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The Dreaded Black Beasts Oct 2009

Autumn is the time of year that I organise a display of my artwork.
As always, when discussing this type of thing, the actual event always seems a long way off, until suddenly, it's bearing down upon you like a great express train!!.
Fortunately, this year I've been painting steadily and consistently to avoid any last minute panic. As I view my offspring lovingly, my eyes open wide with horror! (bit of a Halloween moment this) - my paintings are full of the bane of artists, the dreaded black beasts, thunderflies!!.
'Blimey' I think, 'I've got to take them all apart to clean them now' - something that took me two days to do!! This led me carry out an investigation to try and prevent this happening in the future.
There seems to be a lot of folk lore out there about avoiding the black beasts - Trevor Waugh always used to advise having a sacrificial painting. (another Halloween moment?) - no, he didn't mean the type of thing you encountered in a Dennis Wheatley novel, what he meant was that you left a painting that you were not very fond of nearest the door. His theory was this was where they came in and so the lazy blighters would climb inside the first comfortable painting they came to. Looking around my studio, I just seemed to have a nice distribution everywhere. There's even one waving to me from behind this flat screen monitor!
I've always sealed the back of my paintings with picture framers tape rather than masking tape as I always assumed this was their route in and masking tape always peels back. On closer investigation, I found they tend to come in at the front between the glass and the frame.

Tony Slater gave me the best tip to stop the black beasts entering my paintings - I purchased a fly pen (couldn't find a sketchbook though) from my local hardware store. It looks like a felt tip pen but contains something much more deadly. This can be applied inside the frame before the glass goes in, forming a barrier.
I watch with bated breath to see if this works next year and hope for a better summer and fewer black beasts!I

Santa’s Green Elf n’ Safety

 

Well, thats another Chistmas gone, and a bit of a crazy one at that, what with anti Coca-Cola green Santas, Panto dames banned from throwing sweets, Lollypop ladies not allowed to wear fancy dress to work (amazing that one, I would have thought motorists would soon slow down at the sight of a giant chicken!). the annual festive killjoy's list seems endless.
Quite a number of years ago, I worked for a large corporation. Over the years, the job I enjoyed became more and more engulfed in health and safety. Most days seemed like wading through thick treacle.
At Christmas each year, some brave soul would scale a highpoint in the factory and place a tiny tree with lights on. This annual tradition was finally banned after it was felt by higher management that the lights would distract passing train drivers!
How I longed to get away from all this and would often stare out of the office window and dream of becoming an artist.
When I finally left, I felt that at last I was free from petty bureaucracy and could follow a more enjoyable path.
Unfortunately, I have noticed over the last year how the tendrils of interfering officials has crept into the artworld. I was recently asked to provide a safety assessment on a drawing class!
I'm not sure what dangers a pencil and paper posed the student, however, after much thought and drawing upon my experience from my previous career, I decided to warn the student not to hold the pencil the wrong way around as a sudden movement could result in the loss of an eye! Paper cuts could easily turn septic, resulting in possible blood poisoning and amputation!
It's a good job it wasn't a watercolour class, I dread to think how many souls could be drowned in a bucket of water!

To discover the pencils I like to use go to the Drawing section of the CSC Art Shop

Here's wishing you all a Happy New Year!