Many of you will remember a lovely song circa the seventies. The version I had was the original and was sung by Johnny Mathis. It was in fact the theme song from the film ‘Mahogany.’ I don’t remember having ever seen Mahogany, but the song...
In the main these articles emanate from questions asked by friends and readers. I tend to mull these things over in my mind and if I have knowledge or an opinion relating to the question asked I often start writing right away. If it interests...
Assistance Each week I receive queries and photographs of paintings outlining problems and asking for answers. That is partly what I do. Try and help people find answers to their painting problems. In a field as complex and complicated as the visual arts, one must expect there...
A few years back, resulting from a perceived drop in the standards of many of the Art Groups in the province it was decided to embark on a networking exercise. An organisation was formed to pool all knowledge and skills to the benefit of all...
Yesterday I received an e-mail from someone who wanted to know if I’d be prepared to go to their home to give them some idea of what their collection of paintings was worth. I wrote back that I did not do that nor did I...
WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO THE MYSTERY? When I was young I used to pour over Arthur Mee’s children’s encyclopaedia hour after hour wondering about some of the amazing paintings contained within those hallowed pages. There was this great sense of awe and mystery even though many...
When I was no more than eight or nine years old my dad bought me a box of professional quality watercolours. I cannot remember what the occasion was, but he was a wonderful artist and loved going to Mrs Moller’s art shop. This was the...
ART AS A CAREER During my many years as an artist, a commentator, an activist, and even as an administrator I have listened to so many arguments and words and read so many articles and letters on the subject, but the visual arts as a career...
When you have worked in a studio and been involved with the visual arts and have written about it for many years you will find that there are certain questions that never go away. They are perennial. They keep coming up. Among those are things like...
PROSTITUTES AND PIMPS? Most artists I know (this includes myself I guess) tend to be a little manic-depressive. This term tends to describe us a lot better than the current description now favoured that of being bi-polar. We are not that at all, just plain good...