Wells Cathedral, A Work in Progress.

It's been ages since I've posted and I'm not keeping up with my friends blogs, for which I apologise. Life is very busy at the moment. We have the first of 3 Christmas Showings this Thursday (10-00  ~  1600).

 The Gallery Lady and I have spoken twice more ... but I'm not sure if we will go far together.

I'm buried in drawing Wells Cathedral. Although I'm not keen on its exterior, inside is a delight. It looks modern but is about 900+ years old.

It's a big drawing (pen & ink) 22 inches high and 16 inches wide. Being the World's worst photographer: I have managed to make a black and white picture look Green and Brown!! Don't know how I managed it.

Celeste suggested that a WIP might be in order, and here it is!

Remembrance!

My computer broke down, but at last I'm back on line and trying to catch up with everyone's blogs!

My news is that the Gallery 'lady' called me up and wants to meet next week!! My prints are beginning to sell on-line (computer permitting).

I went to Melbourne in North Yorkshire for Remembrance Sunday - where we pay our respects to those Service men and women who died in times of war. Melbourne was a World War 2 airfield from which my old Squadron (10 Squadron) flew bombers. The farmer who now owns the old airfield donated a piece of land on which we have built a memorial funded by our donations. The wartime element of our association were represented by 92 year old Doug Evans DFC (nearest camera) a bomber pilot. Furthest from the camera, Tom Thackaray a 92 year old Flight Engineer

The nickname of the Squadron has always been, 'Shiny Ten,' hence the Shiny 10 on the memorial.

 The Squadron sent the Colour Party to parade the Squadron Standard.

We all adjourned to the pub (The Plough) in which the wartime crews had a lot of serious fun. A good lunch and a good day ... We Will Remember Them! ...Bomber Command lost 57,000 aircrew ... many from 10 Squadron.

They flew Halifax bombers and I posted S-for-Sugar, in an earlier post. 

The best known British bomber was the Dambusters Lancaster which I have just drawn

Back from the Printers

Some of my early work came out of retirement for a new lease of life in the hands of my brilliant printers. It was like working with old friends again. We lived near both buildings during our early days. The former in Germany (1961 - 64 and 1979 - 83), and the latter in Wiltshire - Lacock Village (most of my kids young lives).

The village has been used as a film and television set, notably for the 1995 production of Pride and Prejudice, the 2007 production of  Cranford . It has also made brief appearances in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone and Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Most recently, in the Spring of 2012, it was a filming location for the fantasy adventure movie Mariah Mundi and the Midas Box which is scheduled for release in 2013... you saw it here first folks!

click on image

                  Cologne Cathedral      
                         17 inches x 11 inches              
          Pen & Ink on Cartridge Paper 

Sign of the Angel
                13 inches x 8 inches            
    Pen & Ink on Cartridge Paper

Wentworth Castle

Pat has got our next show set up for the end of the month in Wentworth Castle... which isn't really a castle at all, more of a 'Stately Home'.

It's the venue for Weddings and Wedding Receptions. The Happy Couple usually pose outside the 'Folly," Stainborough Castle ... therefore I am currently drawing this scene, which is both a nice subject to draw and the prints from it a logical commercial product.

I'm not sure if a folly is an international concept, or just a British extravagance. Such buildings are purely ornamental, serving no practical purpose whatsoever. 

You may recall how my artistic history is littered with unplanned events that changed its course - I only discover I am at a crossroads after I have passed it! Well I'm rather hoping it has happened again. I was supposed to go to the Printers last Tuesday to pick up my latest batch of prints. He asked me to come on Thursday morning instead, as he was running behind schedule. 

As Pat was late back from the hairdressers, we didn't get to the Printers until mid afternoon. Having missed our appointment, we found Darren was busy with his #1 customer who had boxes of paintings for framing. He apologised  and handed me over to his assistant, but not before I gave him my artwork of the 'Lunardi Balloon'  (two posts ago, below). His customer dropped what she was doing and said, "I like that, copy it in and blow it up, Darren."...... she liked it!

It transpires she owns two galleries and is opening another in Stratford-upon-Avon (Shakespeare's home? Google it). Having glanced at the work I was picking up ...we spoke for an hour ... she is coming to see me here on Monday and Tuesday. My stuff would be ideal for Stratford, with its Tudor black and white timbered buildings. However ... getting to my age has made me the perpetual sceptic, I anticipate that this will go nowhere. Decisions that are quickly made and need to be 'run before a partner' before it is finalised seldom go very far. .... However, another paragraph in the memoires :0)