Skip to main content

"One Art, Please."


Today, I went to Stevenage Arts Society’s latest exhibition at Springfield House, which is showing three paintings by my dad.

I timed my visit wisely, as he was invigilating, which meant a bonus cup of coffee from his flask and a Kit Kat Chunky from his packed lunch. These are the perks you get when you’re the son of a featured artist. I didn’t go just for the feed though; I went to see the artwork, and wasn’t disappointed, as there was plenty to enjoy (my dad’s paintings included).

It’s a shame more people don’t know about the show, or the art club in general. I asked my dad whether there’d been a piece in the local paper, and offered to email the editor and a handful of other press contacts I have if not, to see if they could squeeze something in; I’m provincially connected. The exhibition only has a week left (it finishes on 12th December), and it would be a pity to be missed out. It’s a small show but the standard is high (says the non-artist), and the paintings are modestly priced; I’m sure a few of them would make good Christmas presents.

 (I’m not on commission.)

The society doesn’t have many younger members, from what I gather; perhaps more new blood in the group would make for better social media promotion. I hear Myspace is big with the kids.

I’m glad my dad has got back into painting. He did a fair amount when I was growing up, but has shown renewed passion for it since retiring. His work's very good. I have one of his watercolours up in my bedroom. It shares wall-space with a print of a Van Gogh; I have high standards. 

Stevenage Arts Society’s Winter Exhibition is at Springfield House in Stevenage until Saturday 12th December 2015. Go see.

Popular posts from this blog

Shakerpuppetmaker.

Have Parker from Thunderbirds and Noel Gallagher ever been seen in the same room? The resemblance is uncanny. So much so, I think something’s afoot. If my suspicions are correct, I've stumbled across a secret that will blow the music and puppet industry wide apart. In the mid-60s / mid-90s at least. It doesn’t take long to see the signposts. There’s the similarity between the name of Oasis’ first single, Supersonic, and Supermarianation, Gerry Anderson’s puppetry technique. The Gallagher brothers would often wear Parkas . Live Forever was clearly a reference to Captain Scarlet and Standing on the Shoulder of Giants to the size difference between Noel and his bandmates. The more you think about it, the more brazen it gets. It’s fishier than Area 51, Paul is Dead and JFK's assassination put together. The only glitch to the theory is scale . According to Wikipedia, Anderson’s marionettes were 1’10” and Gallagher is 5’8”. How does he maintain an illusion of avera...

Stevenage: A (Tiny) River Runs Through it.

If ever a river was mis-sold, it’s the Roaring Meg in Stevenage. I just walked past it on my way to the retail park that has taken its name. They’re similarly uninspiring. The river is less of a roar and more of a dribble; cystitis sufferers produce greater flow. The retail park is soulless. What was once a thriving enterprise is nearly devoid of atmosphere, save an underlying essence of emptiness and despair. With a Toys R Us. When it was first built I was excited. Back then, the thought of a bowling alley, an ice rink, a Harvester and a Blockbuster Video within a small surface area was enticing. I celebrated many birthdays on site. There was an indoor cricket pitch there for a while where I once had a joint party with a friend. Why someone with an almost pathological fear of sport would agree to such a venture is beyond me, but I did it. Now, there’s very little at the Roaring Meg of note. The river would be a metaphor for the shopping ce...

Comedy That's Worth a Letch.

Today, I nipped to Letchworth to meet with illustrator (and one-time - two-time - comedy poet) Mushybees, to discuss an event Mostly Comedy will act as surrogate parents to as part of Letchworth’s Arts Takeover in a couple of weeks. Months ago he got into contact to see if we’d be up for co-organising a comedy stage as part of Letchworth’s weekend of arts-based attractions in July; something I’d provisionally said yes to, before things got hectic in the lead-up to Edinburgh and we didn’t take it any further. Despite not getting down to the nitty-gritty straight away, we managed to pull a line-up together in a back-and-forth of emails yesterday, leading to me getting Glyn’s blessing and us deciding we’d officially go ahead with it (whatever ‘officially’ means in this context). In reality, it’s not complicated: from 12pm until 6pm-ish on the 22 nd July, Glyn, Mushybees and I will host four Edinburgh previews from four acts (including me), before Nor...