Snow in Leeds

Back from Berlin

Just got back from Wilko's Vernissage at Kunstleben Berlin. Was made very welcome by Masch and Romy who run the gallery. Will post pics shortly.

Opening Event - Exhibition of 4 (Philip Spellacy, Mike Rowan, Barry Wenden, Aja)

It was a great opening event. Click on the title for more photos. Thanks to all who came.

Tears of Light

Meditation

Henry's Woman in Leeds

I've been in love with Henry Moore's Reclining Woman - the one who lolls about in front of Leeds Art Gallery for a few years now. I'm busy painting impressions of her for the Tonic Gallery show with Phil Spellacy in July. One thing Dai taught me that I am understanding more and more - the direction of brushstrokes is crucial - every brushstroke matters.

SKIPPING WITH BACON

I'm really looking forward to visiting the art show from Skipping with Bacon who are a group of Leeds University art students. It opens on Wednesday April 21st and runs until May 4th.

Check out their blog for further details:

http://www.northerntail.blogspot.com/

Eser Afacan

The greatest achievement is selflessness. The greatest worth is self-mastery. The greatest quality is seeking to serve others. The greatest precept is continual awareness. The greatest medicine is the emptiness of everything. The greatest action is not conforming with the worlds ways. The greatest magic is transmuting the passions. The greatest generosity is non-attachment. The greatest goodness is a peaceful mind. The greatest patience is humility. The greatest effort is not concerned with results. The greatest meditation is a mind that lets go. The greatest wisdom is seeing through appearances. - Atisha

Now look at Eser's paintings - http://www.afacan.com/

The Berlin Slideshows

This is the door to the Galerie Kunstleben rooms in Berlin-Schöneberg where we had the exhibition in February. It ran from 13 - 27 February and Dai passed away on February 25th.

I've not been able to paint much during March so I've read and written and made slideshows.

Soon I will paint again. Meanwhile I walk round the pictures in my mind, trying to understand things, looking for the truth.

Last night I had an important dream. I realised something I already knew. It was this: There is no objective truth. There is only subjective truth. Should I have written there are only subjective truths? Science is an attempt to merge them.

'Truth has many faces and each one alone is a lie...'

IN MEMORY OF DAI HARDING 10.01.1950 - 25.02.2010

There are lots of pictures of Dai but I love this one. I shall write a tribute soon. For now this is to say that my thoughts are with Gaynor, his long term partner, Sam his son and with his mother, his many family members, with Dale and his other dear friends in Cardiff and round the world.

I can't even think about a picture without thinking of Dai. I can't pick up a brush or a pencil.

We walk through a world full of pictures even though we are often blind on the surface and we use images again when we dream.. Pictures and music are the oldest forms of communication, transporters of original visions ... Dai changed my life, opened my eyes, made me laugh, raved on about his beloved Gaynor and Sam, knew every technical trick known to man, had huge knowledge of art and artists, had very definite ideas but was still somehow gentle with people.

Oh what a man.... what an amazing man... what a friend... the things he saw! Painting and music poured out of him - he had to create, he had no choice. His mind bounced out new ideas, poems, writing, music and of course the silent pictures, the pictures with their silent music - in his words 'waiting for any looker to pass by and pay attention, to listen'. It's not only Wales will miss him.

Art Works

I was up all night learning how to do slideshows with the free software I downloaded. Have now bought the professional version of the software. Here's a slideshow of the Hidden Woman Drawings linked to Egg. Egg is one of my favourite pictures.

The free version is downloadable from http://www.photo-flash-maker.com/

Have been thinking a lot about Berlin and the people there - and Leeds and future exhibitions. I've renamed 'paintings' in the title as 'art works'. Because it does. For everyone I think, everyone who practises it, it's not just for me that it works.

Hidden Woman Paintings

Hidden Woman Drawings

Painting

A wonderful painting is the result of the feeling in your fingers. If you have the feeling of the thickness of the ink in your brush, the painting is already there before you paint. When you dip your brush into the ink you already know the result of your drawing, or else you cannot paint. So before you do something, "being" is there, the result is there. Even though you look as if you were sitting quietly, all your activity, past and present, is included, and the result of your sitting is also already there. - D.T. Suzuki

Exhibition in Berlin 13.02 - 27.02.2010

Please see Wilko, Dai Harding and Angie Phillip in the Group Exhibition in Berlin.