As part of a contemporary baroque approach this picture is something I had not tackled before - a picture based on a 360 degree panoramic night view by acclaimed US photographer Joe Reifer. Joe specialises in amazing panoramic night views usually of desert scenes or abandoned places. You can actually click on his subjects and take a tour around them! I was attracted to the Desert Center Gas Station and Joe kindly let me have a high def image to work on it. Here is the end result:
And here it is! The photograph is part of a series Joe took at the amazing International Car Forest of the Last Church in Nevada. This is a place where around 40 cars are buried nose or tail down for the benefit of artists and photographers to do their own work, so I just had to do it in wood. It is an incredible project that has been going on for years. Check it out on facebook!
When I was in Sarasota in December for the American Art Marketing show I took a series of photographs in Siesta Key for use in some pictures. This was taken at sunset. I just love the way the happy couple look completely relaxed and at one with the sunset. Once again ebony makes an ideal veneer for silhouetted figures.
And this is the next in the series. I took the photograph at the same time - in fact within a minute and if you look to the right you will see the couple in the picture above this one. Although it is my own pic I owe gratitude to Sean Looney for his inspiration and example in developing this style of sunset photography.
This picture is based on one of my own photographs. It was taken in Key West Florida as we followed the local tradition of toasting the sunset on Front Street with mojitos! The grain and whorls in both main veneers mean there is no need to add anything else but the sailing ship
Cost: £230
I am really pleased with this picture. It is based on a photograph from an old magazine and the original photo was about 2 inches square and very faded so I had to do a lot of adaptation. It works for marquetry because of the silhouetted figures as well as the direction of light.
Cost: £390
This is a Dutch landscape with a difference - it is based on a modern photograph by acclaimed Dutch photographer Ron ter Burg.
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This is the first of a series of three pictures all based in Italy and all from photographs I took on a trip there in June. It is entitled "Chefs take a cigarette break, Venice 2014". The alley ways of Venice and the impact they have on light, along with the contrast with the canals and buildings make Venice a great subject for marquetry. The next one is set in Florence.
This picture is based on a photograph I took heading to an apartment I was staying in in old Florence, late one night. To achieve the composition I got rid of a row of cars and moved the scooter more into the foreground. I like the contrast of the young lovers and scooter and the rickety old buildings in the narrow street - and yes I did show them the photograph and explained what I wanted it for. They were very happy to be immortalised in art!
This third picture from Italy is of the head of Dante, the Italian writer. It is based on a photograph I took of the statue of Dante in Piazza Santa Croce in Florence, created by the sculptor Pazzi. I knew I had to do this picture but put it off for a while as it seemed an impossible subject! However I have to confess that I am really pleased with the end product - in fact for technical and artistic reasons I feel it is my best yet! I just hope noone wants to buy it! Just for comparison here is the original photograph (taken at night time to get the moody effect). Cost: £1100
This is based on a famous black and white photograph taken in the Oklahoma Dust Bowl in 1936 by Arthur Rothstein so what is it doing in a contemporary exhibition? Having spent time in recession hit areas of the USA (as well as the UK) I was conscious of history repeating itself and saw many similar scenes so decided to update it.
This picture is based on an archive photograph, this time by Dorothea Lange. Again I have adapted it to make a comment about the impact of the economic downturn on ordinary people. Originally there were two men in the picture but I think this tells a better story.
This is based on a photograph kindly loaned to me by the prestigious Weldon Company, the foremost quality flooring company in Europe. It shows one of their craftsmen working on the floor of Westminster Hall. I was really impressed by the professionalism of the craftsmen and the way that Weldon continue to use hand crafting as well as more modern techniques. It also helps that the composition of the original photograph is brilliant as well. As an homage I added my own addition in the top left corner - a copy of the famous self-portrait by the Italian marquetarian Antonio Barili produced in 1502. This has led to me calling the picture "Young master and old master".
This large and ambitious piece has taken quite a while but it is worth it. Entitled 'The Firefighter's Wedding', it is based on a photograph I took in Cologne. I was lucky to be passing just as the wedding was taking place and of course had my camera with me. Having looked at the photograph, which you can see below, I decided to do a triptych, one because I wanted to and two because I thought it would tell a different story (or series of stories) and add a bit of mystery.
There is a lonely statue high on the roof of Hotel Kvarner in Opatija, Croatia. If you are lucky enough to stay there and have a seaview balcony, you will see him sitting pensively (usually with a sea bird on his head, hence the guano streaking his face like tears!) Last time I was there I took a close-up to do in wood - I just feel that marquetry pictures of statues create a bizarre reality! Here is the finished product!
This is the first of two pictures based on my own photographs and celebrating Manchester's boho Northern Quarter, a great place to eat, drink, shop or just chill! It reproduces a sculpture by Cornish artist, David Kemp, which is called 'The Big Horn'. Sadly it is shortly to be demolished to make way for apartments, so hopefully this is a fitting reminder.
This is the second of the two Northern Quarter pictures, showing a scene in Stevenson Square, where iconic street art can always be found, in this case a painting of David Bowie by Manchester based Akse 19 Crew. The painting reproduces a famous photograph by world famous photographer Gavin Evans. I was delighted to get copyright waivers from both of them and as they also donated their talent free of charge, I will contribute anything I earn from this picture to Manchester's homeless.
Stalybridge Station Buffet Bar on the Manchester to Leeds rail line is an iconic bar in a beautiful setting that appears unchanged by time. When I found that I would be displaying at the People's Gallery in Stalybridge I knew I had to take some photographs and then do a picture. I did a shot from the opposite platform so my picture could show the famous clock and station sign.
I could spend my whole life photographing sunset beach scenes at Siesta Key outside my friend Paul Parr's apartment by the sea and this is another one. You just can't beat the combination of tulipwood, rosewood and ebony to get a memorable silhouette.
I was delighted to do this picture, though the amount of detail made it hard work! It is of Dimitri's Restaurant, Deansgate, Manchester and the reason for the choice of subject is that Dimitri's are big art fans and there are plans for a joint exhibition there of my work and that of my friend and fellow artist Gordon Clegg. Look out here for more details!
This head portrait is based on a plaster saint I photographed in a church in Macau, China. It was tricky to do as the statue was very glossy and the features were eroded - but I wanted to do it as I like the expression on the face!
There is a lot of blue in this picture because the stage it was taken on at night time was lit with blue! The original photograph was taken from a balcony above the stage in Opatija as a Croatian band were playing their set. To the purists who frown on dyed veneers I refer you to the artists who were experimenting with cave paintings 35,000 years ago and the many breakthroughs since!
This picture is based on a photograph I took at sunset in Hawaii. I just went round a corner and saw this scene. I was really lucky that I had the veneers waiting to do a perfect sky and sea! I used smoked oak for the trees - very dramatic veneer but terrible to work with!
I have called this picture "Night time in Venice" I took the original photograph late in the evening just as people were starting to go out. I subsequently decided that dyed birds-eye maple was perfect for the canal.
Fantasy Fest is a 10 day celebration held every October in my favourite place in Florida - Key West. The increasingly wild series of events (like a zombie bike ride round the island) culminate in a big parade on the last evening and I was lucky enough to be there in 2018. I took some photographs of the crowd waiting in anticipation and turned one into the picture you see here. As you can see there is a lot of detail - but my favourite bit is the sky veneer which I had saved for three years to do justice to a setting sun!
When I get a break in between commissions (which doesn't happen often these days) I am working on series of pictures of my old stamping ground the Northern Quarter of Manchester, especially around Shudehill. This picture is based on a photograph I took at night-time at Shudehill Interchange, hence the title, Night in Shudehill. Some people find beauty in flowers and country cottages - I find beauty in urban grunge!
Time for a bit of fusion! One of my favourite paintings of all time is Renoir's 'Luncheon of the Boating Party' (I have a print of it on my wall). Some time ago a family group had an impromptu barbecue and I realised a photograph I took had some similarities in composition. I decided to have fun doing a combination picture, adding the awning at the back, the spooky man in the vest from the original painting - and Renoir himself (from his famous self portrait). All these were then combined with the barbecue photo to make a modern day version, that may be called 'Renoir comes to the Party' or 'Luncheon of the Barbecue Party' (in fact 'the Barbecue Party' would be a great political movement!)
Sometimes a picture discovers you rather than vice versa and this happened when I was crossing the River Aure in Bayeux, Normandy. My eye was drawn by two small boats (one nearly under water), a couple of bridges and incredible buildings on either side, including the wonderful bistro, 'le Volet Qui Penche'. All of this backed up by trees in the distance and a glowering Normandy sky. The composition could not be improved and it just remained for me to turn the whole scene into a marquetry landscape - oh, and to make sure that on my next visit to Normandy I call in for a meal and drink!
This picture is part of my 'Life in Greater Manchester' series and is titled 'Welcome to Stockport'. Many people who saw a sneak preview on Facebook recognised the location as Little Underbank. I took the photograph it is based on in March 2022, which should give a clue to the title and an extra clue can be seen in the woman's T shirt. One further clue - any proceeds from the sale of this picture will go to Ukrainian relief funds.
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Herberg Vlissinghe is the oldest pub in Bruges at 500 years old and like most of Bruges it is a great subject for photographs and art work. I caught this couple at a nearby table having a - well let us just say a quiet moment! The contrast between the old decor and their contemporary presence made this an ideal subject for marquetry, enhanced by the wooden panelling - there is nothing better for reproducing wood in art than wood!
Every so often it is worth reminding people that I am not just a marquetry artist. I do all kinds of different pieces with wood veneer as the feature - including signs for indoor or outdoor use, any size, any shape. I am about to set up a separate page on my website for them but in the meantime here is shameless bit of self publicity with my sign to head up my exhibition at my favourite gallery, the People's Gallery - Stalybridge aka the Bridge Art Centre. If you haven't visited get round there!
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