Rebel Without a Clue

With just over two weeks to go before I expose myself to the public  (no, not literally. I've learnt my lesson,  paid my debt to society,  let's all just move on, ok?)  it seemed like a good idea to have a go at a Really Big Painting of one of my brilliant Burlesque models.

Just to make things a bit more entertaining I thought I'd choose now to radically alter my painting style .

For a while now I've been trying to loosen up and get a bit more life into the paintings, but I always end up falling back on the tried and tested stuff that I'm confident with.

Not any longer.

From now on it's down the pub for a couple of pints of talent with an inspiration chaser and a determined wobble back to the studio to give the canvas  the benefit of my new found relaxed approach.

In fairness, I still had to draw it up in my usual fusspot way, but after that it's all big sloppy brushes, tonal values and getting paint in my ears.

It's been an evening and a half;  I've used up a lot of paint ( some of which seems to want to live on the ceiling now) and I've definitely shed my buttoned-up-tight-paint-by-numbers-and-don't-go-over-the-lines self.

The only problem is I seem to have created a fairly good likeness of a pigeon having an episode.

Still, early days...

One of the reasons for posting things like this is that by outing myself, I can't chicken out and burn it when nobody's looking.

No excuses, no surrender, no going back - It's me or it now.

Haven't really thought this through, have I ?

 

Somebody stop me...

Right, time to get serious.

First off, let's hear it for the new website.

http://www.jamesalexanderpaintings.com

So now the whole world can see why no DIY ever gets done in our house...

On the upside, you can now buy prints, keep up to date with events and generally wander round the galleries through the magic of the webnet-thing.

Eat yer heart out fancy West End galleries...

As if that wasn't enough, I now have details confirmed for the Grand Opening  of "People Like Us"
at:

The Parlour,
31 College Green,
Bristol
BS1 5TB

I'll be there all week ('til the 24th) but the Big Event will be on:

SATURDAY 18th AUGUST 7.30 (put it in your diaries/phones/ear'oles)

I can't be doing with ghastly, silent, what-the-hell-do-you-say-after-the-first-five-minutes private view rituals, so this is going to be loud and proud.

If you imagine 'An Evening With' type of thing with eye watering poetry, cheap plonk, touching tales, feathers and glitter you're on the right lines, but you might need to see somebody about it.

It's ticket only (£6 - bargain) and you can order them off the website.

Oh, did I mention that one of Bristol's best Burlesque belles will be performing on the night?

Now you're interested....

Thistle do nicely...

There are lots of people out there.

Some you remember forever, some you have trouble registering even whilst you're talking to them ( I'm thinking bus enthusiasts, cardigan designers, Young Conservatives etc.)

Some are pleasing to the eye, some have the face of a dropped pie but pretty much everyone is fascinating if you look at them properly, and listen to their story.

Just occasionally you bump into someone who has the whole deal and then some.

Enter Ivana Van der Fluff ( not entirely sure that's her real name ) who, it's fair to say, is not exactly backward in coming forward.

She struck me as a walking celebration of the confidence (and courage) it takes to be whichever version of yourself you choose to be, unaffected by those who shake their heads as you shimmy past in a cloud of feline indifference.

She told me that there had been two things she had always wanted to do, but the business of having a responsible career, being a grown up and generally conforming to all the subtle expectations of those around us had somehow pushed her ambitions to the back of the queue.

But not any more...

One was to strut her stuff on the Burlesque stage, and the other was to abseil down a building.

So, for anyone who ever wondered if they should let their alter ego out to run about with it's pants on it's head, here's your answer.

We decide who we are and what we do and the fear of disapproval is of no consequence if we are true to ourselves.

Those who matter will not mind, and those who mind do not matter.

When I asked Ivana if she had fulfilled both her ambitions it came as no surprise to find that she had indeed abseiled down the outside of a tall building.

And Ivana being Ivana, had done it in feathers, boots and corsets.

Epic...