easter 2010

Easter has been important in my life for many years . I still remember when shops closed on Good Friday and everything came to a standstill-wonderful . Most folks these days seem to have lost sight of why we have an Easter Holiday and even if you have no religious feelings its a good thing to take some quiet time to reflect on life the universe and everything .

Having to work Good Friday I was wondering, as the "Son of God" was murdered, I why this day is celebrated as a good day. Jesus seems to have a wonderful life affirming message but as usual anything that offers freedom and hope for people seems to be squashed by "THEM".

Anyway I slipped some Gospel music on the shop P/A ( Blind Boys of Alabama) , and some Bob Dylan...always good for the soul and carried on with my musings.

Whatever you are up to this Easter take some time to re-engage with joy, peace, beauty and wonder...its important...trust me.

Have a happy Easter...

patti smith

I was overwhelmed when Jono appeared with two tickets to see Patti Smith in the Millennium Galleries , Sheffield. After a glass of wine at the legendary Frog and Parrot with the Good Lord we made our way to the gig. Patti read from "Just Kids" and sang songs accompanied by her piano player and guitarist Tony Shanahan. Apart from her performance which was truly magical, the readings punctuated with stories and anecdotes, the songs delivered with the passion and verve you might expect from such a figure of such magnitude, the most impressive and moving thing was the grace, gentleness and strength of a lady who has seen much and yet seemed egoless. Here was a woman of obvious power , experience and life who had lost non of her desire for life such was/is her presence. And the voice- rich and gentle yet strong and full of depth. She was happy to please the masses with "because the night" yet still able to deliver a prophetic "redondo beach". Patti Smith - poet, musician and painter. INSPIRATION. Please read her book, listen to her albums (I love "Radio Baghdad" on "Trampin") and beg ,steal ,borrow or even buy the dvd "dream of life". I dare you not to believe!

latest playlist and reading

albums: brian eno "discreet music"

stone breath "the silver skien unwound"

the silver mountzion "kollaps tradixionals"

the violet may white label tracks

jeff johnson "frio suite"

can 'tago mago"

these monsters "call me dragon"

sian alice group "59"

patti smith 'trampin"

reading Robert Bolano "Nazi Literature in the Americas"

Karin v. Maur "The Sound of Painting..music in modern art'

Maur's book on paintng,music and modern art is a wonderful work-the book comes to me at the perfect time as I am in this period of musically influenced work. What is pleasing is that the book justifies and voices my "spiritual intuition"and is given to me at this time not at the beginning of the period. Had I read the book earlier everything would have been colored .At least I know the "Keefagonals"and "Another Green World" series are pure! I have been struggling to explain in tangible terms how these works have emerged, now there is flesh for the bones! Georges Braque says 'when the mystery is absent,poetry is absent too- the quality I value above all others in art" Amen. How about a chapter entitled "The Chromatics of Light and the Rhythm of the Cosmos". dig that brothers and sisters !

a moment to savour...

A nasty stomach virus confined me to my bed last weekend . Its strange how things happen. I was able to re enact Brian Eno's discovery of ambient music as described in a posting on here and also on the back cover of his album "discreet music". I am also laid in bed . I can hear pouring rain descending on my garden through the open window. Our local resident house sparrows are chattering away in the branches of the silver birch trees. Grey clouds meander across the sky.My music system is playing "Kurtagonals" at low volume. I just lay still in quiet contemplation and let the whole scenario paint a picture for me.

its been cold,ive been busy..

Four week...busy,busy.John and Maarit visited from Finland. We finalised the details for the exhibition. It is officially called "LOW HORIZONS". The paintings will be hung in three sections 1) "keefagonals", 2) low horizons and 3) in the centre room "on some faraway beach" with john's pottery alongside.

My main work now is to choose the right work to exhibit and to prepare my biography and catalog in a book for the gallery. Its getting exciting. Two large works are just about finished. When I moved them from the "studio" (I paint on the floor) to a wall I was pleasantly suprised!

Last night I finished reading Patti Smith's "just kids". It is a wonderful, sad yet inspirational book.

Sue and walked to the "Nine Ladies"in a snowstorm. Awesome. Complete justification for the White Peak Storm paintings!

Today I wandered into the framers with 5 pieces, a pair of pastel landscapes, a pair- of "shivas dance"( painted (?) after a bottle of whisky and "birds of fire" by Mahavishnu Orchestra and " A Love Supreme" at high volume and a rather atmospheric addition the the " Storm " series.

Sunday Morning. I wake early and read about Patti Smith meeting Jimi Hendrix before his death in her new book " Just Kids". Brian Jones, Jim Morrison, Janis Joplin, Jimi ? Shamen of the 60's! I remember reading my poem "Jim Morrison's Grave" over improvisation by Jono's fi
rst band "The Trip" years ago! I wonder if I still have a copy? Sleepily I pull on my old paint stained jeans and boots and wander downstairs to dig out "Electric Ladyland". I pass the painting I had been working on. Some one had said "your problem is you dont paint proper pictures " so I had a go . I did a fair job on a landscape in oil. After 2 weeks I looked again. Without stopping to think I stuck on "Love Supreme" (Coltrane) and just let it happen. Now thats better , jazz, whisky and freedom of expression.

Well, I had forgotton how incredible Hendrix was. Roxanne seems to like it . Sue presents me with eggs and bacon, Jimi reminds me he's a "voodoo child".

Sunday Morning..... I grab my old coat and walk to work .The Bookshop is warm and welcoming we are old friends .I choose some Keith Jarret , light a candle and some insence, say a prayer ,make some coffee.......