There Are Other Brundrits Out There....

A cousin of my Dad's was an artist who made his living mostly from painting commissioned portraits, I think from 1920s to the late 1950s, although he loved to paint landscapes.
Since the BBC website started Your Paintings, there is a lot more to see of Reginald Grange Brundrit's work on the Internet... I looked a few years back and couldn't see much at all. 
Although he was my Dad's cousin, he was much older than my Dad; older even than my Grandpa. 
The Tate's biography for him states: "Landscape and figure painter. Born 13 May 1883 at Liverpool. Studied at Bradford School of Art, the Slade School and under John M Swan. Exhibited at the R.A. from 1922; ARA 1931, RA 1938. Died 27 November 1960 at his home, Masham, Yorkshire". Apparently he could be quite grumpy!
He was married to Lena Worthington who was a good painter too, but stayed in his shadow and ended up painting onto china. That sounds a bit naff - but she was actually an accomplished draughtswoman and the tea sets, plates and bowls she embellished were beautiful. I'm lucky enough to have some of her work and one or two paintings of Reggie's.

Photograph of Reginald Grange Brundrit by Walter Stoneman

Reginald Brundrit, ‘Fresh Air Stubbs’ circa 1938
This painting is in the Tate's collection and dates from 1938


I once read in a book that he was not really a very good painter and could not compete with his friend and fellow painter Samuel John Lamorna Birch. Their work is very similar - and I suppose like all artists' work- 'of its time'. Lamorna Birch was more prolific and more popular - considered one of the Newlyn School of painters but I think Reggie can give him a run for his money... compare above (R.B) and below (LB)

More Lamorna Birch paintings here



This painting of Reggie's of trees is looser - a painted sketch - the details on the BBC website don't say how big it is. 
Next time I see my Dad, I shall ask him about his memories of Reginald Brundrit and explore him further.

Look What I Found...

These are great! Quite irreverent. Beautifully crafted and witty - bet you can't guess what you have to stand in ~ I mean on ~ to switch on the light...
Good Boy


Look at his expression!

Good Puppy

This is 'Good Puppy Lamp' and at the top is 'Good Dog Lamp' - they are made by artist Whatshisname in the UK and you can get one from here. Apparently each one takes around a month to make - hence the big old price tags of £2500 and £1000 

The Skies - The Limit?

A series of photographs taken on the way home the other day - just because I was a passenger with a new phone that takes photos..!





 I love the way the zoom on the Blackberry gives this photo an almost painterly quality





Don't you just love those big East Anglian skies?

Let's Go To The Sea Again...

 This is why it is so precious to live on a small island... The coast - the edge of the land - the sea







Brrrr - It was a COLD day up on the North Norfolk coast last month. We did the "Stroll for Nichole" - a walk along the the cliff tops from Overstrand to Cromer in memory of a great friend. It was really lovely.







Creative Freelancing Ideas - Oh and Flowers Too..!

I'm kind of floating my way through the days at the moment.
This week I should hear whether or not I still have a job, which is a repeat of this time last year.
It is such an odd state to be in - you have no control over decisions about a massive and important part of your life - especially difficult if you are a control freak, like me!
I now feel for anyone else who has ever been made redundant, or who is in the position of going through a selection process for redundancy.
Trying to think of all the possible future scenarios is a way I can attempt to take back some ownership.

I have been looking at working for myself - but as I am no spring chick there is very little funding I can access to help me set up.
Plenty of great sites offer advice so I read them avidly. One thing to know stuff in theory - another to do it practically...
Anyway here are a couple of sites I've had a look at recently:
Enterprise Nation
Creative Choices
Red Lemon Club
Freelance UK
Creative Freelancer
On a brighter note! - here are some close-up pics of plants from the garden:








Oh When? ~ Oh When Will It Be?

A Space Of My Own


Oh soon - please soon. I am in need of a place dedicated to making my own work...for the survival of my own sanity!!
This montage (or 'set' as they are called on the website) has been featured on the Polyvore homepage - which means it is brilliant and fab and very good as well, actually - or - more likely - that people share my sentiments and a love of white with turquoise and green!
T'wit - T'woo I hear you all whistle -
- well GET THIS.......
My rocket picture came 12th in a contest called "SPACE TRIP!"
Very pleased as Polyvore IS my new obsession - taking my mind off all the oddness at work at the moment...


What Kind of a Loo is That...?

Yes, this IS a lavatory!! - This is our loo at the Hub - where I work... Decorated beautifully and eclectically with a montage of all kinds of randomness - ready to inspire at all times; something new for every visit!






Shingley Shells

We went to the sea-side at the weekend
These photos are of Maggie Hambling's Shell sculpture at Aldeburgh in Suffolk. It's right on the beach, in the shingle.

Commanding the eye as you walk north from the town, it is at once precious and robust - serving as a climbing frame, cave, slide and it sounds great when you drop shingle onto it!




 It makes some amazing abstract shapes - and yet is very shell-like! the welding is beautiful


 



And we took the little boys with their little sailing dinghies to the boating lake..


 This is one of four fancy craft being monitored by a really grown-up boy playing with his big-boy boats... There's always one, isn't there?