YSP 3

Illustrations for an Exhibition

There is an exhibition of children’s illustrations taking place in Berwick upon Tweed, and I have been asked to put in some work.  I needed to take some photographs, so propped the illustrations up on the ironing board, and hooked back the lace curtain, and did my best. These have been reduced down to 4 centimetres, so as to be able to email them without too much trouble, and the images are just for quick reference.  I wouldn’t win a prize for photographing art, but maybe the ramshackle nature of these photographs, together with my faint image here and there where I am reflected on the glass, adds a certain slightly amateurish je-ne-sais-quoi to the whole enterprise. Over the pictures themselves I have taken a fair amount of trouble  The ones with rabbits in were for two picture books published by Orchard Books  At that time we only had one table, for eating and working. Spaghetti spills were a constant worry. The cat used to walk across the table, and over my paintings too at times. I remember a nice picture of roses with a path of dirty paw marks over the top. But the rabbit illustrations took a long time so I tried very hard to protect them.  There were 26 rabbits in the Fitzwarren family, plus Ma.  The 26 rabbit offspring were named, from Alice (an artist rabbit) to Zanzibar (a magician rabbit). The  continuity problems were immense. The cat, the lovely cat, had a passion for Marks and Spencer Chinese Chicken, it could smell it through the bag and its wrappers.  I remember my son talking about something, whilst eating Chinese chicken, and the cat sitting on the table and nicking a chunk of chicken off his fork. Hygenic days….

Paintings for an Exhibition at Eyemouth

Hare Moths Candle

Hare Moths Candle

Had to scan this on my computer in two parts, hope the join doesn’t show.  Put my cardigan over the scanner in case light crept through, as this is a deep edge canvas.  Needed to do the scan as it may be used as part of publicity material for an exhibition at Harestanes, an Arts Centre near Jedburgh, subject The Hare. The colours come out brighter than the original, even though I have taken otu much of the magenta.

The little ghost figure  with the candle is like Wee Willie Winkie.  In the background is a city, perhaps Sunderland, with the bridge, and  church spires or factory chimneys.  White flowers and moths shine out at night. What is the hare doing on this wasteland?  It looks alarmed, almost frozen, but ready to flee.