The Bell Inn, Nottingham. Jazz Night with Johnny Johnstone Quintet

The Bell Inn, Nottingham, was an Inn as far back as the 15th Century. It’s Jazz Night and Singer’s Night are a popular attraction. This painting depicts two members of the Johnny Johnstone Quintet, (Johnny Johnstone on the left), during one such recent Jazz Night.

As the Bell interior on such an occasion is too dark for sketchbook work, I had to resort to a mixture of very grainy cell phone type snapshots, memory, and a lot of artistic licence. But I think I didn’t do too badly in capturing the atmosphere of a Jazz band performing.

Painting this in acrylics, layering the glazes of colour using Galeria Matt Medium, meant the entire piece could be finished in one 7 hour sitting without waiting for different coats to dry. I never understand why people complain that acrylics dry almost immediately, because that’s the very reason why one should choose to use them.

Sized A3, acrylics on paper. CLICK ON IMAGE FOR LARGER VIEW.

Nottingham Malt Cross and Jam Cafe interior studies.

The Malt Cross, Nottingham, was a music hall in the 19th century, as evidenced by the ornate first floor balcony overlooking the bar below. I made this oil pastel study in preparation for a painting. It focuses more on the light and colour to be found therein, as the light from the huge curved ceiling window reflects back from the polished wooden floor. This will be the 5th of a series of Nottingham based paintings I’m currently working on.

The Jam Café is one of my favourite Nottingham coffee bars. A very relaxed atmosphere in which one can converse with friends, write, or sketch during the day, or listen to live semi-acoustic music by night. And if that all sounds a bit Greenwich Village to you, well that’s the kind of person I am! Give me a sofa and a retro coffee table over a noisy slot machine any day. This sketchbook study is made with crayons. (That's coloured pencils if you're posh).

Nottingham Contemporary (David Hockney Exhibition)

Nottingham Contemporary has put a little slice of London standard art gallery on my Nottingham doorstep. This morning, more than a little excited, I went to view the David Hockney exhibition which marks the opening of the venue, and focuses on his work from 1960 - 1968.

Although I’ve seen paintings like “A Bigger Splash” and “Peter Getting Out of Nick’s Pool” before, they never fail to impress. Whereas 19th century artists argued that light dissolves form, Hockney depicts sunlight with the clean cut edge of masking tape. That practice alone always amuses and delights me, but especially interesting to see up close are the painted surfaces of these items from 1967, which in published form tend only to translate as solid blocks of colour.

For me the real revelations of the day were Hockney’s earlier works. The spontaneity in pieces like “Study for Doll Boy” and “The Third Love Painting” had me at one and the same time wanting to stand there admiring the work, and go home immediately to get my paints out. But even more impressive are the etchings. If you think you’ve seen Hockney’s take on “A Rake’s Progress” before, via the printed pages of a book, then believe me you really haven’t seen it at all. Prints such as these, “Kaisarion and All His Beauty”, and “Pacific Mutual Life” are almost impossibly rich in their depth of tone. (I know Hockney used Picasso’s one time printing technician at some stage in his career).

Also on view today were works by Frances Stark, and these giant telephones are from that room. (Non-flash photography was allowed here). Guys in swimming trunks, together with more modestly covered girls, wandered around adding to the atmosphere, whilst studios on other levels were intent on engaging both adults and children alike in creative pursuits. Oh, and if you saw someone in the queue hugging the dancing zebras, that was me.

Nottingham Contemporary should certainly put the city on the art map. I hope it houses the Nottingham Open Exhibitions in the future.

Fallen Tree (work in progress).

Reverting back to oil paints, I’m currently getting several canvases underway to work on in the studio through the darker months. Minimum size will be 40cm x 61cm (16” x 24”).

This is just the preliminary stage of a subject several readers have observed my sketchbook studies for in the past. I had intended to establish just the tones at this stage, but a hint of colour seemed necessary as I mapped out the cooler shadows from the sunlight. I’m much happier with the way this is going now, because it more successfully captures the weight of the tree, and the energy it retains even at the end of its life.

Whilst this dries off a little I’m drawing out the next canvas. (No comments necessary at this stage, but I do thank you for your interest and support).

I'm back.

Yes folks, house renovations, too many long analytical thoughts, and various other things behind me, I'm back in the studio. New works to show before too long.

Meanwhile, the above 4 works are what I'm submitting for the Nottingham Open Exhibition, 2010, the entry date for which is not far away. Long term readers will have seen these before on my sidebar (right), but they still qualify as current works.

Arboretum and Nottingham Castle grounds, Nottingham.

Above: The bandstand in the grounds of Nottingham Castle. As I sketched this a succession of karaoke singers were performing. Below: The Arboretum, Nottingham. (Both studies in A4 sized sketchbook.)

Newstead Abbey.

Drawings made in the grounds of Newstead Abbey. (A4 sketchbook). Above is the "Stew Pond" (a.k.a. the Monk's Stew Pond or the Friar's Stew Pond). Below, a drawing of the rear grounds as the long late summer shadows reach across the lawns.

the Bell Inn Nottingham.

View from the Bell Inn, Nottingham, after a late Summer shower. (A4 sketchbook study).

Jam Cafe, Nottingham.

These sketchbook studies depict singers at the Jam Cafe, Nottingham. They are performing in the late daylight hours with their backs against the light.

Malt Cross, Nottingham.

Sketches made inside the Malt Cross, Nottingham.