MARTES, EL VIENTINUEVE DE SEPTIEMBRE, DOS MIL NUEVE
Recently, I've been looking through several discs of photos from an overseas trip I took in 2003 to the USA and UK. The pics I took at the Met in NYC bring back vivid memories and significant realisations as an artist standing in front of emotive paintings that I'd been studying since high school.
I had not consciously come across Mark Tansey before. His painting below, The Innocent Eye Test, 1981 was a revelation because of its Po-Mo tenets and use of Paulus Potter's The Young Bull, 1647, which I had read about in Frank Stella's Working Space (which I've recently re-read). Stella's critique of Potter's painting as an example of minimal, if not any, 'working' pictorial space, especially in comparison to Caravaggio, who had revolutionised the use of pictorial space 50 years beforehand. I see this in the weightlessness of the bull's back legs and the clarity of the sky that shortens the pictorial depth.
After doing a quick search, I see that Andrew Paul Wood has used Tansey's painting to describe Denis Dutton's academic enquires as needing a ".. .call for a truly innocent eye...
"
I like the touch of the Monet Haystack to the right of the Potter painting, another thing that bovine are into.

LUNES, EL VIENTIOCHO DE SEPTIEMBRE, DOS MIL NUEVE
AFTER LOOKING THROUGH ALL THE PHOTOS I TOOK AT THE MET IN 2003, I CAME ACROSS THE ACTUAL PAINTING THAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT ON SATURDAY. AFTER TRAWLING THROUGH THE MET'S WEB ARCHIVE, I CAN'T FIND WHAT EXHIBITION IT WOULD HAVE BEEN IN, BUT PERHAPS A TOURING SHOW OF THE COLLECTION OF ALEX AND RITA HILLMAN (WHO OWNED IT UP TO MID 2008). THE GLASS PROTECTING THE PAINTING HAS PICKED UP THE REFLECTION OF THE LIGHTING IN THE GALLERY, A NICE ADDITION OF THREE UFO FORMS.
IT'S ALSO NICE TO SEE HOW THE PAINTING HAS BEEN FRAMED.

DOMINGO, EL VIENTISIETE DE SEPTIEMBRE, DOS MIL NUEVE
HERE'S THE DETAIL OF THE SAID FOOT (NO CRUZ TODAY, NEXT WEEK...)

SABATO, EL VIENTISEIS DE SEPTIEMBRE, DOS MIL NUEVE
YESTERDAY'S SPHINX POST REMINDED ME OF ONE OF MY FAVOURITE GUSTAVE MOREAU PAINTINGS, OEDIPUS AND THE SPHINX WHICH IS IN THE MET IN NEW YORK. I FIRST SAW THIS PAINTING IN OCTOBER 2003 AND, BECAUSE OF THE SCALE OF THE PAINTING AND THE HEIGHT AT WHICH IT WAS HUNG, I WAS ATTRACTED BY THE FOOT AT THE BOTTOM RIGHT HAND CORNER OF THE PAINTING (I'VE GOT A DETAIL THAT I PHOTOGRAPHED WHILE VIEWING IT- I'LL HUNT THAT OUT). IT REMINDED ME OF THE PAINTING STYLE OF GIORGIO DE CHIRICO, IN THIS INSTANCE, HIS PAINTING COMPOSITION METAPHYSIQUE OF 1914 (BELOW). THIS PAINTING IS INFREQUENTLY REPRODUCED, BUT HAD STUCK IN MY HEAD. IT HAS TURNED UP A BIT RECENTLY THOUGH - IT SOLD FOR USD$6,130,500 LAST YEAR AT CHRISTIES AND HAS RECENTLY BEEN INCLUDED IN GIORGIO DE CHIRICO AT THE MUSEE D'ART MODERNE DE LA VILLE DE PARIS IN MAY THIS YEAR.
THE FOOT IN THE MOREAU PAINTING IS PROBABLY A HUMAN REMAIN, A CAST-OFF OF THE SPHINX'S VICTIMS WHO COULDN'T ANSWER HER RIDDLE. THE DE CHIRICO FEET ARE CLASSICAL GREEK OR HELLENISTIC REMAINS THAT ADD FLAVOUR TO HIS METAPHYSICAL SOUP. I THINK WHAT INTERESTS ME IN THIS PAINTING IS THE FACT THAT ONE FOOT IS OBVIOUSLY FROM A STATUE, BUT THE OTHER IS CROPPED AT THE EDGE OF THE CANVAS, SO WE ONLY HAVE THE PALE COLOUR TO GO BY TO RELATE IT TO THE OTHER FOOT AS A POSSIBLE MARBLE. THIS IDEA IS REPEATED IN THE CHIMNEY STACK AND/OR OTHER CHIMNEY STACK, OR PERHAPS COLUMN; WHICH IN TURN RELATES, SCALE-WISE, TO THE FLUTE-SHAPED OBJECT LYING ON THE OBLIQUE PLANE BY THE EGG. GREAT STUFF.

(TOP) GUSTAVE MOREAU
OEDIPUS AND THE SPHINX
1864, OIL ON CANVAS
206.4 x 104.8CM
METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART, NYC

GIORGIO DE CHIRICO
COMPOSITION METAPHYSIQUE
1914, OIL ON CANVAS
81 X 54CM

VIERNES, EL VIENTICINCO DE SEPTIEMBRE, DOS MIL NUEVE
ANOTHER RECENTLY DESTROYED PAINTING BELOW, BUT INTERESTING (WELL, TO ME) IN WHERE IT LED.
THIS PAINTING, WHICH SEEMS TO HAVE A LOT OF EAGLE BOYS (NOW DEFUNCT PIZZA OUTFIT) REFERENCES, WAS NOT THE FIRST PAINTING WITH A SPHINX PRESENT, BUT THE FIRST TO ISOLATE THE IMAGE. THE SPHINX TURNS UP IN AS A CARDBOARD SCULPTURE IN MY HUGS AND KISSES SHOW IN 2003 AND IN A VERY RECENT WORK, A CRUZ DE LAS ANIMAS, WHICH HAS A REPRODUCTION OF A PANORAMIC PAINTING I DID IN LATE 2000, JUST AFTER THE TOP BLACK PAINTING. I REMEMBER DOING A GROUP PROJECT AT PRIMARY SCHOOL ON THE RIDDLE OF THE SPHINX, THAT WE ALL ILLUSTRATED IN CLASS. SO MY INTEREST AND THE INFLUENCE PROBABLY COMES FROM BACK THEN. THERE WERE NO SUCH THINGS AS REMOTE CONTROLS THEN, SO THAT'S A LATER ADDITION

JUEVES, EL VIENTICUATRO DE SEPTIEMBRE, DOS MIL NUEVE
A NEW RETABLO, TITLED THE BEGINNING OF THE END
2009
OIL ON TIN
360MM X 290MM

MIERCOLES, EL VIENTITRES DE SEPTIEMBRE, DOS MIL NUEVE
LOW-BROW ART?, HOW LOW CAN YOU GO? PLENTY LOW. I'M RE-READING GREENBERG'S AVANT-GARDE AND KITSCH FROM 1939, **WITH SURPRISING RESULTS!!** IT SEEMS THE HUNTER HAS BECOME THE HUNTED
I'LL GET BACK TO YA ON THAT ONE...

MARTES, EL VIENTIDOS DE SEPTIEMBRE, DOS MIL NUEVE
A PROPHETIC ARTWORK? A REVERSE PAINTED CD CASE WITH CD PAINT PALETTE INCLUDED.
I DIDN'T PARTICULARLY WANT THIS AS I HAVE A THING FOR THE PRINTED WORK.
RUMOUR HAS IT THAT THE FAT LADY HAS NOT YET SUNG, SO I'LL BE LOOKING FORWARD TO RECEIVING MY NEXT ISSUE, AS I STILL HAVE 2 ISSUES THAT ARE PAID FOR .

LUNES, EL VIENTIUNO DE SEPTIEMBRE, DOS MIL NUEVE
MY REOCCURRING BACKACHE IS BACK WITH A VENGEANCE. I KNOW WHERE THE PROBLEM IS (UPPER RIGHT-HAND SIDE SPINE, 3 LAYERS OF MUSCLE DEEP) BUT I CAN'T GET TO IT, UNLESS I GO TO A MASSEUR. ALL I CAN DO IS STRETCH TO RELIEVE THE TENSION, ONLY A SHORT TERM FIX.
IN MARCH 2008, I WAS WORKING WITH A MASSEUR WHO WAS INTERESTED IN REFLEXOLOGY, MOSTLY THE FEET. THE CHART BELOW IS THE MOST ACCURATE FOR ME AT PRESENT AND I LIKE IT BECAUSE IT'S VISUAL. IF I CAN RELAX ENOUGH, I CAN WORK ON MY OWN FEET BUT THAT TAKES A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF ENERGY AS YOU NEED TO BE RELAXED, BUT AWARE OF WHAT YOU'RE DOING AT THE SAME TIME.
I INCLUDED THIS CHART IN A LARGE RITUALISTIC PAINTING INSTALLATION I MADE AT THE START OF THIS YEAR CALLED THIRTY-THREE. THE FEET ARE FREED OF THE SHOES, AND WALK TOWARDS THE GRAVE AND ACTUALLY WALK ABOVE IT AS IF YOU WERE SKY-WALKING, SIMILAR TO THE GLASS SKY-WALK OVER THE GRAND CANYON. OF COURSE, YOU CAN SEE THE SOLES OF THE FEET, SO THE WHOLE IMAGE BECOMES FLIPPED 180 DEGREES AT THE POINT OF REALISATION.

UN CRUCIFIXION PARA DOMINGO, EL VIENTE DE SEPTIEMBRE, DOS MIL NUEVE
A CRUCIFIXION SHOWING TEH SEVEN SORROWS OF THE VIRGIN, BY A FOLLOWER OF QUINTEN MASSIJS (PREVIOUSLY ATTRIB. TO A FOLLOWER OF JAN PROVOST) ABOUT A METRE HIGH, 700MM WIDE.

SABATO, EL DIECINUEVE DE SEPTIEMBRE, DOS MIL NUEVE
WHERE'S GEORGE?

VIERNES, EL DIECIOCHO DE SEPTIEMBRE, DOS MIL NUEVE
ROB MCLEOD HAS AN EXHIBITION ON AT PRESENT OVER IN SYDNEY AT BEATTY GALLERY.
THERE'S SOME GREAT TITLES IN THE EXHIBITION THAT WORK AGAINST THE INGRAINED MYTH THAT HIS PAINTING IS ABOUT FORMALISM: PAINT SURFACE, SKIN AND THAT THERE IS NO MEANING (RECENT TILES ARE : SWIMMING AGAINST THE TIDE, WALKING AWAY, LOOKING FOR A BOSS, FIGHTING THE PAST, BREAKING FREE). THAT WAS THE LATE 70S AND EARLY 80'S, YET THERE HAS BEEN VERY LITTLE DISCUSSION OF HIS HEFTY TRANSITION BACK TO FIGURATION IN THE EARLY 2000'S. I'M GUESSING MOSTLY BECAUSE PEOPLE STILL SEE PAINT ON THE SURFACE, SO PRESUME THAT WHAT WAS WRITTEN IN THE LATE 70'S BY JIM BARR AND MARY BARR IN THEIR A-M BOOK MUST STILL STAND.
HIS WORK IS OFTEN REFERRED TO AS UGLY, WHICH IS AN ATTRIBUTE THAT DOESN'T SEEM TO BE TOLERATED IN THE NZ ART, ESPECIALLY IN THE PAINTING FIELD. THE STATES HAD THE KIENHOLZ'S, WHOSE VITRIOLIC LIFE-SIZE DIORAMAS OF POLITICAL AND PERSONAL THEMES I FIND SIMILAR TO MCLEOD'S GROTESQUES. NOT ONLY IN THEIR SIMILAR MESSAGES BUT IN THEIR RELATIVE SCALE AND INTEREST IN SCIENCE FICTION, HORROR AND HOW WE RELATE THOSE ATTRIBUTES TO OUR EVERYDAY LIVES AND SOCIETY. THE TYPE OF ARTWORK THAT WAS BEING PRODUCED IN THE STATES AT THAT TIME SEEMED TO BE A REACTION AGAINST THE POST-WAR, CLEAN-CUT OZZIE AND HARRIET WORLD THAT WAS BEING PROMOTED TO SOCIETY THROUGH THE TV. I GUESS I'M LEFT WONDERING: IF THE FACT THAT IF SOMETHING HAS BRIGHT COLOURED PAINT ON IT, IS SUPPOSED TO BE PLEASANT AND PRETTY?
HOW DO YOU ALTER THE PERCEPTIONS OF SUCH AN INTEGRAL SIGNIFIER OF PAINTING SO THAT IT'S COMPLETELY TURNED ON ITS HEAD?

JUEVES, EL DIECISIETE DE SEPTIEMBRE, DOS MIL NUEVE
ADDENDUM: WELL, I WAS INCORRECT. I RECEIVED NOTIFICATION YESTERDAY THAT MY WORK IN CHRISTCHURCH DID SELL. AWESOME. THERE'S HOPE YET.

MIERCOLES, EL DIECISEIS DE SEPTIEMBRE, DOS MIL NUEVE
THE PAINTING BELOW WAS AUCTIONED IN THE ART EVENT AT THE CHRISTCHURCH ART GALLERY ON FRIDAY NIGHT. HAVEN'T HEARD WHETHER IT SOLD OR NOT. BECAUSE OF THE TONE OF THE TEXT, I WOULDN'T BE SURPRISED IF IT HADN'T.

EX-VOTO (19TH OF AUGUST, 2009)
OIL ON TIN

MARTES, EL QUINCE DE SEPTIEMBRE. DOS MIL NUEVE
I'M SLOWLY GOING THROUGH OLD BOXES OF PAINTINGS AND DOING A BIT OF A CULL. HERE'S ONE, RECENTLY DESTROYED. ALTHOUGH I LIKE THE IDEA, THE PAINTING WAS NEVER RESOLVED. IN MY 2001 SKETCHBOOK, THE DRAWING FOR THIS WORK HAS THE SENTENCE UNDER IT: 'WHERE SCRIMSHAW COME FROM'

LUNES, EL CATORCE DE SEPTIEMBRE, DOS MIL NUEVE
JUST GOT BACK FROM WELLINGTON FROM SEEING HEAD LIKE A HOLE'S GIG AT THE ST. JAMES.
IT WAS LIKE THE PRODIGAL SONS RETURNING. AN ABSOLUTELY RIVETING PERFORMANCE THAT HAVE THE SAME GRUNT THAT I REMEMBER FROM SEEING THEM OVER 10 YEARS AGO.
HERE'S SOME BLAND PHONE CAMERA SHOTS:

VIERNES, EL ONCE DE SEPTIEMBRE, DOS MIL NUEVE
ANNIVERSARY

TOP: ONE, 2004, OIL ON CANVAS
BOTTOM: HOLINESS TO THE LORD, 2005, OIL ON CANVAS (DESTROYED 2007)

JUEVES, EL DIEZ DE SEPTIEMBRE, DOS MIL NUEVE
AN INVITATION TO PETER IRELAND'S NEW EXHIBITION AT RAYNER BROS GALLERY, OPENING THIS FRIDAY NIGHT AT 5.30PM.

MIERCOLES, EL NUEVE DE SEPTIEMBRE, DOS MIL NUEVE
SLOWLY MAKING MY WAY THROUGH THIS BORDER, I GUESS IT GIVES ME A SENSE OF PURPOSE.
HA HA.

LUNES, EL SIETE DE SEPTIEMBRE, DOS MIL NUEVE
HERE'S THE REST OF THE PAINTINGS I WAS TALKING ABOUT LAST WEDNESDAY.
THE SICK SELF-PORTRAIT IS AT TOP-LEFT.

CRUZ DE LA DIAS, DOMINGO, EL SEIS DE SEPTIEMBRE, DOS MIL NUEVE
A COMMON CRUCIFIX USED ON COFFINS - A TWO-PIECE PLASTIC MOLDED CROSS AND CORPUS, THEN ELECTRO-PLATED

SABATO, EL CINCO DE SPETIEMBRE, DOS MIL NUEVE
A FRIDGE

VIERNES, EL CUATRO DE SEPTIEMBRE, DOS MIL NUEVE
TONIGHT, PAUL JOHNS HAS AN EXHIBITION OPENING AT MCNAMARA GALLERY.
ALSO, POLVO HAVE JUST RELEASED THEIR NEW ALBUM AFTER 12 YEARS, CALLED IN PRISM. YOU CAN LISTEN TO A STREAMED VERSION OF IT HERE.

JUEVES, EL TRES DE SEPTIEMBRE, DOS MIL NUEVE
A NEW STUDIO SHOT, LIKE PULLING TEETH AT THE MOMENT, I'M PAINTING ANOTHER ONE OF THOSE FRAMES WITHIN A FRAME, USING A GREEK SUAVSTIKA PATTERN (LIKE IN THE CHRISTCHURCH CATHEDRAL) THAT I'VE PAINTED A FEW TIMES NOW. YOU NEED 14 LINES OF 2 DIFFERENT TONES OR COLOURS TO FORM THE UNDULATING PATTERN. I LIKE TO PAINT ALL THE LINES IN FIRST, THEN PAINT THE CROSS-BARS TO FORM THE PATTERN AS I DON'T LIKE HAVING THE DRAW IT ALL OUT FIRST AS IT FEELS TOO MUCH LIKE COLOURING-IN. IT'S A DIRGE OF A JOB AS IT IS, BUT I GUESS IT SORTS THE GHOSTS FROM THE SHEETS.

MIERCOLES, EL DOS DE SEPTIEMBRE, DOS MIL NUEVE
AFTER THINKING ABOUT MONDAY'S POST ABOUT THE DRAFT PAINTING OF 'THE HITCHER', I REMEMBERED A PAINTING I DID IN 1997 ON A SIMILAR SUBJECT. I DEVELOPED MOST OF THESE IDEAS DURING MY FRIST TRIP OVERSEAS MID 1997 TO THE UK. I HAD PLENTY OF SPARE TIME TO DRAW WHILE TAKING TRAINS AROUND THE COUNTRY. WHEN I GOT BACK TO ART SCHOOL, IT ALL POURED OUT.
IT'S INTERESTING TO SEE THE REOCCURRING THEMES AND MOTIFS THAT I STILL USE TODAY- THE FRAMES WITHIN THE FRAME OF THE EXTERIOR SHAPE OF THE CANVAS OR BOARD, MORTALITY MOTIFS AND WORDS OR TITLES INTEGRATED INTO THE COMPOSITION. SOME SIMILAR THEMES TOO- TRAVELLING, DISLOCATION, ESCAPISM. I'D LOVE TO KNOW WHERE THIS PAINTING IS. I SOLD THE MAJORITY OF THIS SERIES AT MY END OF YEAR SHOW EXCEPT FOR TWO THAT I KEPT- A SELF PORTRAIT WHILE SICK WITH THE FLU AND ANOTHER ONE THAT I STILL HAVEN'T WORKED OUT WHAT IT'S ABOUT.
SORRY ABOUT THE QUALITY OF THE IMAGE, THIS IS PRE-DIGITAL AND FROM WHAT I CAN REMEMBER, I TOOK THE PHOTO OF THIS WORK USING TUNGSTEN SLIDE FILM IN DAYLIGHT. NOT A GOOD MOVE. I'M GLAD THOSE DAYS ARE OVER. I FIND EDITING WITH PHOTOSHOP SO MUCH EASIER.

MARTES, EL UNO DE SEPTIEMBRE, DOS MIL NUEVE
A FANCY-TICKLER THAT ARRIVED VIA EMAIL THIS MORNING, A CARTOON BY NEW YORKER CONTRIBUTOR, DANNY SHANAHAN.

LUNES, EL TRIENTE Y UNO DE AGOSTO, DOS MIL NUEVE
NUDE PAINTINGS, NOT AS IN THE SUBJECT, BUT THE PROCESS. I LIKE TO HAVE A PRIOR SURFACE TO PAINT OVER BEFORE 'STARTING' A PAINTING, SO I TEND TO WIPE MY BRUSHES OVER THE BLANK CANVAS OR LINEN TO ROUGH IT UP A BIT. I THINK IT''S PART OF DISRESPECTING THE SURFACE SO YOU TAKE AWAY ITS PERCEIVED PRECIOUSNESS. BELOW IS AN EXAMPLE- I'D PAINTED THE BROWN BORDER, THEN USED UP SOME DILUTED PAINT TO FORM THE NUDE FLAGELLATI, READY TO HITCH WITH HIS SUITCASE (I'LL PROBABLY USE THAT AT SOME LATER STAGE). AND.... VOILA- THEN THERE'S THE FINISHED WORK. IN THE DETAILS BELOW, YOU CAN SEE THE REMNANTS OF THE FORM OF THE STAR AND THE TOP OF THE FLAGELLATI'S HOOD.

CRUZ DE DOMINGO, EL TRIENTE DE AGOSTO, DOS MIL NUEVE
A GOOD EXAMPLE OF A STANDARD 1970'S CRUCIFIX WITH CENTRAL METAL STRIPING ON THE CROSS. THE CORPUS IS MOULDED FROM FAUX-GOLD PLASTIC, CAST FROM A TYPICAL CHRIST FORM, BLESSING WITH HIS LEFT HAND.

SABATO, EL VIENTINUEVE DE AGOSTO, DOS MIL NUEVE
JAMES CASWELL OF HISTORIA ANTIQUES HAS VERY KINDLY PUT A LINK FROM HIS WEBSITE TO MINE TO PROMOTE EX-VOTO COMMISSIONS. WE MET JAMES LAST JULY WHEN WE WERE OUT IN SANTA MONICA. I'D KNOWN OF HIS STORE AND WAS VERY KEEN TO GET A TRADITIONAL EX-VOTO OF MY OWN. I ENDED UP WITH THREE (YOU'LL NEED TO SCROLL DOWN TO THE 12TH OF JUNE). HERE'S A PHOTO OF JAMES AND I AND HIS SON ALBERTO.

VIERNES, EL VIENTIOCHO DE AGOSTO, DOS MIL NUEVE
WELL, I DID IT. HERE'S MY 'COLLECTION' THUS FAR. YOU CAN CLICK ON THE IMAGE BELOW TO ENLARGE THEM OR GO TO MY EX-VOTO WEBSITE TO VIEW THEM UP CLOSE.

JUEVES, EL VIENTISEIS DE AGOSTO, DOS MIL NUEVE
SINCE I'M STILL SICK, I'VE GONE THROUGH AND UPDATED MY WEBSITE, MOSTLY MY EX-VOTO PAGES, INCLUDING A SET OF NEW CRUCIFIXES I'VE JUST COMPLETED. I'M THINKING OF FIRING UP PHOTOSHOP AND PUTTING TOGETHER A MONTAGE OF ALL THE CRUCIFIXES I'VE COMPLETED OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, SIMILAR TO WHAT I DID WITH THE WHITEWORLD DRAWINGS. I'LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS. THE MORE LIKELY SCENARIO IS THAT I'LL BE BETTER TOMORROW AND FORGET ABOUT IT.
IN REGARD TO MY CRUCIFIXES, THEY ARE BASED ON THE MEXICAN-COLONIAL 'ANIMAS' CRUCIFIXES WHICH WERE CONSTRUCTED AND PAINTED BY ARTISANS AS A DEVOTIONAL OBJECT TO HELP YOUR ANCESTORS NAVIGATE THEIR WAY THROUGH PURGATORY. I USE THESE FORMS BECAUSE I OFTEN SEE THE ARTWORLD AS A SELF-INFLICTED PURGATORY, FILLED WITH ISSUES RELATING TO SURVIVAL, MORAL JUDGMENTS, SCRUPLES, POSITIVE CENSORSHIP AND UNJUSTIFIED NOBILITIES. SO I USE THIS FORMAT AS AN ANALOGY TO THAT, BUT ADD MY TWO CENTS IN THE DETAIL, KIND OF LIKE THE SUBVERSIVE USE OF THE PREDELLA IN THE RENAISSANCE.

CRUZ (DE LAS ANIMAS) LATE 19TH CENTURY
POLYCHROME WOOD
COURTESY OF HISTORIA ANTIQUES

MIERCOLES, EL VIENTISEIS DE AGOSTO, DOS MIL NUEVE
TODAY IS THE ANNIVERSARY OF TEX AVERY'S DEATH...29 YEARS AGO (HE DIED IN 1980). AVERY'S WORK ON LOONY TUNES WAS A GREAT INFLUENCE ON MY DRAWING AS A KID - TAUGHT ME A LOT ABOUT SCALE, ANIMATING THE FORM TO SHOW MOVEMENT AND EXPLOITING CARICATURE. I'D LOVE TO SHOW YOU SOME EXAMPLES, UNFORTUNATELY, I HAVEN'T YET SCANNED THE MANY DRAWING I DID FOR MY FATHER WHEN I WAS YOUNG. THERE MUST BE AROUND 40 - 50 FINISHED DRAWINGS IN HIS POSESSION. I MUST DO THAT THE NEXT TIME I'M BACK IN HAWKES BAY.

MARTES, EL VIENTICINCO DE AGOSTO, DOS MIL NUEVE
WAY BACK IN APRIL, I SHOWED A SKETCH. OF COURSE I'VE COME INTO NEW ISSUES SURROUNDING THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE WORK, MOSTLY DUE TO NOT WANTING TO REPEAT MYSELF AND WANTING TO PUSH MY IDEA OF 'PAINTING'. BOTH IN A PHYSICAL AND COMMERCIAL/ ANTI-COMMERCIAL SENSE. I'M RE-READING FRANK STELLA'S WORKING SPACE TO SEE IF THERE'S ANY ANSWERS IN THERE. EVEN THOUGH HE STOPS AT ABSTRACT EXPRESSIONISM, THERE'S PLENTY OF BASE MATERIAL DISCUSSED IN THE BOOK, WHICH FORMALLY, COULD BE USED IN MOST PAINTING CIRCUMSTANCES.

LUNES, EL VIENTICUATRO DE AGOSTO, DOS MIL NUEVE
MANAGED TO GET MYSELF OUT OF BED TO TEACH TODAY, FEELING BETTER AND HOPEFULLY AT THE END OF THE COLD. DAVE HICKEY'S AIR GUITAR ARRIVED IN THE POST TODAY WHICH IS COOL, IT'S NOT TOO LONG SO WILL PROBABLY HAVE FINISHED READING IT BY TOMORROW. HERE'S ANOTHER CRUCIFIX WITH HICKEY ON IT:

DOMINGO, EL VIENTITRES DE AGOSTO, DOS MIL NUEVE
GREAT NIGHT LAST NIGHT, GOOD TURN OUT AT THE OPENING, ESP WHANGANUI FOLK. WE WENT BACK TO WHANGANUI AFTER THE SHOW WOUND DOWN AND POPPED IN TO TYLEE COTTAGE TO MEET NEW RESIDENT MIRANDA PARKES AND CATCH UP WITH LAURA AND TAO. NOW, UNFORTUNATELY, I'M SICK- HEADCOLD- AND I HAVE TO FINISH A WORK TO SEND DOWN TO CHRISTCHURCH NEXT WEEK. ROTTEN
HERE'S ONE OF THE NEW WORKS I TOOK DOWN TO MARK.

SECURITY
2009
OIL ON WOOD

SABATO, EL VIENTIDOS DE AGOSTO, DOS MIL NUEVE
A NIGHT AT HOME, THEN PACK TO PALMY THIS MORNING TO FINISH THE SET UP OF 'I GO WHERE THE PARTY TAKES ME', A GROUP PHOTOGRAPHY SHOW CURATED BY JK RUSS. (CHECK HER BLOG OUT SOON FOR PHOTOS OF THE OPENING). I'M STARTING TO COME DOWN WITH SOMETHING, I FEEL WRECKED AFTER THOSE FEW BUSY DAYS IN WTGN, ESPECIALLY THE SESSION AFTER VICTOR'S EXHIBITION OPENING!

CAUTIONARY
2000
OIL AND ENAMEL ON WOOD
PRIVATE COLLECTION, WTGN

VIERNES, EL VIENTIUNO DE AGOSTO, DOS MIL NUEVE
YESTERDAY ENDED UP BEING QUITE BUSY, A LOOK AROUND THE GALLERIES, WALK AROUND THE PORT AND A VISIT UP TO ROB'S PLACE. DINNER AND STAYING WITH WHANAU, UP FIRST THING IN THE MORNING TO PALMERSTON NORTH TO SET UP JO'S SHOW AT THERMOSTAT.

BANK BALLANCE (BASED ON THE OLD BNZ BUILDING IN WTGN)
OIL AND ENAMEL ON CANVAS
1999
PRIVATE COLLECTION, WTGN

JUEVES, EL VIENTE DE AGOSTO, DOS MIL NUEVE
YESTERDAY, I 'HAD MY TAXES DONE' AND IT'S GOOD TO HAVE THAT FINISHED. EVEN THOUGH IT WENT SMOOTHLY, IT'S STILL A DRAIN. BELOW IS A COOL CARTOON BY CLAY BENNETT, A PERFECT IMAGE REALLY (U.S. OF COURSE, BEING IRS). I ALSO DE-INSTALLED MY WORK AT CRAWLSPACE AND DROPPED OFF SOME NEW WORK TO MARK AT THE GALLERY. TODAY, I INTEND TO CHECK OUT SOME GALLERIES.

MIERCOLES, EL DIECINUEVE DE AGOSTO, DOS MIL NUEVE
WELCOME MIRANDA PARKES TO WHANGANUI AND TYLEE COTTAGE

LITTLE DIPPER, 2006
IMAGE COURTESY OF ANTOINETTE GODKIN, AUCKLAND
Miranda Parkes

MARTES, EL DIECIOCHO DE AGOSTO, DOS MIL NUEVE
HERE'S THE INVITATION TO 'I GO WHERE THE PARTY TAKES ME', CURATED BY JO. THE SHOW OPENS AT THERMOSTAT IN PALMY THIS COMING SATURDAY NIGHT.
WE'RE OFF TO WELLINGTON TODAY FOR A FEW DAYS SO I'LL HAVE TO BACK-DATE SOME POSTS WHEN I'M NEAR A CONNECTION.