away from the moon . just looking at colour and tone. no focus

The night felt thin, the light and the air felt thin. None of that sense of being shrouded or hidden. The spotlight of the moon felt harsh even as it passed behind clouds. I took some photos. I dont really want to rely on photos entirely but it helps me to remember what i thought. I played around with the little compact camera until the tones and colours were close to what I could see. Here is the closest.

as close as i could get to what my eye could see.away from the moon . just looking at colour and tone. no focus

Some thoughts or choices have come up as a result of thinking about this.

The natural night vs the modern night. How does the contemporary night differ? The halogen headlights on the car combine to give an unnatural colour in a foreground but leave an natural sky beyond for example.

Digital manipulation vs  purely observed. It is possible to create stunning images very easily but is there an value in that for me?

Whistler, Van gogh , Munch , Friedrich , Rego etc have all understood their use of the night in their work. They have used it to there own symbolic ends.

My initial approach to the subject has left me feeling that I must understand my motivation in more depth to help inform decisions.

In other news I am really excited to have found some inspiring images that will enable me to start some new work. I think I may try painting on board this time. Just have to get over the hurdle of bulding myself or finding someone who will.

I am unsure whether it is a feature of ageing or a personal quirk that I grow ever more excited by the prospect of commitment to deeper learning and self development. I have long since tired of the quick study and the stylistic and shallow work of my younger self. There is a sense now that I am embarking on a more authentic and worthwhile journey. I find that I am excited by the idea of faithfully committing  to a process of development that does not short cut but reveals itself slowly.

David Lynch talks of “catching the big fish”. He uses transcendental meditation to reach levels of understanding and insight. I admire the sentiment, although I suspect they are not the means for me. We have talked about the artists journey being a slow one. My mentor said as much when she suggested “its not a race” at a time i was anxious about the appearance of progress.

My commitment that coincides with this period of new year and of resolution is that I will begin the long and daunting process of learning to paint the darkness. I have avoided undertaking this for a couple of reasons.

Firstly there is the association with the angst and melodrama of youth that accompanies reference to painting the night. It was indeed in my teens that my love of darkness and night developed, no doubt with all the cliches firmly intact. It is a notion though that has persisted and still remains. There is much of the symbolic language and associated sentiment that strikes me still.

The second reason is the technical difficulty painting the subtle tonal changes and ungraspable colours of the darkness. It is not something that I feel could be got at easily. I think I could emulate effects in a reasonably short time to but to go beyond that will take prolonged effort.

You comforted me with your reading from  Albert Pinkham Ryder – 1905

“Art is long, the artist must buckle himself with infinite patience. His ears must be deaf to the clammer of his insistent friends who would quicken his pace. His eyes must see naught but the vision beyond. He must await the season of fruitage without haste, without worldly ambitions, and without vexation of spirit. An inspiration is no more than a seed that must be planted and nourished. it gives growth as it grows too the artist only as he watched and waits with his highest effort.”

And what joy to see that he too painted the night!

So i will start with serious study and collection of fine night painting and spend time in observation and rumination.

And so my resolution with “fasting and prayer” is to become a student of the deep shadows and silvery bowers of the nocturne.

wish me luck and I will keep you informed of my progress.

faithfully

your old friend

Anyway, I have been hesitant to delve into Friedrich’s oeuvre for fear of scaring whatever subtle thing lies waiting for me there. Even now I have this wonderful book( As an aside nothing makes me much happier now that a well times book about about an artist! Last year was Bonnard and previously Beckman) as i was saying even though I have the book I am hesitating. As a friend put it ” the promise of the potential is a beautiful thing in itself” perhaps I am savouring that.

I feel a little reverent about the book and have that strange desire to read it all word for word. I dont know if I will. I never have before , I usually start and then study picture after beautiful picture.

Moonrise by the Sea, C.D.Friedrich, 1822, Oil on canvas

On The 23rd Dec I was lucky enough to go for the first time to St Paul’s in Birmingham to hear a concert by Ex Cathedra. What  a beautiful experience and it seemed to me that the voices in the choir were used like colours from a palette to paint such evocative images. Obviously Agnes Dei brought me to tears. I have to say I have not stopped listening to the CD I bought.

There are some obvious links between these two influential things. I have been on an ongoing search for a spiritual(horrible word!) stand point for some years and it has already influenced my work although I rarely, if ever talk about it.  Perhaps this coming years work will see that develop.

As for Friedrich, well it might be that I finally learn from him how to paint the night and that would be exciting.

Its been a while since I wrote to you. I thought of you whilst on a recent visit to London. I had a couple of spare hours and was in the vicinity of Somerset House. I decided to while away the hours in the Courtauld Institute. It was here that I was reminded of you and the many happy times we have spent looking at art together.  I decided then that I must write a share my thoughts. I hope that this letter finds you well and it to reminds you of good times.

I must first confess that despite many years of doing so and even teaching others the skill, that I am less than good at looking at the art of others. My dear friend I do find it difficult. Even with a reasonable knowledge of the “whens” and “whys” of the thing I do lack the insight that you so often demonstrate. Perhaps the suppositions that an painter should be good at looking at paintings is a hasty one.  You will see from my thoughts that my opinions are unreliable and idiosyncratic to say the least. If I cannot share this in private with you then perhaps there is no place that I can.

I freely admit my excitement at finding myself with a couple of “stolen” hours to indulge in the great pleasure of being amongst the products of my heroes. I took great pleasure in placing my winter clothes in the locker to make myself lighter and more comfortable to submerge into this world that is I understand grandiose and pompous to many contemporaries.

I made my way to the top of the institute, up the grand staircase and straight to the temporary exhibition of Spanish drawing from “Ribera to Picasso” I found myself a little disappointed. I know for well the difficulty of handling and looking after these old drwing but there presentation in uniformly dull framing does for me sap all of the life from them. These are working documents of the artist often never intended to to be exhibited or even seen publicly. These frames make too much of them at the same time as sterilising the life right out of them. A contradiction I know but I trust you will know what I try to convey.

There are fabulous moments though and my favourite drawing was “Santiago at the battle of claviso” by Maties De Torres which contained this fabulous flying horseman. My disappointment didnt last though as I wondered room after room of my heroes work.

Anyway I must close for now, I will write again soon to tell you of the magical little Seurats!

yours faithfully

Your old friend D

Anneka French installing

Recently our little Team of three, Curator Anneka French , artist Chantal Powell and myself finally get to explore the possibilities of our work and ideas in a small (but nicely placed !) space in Wolverhampton Art Gallery. Compared to the pressure of hanging my one man show a month or so ago it was really great to work with a team. Even better to relinquish some of the decision making to Anneka.

In contrast to my solo show this time I really enjoyed collaborating with an installation artist and exploring the “objectness” of my work. Paintings displayed as slides and drawing as an ongoing giant scroll etc.

Our exploration of materials has also been a real pleasure to me. Our show explore among many notions and ideas that of the human desire to make, embellish and change ordinary objects into things of much more value, spiritually or culturally. The objects found in The Pitt Rivers Collection were our main source of inspiration for this.

Our relationships with materials and sense of value and availability has been exposed as a real area of interest for me. Skulls from ebay, wood from Wickes, Garden Canes and stones from a garden landscaping centre. In contrast to our predecessors more direct relationships with their objects.

There is a connection here with my work concerning fashion images and catalogues. The idea that we can simply choose and have the life/things we want.

The simplicity and perceived lack of value also give rise to some thought about our cynical adult minds. The family made theatre set which would have brought so much joy to a 6 year old me reminds me of what I have lost as I have gained supposed sophistication as an adult.

Hours drawing my favourite animals as i did when i was ten eleven revitalised the medative nature of prolonged drawing. Creating a space in the mind where ideas can grow and flourish. I will try to remember that “doing” drawing could be a way to new ideas as an alternative to thinking or reading.

I have continued this train of thought with my next piece. An experimental drawing using the projector on canvas. Using a set of photographs that I took exactly one year ago on a icey snow covered night. Again images prove that they need time to mature before i can respond to them.

I like that these images are local. (Unusually for me) I like the idea of making something theatrical from something familiar and ordinary. I usually start with extraordinary, national geographic or vogue.

anyway It is called “Between Graveyard and Asylum” and those familiar with my area will know where that is. here is a in progress shot

Between Graveyard & Asylum, Pencil on canvas (unfinished) Dean Melbourne

a lovely thing

I love finding great books. Or ones that you didnt know you wanted. I recently found a copy of The Art Of The New Naturalist without its dust jacket so it was very cheap and even more mysterious. I have grown to really love this style/period of British printmaking mostly thanks to working alongside a printmaker in my time at Wolverhampton Art Gallery who was passionate about them and very talented in his own right.

The book is devided into two periods. The first and by far the most interesting is dedicated to the work of Clifford & Rosemary Ellis who designed nearly every book jacket from 1945 – 1985. Each cover is err covered showing planning and process work.

quick snap of one of my favs

I feel really switched on by this work at the moment. The prints have the feel of 50′s 60′s textiles and ceramic patterns which i have always loved but somehow dont have the same warmth as these more pictorial images. 

Perhaps it is a sign of my getting older that I find the only thing i like on tv is autumn watch and my urge to be amongst british countryside is rapidly growing from a casual pleasure to an medicinal necessity. The Britishness of these prints and colourways shines through and what I used to see as dusty and boring I now see as soulful and authentic.

As an example a friend and I spent far to long driving to South Stack RSPB reserve on Anglesey on saturday and back through Snowdonia.

View From South Stack, I had seen Gerhard Richter the day before!

I am sure that for many these books and prints are already very familiar and well known so forgive me if you are thinking “where have you been” for me they are a lovely discovery and I thought it might be nice to share.

here is a link to The New Naturalist Online where you can print on demand! I will of course be starting a collection of originals immediately so if you have any let me know.

I will be exploring these new inspirations when i fire up my new printing press. I will also be doing a special sale event of my current editions that I have available. It may take the form of a blind auction so if you think you would like to own a Melbourne look out for that .

She talked about personal development. How we move things forward as a human being hopefully trying to be better all the time. We have periods in our lives when we focus on some elements more than others. Sometimes we concentrate on our intellect more either because we are studying or just because that is our interest. At other time we think about our physical selves maybe a fitness drive or a diet. At other times we consider our spiritual selves. You can add categories here. Financial is another to consider. It is I guess an aim to be a well-rounded individual if possible or at least be ok in more than one area.

The revelation for me was to recognise that you it is probably asking of yourself too much to expect to do it all at once. What is more I dont have to. As progress is made with one area inevitably we neglect another. The drive to shift focus will no doubt come in time. This simple thought gave me permission to feel ok about not doing what I could do. It even gave me a thought that removed some anxiety about my progress both as an artist and a human being.

I share this because I feel that with the opening of my one man show at BPN I have brought a period of particular focus to a close. For many years I focused on content with little investment of time or money in presentation, consistency and professionalism . My experience with Debut Contemporary pushed me to face some of those weak areas and through the support of my nearest and dearest I made significant progress. Seeing my new work properly framed for example proved that I could make a quality product. I guess a consistent unit.  The benefits go beyond just that though and have positively affected my self belief and confidence.

I also now have a system, a practice that i can develop and evolve but will give me the chance to make works that will feel like Dean Melbournes. With a focus on more commercial elements of my practise my consideration of content, although not forgotten, was less intense. I am now really excited to shift the focus back and see what results.

I dont think it is a coincidence that this week saw a significant development in The Fall Of The Majestic Elk project. One of the visitor to my private view was the young talented curator and writer Anneka french. I previously worked with Anneka at Wolverhampton Art Gallery while she was Curatorial Assistant. Chantal and I were really interested in bringing a third party into the project to direct, curate, manage aspects and most importantly to give a fresh opinion. After a fabulous meeting this week I am really happy to say that Anneka will be that third person.

Already this has signalled a great change in my thoughts about the work I want to produce as Anneka has rekindled my desire to push my thinking beyond the obvious and take more risks with my work.

Our exhibition in november and W.A.G will be our first outing as a three and the first of many I hope.

to read some of Anneka’s reviews go to this link and here for details of our show