New paintings for 'take 5' exposicion

‘Seascape on a windy day’

I have always been a great fan of vibrant colour and vivacity. Sometimes though, the colours alone are not enough to represent the movement and force of nature for me. The wind and sea are not a fixed thing. This is especially true, and all the more relevant on a boat, when you realize that you are only a tiny little dot in the vast expanse of nature. Here I wanted to show a scene of pure movement and force, and therefore emphasised this with fast moving clouds and waves crashing around the rugged coastline, threatening to break out of the picture.

‘Regatta day’

Again vibrant colours and heavy textures are singing their songs in a celebration of life. I have always loved that feeling of anticipation when coming into harbour for the first time. Especially if it’s for a day of celebration with other like minded people. Coming from an island nation where you are never more than 50 miles from the sea, instils something in the blood. A blood that is made up of much history and many nationalities. The Vikings, Normans, English, Spanish, and many others besides are all part of my DNA.

Ceol na Mara (Music of the sea)

Here is a painting I have been working on for my latest exhibition in Spain. It's called 'Ceol na Mara' (Gaelic for Music of the sea). You can see it in the flesh so to speak at the inauguration at the RENFE Sala de Exposiciones in Torrevieja on the 13th February - see below for location map, GPS co-ordinates etc. Hope to see you there.

The loss of a dear friend

I lost a dear, old friend this week in a road traffic accident. An adventurer and man of strong and generous character, Bernard Fison will be dreadfully missed by many. I felt moved to write a poem as a reminder of our travels together. A loss deeply felt.

Bernard

It rained today.
We’d talked
of art trips down to Spain,
the wine we’d drink,
the bread we’d share.
The easels sit anticipating
in the corner now unused.
It rained today.
My world is smaller than before.
What colours we saw
when we sailed north,
hues of blue and green and pink,
in the same sky
at the same time.
Magical!
And all the while
the music played.
The lark ascending
lifted our hearts and spirits.
Singing, as you played
the grand piano,
made grander still
while you were here.
I’ll play the song
just one more time,
and reminisce
the laughter shared.
It rained today.
The clouds are full.
I’ll paint the colours,
and remember.

Pacific Yachting Magazine

Yesterday I received a copy of 'Pacific Yachting' magazine from editor Jeffrey Briggs. If you remember, Jeffrey asked for permission to use my words and images as part of an article for his magazine tying in boats and art. Along with Robert Genn and another 13 or so artists he has created a nice feature based around the subject and I thank him for the opportunity to participate.

I'm not sure what range of countries, or areas of the world the magazine is available in apart from the USA, but if any reader of this blog can get hold of a copy, by all means do so.

Many thanks to Jeffrey and Robert for your input and support. It's much appreciated.

Snowing in Hannover

Note - In case of confusion - the next few entries were made over the space of a few days travelling but due to lack of access to internet connection they have all been uploaded on the same day.

While walking by the Maschsee (a large lake in the middle of Hannover city) under the shade of mature trees to stay out of the hot sun, I was struck by a surreal image of snowfall all around me. It was actually the shedding of floating seeds from plants all around the lake that were carried high in the air by light winds. As they returned gently to earth, the image created was one of a winter scene tempered by the yachts sailed by crew in their summer wear.

Passing by a ruined church in the centre of town, I saw stained glass windows where none had stood for many decades. The church in question was called Aegidienkirche and was destroyed in 1943. Today it serves as a memorial, and artist Inge-Rose Lippok has placed a number of painted panels in the open window spaces to recreate the image of windows in an empty space full of memories.

This is countered by bright colourful quirky creatures called ‘Nanas’ by artist Niki de Saint Phalle along with striking sculptures placed around various points of the city. In my mind, the embracing of such imagery aligns itself very well with the pleasantness and generosity of the German people I have met on my travels.

Boat Stories and Art

A few weeks ago I sent an email to Robert Genn of ‘The Painter’s Keys’ website responding to an article he had written about boats and art. In response to that story I received the following email.

Dear TJ:

Jeffrey Briggs here. I'm the editor of a boating magazine called Pacific Yachting PNW, based in Seattle, Washington, USA. I've recently been in touch with Robert Genn, of "The Painter's Keys" website, about adapting one of his bi-weekly serials, "Boat Stories," for a feature article in the magazine. Robert has given his permission to my project.

The feature story would combine the thoughtful responses of the artists who wrote in on the subject with illustrative samples of their marine and boat-related art. The short essays - some funny, some meditative, some straight forward - would become a montage of the nature of art and the enduring quality of boats that make them a natural subject for so many artists. The words would be illustrated by the artist' work.

You were one of the artists who responded to Robert. I seek permission to use your words (and others if you would like to elaborate on the subject) and to get a high resolution digital image of one of your marine paintings to illustrate them. Each artists' entry would include name and contact information.

I also run a Contributors column each issue. I would plan on dedicating it to the "Boat Stories" artists. My present plan is to run "Boat Stories" as a feature in the September/October issue of Pacific Yachting PNW.

Best Regards,
Jeffrey D. Briggs, Editor
Pacific Yachting PNW

Note from TJ: I await the September/October publication of Pacific Yachting PNW with interest.