Rusty Bits

Last year whilst on holiday in the Bristol area, with friends, we went to look at The SS Great Britain.

The SS Great Britain was a world’s first when she was launched in Bristol in 1843.   Designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel, she had the groundbreaking combination of a screw propeller, an iron hull, and a massive 1000-horsepower steam engine.

The ship has now been extensively restored; it was just a rusty hull when it was brought back to Bristol in 1970. What the restorers have achieved is fantastic. It was well worth the visit and I would recommend it to anyone visiting the area.  Whilst roaming around the ship with the other tourists who were taking general photographs of the ship I spotted some patches of rust on the hull. Bubbling, flaking rust. The hull has been painted a bright orange red.  The rust colours and textures attracted me to the rust patches. Must ‘snap’ these for future reference thought I. Did not know why but what is the cost of a digital snap.

I now know why I took the pictures. I came across them a few days ago and as soon as I saw them I thought that they would be a good subject for my current ‘segments’ way of working.

I have started a picture based on these inspirational rust patches but I do not think that I will have it finished before my holiday. I will post it as soon as I think it is finished. (good or bad)

Poppies at Burton Agnes Hall, again.

A few years ago when I first got back into dabbling with art I would slap paint about and was disappointed if I could not achieve the image that was in my mind’s eye within a night. Move the clock forward to now. I have my own workspace where I can leave my work out and dabble as and when I find some free time.  I am now finding that this freedom allows me to control more what I do and how I do it.  I feel that I am now finding my own style and not now thinking that my work must be to others standards. I am now only ‘arting’ to please myself. If others like my work then this is a joy to me but I do not start now with the result in my mind.

My approach to my ‘Wallflowers’ in my ‘inspired art’ post was an experiment. I liked to result and the way of working. The small segments allowed stopping and starting frequently.  Taking this approach further I decided to reinterpret my ‘Poppies at Burton Agnes Hall’ painting (8^th May post). This piece took me about 20 hours to produce and again I am pleased with the result.

I have produced another blank with segments outlined but as yet I do not know what I have in mind to start the colour infill process. But I am sure something will come to me soon.



Size 5" x 12"



Return of the Jelly Babies

I have not completed any work recently to post so I thought that I would produce the second of my Jelly Baby stories which has been buzzing around my head for a while.

Sorry the pictures are a bit dark but when you read the story you will understand why they are overcast.

If you missed my first story you can find it here at one of my earlier posts http://sparkartsquaresblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2011/04/taking-advice.html