Aja Gap

Me Looking at You

2011-11-05T16:52:00.002Z

EAST MEETS WEST

2011-06-20T19:49:00.005Z

Exhibition and Arts Festival opens in Berlin, Forum Factory on Wednesday (22nd June)!

Have a look at the East Meets West Blog and Angela Nilsson's preview!

I'm proud to be exhibiting with so many inspirational artists.

Two Birds

2011-06-11T10:38:00.013Z

acrylic on canvas, 100 x 70 cms

to be shown at East Meets West, Berlin Forum Factory June 22 - July 3, 2011

Snow in Leeds

2010-12-10T10:17:00.002Z

Back from Berlin

2010-11-18T10:29:00.002Z

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)

2010-07-09T12:19:00.004Z

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

Tears of Light

2010-06-10T16:32:00.009Z

Meditation

2010-05-09T09:40:00.012Z

Henry's Woman in Leeds

2010-05-01T09:46:00.003Z

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

2010-04-14T09:45:00.003Z

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

2010-04-07T07:55:00.002Z

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

2010-04-04T23:03:00.006Z

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

2010-03-18T17:54:00.008Z

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

2010-02-22T20:42:00.002Z

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

2010-02-20T22:51:00.001Z

Hidden Woman Drawings

2010-02-20T12:33:00.002Z

Painting

2010-01-18T15:17:00.001Z

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

2010-01-18T13:52:00.002Z

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

Change 1

2009-12-06T10:59:00.004Z

This was painted in 2008 and will be shown in Berlin in February 2010 under the title Simple Present, but its real title is Change 1

Chair 3

2009-09-23T14:13:00.014Z

Chair 1

2009-08-25T19:44:00.004Z

Japanese Man 2

2009-07-21T23:23:00.008Z

Woman No 2

2009-05-14T00:05:00.002Z

Linton Brick Room

2009-01-15T10:19:00.024Z

legs in progress

2009-01-04T16:13:00.000Z

legs

2009-01-01T20:13:00.003Z

Sounds - No 1

2008-12-13T08:49:00.003Z

Gledhow Valley

2008-11-15T16:48:00.003Z

Lemon Tree

2008-08-15T20:08:00.002Z

This is the next one in the Change series, painted in Bad Sachsa.

past imperfect

2008-07-17T12:03:00.002Z

Changes

2008-07-15T09:07:00.010Z

Change 1Change 3

Change 2

Blue meets Magenta

2008-07-12T19:03:00.003Z

Colours 2a

2008-06-28T11:21:00.007Z

Earth

2008-06-23T10:00:00.003Z

from Five Sisters

Heart

2008-06-23T01:11:00.002Z

This is part of the Change series.

Stairway

2008-04-27T00:59:00.004Z

I like it now. But don't know if I will like it later - it's too soon to tell.

Reorganising Aja site

2008-04-13T22:37:00.004Z

I've spent all day reorganising the ajagap website - not sure if it's really clearer though - was hoping that it would be. I was going to post this blog on the site, but chickened out. It's nice to have somewhere private to try out my pictures. It's helpful to see them on the screen - distancing. I can see where to go next.... usually.

Red Woman again

2008-04-11T11:01:00.002Z

Gina 1

2008-03-16T11:59:00.003Z

Another sleepless night.

Japanese Man 1

2008-02-08T17:11:00.001Z

This is Japanese Man 1 from 1997. I'm sorting out my pictures and found several from this series. Thought I'd like to look at them again.

'Eyes' by Chuma Nwokolo Jnr

2008-02-04T23:42:00.000Z

Eyes
(Inspired by Metamorphosis 2, a painting by Angie Phillip)

you stare astounded at my own astonished eyes.
for once, at last, we see.
soon, to feuds and warring clans,
may come this antidote more radical than guns,
more mind-blowing than drugs,
more harrowing,
truly more harrowing - and

yet

nothing more drastic than truly to see the enemy
and his blood; simply to look unblinkingly -
not through our usual black-and-white filters -
but to stare astounded. to stare, and stare until
the truth of sight becomes a mirror to our soul.
until we feel the mettle of his blues,
read his face’s panoply of hues,
his draining pools of dreams, and the
running
streaks of tears and rust…

so that when his blood
comes spurting redly at our thrust
we cannot look
away. no. and we will own his pain as

well

©Chuma Nwokolo, Jr. (2008)

Have a look: www.blogs.african-writing.com/chuma

Struggling with Magenta

2008-02-04T23:15:00.000Z

I'm repainting Gledhow Valley Woods and struggling with magenta. I've already removed almost all the other colours in the picture, and I still can't make it look even vaguely all right. Da'i was right - 'magenta is not a kind colour'.

I shouldn't have been stubborn. I should have let the magenta go...

Have started to build the ajagap website today - it's surprising how long it takes. I'll put the link on the site. The next step will be to write the exhibition proposal - I'm not looking forward to that.

I'm grateful to my friend Chuma - he's written a stunning poem 'Eyes' as a response to 'Metamorphosis 2' one of the Hidden Woman pictures. I wanted to post it but can't figure out how to put a pdf on this blog.

Female Torso

2008-01-11T21:02:00.001Z

Female Torso, 1997, A4 pastel and oil pastel on card

Metamorphosis 2 (2000) & 1 (1996)

2008-01-11T11:26:00.001Z

Metamorphosis 2, 2000

Metamorphosis 1, 1996

Shadows

2008-01-06T20:13:00.000Z

Bett's Camellia

2007-12-19T20:52:00.002Z

Bett's Camellia, acrylic on paper, 2001

Bett asked me to paint her camellia - I tried and failed. It works as a card design.

Potternewton Park

2007-12-02T11:38:00.001Z

pencil A5, Dec 2007
I drew this when I couldn't sleep. It's from the same photograph I used a few nights ago for the Sunday night Monday morning post. I walk in Potternewton Park every day with the dog. The back of the figure on the park bench reminds me of the picture I painted that Itsuki took to Japan - Falling Apples.

Sunday night - Monday morning

2007-11-26T11:30:00.000Z

didn't know when to stop...

2007-11-25T11:44:00.001Z

Saturday Night - Sunday Morning

2007-11-25T03:41:00.001Z

Joss sketch

2007-11-21T10:22:00.000Z

pencil drawing, A5, 2007

Roses gone wrong

2007-11-10T10:27:00.001Z

I don't think polychromos are for me - this felt so frustrating.

Two drawings of Greg

2006-02-18T18:55:00.000Z