Forthcoming Exhibition: 'If A Picture Paints A Thousand Words Then Why Can't I Paint'

Please read this bit, even if you don't make it through the rest of the post...

Only A Few Minutes From The Station, - You Know
It Makes Sense...

I’ve alluded several times to my old doubts about maintaining creative momentum or producing work of any real value, (to me, at least).  It now feels like I really can put all that to bed and just get on with it into the long term.  I have no remaining doubts about painting as a valid mode of expression.  More importantly, I’m agonising less about my own work.  If a painting isn’t very good, I’d better just get on with the next one in the hope of solving any perceived problems.

Anyway, - enough with the navel gazing.  As the pile of completed paintings grows it seems only natural to look for opportunities to expose them to the world.  A while back I set myself the aspiration of exhibiting at least some work during my 50th year.  Pleasingly, that’s now reaching fruition and it feels like an important next step.  It must be getting serious, - I've even had a postcard made, (Thanks to my good mate and noted graphic designer David Weight for helping with that by the way).

Indigo Octagon is a small collective of West Midlands artists whose exhibition ‘If A Picture Paints A Thousand Words Then Why Can’t I Paint’ takes place @ The Works Gallery in Birmingham in November, (All details above and on the I.O. Facebook page).  Having had a little contact with I.O. member, Shaun Morris through his own artist’s blog I was really pleased to be invited to exhibit along with him, Chris Cowdrill, Craig Underhill and Andrew Smith, (sorry Andrew, - I couldn't find a link).  For myself, it was particularly gratifying to be invited on the strength of the work alone.

Shaun Morris, Oil On Canvas, 2012

Whilst it just goes to prove the power of all this online malarkey, it was still great to actually meet Shaun in person, when I went over to Birmingham to leave my paintings at his studio this week.  It was interesting to see his work in the studio, including one of his impressive Motorway paintings and some of the studies he produced during his recent Scandinavian expedition.  You can see examples of both in his recent blog posts.

Shaun Morris, Oil On Canvas, 2012

The opportunity to access artwork online cannot be underestimated but there really is no substitute for seeing it for real.  Please come and have a look for yourself next month and find out what all these thousands of words are really all about.

Oh, and I’m Tweeting now but that will only make sense if a few folk start following me.