Happy Cake

Look at my lovely cake. Would you like some? Would you?

I was delighted to read that new trade figures have shown further evidence for Japan's continuing export-driven recovery as exports in April jumped from 40.4% to 5.9 trillion yen ($65bn; $45bn), marking the fifth straight monthly year-on-year increase, and exports were boosted by global demand for Japanese cars and semiconductors with.

Dizzy with enjoyment I plucked a simply smashing Sarah Lee cake from my freezer, carefully arranged the sumptuous product onto a special plinth and worked hard on a new representation of this very special day. I hope you enjoy the results as much as I do, but you're not getting any of my lovely cake as I need every crumb to keep the creeping fingers of despair at bay that lurk, always, at ones shoulders.

Soldier on, as ever.

A stench of defeat, South Wales

Derelict buildings. I painted this (with love, as ever) during a visit to the Welsh valleys. I'm not going to tell you where, you'll have to guess. This is what my friend Marjorie said about this work:

I think the work goes beyond mere representation. It’s full of meaning and misery – a statement about the fact that you can never leave your dreams completely behind then. It’s also a reflection on what it means to be broken in the world today, like a broken horse. The JCB is beautiful, yet oddly disturbing in its own way. This work also carries definite political overtones about their attitude to free (especially artistic) speech on.

The ideas, technique and contextual elements are integral too, naturally, but it’s the linework and the language there in that alludes to the artists primary discourse. Tentatively floated or botched down on, the artist's resolve is narrated through the linework - with, and through the bitter alignment of leaves.

The canvas is key to this artists work now. Choosing to paint on pre-existing objects such as old curtins or broken plinths. Anything that is old and rubbery and local is also considered, but particularly objects with miserable significance are of interest to. The approach of appropriating the aesthetical elements as well as the inherent purpose of the object helps to provide a more comprehensive context in the thing. A suitable set of parameters to project an idea with.

Thank you, Marjorie.

Election special

I know we're all desperately tired with this election thing, but last night I was completely overcome with the empathy and mild repulsion I felt for poor, poor Gordon. Look at him, sad and tired and with losing.

Putting aside a quiet evening with just a glass or two with sherry, I launched into a frantic whirlwind of hard work then and captured the radiating despair etched on poor, poor Gordon. Painted as ever, with love, but with the beast of mild repulsion hovering at my shoulder at all times.

Enjoy!

Now you're talking

Now you're talking. I'm talking to you. A portrait this time, from my period of portraiture, paintings of local people, from here. Now you're talking. Are you? Am I? This man was talking to me, so I re-created him in oils and some mixed media dreams. painted with love, and a small modicum of repulsion. Now you're talking. Yes, I am.