Space Captain part two

Ah.

Age and the festive season have obviously been getting to me...

Here is the painting I blogged about earlier.

Until next time

Adieu

Space Captain

This painting was inspired by a picture the wife of a Russian oligarch.

She has been transformed into  a successful Captain of a Star Destroyer.

Until next time

Adieu

Shades

This painting was painted soon after I got my airbrush and, apart from the obvious attractions of the subject, was painted to see how well the different textures and light effects came out.

Until next time

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Christmas wreath

Every year my father used to use a metal frame to make a Christmas wreath using holly from their hedge.

I now have the wreath frame and make a new wreath each year, using holly, bay and yew from my garden

Here is this year's wreath

Until next time

Adieu

Phasers on Stun

I have always thought that a fit young man looks rather good in a Star Trek Next Generation uniform....

Until next time

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The King

This  oil painting started its life looking very different.

This was a life painting I did when I was at art school. The subject was only wearing red briefs and the background was a part-painted theatre set consisting of faux- wallpaper in a rather bright magenta.

When I looked at the painting again, many years later, I was struck by the nobility of the model and, initially, thought of redressing him as some sort of tribal chief.

Then, as I was going through my postcard collection, I came across the Ramsay portrait of George III...

Until next time

Adieu

Leather & Lace

I painted this small acrylic way back in 1999.

I am still quite fond of this one.

Until next time

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Tape Cover

I write and sing Science Fiction based music (Filk).

Here is an Album cover that I was commissioned to do for a friend’s band.

I tried to make the cover look like a carved marble slab, fractured at the base, showing a burning tower on a hill beyond it ( one of my friend's most well-known songs features a tower being burnt down just before dawn).

 The album before this was called ' The Oak, The Rowan and the Wild Rose' and used the leaf and flower symbol, so I used it again to show continuity.

Until next time

Adieu

Realm of the Gods

I have now completed my latest oil painting.

I have called it Realm of the Gods.

Until next time

Adieu

Vorlons

This cartoon is based on a Babylon 5 episode.

The Vorlons were always so stately and dignified. So, when Kosh tells someone they should be meeting again ‘at the time of scampering’ this image popped into my head.

Unsurprisingly, I sold it at a Science Fiction convention.

Until next time

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St Michael

This oil painting is a small triptych that I use as a reredos when I re-enact.

The central figure is based on a renaissance painting, but I made some alterations to the armour and placed him in an English countryside.

The two bits of heraldry are variations of the arms I use as Bishop Thomas de Velmont.

I used a variation in technique for this work, as the under painting was done in acrylic, with oil worked in coloured glazes in subsequent layers.

Until next time

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They Seek Him Here

This acrylic was inspired by an image of a  young man in shorts leaning against a wall.

As you can see, my vision gave him a full suit of clothes.

I read the Baroness Orczy’s classic tales of the Scarlet Pimpernel at a young age and have enjoyed films and TV series based on the stories and characters over the years.

I am still pleased how this picture turned out..

The title is , of course, from Sir Percy’s witty rhyme, but could be interpreted slightly differently....

Until next time

Adieu

Ash

This painting was a commission for  one of the stall-holders at a Science Fiction convention, who wanted it as a wedding anniversary gift to his wife.

The brief was a female fighter in my style.  I like that kind of commission, as it does not require me to try to read my client’s mind ...

I had recently read Mary Gentle’s book Ash, set in a alternate history fifteenth century Burgundy and, hence, produced this painting.

I have an advantage when painting plate armour, as I am a medieval battlefield re-enactor;  not only do I own some, but I know how it works when you are wearing it.

Until next time

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Bodies in Motion

Whilst I do not claim to be able to articulate the full meaning of my work, most of it has a plan, or some initial concept.

On occasion, however, I am of a mood to let my unconscious out for a jog.

 I just paint and see what happens. I did this more often when I was at art school and sometimes I look at old painting to see if they will spark a new image.

I usually do this in acrylic, as the faster drying times and opacity of the paint allow more immediacy and for elements to be altered, or painted out. I carry on working on these images until they tell me to stop.

 I am sure there are lots of interpretations for this picture, but I  think I’ll leave it as ‘ this seems to is kind of what I was feeling at the time’

This example is called  'Bodies in Motion'. It is in oils and reused elements of these two much older paintings: Cry Wolf (acrylic on board) 

and Phases (oil on canvas).

Until next time

Adieu

New painting

I have recently completed this acrylic painting

I have called it  'Magister'

Until next time

Adieu

Bad Driver

I painted this a good few years ago, but I still quite like the image.

It was inspired by some drawings I made of a Rolls Royce ( I think its a Phantom)  in a museum. I have always liked the style of  this  particular car.

The title is due to the skeletal driver signalling the wrong way.

Until next time

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One For All

This  acrylic is the second version of this painting. The first version was ink on paper and was sold many years ago.

I   have read Alexandre Dumas stories of the three musketeers many times and have enjoyed many films and series based ( to varying degrees to be sure) on the books .

I was also once a member of the Sealed Knot and, hence, had made Seventeenth Century suits.

However, as I wished to maintain the young lady’s  silhouette as much as possible, I decided to shorten her doublet and tighten her britches...

Until next time

Adieu

King Guy

Both Teddy and I used to be members of a medieval re-enactment society called The Far Isles.

The society did not do public display, but operated purely for the amusement of its members.

Members could choose to portray characters from anywhere in the world between the years 500 and 1603, as long as they were not actual historical people.

It had started as a principality, which  become elected  after the retirement of the first princess. It then became a kingdom with an elected monarch, with a fixed term reign.  Serving Kings could be re-elected twice.

 Teddy  was the first king and served  for eleven  years.

This painting is a portrait of Teddy as Guy King of the Far Isles and was my entry in the competition for the post of Court Painter

I used the famous portrait of Richard III as my inspiration and dressed King Guy accordingly.

In the background of Richard’s portrait is the abbreviated Latin : Richard Rex Ang—Richard king of Englnad. So I did the same thing for Guy Rex Insulae Ultimae- Guy , king of the Far Isles.

It is a little unfortunate that the abbreviated form reads: Guy  Ins  Ult...

No one seemed to mind, however, and my character got the job..

Until next time

Adieu

Coat of Plates

This is a Visby-style coat of plates I made for one of the other members of the Paladins of Chivalry.

It forms a canvas tabard shape with two ‘T’ arms folding round under the arms to buckle at the back.

I formed panels of  small rectangular plates by lacing them together with leather laces. These panels were then riveted to the front and fold-round parts.

I used leather plates for back of the tabard and for any odd and shaped gaps on the front, particularly round the arm and head holes.

This armour affords the wearer considerable flexibility whilst fighting

A quilted liner in attached to the inside (sewn at the top and with lacing at the sides and base, to allow access to the plates for maintenance).

The coat is painted black with the arms of the son of Sir John Hawkwood on the front.

Until next time

Adieu

The Last Unicorn

A friend of mine described a picture she wished she could paint and I liked the idea.

I asked her if she would mind if I painted it and she said that would be fine.

As a herald, I was determined that my unicorn would not be just a horse with a horn. I call those Nearlycorns

A true unicorn has the body and head of a horse, the tail of a lion, the legs of a stag, and the beard of a goat and the twisted horn (probably of a narwhale)

In order to get the feeling of the lightening strike, I need to show the bones and spent some time researching the skeletons of horses, deer and lions.

I then spent some time joining these together so they looked like one creature and painted the resultant skeleton in shades of electrified blue.

I then added the flesh in layers to try to get the partially transparent effect.

The background I worked in airbrush and fine brushstrokes to get the wave effect of driving rain.

I am still quite pleased with the result.

I sold the painting at Loncon in 2014.

Until next time

Adieu

Ben

This is a portrait I painted some years ago of our friend Ben when he was eighteen.

We were all going to a Science Fiction Convention and he asked to borrow something to wear.

He ended up choosing one of Teddy’s lycra body suits, a yellow bomber jacket and high heels.He hoped that this would impress a girl he was interested in. It did....

He decided to pose for a photo and I used that for the painting.

Until next time

Adieu

Tilt

Now for some  more Medieval fun...

Until next time

Adieu

To War

In this painting, the young recruit is off to defend home and family from the foe.

I based this work on a photo I took  of a young man at Loncon in 2014. I did warn him he might be immortalised in paint.

I displayed the finished work at the following Eastercon – and his parents bought it...

Until next time

Adieu

Swordstrike

In this painting, I wanted to catch a moment of drama, with the right hand figure performing a sort of Salmon Leap, as did the Irish Heros of old, but set in a Wars of the Roses context.

Until next time

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Midsummer Tempest

I often use found imagery and fashion photos in my work.

In this case , the pose and the intensity of the model’s gaze led to this picture, which I sold some years ago.

Until next time

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A little light elf abuse

A Friend  recently commissioned  me to paint this  book bag.

The brief was for a sexy black-haired elf slave, who was pleased to see her- but not enough to frighten the horses...

She was very happy ith the result.

Until next time

Adieu

Puck

This is a new painting I have recently completed.

I was  trying to evoke  the spirit  of that ‘merry wanderer in the night’

Until next time

Adieu

Dragon sword

I painted this acrylic before I started using airbrush.

I was attempting to portray the use of magic, with the katana being enchanted by the spirits of the dragons wrything about it.

At some point in the future I may try doing a second version and see what effects I can achieve now with the new tech..

Until next time

Adieu

Royal Command

Here’s a medieval cartoon.

Until next time

Adieu

New oil painting progress

I have been doing more work to my current oil painting.

I have done the first glaze over the underpainting.

It now looks like this.

I have also decided on a title. It will be called  ‘Realm of the Gods’..

I  will post about this one again when it has progressed further.

Until next time

Adieu

Pirate picture

I finished this acrylic  painting in February  2016.

I call it ‘ Face The Music’, as that phrase referred to facing the rigging (which resembled a music stave) when preparing for punishment.

Until next time

Adieu

Wedding

Greetings

I got married in April.

Teddy and I have been together for over twenty years and the law here has finally caught up.

As Teddy is notorious for not getting his costumes finished in good time for events, I decided that I would get my kit made by someone else, which meant that he would have to do the same.

I had always wanted a Napoleonic hussar uniform and had even bought patterns, but the massive amount of braiding had always put me off.

I decided on the 18th hussars circa 1812. It was made by John Norris and his good lady. He is currently the Lt-colonel of the 18th in the Napoleonic Society.

I collected the finished uniform a week or so before the wedding.

Teddy took a lot longer to decide what he wanted, but finally settled on a 1790's suit. This was made by Zack Pinset and , due to problems with the mill that the cloth was being made at being flooded, we finally went down to Brighton to collect the suit on the Thursday before the wedding.

The wedding went very well, though it's still a bit of a blur in places.

I haven't had the official photos yet, due to our volunteer photographer being worked off his feet since then, but I had a few sent by other folk.

Here's one of us cutting the cake.

I may blog about this again once I have had the official photos.

Until next time

Adieu

The arms of Morpheus

This  oil painting was completed this year.

It is all about sleep and dreams.

The figure on the left is Morpheus, god of sleep and the other figure is falling asleep.

Butterflies are symbols of the psyche.

 Flower petals at Morpheus’s fingertip are transforming into a butterfly

The figures are set in the Landscape of Dreams, with a road to lead you through it. There is also another path leading down the base of a deep valley, crossing a steam on a stone bridge and running past woodland into the hills below the sleeping figure.

Until next time

Adieu

Inviolate

Here’s a bit of medieval merriment.

Until next time 

Adieu

New superhero painting

I have recently completed this new painting.

I have called it  ‘Boy Wonder’.

Until next time

Adieu

Lady of Roses

This oil painting was inspired by a film still from ‘Cyrano de Bergerac’.

I only worked on this when it felt right and the painting went through quite a number of stages , over quite a number of years, until  I finally decided that it was finished.

until next time

Adieu

Marooned

And now a bit of fun on a piratical theme.

Until next time

Adieu

Blue Boy

I have occasionally tried to make three dimensional works

This is a small figure of a superhero called Blue Boy.

It is made of modelling clay over a wire base.

It is painted with acrylic and the base is textured using materials for model railway landscapes. I used a spray varnish over the whole surface. It is about 28 cm tall

It is not my first attempt at a figure, but it is the most successful to date.

I found it very interesting building a figure up from the inside, as opposed to carving one out of a wood block. At some point, I will have another go.

Until next time

Adieu

Steampunk Uniform

As my by-line says ‘artist and costumer’, I think it’s time for a post about costuming.

I attended Mancunicon, the British National Science Fiction Convention, over Easter and decided to wear two constructed uniforms as hall costume.

I have always been of the opinion that Steampunk is more than cogs and goggles.

The first uniform was World War 2 based

I can, occasionally, be subtle. At first glance, this looks like any WW 2 uniform.

Allow me to deconstruct it.

The trousers are no.2 dress; the blouse is no.3 (battle) dress and has Dr Geoff Banyard skull & goggles badges on collar and epaulettes, as well as major’s crowns. I also added real British medal ribbons, but carefully in a random order.  There is a Dr Geoff unit badge on the right shoulder for the eighteenth regiment, showing a badger with a gun.

 The shirt and tie are modern British Army and the hat is Soviet Army, but with a Royal Ordinance Corps badge.

The belt of the Sam Browne is a modern reproduction, but the shoulder strap, holster and accessories are genuine. Sam Brownes were never worn with battledress.

The gun is a Steampunk sculpture

The second uniform was more Victorian Steampunk and felt like service dress for Space Service. You will note there is no sidearm- but who needs a sidearm when one has a Type 32 Winston Class Dreadnaught?

The seated pose photo was taken by Jackie Burns and is used with consent.

Once again the uniform hangs together well.

It is made up of a Blues & Royals Officer Mess Dress jacket with major’s crowns on the epaulettes, a wing collar shirt and Victorian stock, a Georgian Uniform waistcoat, a Guards officer’s waist sash, Royal Artillery No 1 dress trousers and a Royal Engineers forage cap.

Until next time

Adieu

Hewers of Stone.

This is a very old painting.

I wanted to evoke the feeling of dwarves carving out an underground city.

 I painted this in the 1980’s and reworked it in the early 1990’s, but I am still quite pleased with it and still have it up on the wall.

I think this was the third oil  I ever painted.

Until next time

Adieu

Ferryman

Here’s a Classical cartoon

Apologies if the text is a bit small, but that's the largest I could get it to appear!

I sold the original of this at Loncon in 2014, but (as with all  my works) prints are available ( see my website in Useful Links for details)

Until next time

Adieu

Our Lady of Autumn

I finished this painting in 2015.

It is based on a photograph of a friend of mine taken in Tewkesbury Abbey graveyard.

This is the second version of this subject.

The figure is set in a constructed landscape with ruins based on Glastonbury and Fountains Abbeys.

The twisted tree grows on a roadside very near my house.

Until next time

Adieu

New oil painting

I have been working on a new oil painting.

The under painting is going quite well.

As usual, I am using Indian Red as the under colour for all areas that will be glazed with green and shades of green for all areas that will be flesh tone.

It currently looks like this

It does not have a title yet.

Until next time

Adieu