couple of her songs for you to enjoy. RIP. Etta.

The Sound Of 2012

So a new year lurches forward already one week old, as the old one recedes rapidly in my rearview mirror. Many questions and some resolutions too, for both me and thetartist. Who will be the sound of 2012? that's a good question, well according to the BBC it's soul singer Michael Kiwanuka who tops their Sound of 2012 list, he really reminds me of Bill Withers. My hope is that perhaps this young man may be in the vanguard of a bunch of emerging songwriters, singers & music makers who will be making music for us that is not 'pasteurised' or 'X-Factored' into a bland stodge.



He's in good company, previous winners include Jessie J, Adele, Mika, Ellie Goulding, Corinne Bailey Rae and Keane.

Packet Soup... It's Not What It Used To Be!

I can't quite believe it was June 1st when we last posted, much has happened since then, including the tartists' birthday just a week ago. One of the more unusual presents she received was a packet of soup mix, even more unusual as you can see is the flavour, suffice to say we will be conducting a taste test very soon and will report back with our findings.

In The Studio Again

Well, the month of June is here and I've spent a good deal of today in my studio. I've finished off the old road sign watercolour I've been working on and have stretched a whole imperial sheet of delicious 'Arches' (140 lb rough) paper for a large commission I'm planning to start in the next couple of days. As for the road sign paintings, I can't quite put my finger on why I like to keep painting them, but it's certainly to some extent sentimentality for things quintessentially British and these old cast iron signs are gradually becoming extinct. In fact the one above only has it's post, a small part of one of the direction pointers and the little crescent shaped parish badge left, so I had to radically repair it using artist's licence. For those of you curious as to where this sign is, you'll find it at the junction of Colchester Road and Mill Road in West Mersea.