Younger than that Now!

I first heard Dylan via my older brother who started bringing Dylan albums home, probably in late 1963…and I listened to them obsessively. The first one where he sounds like an old man, then ’Freewheelin’, ‘Times they are a-Changing’, ‘Another Side’, ‘Bringing It All Back Home’, ‘Highway 61’, ‘Blonde on Blonde’, ‘John Wesley Harding’ and on and on. 

Through country music and religion and crooning…thoughout most of my life really, I’ve listened to Dylan.

I haven’t loved everything…but then his work contains multitudes. But there are some songs that that I constantly go back to over and over again.

Many many happy returns Bob!

Happy Birthday Bob.jpg

It's a wrap...

Wrapping up my paintings for delivery to London for RI 2021 with opens later this month.

The 209th Exhibition of the Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours

Exhibition runs 20 to 29 May, 11am to 4pm

Mall Galleries, The Mall, London SW1


Booking essential ( to confirm with social restrictions )

Full details at: mallgalleries.org.uk



Blind Willie Johnson’s Voyage.

One of my paintings that will be in the forthcoming Exhibition of the Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours that will open at Mall Galleries on May 20th and run until May 29th.

Full details at: mallgalleries.org.uk

About this painting:

I have been listening to a lot of blues music during lockdown.

'Dark was the Night, Cold was the Ground' is a blues instrumental recorded by Blind Willie Johnson in 1927, and is a favourite of mine.

I was reminded of an interesting fact: In 1977, NASA launched Voyager 1, a space probe  designed to study the outer solar system. Should the spacecraft ever be found by intelligent life forms from other planets, among all the essential equipment on board is a gold plated record containing photos of earth scientific information and sounds of Earth including pieces of music.The track by Blind Willie Johnson is one of them. 

Voyager is the furthest human-made Object from the Earth, currently over 14 billion miles away.

Fortunately there are graphic illustrations included on the disc showing how to play an LP should that necessity arise.



Over the top…not over the hill!

I’ve just done an illustrated logo for the venerable group of Bentley Boys known as, Benjafield’s Racing Club.

They’ll be putting their vintage Bentleys through their paces at the hill climb event at the Yorkshire Motorsport Festival 2021 in June.

Full details at: ymsf.net



Back to Black

I was listening to ‘Back to Black’ while I was working in the Studio today. I couldn’t believe that it was first released 15 years ago!

A detail of my limited edition print of Amy Winehouse ‘Amy and Cynthia’