TALKING TURKEY ABOUT ART

Another exhibition, another Dollar. Now back from Turkey and working flat out on my next exhibition which is to be in......wait for it.........yes, Turkey. Coming hot on the heels of the last one, I was asked to set up another, larger exhibition of my work in downtown Alanya, by an art collector met through contacts from the last trip. So, if you are visiting Alanya in July I will be somewhere near the central Souk.

This exhibition has come right in the middle of my preparations for the grand opening of the first international showing of the long awaited 'Trans Mongolian Railway' exhibition. This first leg will take place at a gallery in Lisboa, Portugal in September. Busy times ahead but I will keep you posted.

Setting up the exhibition single-handed - with glass in hand of course.

Discussing the finer points of my work with members of the public.

EXPO'S ARE STACKING UP LIKE CANCELLED FLIGHTS

The Norway exhibition is still running and already I am preparing to head off to Turkey for the next. While I am doing that ANOTHER exhibition I am involved in 'IMPRESSIONS OF SPAIN' takes place in Spain. It always seems to come like buses - three at once and then nothing for months.
Yet again the volcano in Iceland is doing it's best to disrupt the proceedings.
I will update things as they progress - ash willing of course....

SCREAMING IN OSLO

The four flights went without a hitch, the exhibition launch was a success, and I can honestly say that Norway is a landscape of amazing extremes. Flying over the mountainous region after a quick stop in Oslo airport for a breathless, touch and go flight change, revealed the frozen heart of the country. Winter was still very much in evidence as vast lakes remained completely solid, the smooth skin of ice fissured only by the criss-cross of ski tracks. Touching down on the west coast near idyllic Ålesund revealed the impact that the Gulf Stream and ever so slightly warmer north Atlantic has on this part of the world. High, snow capped mountains, gaily painted wooden houses and steep fjord walls rushing into the deep water painted a canvas without equal. The ice level stopped a few hundred metres above sea level and, apart from a few snow flurries, thankfully remained there. Not an ash cloud was in sight.
In such a setting, this vast icy country was melted by the warmth and hospitality of the people met along the way. My sincerest thanks go to our hosts over the few days experienced in Norway, Alfhild and Jan Arne, Ida-Alice and Berit. As well of course, to all those who invested in all our artworks. My thanks also go to the Brodrene Vik Gallery and the culture secretary of Syvde Kommune for their support in bringing the exhibition to fruition, and for becoming the latest TJ Miles’ corporate collectors.
A flight back from Vigra airport - NOT Viagra - as most people tend to misread it (where the joke goes that all flights are guaranteed to get up without a problem but can’t necessarily come down again as quickly), took me to seriously expensive Oslo once again. A visit to the royal palace saw a full colour parade of soldiers, bands and dignitaries line the streets waiting for my triumphal return to the capital. How nice to have such pomp and ceremony laid on just for me.
Ironically, at just the same moment the President of Russia, Dmitry Medvedev, just happened to drive past and give me a wave. I wondered if he had come especially to see me as well. Apparently he was also in town to sign some agreement or other while his wife walked the streets and did a bit of shopping.
Edvard Munch’s painting was still screaming as I left for the airport before midnight to catch the early morning red-eye flight back to Spain. By 5am, while trying to sleep on a back breaking wooden bench until the check-in, I finally understood why the subject of Munch’s most famous painting was in such a bad mood. Oh, the indignity of it all! A final de-icing of the wings before takeoff did little to sooth my tired and furrowed brow. Never let anyone tell you that being an international artist is always a glamorous experience.

EXHIBITION IN NORWAY BACK ON!!

Vulcan seems to be showing a gentle side after all and has, for the moment, softened his ire towards northern Europe.
Therefore, given that if we arrive safely, the exhibition is definitely back on the agenda.
Maybe I should paint a picture of the ash cloud as a final piece for the expo.
Watch this space....

VOLCANIC ASH CANCELS LATEST ART EXHIBITION BY TJ MILES

Atlanterhavsveien

My latest art exhibition, due to be held near Alesund in Norway, is almost certainly cancelled until further notice due to the Icelandic volcano erupting and covering the whole of Europe with a gigantic cloud of ash this past week. I had been due to fly from Spain to Norway on Thursday but unfortunately that looks like an ever decreasing possibility. This, of course, also included the transportation of my paintings as well....

Undredal kyrkje

I will update everyone with a new date for the Norway exhibition as soon as things calm down.

The good news is that the long awaited exhibition based on my travels through China, Mongolia and Russia last year is to be shown for the first time in September, in Lisboa (Lisbon), Portugal. As long as the ash cloud has dissapated by then of course.

In the meantime, have a look at some of my images for Norway.

Lomen Stavkyrkje

Hol Stavkyrkje

Lom Stavkyrkje

Oye Stavkyrkje

A bird's eye view

Oslo stavkyrkje

Resting up

Reaching long

Behind the red gate

Here is a series of small watercolours completed for the same expo.

Dali & Me

Cadaques - May 2008

No words - just pictures

5 star accomodation in Dingle, Ireland

Link to 'Castlewood House B&B, Dingle, Ireland'

Whilst back in Ireland with new works for all my representing galleries, I had occasion to stop in the breathtaking village of Dingle on the west coast of Ireland. I came across a fantastic bed and breakfast called 'Castlewood House'. Although it is officially a bed and breakfast (5 stars), I believe it is more accurate to think of it as the equivalent of the latest boutique style hotels you get in major cities at the moment. Stunning themed rooms, jacuzzi baths, artworks galore on every wall, all the extras you could wish for, and to top it all - unbelievable breakfasts that deserve to be michelin starred. Give it a try if you are in the area.

Thanks Helen and Brian, I will be back soon.

A present for Santa Claus

A funny little story that I meant to publish last week.

I was at the exhibition of a Norwegian artist Tor-Gunnar Riise who lives within the Norwegian Arctic Circle and was amazed when Tor had a surprise guest with him...

None other than Santa Claus himself!!

It turns out Santa has a holiday home here on the Costa Blanca. After we had chatted for a while I told Santa that I wanted to give him a present to say thank you for all the presents he had given me over the years. I gave him one of my limited edition prints and he was really touched by the gesture. He told me he would hang it in his workshop to remember me by. Although the photograph attached isn't the 'actual' Santa Claus, I thought it would represent his joy at receiving my gift!

Tor's exhibition was of subtle colourful scenes from the Arctic Circle including paintings of the Northern Lights over mountain tops. Beautiful work. You could feel the shivers running up your spine in his representations even though it was twenty degrees outside. Apparently spring, when it eventually comes, only lasts a week before their short summer takes over. Tor's other paintings described the dramatic changes between the seasons in what must be a barren landscape for much of the year. I wouldn't mind seeing that sometime. I'm not sure I could handle the six months of complete darkness though.

Link to Tor-Gunnar Riise's website

Link to Santa's website

The Day Of The Dead

All Hallows Eve has, of course, always been known as the night when the witches and hobgoblins come out to have some fun. This is because it was widely believed that the 31st of October was the night when the worlds of the dead and the living were at their closest point of the year. Whilst we in the north of Europe tend to use it as an excuse to dress up and party, the inhabitants of Spain use their time for fiesta's to welcome the dead into the family again, just for one night.

On November 1st we decided to visit the local cemetery to see the outdoor Mass and spend our time thinking about our own lost family members from years gone by. During my travels in various parts of Europe I have seen some strange cemeteries. So different from what we are used to in Ireland. I thought I would include a couple of photographs of our local cemetery here to let you see how it's 'done' in Spain.

Instead of being put into the ground, the bodies are incarcerated into sections of a wall - each one just wide enough to slide the coffin into - and then sealed up. Visiting family members may have to climb up the ladders provided to replace dead flowers or clean the plaque, depending on where their loved ones are positioned in the wall.

Isn't it strange how we struggle through life, measuring our successes by moving to bigger and bigger houses, only to 'downsize' over and over again as we get older and realize that we don't actually need all that space after all. When we head for the final downsize in life we don't actually need a lot of room at all, just a two-by-two-by-six foot square hole in a wall. It's strange how many 'foreigners' are now buried in our local cemetery.

English, Irish, German, Russian, Dutch, French and Scandinavian to name but a few.

It comes to us all eventually.

Flowers in NYC - Artist Marj Vetter

Got this lovely bright picture from Marj Vetter, a friend and fellow artist from Alberta, Canada. Taken from a photograph on a recent trip to the Big Apple. I love the angular look of the buildings and, of course, the colours jumping out of such an urban scene. It just goes to show there can be quiet, tranquil corners in such a major bustling city.

As Marj says - "There's no reason not to have flowers in your home when you live in that city."

Link to Marj Vetter - Check out her other work here.

Vibrant African Art

link to Kudakwashe Gavi

I received an email from an African artist - Kudakwashe Gavi - today looking for advice as he prepares to exhibit outside Africa for the first time. I have pasted his email and my answer, along with one of his excellent images here. His work is wonderful. I think he will go far!

Hallo TJ Miles

My name is kudakwashe, I am a young artist from Zimbabwe in the southern part of Africa,but now I am based in cape town south Africa. Marion Zimmerman gave me your details, she told me that you had an exhibition in June, how did it go? I hope it was good.

The reason I'm writing is that I am looking for an artist that has exhibited at The Marziart Gallery in Germany to critique my work and maybe give me some advice on what to improve or to work on.

I will be exhibiting at Marziart studios next year in October and it will be my first solo exhibition, I am very excited. I have attached some artworks for you to look at. Please, I'm asking you to help me build my art. I will be happy to hear from you, I'm also looking forward to your reply. I was on your website and must say your work is amazing.

Kind regards from Africa

Kudakwashe Gavi

Hello Kudakwashe
Many thanks for your kind comments about my work. My exhibition went extremely well, with a number of sales during the month. Well worth the effort.
I can recommend Hamburg as a city worth visiting if you are planning to go, and Marion will make you feel extremely welcome I'm sure. I think you will have a very successful exhibition with your wonderful paintings.
I don't think you need any advice with the quality of painting you are producing. You have a great mix of colours and movement, and both mixed together create a vibrancy that is exciting to look at. I really like them, especially as colour is my thing.
I think Marion will be thrilled to exhibit your highly evocative artwork.

Good luck for the exhibition next year!!
Let me know how it goes.
Best wishes
TJ

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.

The rain in Spain - again!

http://www.hotelcenajo.com/

I really must make time for this blog. I keep putting it back and back on my list of priorities as work piles up and deadlines approach. I was so exhausted the other day that we decided that we would go to an isolated hotel inland just to rest for a night.

The Cenajo Hotel is set amid beautiful mountain scenery and beside the Cenajo Dam (hence the name). Very Italianate in design, it reminded me a little of Portmeirion in Wales - where 'The Prisoner' was filmed. The nearest village was 25 kilometres away.

About an hour after our arrival it began to rain. It rained, and rained and rained and rained, and this was only punctuated by thunder and lightning in between the rain. The photo of the front of the hotel is taken from the restaurant door which was across the striking courtyard.

A great spot to rest and relax as there is nothing to do but eat and drink and sleep, which was perfect for me on this brief trip. If the weather is more clement there are lovely walks and free use of bicycles, indoor and outdoor pools, saunas, gym etc.

But at least I've caught up on my sleep a bit and am back to work a little perkier than I was last week. I can recommend it, and hope to go again soon.

Home to Dali

Travelling via Cannes and the artisan village of Biot, the afternoon brought me back to my most inspirational place in the world.

Cadaques was the home of Salvador Dali for many years - actually Port Lligat to be precise, which is a five minute walk from the village over the hill. A haunt of artists for many years because of its remoteness and inaccessibility, Cadaques still holds a certain aura and fascination for all who visit.

I could quite happily have stayed forever among the whitewashed houses countered with the view of surrounding hills, blue water and brightly coloured fishing smacks. Mentally I always take a lot of shapes and colours back with me to feed my next collection of paintings.

While there I again made contact with a gallery for a potential exhibition. For me it would be the ultimate location to make a pilgrimage with my works - to the home of the master. Lets see what the future holds for next year or so.

The last evening was spent on the hotel balcony looking down over the boats bobbing in the bay sipping Cava and listening to the cadent water whispering ’dali, dali, dali’ by the shore in homage to the artist.

The Nice life

Travelling down and across to the south of France via Genova, a short stop in Monaco was called for. While there, a super yacht was berthing with attendant crew dressed in corporate livery. The port bristling with bodyguards and bullet-proof jeeps of the rich and famous. Another world into which I could only glimpse.

Onward to Nice, and more art based experiences. The Negresco hotel along the seafront is a marvel. Everywhere you look there are artworks adorning every space. Older, more classical pieces jarring alongside bright, colourful, in your face artworks from right up to the modern day. A truly eclectic mix and a joy to behold. I only wish I could have afforded to stay there.

I was initially disappointed however, to see that the beach was mostly stones and pebbles, but on the second day I was there I think I understood why the coastline gets the name the Cote D’azur.

Normally, when the waves kick up on a windy day the water on a sandy beach gets muddy and confused, but in Nice the action of the waves breaking onto the pebbly beach aerated the water so much that it turned a mix of aquamarine and vibrant blue.

As night approached a phosphorescence became apparent that reflected the colour along the whole promenade. Young people sitting on the stones their laughter wafting along the shore, mixed with the sound of jazz from the beach bars, helped set an idyllic scene. With more gallery contacts made it was time to move on to my spiritual home…

The Italian Job - Jam in Milan

Under no circumstances try to get round Milan’s ring road system on a Friday afternoon. It took me 2 hours to cover 10 kilometres!

Arriving in the Lago D’Iseo area about 7pm meant a break in driving for a while. After what must be the largest pizza in all of Italy - at least 60cm across - so big in fact there barely a table big enough to accommodate it never mind a plate, I was more than ready for an early night.

The stunning area of Iseo, in my mind, can give Garda and Geneva a run for their money anyday. The hills and mountains run steeply into the dark green/black penetrating lake and create a haven for artists and locals alike. I have been here on occasions before and never tire of sitting by the waters edge looking across at the majestic island dominating the whole area.

While here a number of leads made on previous trips were followed up in regard to galleries and exhibition spaces and hopefully will produce significant results at some point in the near future.

Great weather for ducks!

Having left Paris with a number of new gallery contacts, as well as fresh inspiration, it was time to hit the road once more. After a few hours drive we crossed the border into Switzerland and spent the night in Geneva. Another late arrival meant that hunger and exhaustion overtook curiosity, and exploration was delegated to the following day.

However, awakened by the sight of yet more torrential rain meant that the sightseeing was reduced to that of a crawl through heavy traffic on a steamy lakeside thoroughfare. In the grey lake I could just see the famous water jet spouting in protest as the heavy rain tried to dampen its ardour.

Just beside the main bridge, as I prepared to crawl across, the traffic came to a complete halt. As I watched, a duckling and its protective mother came waddling across the road oblivious to all eyes that watched this amazing rush hour spectacle. An interesting way to remember Switzerland, don’t you agree?

After a return crossing back into France, a respite from the rain was only possible by entering the Mont Blanc tunnel. There were various signs indicating the beautiful views of the mountains all around but, sadly the signs were all I could see with the weather.

Having entered Italy, I stopped and looked back at the much heralded viewpoint of the Mont Blanc Glacier. I think I glimpsed the leading edge of it through the rain and mist but can’t be certain that it wasn’t just an optical illusion brought on by a terrible thirst!

Return to Paris

It’s been approximately seven years since I was in Paris. When here before I visited my art heroes in the Musee D’Orsay and looked up at them in awe and longing. I was still a struggling artist at that time and felt that I could never attain the intensity of colour and form shown in the museum.

Another age of this man is gone, and maybe I can now say that at least I am on the first rung of the ladder - still looking up, but at least now perhaps I can observe the paintings with constructive envy and no longer idolatry.

It was wonderful to visit again with such artists as Van Gogh, Monet, Pisarro, Bonnard, Millet et al, as I much prefer the ‘train station’ to the Louvre in content. The building itself is an inspiration for me and for over four hours I wandered between the decades, countries, movements and psyches of my antecedents.

I cannot wait to get back to Spain to work now I am fired up again with enthusiasm. I think it is important to ‘plug in’ to the art charger every so often to reinvigorate oneself, but also to revaluate the direction you feel you are heading in. I often say there are no wrongs in art, just different points of view. If you are passionate enough, and determined enough to push through the hesitancy sometimes felt, then your efforts must be justified in the long run.

The adventure was continued with a visit to Shakespeare and Co. by the Seine to purchase some reading material for the onward journey. The beds between the books were littered with tomes of modern classics and the tap-tap-tap of an old typewriter helped set the scene for perusal of Hemingway and Joyce. Ironically Jack Kerouac’s On The Road came to hand. I wonder what the relevance is there?

Finally the day was finished off with a beverage consumed in the Hotel Meurice frequented of course by Salvador Dali and Gala for many years. As I sat in the salon area I’m convinced that I saw his spirit slip silently past with an entourage of surrealistic elephants.

They seem to follow me everywhere!

Rooftops of Liege

After a late arrival in Liege, Belgium, sadly there was not much time for any sightseeing before catching a meal. What daylight there was showed a city of crumbling grandeur mixed with new architecture rising from the ground in sympathy with the surrounding buildings.

A street side café on a beautifully characteristic cobbled street transported me to the 1940’s - an era I have long loved for fashion and art. Accordion music whispering through the terraced streets set the scene further as a meal was taken outside on the pavement by candlelight.

Then the heavens opened, and thunder and lightning washed the music away with the extinguished candlelight. A quick retreat made across the Place Du Opera to the hotel seemed to beckon the end of the night.

The view from the hotel room had seemed pleasantly atmospheric looking over the rooftops during check-in as it faced away from the main streets, but we were left breathless when all was lit up at night. The scene of the church rising out from the rooftops immersed in floodlit splendour, coupled with the flashes of lightning and rumbles of protesting thunder proved to be a blessing after all.

Sadly the night-time photographs didn't come out so I have included the daytime shots to give some sort of idea of the view, however muted.

Hamburg exhibition begins

The Artist and Director of the Marziart International Gallery Marion Zimmerman, opened the exhibition to a crowd of well wishers and art lovers alike on a balmy Friday evening with an introduction of each artist represented.

There were actually five artists out of the seven exhibiting who turned up on the night. Nationalities ranged from Belgian, Dutch, French, Danish, Indian, Chilean and of course Irish. Much jollity was had over sips of champagne, and a lot of new contacts and friends were made in the international art world. The interest from the crowd attending was wonderful and I spent a lot of time answering questions about the origins of my work and the influences that shaped them.

My thanks to Marion for her attention to detail and I look forward to perhaps having a return exhibition sometime in the future. The exhibition runs until the 5th of July 2007 in Eppendorfer Weg, Hamburg for any viewers of this blog who happen to be in the area in the next few weeks.