Remember, Remember, There’s music in November
November 2, 2016
Go Jonny go
Go
Halloween saw the release of the Vampire 4 track EP on CD through the excellent ‘Breaking Down Recordings’ label. It comes in a limited edition, hand crafted sleeve made from recycled cereal packets.
November looks like a busy month now as well. Here’s whats happening…..
The Vampire EP looks set to be released on cassette through the Environmental Studies label.
On the 24th I will be appearing as ‘special guest’ at the Karen LP launch at the Grain Barge.
Nov 26th (Sat) I will be doing a one day tour of Bristol. Appearing at 3 of my favourite places to hang out!
- 1pm Friendy Records on North St, Bedminster
- 2.30 pm Bristol Cider Shop at the Gaol Ferry Steps
- 4pm The Exchange Coffee Bar in Old Market
I’ll be attempting to play all four songs plus 1 or 2 extras!.
In other news The Charlie Tipper Conspiracy’s…
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Under the bridge
October 17, 2016
A “canvas for.. sunlight”. I like that.
Down by the river, beneath the motorway is a place where the sun burrows deep. Concrete pillars are its pen, and the banks the paper, on which the light draws ever-shifting shadows.
Every so often, I venture down there, and try to capture what’s been sketched on the walls. Its particularly interesting visiting at different times of the day, with mornings casting a bright white light across the Easton side, while sundown brings a warm, yellow glow that dies out over the western end of the river.
There’s not many places like it, especially in an age where any unkempt space is quickly pounced upon by rabid developers. Closed in by the motorway in an area still overlooked by estate agents means it continues to exist for now; an obscure and gritty canvasfor graffiti artists and sunlight, alike.
Sparkle the hedgehog
November 9, 2013
Totterdown Brownies are doing really well selling our not-so-naked hedgehog bags and toys to raise money for Hedgehog rescue. We hope to sell out soon. Here is another hedgehog looking for a home.
“Sparkle is an adult, lady hedgehog and she loves
to dance! When she dances with all of the other
hedgehogs they don’t need a glitter ball because
Sparkle has it covered. As she grooves and moves
around the colourful lights bounce off her and
make beautiful patterns all around.”
All toy hedgehogs come with a mini adoption certificate.
Feathers
November 4, 2013
This is Feathers. She is 2 years old and needed a home. Feathers is cute, cuddly, and fun to play with. She is very lucky because a member of Totterdown Brownies is adopting her. This Brownie is also cute, cuddly, and fun to play with so they should have a great time together.
Introducing Delilah
October 30, 2013
Delilah is a baby and waiting for more spines to grow!! Delilah loves to forage for food and likes to play with her friends. She is a lovely girl and is very kind and gentle ….
The Naked Hedgehog Project
October 29, 2013
Here are Totterdown Brownies’ new creations. They decorated their “naked hedgehogs”. See https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Naked-Hedgehog-Project/479683205457371?fref=ts
and have used use them to adorn bags, and to make soft toys (which can be customized into doorstops). The plan is to now sell them to raise monies for the fantastic Hedgehog Rescue charity.
how cute are they?
.
St George’s Day
April 29, 2013
Last week I challenged my Brownies to defeat 6 fearsome dragons. They had to collect 1 piece of gold from each dragon and place the gold in a circle around a dragon egg. This would send the dragons to sleep.
golden dragon
To overcome each dragon and collect gold pieces they had to:
- Creep through a maze and steal gold from a sleeping dragon .
- Put out the fiery breath of another.
- Find and feed animals to a hungry dragon.
Dragon’s Head
- Follow the footprints into the dragon’s lair and search for a dragon egg.
- Knock a dragon unconscious.
- Make a scary dragon to frighten them away.
Yellow Dragon
They created stunning dragons and after placing the gold around the collected dragon’s eggs not only did they fall to sleep and stop terrifying local people but the gold turned into Ferrero Rocher chocolates! A most agreeable ending to the evening.
Rijksmuseum
April 19, 2013
Last Saturday, April 13th the Rijksmuseum threw open its doors to visitors after a 10 year closure. British artist Richard Wright, a former Turner Prize winner, has dusted the hall ceilings flanking the Grand Gallery with almost 50,000 stars, hand-painted in a swirling, shifting constellation. The superstars that will bring visitors flocking to the museum and take pride of place in that Grand gallery are Rembrandt, Vermeer, Jan Steen and Frans Hals . But for many it will be from that accidental encounter with the other exhibits, the links between pieces unforeseen and the clever curating that leaves every visitor with a different experience, that the magic of the museum will linger on.
The museum was the highlight of my art college trip to Amsterdam in 1987. The trip also included visits to the Van Gogh museum and Rembrandt’s house but it was the sheer variety of works and the stunning building that housed them that enchanted me. During an earlier trip to the V&A in London I felt a similar pleasure in the interplay between history, beauty and art.
The Rijksmuseum’s director, Taco Dibbits has said: “Everything has changed. We have more than one million objects and we used to display them by material. You had a gallery for glass, a gallery for porcelain, a gallery for paintings. Now we have mixed all the media and presented the visitor the story of art from the Middle Ages to the 20th Century.” He observes: “The works talk to each other”. I think my next visit will be even more enjoyable.
Rijksmuseum collage I created after my visit, 1987.
Last Saturday I was in Bristol in another beautiful building, a local church with a warren of rooms. I was running a science-themed event for 78 girls (aged 5-14 years). Amongst our many activities we had an inflatable Planetarium with a star show. We too had a star studded ceiling and the “wow factor”. Our visitors were very pleased with their day and parents have told me that their child “learned a lot, without actually realising it”. There is something to be said for providing an experience with the freedom to take from it what you will.
Ossip Zadkine
April 9, 2013
Ossip Zadkine Harbour Scene
I just discovered this beautiful oil painting on the
Your Paintings web site which has been developed in partnership with the BBC and the Public Catalogue Foundation.
It is a fascinating site and I am sure I will lose many hours happily browsing. It catalogues oil paintings in the National art collection. I hope they continue and catalogue other artworks too. After the painting caught my eye I also recognised the artists name – Ossip Zadkine. Many years ago, when I moved to Bristol as an art student, I made several sketches of a bronze sculpture on a balcony at Bristol Museum. The piece was Musical Trio by Ossip Zadkine (approx 1928). There is a similar bronze in Paris, Trio Musical (1930). These are quick photos taken from an old sketch book of mine.
These are the originals:
Trio Musical in Foundry Susse Fondeur, Paris
Musical Trio in Bristol Museum
Hoppy Easter
March 26, 2013
Hoppy Easter
A little bit early, I know, but I needed to pop them in the post!
A simple line drawing with buttons for tails.
Hope the Easter bunny visits you.
