all my stories originated as images which is possibly obvious but not necessarily to me!
i can distinctly recall the first time this phenomenon became obvious, it was when we went to switzerland and its beauty overwhelmed me, to such an effect that it dominated my art thereafter.
this is why mountains are usually present in most of my artwork, albeit as perhaps just a jagged background. I am also liable to include meadows and waterfalls plus an array of castles or similar stonework.
I loved those richly decorated medieval towns we drove through even the roof tiles arranged in colourful patterns and elaborately painted half timbered shops and houses
I was very proud of dads Wolseley 6/80 we flew silver city - a bristol freighter - from england to france and then drove to switzerland, quite an adventure in the 50's.
at the time i was quite unaware that my brain was recording all that I saw and storing it safely until needed later -much later - as per this example.
its too late now of course but if i had gone there with sketchbook and paint in my 30's you might never have seen me return to blighty as i made the most of european beauty especially those little nooks and crannies like liechenstein
i was charmed by TinTin comics, over there he is (or was) hugely popular they even have surprise street fairs just selling tintin stuff to his fans. herge really has that eastern european flavour nailed with sinister barons and double eagle heraldry all awash with furtive plots and bizarre aristocrats - i have all that fermenting in my own mind albeit to a different time and setting, hence the latest picture and theres more to come, lads.
for pauls sake i particularly want to do a suitable sea going vessel such as cog or carrack perhaps maybe a dutch lee board fishing boat
or a thames sailing barge
i am well up on all these vessels because i haunted various ports and harbours during my transient hippy travels from scotland thru wales via the midlands down into devon and cornwall absorbing the atmosphere, soaking up the local dialects, appreciating craftsmen and their work from luthiers to armourers and from paper making to letterpress printing in all its glory.
it made me a good teacher for craft, design and technology (my subject area) because it gave me a very broad outlook and familiarity with both traditional and modern technology.
i hope i am not boring anyone?
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