A Fishy Issue

Following on from my US election caricature I was inspired by the rather fabulous suggestion of a friend to cast my imagination upon the topic of the fishing rights issue.

This being one of the big items debated in recent Brexit negotiations, where they are attempting to establish a fair distribution of access to fishing in British waters.

So here we have my digitally painted caricature of a little fishing 'tug of war' between Boris who, abandoned by Mr Cummings, pulls solo against the joint forces of Macron, Merkel, Sánchez and Barnier.

The poor Mackerel over which they fight, attempts to draw attention to the dwindling supply of fish in our oceans and open the narrative up to more global implications.

Who do you think will win?

A FISHY ISSUE, digital painting

In future posts I will be going into more depth about my digital painting process, but for now have a look at the video below for a little insight.

Here you will see how I painted Boris’s face, using a digital oil brush and palette of colours. Starting with a loose framework of lines I build in blocks of colour and gradually refine into detail.

Any questions do let me know in the comments below.

Once Upon a Brexit

This week saw another Remembrance Day come and go. In tribute I thought I’d share with you my digital painting of a Crescent toy military nurse and her soldier patient.

Toys, for me, in their wonderful and unassuming way, symbolise a great many things. This painting is something I have shown before but I cannot think of a better way, with the weathered patina and sense of history these characters evoke, to remember the extraordinary endurance, heroism and unimaginable loss of life that people experienced during World War I.

Crescent Toy Military Nurse and Patient, digital painting

In other news ….

On the 31st December 2020 the Brexit transition period we are currently in will come to an end and the 1st of January 2021 will see Britain wake up to a whole new chapter.

To take the edge off whatever we might be thinking or feeling about this, I will be introducing you to a series of toy inspired artworks which play with the theme of British identity. The idea is to invite your imagination to play and hopefully lift the spirits as the winter advances.

The first of these is my etching called The Good Ship Union which I made in 2016 in response to the beginning of this Brexit drama.

In the video below I tell you the story behind this piece and explain a little about how this etching was made.

Which bit are you most drawn to? Let me know in the comments below, along with any other thoughts you'd like to share about this piece.

To leave a comment, simply write in the box below, click post comment, fill in your name (no need to fill in anything else) and click comment as guest.

Next week I will be switching back into colour with a cast of characters which celebrate the more cheerful aspects of British heritage, so keep tuned!

Politics Through Pictures

Greetings from a sunny Sunday in London!

It has been one humdinger of a week in American politics. So first and foremost, here is a little something I made in response to it.

View fullsize

Tug of War, digital painting

As the race to the presidential finish line unfolded, it inspired me to do a small video spotlight on my oil on canvas painting First Past the Post which felt strangely apt given the circumstances.

Whilst I am beginning to make audio commentaries of my paintings, for this week I would like to listen to your interpretations.

So I invite you, should you feel moved to do so, to share one or two words or ideas this piece brings to mind in the comments below.

FIRST PAST THE POST, OIL ON CANVAS, 30.5 X 76 CM

To view First Past the Post in my gallery please CLICK HERE