Al 's latest masterpiece.

Here is a photo of my brilliant student Alistair's latest offering.

UnionGallery on the culturally bristling Broughton Street Edinburgh

The UnionGallery have continued to hang an accessible, credible and incredibly sensible mask on the the dour face of Edinburgh's comercial art market. Works from Scottish luminaries take precedence over popularists, yet they maintain the unerringly hangable and domestic capabilities of popular art. Artists such as Alison Auldjo (the insightful gallery owner) and that of, BP Portrait prize winning, David Hosie dominate an uptown/down town space that speaks to both sides of the cultural divide. An amazing space. Amazing Artists. Amazing Artist curators!!!!

LINK LINK GET IT UP YOU LINK

AA pups

I'm saying nothing just yet but Alison at the Fantastic UnionGallery LINK might like these puppies.

Aspirational locations

I know, I know! I have been a bit quiet of late. I have had the revered opportunity to spend four days at The Queen's Hut in the bonny and remote Aboyne. It is such a relief to blow the cobwebs from one's hair and see life at it's most rudimentary level. Trees, water and ducks are are a far cry from the droning intimacy of the city. I would quite happily spend six months of my year up there being focused and productive...and then six months painting in the city. I am, suffice to say, blown away by this location and it's implications.

On my return I thought it prudent to work from home on the Festive Bestiary for UnionGallery in Broughton St in Edinburgh. Lots of dogs and birds! It's looking good. but I fear these may be collectable if you know what I mean.

Avast! Hammer time, Me Hearties!

El studio Diablo was reassuringly cold today; a sure sign that I will not be hell-bound anytime soon. I am the consummate sinner.

I have painted a significant portion of the reverse drapery scenario today. BOOOOOOOOOOOOOORing. I did expect there to be repetition in the execution of this piece, yet I underestimated just how labour intensive and laborious these repetitions would prove to be. Looking good though. Fragmental sentences being another sin!

No photos of the Painting as that would be Boooooooooooooring.

Keep in mind the open studios at http://coburghousestudios.blogspot.com/ Click it it's a link. Lots of Jewellery for the Gals and Paintings for the Guys. The blogspot explains it better than my shambling rantings. Go seee!

Off to paint some dogs

Peas oot

Dylan

Post script

The image here is a portrait of a close friend of mine. If YOU would like the loved one in your life immortalised in paint please get in touch.

Coburg House open Studio Event

Remember to come along to the open studios at Coburg House. It's Super Awesome and a great place to get your Christmas shopping done. LINK

Optical

I have reworked the drapery underpainting that was completed yesterday. Odd.. when I take a photo it looks exactly the same. Not cool. Trust me it looks amazing!

And for my next trick...I will perform this backwards!

A long and arduous day has borne fruit. I have finally managed to underpaint one half of the drapery. My mind was, pretty much, melting at 7pm. Tomorrow I shall attempt the same thing backwards. I feel like a rather inert stuntman....or really shit magician.

This has taken me far longer than anything I have endeavored to produce so far.

More laters

I am, therefore I am, therefore I am, therefore I am

Thanks for asking

xd

No skiving

Rightyho!

I have been working but the big painting is at the stage where it looks pretty ugly so you are not allowed a peek. This is normal.

I will be working on the UnionGallery Bestiary this evening.

Mong!

Things might be okay

Here are some heavily distorted photographs of the work so far. I feel that things are going to plan but I am finding it difficult keeping the quality of paint the same in both figures. Although I do not necessarily want the figures to be exact mirror images, I do want there to be some level of consistency in the way they are painted.

Anyhoo, things are going well and I'm a happy and productive bunny. Not a reproductive bunny though.

Buzzing

Bonjour!

I'm still chipping away at the large Gemini painting. Now that I have finished the acrylic underpainting, I am now proceeding to paint opaquely over it. This stage is where the real hard work begins and it is sometimes quite stressful. I really can not afford any mistakes at this stage. It is doubtful that I will post any photos of this painting until I am happy that things are going to plan.

I will attempt to get some drawings done this coming week for the open studios in December. click this LINK. Hopefully I can get a few things framed before the opening.

I am also working on the animal paintings for UnionGallery in Edinburgh.

Busy bee

Chip chip chip

chipping away

Al Heighton at Cripple Towers

I have just said my farewells to the talented illustrator Mr Al Heighton. I have spent a long weekend playing the role of host and tour guide. Galleries were perused, food and drink consumed and Al even found time to destroy a pub quiz compere. Genius!

Check out Al's Blog and Website in my links.

The Harrold

Alan Harrold's new Illustrations. Check my links for more oddness/goodness

Amputee-eek

The drapery for this painting is loosely based on this mock up on my kitchen floor. The thigh is a tube sock and a pillow. I feel weird sharing the fact that I made a prosthetic thigh and took photographs of it.

Actually it wasn't this photo but one similar. Still feels wrong.

Pushing on

Taken on phone.

Hard work this one!

Tomorrow brings the Spectacularly Talented Mr Alan Heighton to Cripple Towers; all the way from Yorkshire! I suspect we will hit every Gallery in Edinburgh over the long weekend. Tea and biscuits will be consumed in abundance.

More on this later!

I'm sleeping....thanks for being quiet

D

Hurry up Lisle

Hello

Talent....

Pulled this off facebork. The Spacktacularly talented Mr Alan Harrold! No links I'm afraid as he is drearily useless at self promotion. Old Gray's School of Art pal. He's now teaching kiddles down at Heretfordshire art school. Alan Harrold! An amazing artist and a much missed feature of this bloggers life!

All is well

Lisle Style

WOWZERS

Mind Meltingly good

http://www.nickknight.com/main.html

Tucked away in St Andrews, Scotland

These paintings and a few smaller pieces are still available at The Fraser Gallery in St Andrews, Scotland. Due to the broken leg thing, I have not produced much this year and this is your heads-up on where to find it. The framing is done in-house and is exceptional. It's all under glass too!

I am back to work now but all new work has been reserved by galleries. However, well proposed commissions will always be given priority.

I'm awesome thanks for asking

swan?

and click me

The story so far

Cooking on large canvas

Today has been tremendous! My interaction with the studio environment has actually born fruit.

I have decided that my efforts should be restricted to large scale work with more hearty themes. I started this big bugger today. It's a gemini painting and will hopefully take in a few influences from the mythology. blah blah blah. I'm excited! 100cm square I think. The smaller of the two new pieces.

A bit of a poop photo but once things are rolling I will post more comprehensive images. Very early stages. Lots more drawing to be done.

I want three piece suits...thanks for asking!

Lislestyle

xx

Forming ideas

I wandered lonely as a cloud

That floats on high o'er vales and hills,

When all at once I saw a crowd,

A host, of golden daffodils;

Beside the lake, beneath the trees,

Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine

And twinkle on the milky way,

They stretched in never-ending line

Along the margin of a bay:

Ten thousand saw I at a glance,

Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced; but they

Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:

A poet could not but be gay,

In such a jocund company:

I gazed---and gazed---but little thought

What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I lie

In vacant or in pensive mood,

They flash upon that inward eye

Which is the bliss of solitude;

And then my heart with pleasure fills,

And dances with the daffodils.

William Wordsworth

Daddy

Two down and four to go. Not sure what to paint next.

Alan Heighton

You simply must check this guy out! An old school friend of mine who is now kicking arse! He does the Guardian and stuff...genius! Alan Heighton. see my links

Morning has broken...

The uber trendy UnionGallery in Edinburgh has requested six small animal paintings. Here is the first of The Lisle Bestiary. A simple British Blackbird. This takes me back to junior school assembly when we were required to sing hymns. I am sure the adolescent cacophany paled in comparison to this wee fella's early morning warblings.

Although I am far from religious, the sentiment of this christian hymn is sound. It's great to be alive!

Morning has broken, like the first morning

Blackbird has spoken, like the first bird

Praise for the singing, praise for the morning

Praise for the springing fresh from the word

Sweet the rain's new fall, sunlit from heaven

Like the first dewfall, on the first grass

Praise for the sweetness of the wet garden

Sprung in completeness where his feet pass

Mine is the sunlight, mine is the morning

Born of the one light, Eden saw play

Praise with elation, praise every morning

God's recreation of the new day