Jump about

I'm not sure if it's just me but it seems that when you get an interest in art you jump about all over the place as to what media to use? I've ended up with hard and soft pastels, watercolours and oils along with gouache and I bave markers to do graffiti style. Along with this I've bought books on a kinds of how to draw books. Maybe it's part of the learning process and I'll settle or maybe I'll go completely crazy and mix them all together in one painting !!

Eccentric

Here's a story about what the English would refer to as eccentric:

Jack “Mad Jack” Fuller

            Jack Fuller, later to become “Mad Jack”, was born on 20^th February 1757, in North Stoneham in Hampshire. He was christened in the village of Waldron in Sussex. At the age of 10 he began his education at Eton. On 7^th May 1777 Fuller’s uncle; Rose Fuller MP died, leaving Jack his Sussex Estates and Jamaican plantations. So he took possession of the Rose Hill estate (now Brightling Park), in Sussex.

            In 1801 “Mad Jack”, or “Honest Jack” as he preferred to be called, was MP for Rose Hill (now Brightling). His political behaviour was fiery to say the least. Several times he reduced Parliament to chaos and had to be forcibly removed. One such incident was when he referred to the Speaker as “the insignificant little fellow in the wig”. Fuller’s removal from the premises cannot have been an easy task; he was a large man (22 stone) and was nicknamed ‘Hippo’.

            For all the chaos he caused, he was by most accounts a pleasant man; he had a good sense of humour and no pretentions. On the offer of a peerage he is reported to have said “...I was born Jack Fuller, and Jack Fuller I will die”.

            He loved Rose Hill and commissioned Turner to paint five pictures of the area. During the time he was MP (1801-1812) unemployment was high and Jack had walls built on his estate that he didn’t really need, just to provide work for the local people.

            However, he is best remembered for his love of follies. He built a domed rotunda and a ‘hermit’s’ tower on his estate. Perhaps his most well-know construction was the “Brightling Needle, a 65 foot high obelisk, which is still a landmark in Sussex today. The Sugar Loaf Folly at Dallington was built as a result of a bet Fuller made with his neighbour. Fuller wagered that he could see the conical spire of Dallington church from his window at Rose Hill. When he returned home he found this not to be the case. In keeping with his jolly sense of humour he built a 40 foot replica on a nearby hill, to give the illusion of a half viewed church.

            His masterpiece though was the pyramidal mausoleum he had built for himself, in Brightling church yard. It was designed after the fashion of Sir Robert Smirke, the architect of the British Museum. The reason that he declined conventional burying is logical, if a little eccentric. He believed that he would be eaten by his ‘relatives’ ‘...the worms’. His argument was that the worms would eat him, the ducks would eat the worms and his relatives would eat the ducks.

            It was said that Jack could be found in an armchair, surrounded by broken glass, holding a bottle of claret. He did this in case the devil came for him, so that he would at least cut his feet.

            Jack Fuller then was by all accounts a pleasant and entertaining character and perhaps his small eccentricities are endearing rather than ridiculous?

Magazines

Hello again. Well I got all excited because the editor of a writing magazine liked an idea and offered me £120 for the idea, and I was to look after the monthly column. Quite how it went from this to not being interested in the idea or the column I just don't know. Anyway birdwatching mag is looking to take a piece from me on the supernatural beliefs about the kingfisher. Christmas is, as always sneaking up on me and my dad is impossible to by for usually. He likes the Shadows (band) and I won a horrendously close battle on ebay to buy him a signed, first edition copy of their book. I literally went for my final bid within the last second. This year he wants propellers, and bits for his model aeroplane. But he's mad about cats so I'm going to get a mug with the picture below printed on it: You can also put a short 4 line message on it. I have some basic ideas, but if someone could come up with something witty and send it in, I'd be grateful.

The painting above is quite a famous production by Ralph Hedley, the less prolific painter than his maritime obsessed (but superb) painter.

Some of his paintings are more dramatic than this, but there's something comforting about this - the woman waiting for the return from a beautifully coloured and level sea.

Correction

Don't paint oil paint directly on to water colour as it causes a puddle effect? You can get primer to put on heavy paper so you can apply oils. Sorry about the confusion.

Oil

When I started painting I promised never to do oils. They're too difficult, too smelly, too messy an they take too long to dry. They'll be touch dry in a few days, but it takes about 70 years to officially dry because it doesn't dry by evaporation but by a form of curing.

I'm sure you know where I'm going. I decided to give it a try. I got some primer to coat the psper as apparently you can use paper!! I painted a watercolour background and decided to see if I could use that as primer to put  a swan on the water. Here's my attempt

I know it's not a masterpiece, but I will say it was fun-completely different to any other sort of paint. So if you've not tried it give it a shot, but you will need paint thinners to control paint viscosity and clean your brushes. But experiment and enjoy!

Drawing

For years I wished I could draw and had and still have respect for those who can.I read in one of my art books that the artist believed everyone could draw from when they were little - they just stopped doing it. Also you could learn to draw better. I thought I'd give it a go with pastels and pencils and a how to book. My first efforts were atrocious but after a week I can draw basic things and understand perspective and shading. I've ordered some oils that I hope are coming today. In the meantime I have worked with gouache, water colour and acrylic. It's a great hobby and I'd recommend having a go. Just don't be too hard on yourself and relax and enjoy!

Who?

Just a quick post. What is Richard Hammond doing with a bow and arrow in this painting??? 

Modern Art

Well, I have to take back most of what I thought of as modern art. I paid a visit to the Biscuit factory in Newcastle and was quite amazed. I am, at heart a traditionalist and have always poo pooed modern art as childish rubbish that could be produced by a ten year old with a paint pot.

I was absolutely blown away. It wasn't right at all - the pictures looked like things and were pretty colours. Some of the paintings were more real than the real thing! There was one artist I was particularly taken by; Susan Lincoln. Her work is original, colourful, well produced and if you take the time to look, amusing.

I always thought of modern art as spatters or blocks of colour on canvas that was supposed to represent the inner feelings of the artist, but this was good.

Don't get me wrong, I still prefer high art, especially the woman with the pot of basil

 

Other favourites include the work of John Martin, such as the Deastruction of Sodom and Gomorrah and The Astronomer (which always makes me think of Iron Maiden for some reason!)