Corner Garden, Majorca

 Corner Garden

(acrylic on linen panel, 30x30 cm)

Finished yesterday, I think this painting represents for me a search through memories of holidays past at a time when another trip abroad seems far off.

The view is based on a photograph I took in Alcudia on the island of Majorca in September 2008. The weather was a bit mixed and Alcudia is not at all colourful, but as always, I enjoyed my time abroad, so as the painting developed, my memory and imagination heightened the colour.

Mondaymonday : Saltwell Towers Garden

 

Saltwell Towers Garden

(markers in 21 x 26 cm sketchbook)

Because of the Lockdown, it's over a year since I was last out sketching with the Mondaymondaysketchers, so it was nice to return to Saltwell Park on Monday and meet up with them again. 

They'd settled down at a picnic table on the lawn opposite the Towers which didn't suit what I wanted to do, so after catching up, I wandered off to the little secluded garden by the side of the Towers. Taking a chance on seeing something interesting, I sat on a bench, opened my Saltwell Park Sketchbook, and looked around.

And this view caught my attention. It presented difficulties, in that I needed to find different marks for the various foliage - not something I'm well versed in - but I'm happy enough with what I achieved.

Fisherman WIP

Fisherman WIP

(acrylic on board, 9 x 9 in.)

I'd intended to push on and finish the two balcony paintings, but Friday morning dawned and I knew I'd need to find something to do at Gateshead Art Society. Finishing small details on the balconies didn't feel like an option, so I looked at the suggested project for the day - "Maritime Subject" - and turned to a recently abandoned figure painting. My regular reader may recognise it as the man in a garden:

The man in the garden was never going to earn his keep, so he's become a fisherman on a beach, probably somewhere in Madeira (but not necessarily). 

I'm liking this version much more and will finish it soon. Yes, along with all the others!

Meanwhile ...

The Fishmonger WIP

(acrylic on board, 25 x 25 cm.)

Fresh Fruit WIP

(acrylic on board, 25 x 25 cm)

Staithes in Winter WIP

(acrylic on board, 12 x 12 in.)

The Gardener WIP

(acrylic on board, 25 x 25 cm.)

Meanwhile, in the secret realm of the studio, work progresses on several paintings. The first two are very near completion, but as I've said here before, I hate finishing pictures when I know what they'll look like. I enjoy starting paintings and I enjoy struggling with the elements that aren't working, but once I recognise how they'll end up, I lose interest. Only when I need them for a show do I feel the need to really press on to the end. 

In the case of The Fishmonger, I'd like to give him a face; the man selling Fresh Fruit could do with a better nose.

It may seem odd to be working on a painting of Staithes in Winter, but I'm assured that greetings card manufacturers buy images for Xmas in June and it helps to maintain at least a facade of business-mindedness.

The Gardener is so named because he started out as a man in front of a topiary garden. I decided the picture wasn't working well and intended to simply paint over it and start afresh. But the man protested that he had a right to justify himself, so I've given his garden a coating of pasted down tissue paper and we'll see what emerges from the milky mist. Might be another garden; might not.

My Dad's Diary : Sun 28th December 1947

"Usual Sunday. Pottered about in garden.

Five Wand at night."

My Dad's Diary : Sat 13th December 1947

"Had quiet afternoon.

Pulled a bit of veg from garden."

My Dad's Diary : Sun 30th November 1947

"Took Harry in pram to garden.

Everything frozen - bad walking.

Went to mother's at night."

My Dad's Diary : Sun 9th November 1947

"Very windy.

Garden in morning.

Had straight talk with Ronnie at night."

I don't know what that was about.

My Dad's Diary : Sat 8th November 1947

"Fine but windy.

Spent early afternoon at garden.

Went walk with Doris at night."

My Dad's Diary : Sat 25th October 1947

"Spent afternoon in garden digging."

My Dad's Diary : Sun 12th October 1947

"Mr & Mrs Brownlee & Ken sick with food poisoning.

Did lots of digging in No.52 garden.

Fine weather continues."

"Mr & Mrs Brownlee" were my Mam's parents who lived in the flat above us with her younger brother Ken. I have no memory of my maternal grandad, but I'm fairly sure this is us together in the backyard. To the best of my knowledge, no one ended up buried in No.52 garden.

The "fine weather" was actually the hottest summer on record for 300 years.

My Dad's Diary : Sun 5th - 7th October 1947

Sun 5th October 

"Fine sunny day.

Garden in morning. Started stripping turf off.

Five Wand at night."



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Mon 6th October

"Fine day again."

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Tues 7th October

"Fine day.

Had haircut."

My Dad's Diary : Sun 28th - Tues 30th September 1947

Sun 28th September 

"Fine day.

Spent morning in new garden.

Got word of increase - 7/6d.

Usual Sunday night."

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Mon 29th September

"Started overtime tonight.

Still no news of promotion.

Trouble re pyjamas."

It took me a long time to work out that the last word was indeed pyjamas. Don't ask me to explain why there was trouble with them, or what that trouble might be, because the secret is lost in history.

--------------------------------------------------------

Tues 30th September

"Fine sunny morning.

Overtime again."

My Dad's Diary : Wed 24th - Sat 27th September 1947

Wed 24th September

"Sunny day.

Started work in new garden - No. 52."

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Thurs 25th September

"Dull but fine."

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Fri 26th September

"Took Doris to Odeon, Gateshead."

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Sat 27th September

"Sunny day. Went to see Gateshead v. York -- Draw 0-0."

My Dad's Diary : Sat 20th September 1947

"Bought new inflator - 6/6d.

Spent afternoon with Doris at garden."

My Dad's Diary : Thurs 18th September 1947

"Fine day.

Went to garden at night."

My Dad's Diary : Sun 31st August 1947

"Hot & dry.

Garden is very dry."

My Dad's Diary : Thur 28th August 1947

"Still no rain.

Spent evening at garden."

My Dad's Diary : Tues 26th August 1947

"Still no rain.

Spent night at the garden. Soil dry about 2 ft down."

My Dad's Diary : Thur 21st August 1947

"Still hot & dry.

Harry 19lbs 8ozs.

Garden at night."

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"Austerity starts today. 
Stirling conversion stopped."

The Attlee Government was forced to introduce austerity measures in 1947 to the dismay of Britons who'd had to survive the shortages of six years of war. This link says austerity began on 27th August. My Dad doesn't agree.