Storyteller Original Works
Inspired by the classic stories from our childhood
Confronting the powerful and often disturbing undertones set out by the original authors such as the ‘Brothers Grimm’ and Hans Christian Andersen, these are embraced through a surreal visual representation like no other. Pieces are fused with topical messaging and intense detail, combining grit and darkness with beauty and light that creates an intriguing and thought provoking digital statement.
Lead Us Into Temptation - The Original
- This is the prequel, or sequel (depending on how you view it) to my 2015 piece that was entitled ‘Toile & Trouble’ and is a dark and surreal interpretation of the Brothers Grimm version of the classic fairytale Hansel & Gretel. This scene shows what the children saw as they stumbled upon the witches house. The whole concept across both pieces focuses on deception and trickery, leading you into temptation and effectively then delivering you straight to evil.
So what you see is incredibly dark and sinister yet sugar coated and quirky, as well as slightly odd! Sugar-filled treats appear much larger than they normally are, or is that just in the minds of those who are tempted by them? As with my other more recent ‘Storyteller’ pieces there are a number of current references that suggest a secondary narrative that I love to inject into my work. For example, the oversized sweets and cakes link to an ongoing concern of child obesity and you will spot subtle objects such as a bottle of cola, scrawled messaging slating the ‘sugar tax’. Have you spotted the pig?!
Look how the gingerbread men appear quite sinister with one coming out of the shadows towards you akin to a horror film, one has already been attacked, is all hope not lost? The swan, a character who guided the children to safety in the Brothers Grimm version appears to be doing the complete opposite here, who can be trusted, if anyone? Do you even trust yourself?
There is so much to seek out and digest (excuse the pun!) within this scene and I have wanted to tackle this piece for an age - it fits perfectly with my ongoing concept of ‘greed breeds monsters’. I guess it really is a classic example of just how you can literally live or die by your decisions and the consequences of being let down and deceived by misplaced loyalty. I mean seriously, who would trust a swan?!
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- Released: 2018
- Collection: A New Chapter
- Specification: 1 of 1 original framed embellished canvas, hand signed by artist.
- Image Size: 48” x 36"
- Framed Size (Approx): 54” x 41"
Fear Is How I Fall - The Original
- In 2016 I created a piece entitled ‘High Ho’ which showed Snow White in a very different light. She had her Prince, she could have lived happily ever after but she threw it all away and ended up hitting rock bottom, holed up in a derelict church within the forest, devoid of money and self-worth she had resorted to other ways of feeding her habit. Yet what defined a happy life? A life built on materialistic luxuries that glossed over the cracks that ran riot.
The hope was to create a piece that makes you change your opinion on the girl out of view, we can be so quick to judge and dismiss. I try to encourage a closer look, for clues that create empathy towards the young woman. Is she a monster, or is she the victim of the cards that she has been dealt?So for this piece entitled ‘Fear Is How I Fall’ it sets a scene that can either be the prequel, or sequel depending on how you view it. Have you walked into her room before her downfall, where you notice the contributing factors starting to blow in from the world outside? Or are we actually in fact seeing her after being rescued once again by her Prince who simply could not walk away like others who had already done so.
If you favour the latter you will notice that cracks remain, clouding the clear. Do her phantoms still stand tall behind her? Her wounds, they will not heal. The title ‘Fear Is How I Fall’ suggests fragility, bringing with it empathy. There’s something inside her that pulls beneath the surface, consuming, confusing.
This is a classic example of how I strive to show the proximity that darkness resides to light, where one can so easily fall back yet equally walk clear. Will good win out? Will she live happily ever after? I really hope so!
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- Released: 2018
- Collection: A New Chapter
- Specification: 1 of 1 original framed embellished canvas, hand signed by artist.
- Image Size: 48” x 36"
- Framed Size (Approx): 54” x 41"
An Eye For An Eye (Wizard of Oz) - Original
- This piece depicts the scene that involves the Wicked Witch of the West melting after having water thrown on he by young Dorothy. The piece is set within the witches castle with an open window (from where the witch spies for intruders - in this case Dorothy, Toto, the lion, tin man and scarecrow.) The window has a striking view across the landscape and towards the emerald city in the distance.
My intention was to construct a stone pillared room that creates two opposing sides to the room and allows for a good vs evil set up to the piece where the two meet in the middle and ultimately is where the witch melts away.
I have explored the witches character within the piece, referencing her evil traits contrasted with childlike fears of darkness and water, although we learn that the real fear of water is the fact that being so rotten and old her blood has dried up causing her body to melt when coming into contact with a liquid so pure as water. Where does this fear of the dark come from? Could it be brought from past experiences as a child, is this why she is so full of hate and determined to inflict pain and obtain control through her winged slaves and terrifying killer black bees, wolves and crows? Through subtle objects and scrawled detail within the scene it make you question this, is she rotten it the core or just damaged?
The title for the piece 'An Eye For An Eye' represents the little known detail that the witch actually only had one eye (and wasn't green!) whilst also representing the fact that Dorothy accidentally killed the witch in retaliation for having her dog hit by the witch and having her beautiful shoes stolen by the witch (another attempt to gain more power and control).
The scene shows the scenario once all characters have gone, where fires still burn but light fills the room. When I am creating such pieces I prefer to leave enough open to change and adapt to how it evolves and build in new additions that come to me from being immersed in the concept and the scene itself.
There are intriguing details such as Dorothy's shoe, discarded tin, burnt straw, bucket, telescope (the witches eyesight was so strong it was like a telescope - perfect for spotting her prey), fire, shadows and an umbrella that she favoured to protect from water).
In summary this was a great opportunity to create a really striking piece that embraces the interaction between good and evil and the blurred lines that exist there, Dorothy's personality comes across as adorably innocent but still waters run deep...
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- Released: 2018
- Collection: Storyteller
- Specification: 1 of 1 original framed embellished canvas, hand signed by artist.
- Image Size: 48” x 36"
- Framed Size: 54” x 41"
My Beautiful Wickedness (The Wizard of Oz) - Original
- This piece explores the character traits of the most destructive and powerful person within the story - the Wicked Witch of the West, a lady so full of rage that is born out of envying neglect that the fires still burn as fiercely as ever but does she still have a heart? Her blood dried up long ago and she knows any tears shed would wound her, possibly even be fatal if the floodgates were allowed to open. What we see of the wicked witch of the west is a woman scorned, an absolute bitch with terrifying powers who holds so much hatred towards her opposing sister that she didn’t shed a single tear when she was flattened, or actually was that just her protecting herself? Is Dorothy simply a scapegoat for something much deeper and older? There is talk of the wicked witch of the west falling foul to her fathers favouritism as a young girl with her sister being the apple of his eye - there continues the green theme again! What actually happened to make her skin literally turn green with envy?
For someone to be that full of hate and hurt they would have lost all sense of context and reasoning way back, she knows not what she does surely? Has her wickedness become a genuine art form for her? Are there any human qualities left under that shell of carbon? Does she still have a soul, a single strand of hope to see her be saved? Or is she too far gone? What this piece will does is take on a similar style and narrative to my 2016 ‘High Ho’ piece where I showed Snow White is a much darker light but where there were signs of innocence, fragility and hope and that is what I have strived to achieve with this piece. I originally planned to create a roomset but chose to focus on the throne to portray a stronger sense of power and dominance, a setting for where plans and spells are formulated, or a place to sit within her shell where she waits and 'bleeds'.
There is a window into the world outside through her crystal ball that rests against her throne, look closely and you will see the same scene as featured in ‘The Long And Winding Road’. The detail within the piece suggests that she is wrestling with her demons whilst retaining what is left of any good, is she too far gone? The decor is an intriguing mix of brutal objects and soft furnishings that glow green and subtle detailing that hints at a personality trapped. The aim was to create a real open-ended piece where certain objects make you question what has already happened possibly, the water? the slipper placed within a box that sat empty for so long? There is definitely more than meets the eye here and again something to consider in general. Just because someone can cause carnage doesn’t always mean that they are any less fragile underneath or vulnerable to further damage, more likely they just need setting free from the spell that has been cast. -
- Released: 2017
- Collection: Storyteller
- Specification: 1 of 1 original framed embellished canvas, hand signed by artist.
- Image Size: 48” x 36"
- Framed Size: 54” x 41"
- Sold with Robertson Fine Art - Edinburgh
Fortunes Faded (Oliver Twist) - Original
- What this piece does is naturally follow on from the previous ‘work house’ scene in line with Dicken’s narrative and shines light into the darkness of Fagin’s lair, a sprawling room high up within a large brick building with a beautiful view over St Paul’s Cathedral (the dome will be an ever-present in all 3 pieces). Again in-line with the previous piece what becomes clear through looking deeper into the detail is that the period is much, much later than the Victorian era, what we see is an evolution of the character traits from years gone by, where those who live within their darkness profit from the poor and through various acts effectively pick the pockets of youth and innocence.
The first piece had an incredibly subtle detail that turned the concept of the piece on it’s head, this piece and the final one builds on this, making it much more blatant, reinforcing the message, the problem that still exists in our world where those who are vulnerable are exposed to darkness and manipulated to create profit for criminals. Of course the focus falls on Fagin and his role of brainwashing young boys to heading out to do his dirty work and build his fortune but he didn’t just stop there, his lair was used for prostitution, manipulating and bullying naive and desperate young women, where any light that shone towards a brighter future was replaced with one that shone red. In popular culture, Fagin (or at least his name) is used in comparison with adults who use children for illegal activities, replacing the term ‘Kidsman’ denoting an adult who teaches minors to steal and keeps a major portion of the loot. This is worst part of it, the fact that Fagin’s past and present had no interest in those in their gang, they existed purely to build their owner’s fortune while their fortune in the other sense was quickly wiped out.
The piece shows how the original Fagin’s lair has been taken on by the modern day equivalent where objects comprise of a mix of dusty remnants of the Victorian novel’s narrative that interact with the modern replicas, where those in the current day idolised the image and concept of Fagin and continued his work. There is so much to find and to interpret within the image, did the inhabitants leave in a hurry, have they been replaced? The left side of the scene focuses upon a desk with drawers pulled out and upturned, where the details that interact here point to a later era, a complete contrast to the original Fagin’s chair that sits opposite. Was he 100% bad? Scrawled messaging on the surfaces at first trick you to thinking they have been written by the young boys or possibly one of his ‘girls’ but look towards his chair, the muddled handwriting is the same. Could what we read be from Fagin himself, a cry for help, a battle with paranoia and insecurities, a hurried apology. It is up to you to decide if this piece then starts to lighten somewhat or if you dismiss that possibility.
The mot hard-hitting part of the novel really has to be the trauma that those so young were subjected to, victims of circumstance or poorly aligned loyalties where so many where without their parents and would cling to any figure of apparent authority. Throughout this piece I have created references to their lack of years and innocence, child doodles on the wall from years gone by through to a random rubber nose on a string that pokes fun at the oxygen-hogging Fagin! Picking up on the slight possibility that Fagin still carried some light within there exists a quirky slide that brings the kids down from their slumber to get them on their way to work, look a little closer and you’ll see another scrawled line ‘lead me not into temptation’ - a cry for help but from who? Within a desk drawer there is a hint of the Oliver Twist book, is that the artist selling out and making it too obvious as to what this piece is for those who are blinkered for a quick fix or sale or could it be a wonderfully clever way of building on the fact that the modern day Fagin idolised his past role model and chose it for bedtime reading. Picking up on the unfaltering loyalty by those who are taken into a family and become dependant on their owner and even if scorned will continue to show unwavering loyalty, never leaving their master’s side or simply waiting patiently for them to return - here Bullseye, good boy Bullseye!
As with so much of my work there are many layers of narratives and thoughts to be considered, I chose the title ‘Fortunes Faded’ because it embraces this. Good vs. Bad, Light vs. Dark, Hope vs. Despair. Now matter how dark things are good will always win out, as per my concepts in this series it just might take a good while longer, or a few centuries even but if we accept what is happening we can change things. ‘Fortunes Fading’ can be looked on as a negative where it refers to the innocent having their hopes and dreams wiped out or it could be turned into a positive where it refers to those who once profited seeing their fortunes wiped out through being imprisoned, a fear that always hung (pun!) over Fagin. GO TO JAIL: Go directly to Jail. Do not pass Go. Do not collect £200.
The ultimate hope for this piece was to create an image that is littered with references from the Novel and the characters who we all loved whilst also putting my usual twist to the tale, to combine rawness and grit with quirkiness and little things to make you smile. As well as embracing all that was captivating with Fagin and his lair I hope I have portrayed the much more serious issue that scarily still exists in a way that will make you stop and think whilst not extinguishing the sense of hope that really is key. -
- Released: 2017
- Collection: Storyteller
- Specification: 1 of 1 original framed embellished canvas, hand signed by artist.
- Image Size: 48” x 36"
- Framed Size: 54” x 41"
- Sold with Images In Frames - Wanstead
A New Dawn (Oliver Twist) - Original
- My original intention when planning this trilogy of works on Charles Dicken’s novel was for this third piece to be a gritty street scene where things hid in the shadows of the slums and showing key details as a focal composition. However the more I worked on this series and became immersed in the narrative whilst forming my own I chose to leave that for several reasons. As a piece it would have and can still work really well but there was a fear that it could just become an image of similar ilk to the hugely popular Asassins Creed video game as that is set within the same period. More importantly though, as my concepts evolved and my narrative built I felt that they were tracking the journey of Oliver and so many of the unfortunate ring fenced souls who would be destined to have no destiny. The complexity and richness of Dicken’s novel means that so many more pieces could and still can be born from his narrative but for now, the end has been laid down in complete and utter open-endedness to leave you be to write the next chapter. This piece showcases the point where the darkest of nights is overpowered by a single selfless act and the sun rises into a new dawn.
Looking back to my childhood I can’t remember whether I read the book in full, or a simplified version of it before I saw the 1968 screen interpretation but images from that are still vivid, something that wasn’t difficult to watch at that age turned really dark when you witness the murder of Nancy, a prostitute and thief on the bridge by her ‘lover’ and pimp Bill Sykes, come to think about it my studio landlord is called William Skyes, simply known as Bill - uh oh! It was so easy to feel fondness towards Nancy, a rose that fell from the thorns that surrounded it, a true example of why not to judge a book by it’s cover. Seeing, or not fully seeing her brutal murder was the scene that made me feel really sick, it may well have been the first example on TV that I saw someone murdered, maybe that would be less impactful in today’s culture at that age but for me, back then it stuck. So my choice was made, to create a piece that showcased Nancy’s selfless act where she chose to almost silently pay the ultimate price for protecting Oliver and to give him hope and freedom from Fagin’s gang. The selfless hoare.
On research into the novel when planning this piece it became apparent that Dickens was infatuated by a real-life murder of a Eliza Grimwood, one of the most shocking and infamous of all 19th-century murders. When the Jack the Ripper murders started 50 years later the Daily Telegraph said that if you want to know how ghastly these Whitechapel murders are, they are as bad as the Grimwood murder. The scene where Nancy was murdered also has a deeper resonance. It was one of the novelist's favourites, and in his later stage shows Dickens re-enacted the encounter with dangerously energetic vigour. The effect on his health was serious and close friends blamed the scene for his early death from a stroke at the age of 58. Ultimately I have opted to portray Nancy’s sacrifice to set Oliver free rather than the murder itself, instead leaving behind subtle and poignant details from her character whilst placing a subtle reference to the real-life victim Eliza. The first two pieces were multi-layered where I left detail to show that what you were looking at wasn’t actually set within that Victorian era, instead placing the scene much more current and pointing a finger at the issues that evolved rather than being a subject for History lessons. For ‘A New Dawn’ I wanted to make it conceptual again but in a way that depicted the tide of change rising and sweeping in, washing away at the past and it’s pain.
‘A New Dawn’ shows the serene waters of the Thames as the sun breaks through over the stunning St Paul's dome, an ever-present detail within each of the three pieces in this series, a shining beacon of wealth and hope of the minority amongst the darkest and bleakest slums for the masses. A cracking wooden jetty is slowly being engulfed by the rising waters, a darker mind may look at the scene as showing goodness being swallowed up whilst others may take a view that what you see signifies a cleansing process, the uncertainty being what remains when the waters recede. What has gone for ‘good’ whilst what detail refuses to be wiped, what demons resist, what sinks to the bottom in the hope that it won’t be dredged and pulled back to the surface.
This piece is a beautiful example where hope and light resonates and the darkest of detail is diluted with the overwhelming healing influence from one lost person to another. The detail within the piece is designed to be left open to interpretation but the overriding concept being that you see Oliver walking away from his present towards you, taking off his shoes and hat before walking barefoot out of sight and into his future. A single black boot and a rose that rests against it is what remains of Oliver’s saviour whilst the darkness that surrounded her in life and her murder remain. Withering rope floats in the water, a link to the galleon anchored in the morning mist and a link to the first piece in the series ‘Money For Old Rope’. The message in the bottle could possibly be a story untold by the author who passed away likely as a result from acting out the hurt, or it could possibly be an open letter to Eliza. Caps that float partly submerged in the waters might be for some viewed as harsh, depicting children lost, lost yes but more likely a symbol of how those less fortunate than Oliver were resigned to being effectively lost and pulled down within the criminal underworlds of the city, victims of society.
I guess ultimately my aim was to create something that was intense, powerful in impact and thought-provoking where something so good could come from something so tragic. For those who really know my work and have taken time to understand some of the most poignant details within my pieces will hopefully embrace the sentiment shown, in this instance the devil isn’t within the detail, far from it, all that is good sweeps in, born from the ever increasing need to know that all hope is not lost. There is something really lovely about the continuous ebbing and flowing of the tides, in sync with each new day and it’s rising sun, a detail that can’t be erased and a silent acknowledgment and comfort that with each night comes our new dawn, we just need to have our eyes open to embrace it. -
- Released: 2017
- Collection: Storyteller
- Specification: 1 of 1 original framed embellished canvas, hand signed by artist.
- Image Size: 48” x 36"
- Framed Size: 54” x 41"
- Sold with Images In Frames - Wanstead
Made For More (Oliver Twist) - Original
- Entitled ‘Made For More’, an abstract interpretation of Oliver holding up his bowl before delivering the iconic line ‘Please, Sir, I Want Some More’. The colour ways are authentic to the original scene whilst also fitting in perfectly with the previously created pieces in the Oliver series. The warm light that shines on Oliver represents hope, hope for change which we see happens later in the narrative whilst the darker areas and cracking textures symbolise the negative aspects of the life that the young boy exists in, there is also a subtle colour reference of bright blues that are an abstract representation of the workhouse owner, Mr Bumble.
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- Released: 2017
- Collection: Storyteller
- Specification: 1 of 1 original framed embellished canvas, hand signed by artist.
- Image Size: 48” x 36"
- Framed Size: 54” x 41"
- Sold with Images In Frames - Wanstead
I Lay To Rest (Sleeping Beauty) - Original
- The follow up to my 2016 piece 'Where Demons Roam' and opens another window into the room and world of Sleeping Beauty.
Cross referencing the previous piece a close eye will notice that the walls are more cracked and creased than before positioning this new piece later in time, meaning that her demons are still here. Her waking hours consume her with her battles, where the fragility of her state of mind and diminished self worth mean that she remains self imprisoned within her room. A room where her phantoms grow ever taller behind her, where sunrise is erased, when will they leave her in peace? Why have they come and why have they brought her uninvited fears? They're far too many here.
Nightly hours bemoan while demons roam inside her home, clouding the clear. Sleeping Beauty knows that she needs to lay these to rest, well aware of her inner beauty ebbing away with each hollow new dawn, desperate for the bell of age to not ring for her, for tomorrow not to come with no one else but her. With each falling sun the shadows rise leaving her unable to see the white skin of walls. Sleeping Beauty’s only hope is to lay to rest, to fall asleep, to find comfort in slumber, to find the strength to leave her room through those loved ones who have never truly gone but whom can only be seen with eyelids closed and heart open. A silent and daily battle just to fall asleep in the hope she wakes outside of her walls is a battle only she can win, she just needs to draw strength from what she sees when her eyes are closed.
Ultimately I wanted to create something truly beautiful and a genuinely powerful but delicate image that is an authentic continuation of the story that started back in 2016. The aim was to transform the same room from day to light where the darkness can be transformed with soft light which brings with it hope via a window that is never truly completely closed. To take a stark white space and portray a scene from a dream, where you aren’t sure if you are looking at a wall or a twinkling night’s sky. As per the original piece the devil really is within the detail, within the shadows, albeit interacting with tiny pieces of hope and good, therefore depicting the battles that live within Sleeping Beauty’s head. A couple of examples being the subtle shadows that come in from behind the bed and the curtain, the twisted sharp thorns that hold a fragile white rose, a cracked mirror that has been taken off the wall, a solitary daisy flower head with petals picked off which is a link to her childlike insecurities where she tries to find answers in a flower.
The biggest change for this piece represents me slowly turning the page towards a new chapter and is the introduction of the main character which is the one element that was kept hidden from much earlier pieces but it along with the likes of more recent pieces such as ‘I Wish To Be Free’. This gives further insight into the story that I am telling in the hope that people can find a true affiliation and warmth towards the character, embracing their struggles and to will them to win through, to find their happy ending. I really hope that many will find their comfort in the image that I have created. Everyone has their story, this just happens to be mine. -
- Released: 2017
- Collection: Storyteller
- Specification: 1 of 1 original framed embellished canvas, hand signed by artist.
- Image Size: 48” x 36"
- Framed Size: 54” x 41"
The Road To Ruin (The Wizard of Oz) - Original
- My interpretation of The Wizard of Oz based on the theory that the story relates to the gold vs silver battle in america and the decline of both farming and industry.
The scarecrow represents the farming industry, the tin man the heavy industry and the lion, politics. The piece focuses on a gritty rusted (links to tin man) truck that was used to transport organs (tin man wanted a brain etc etc) - the subtle reference of a bullet hole in the windshield hints at it being a black market criminal operation.
There is lots of subtle detail within the piece with the colours and light playing their part, the golden eagle swooping down on the bag of gold with the single silver bar references the ‘gold standard’. The inclusion of the twister is open to interpretation, has it already been or is it coming back (i.e. not learned their lesson - links to the more recent meltdown of the USA. -
- Released: 2016
- Collection: Storyteller
- Specification: 1 of 1 original framed embellished canvas, hand signed by artist.
- Image Size: 48” x 36"
- Framed Size: 54” x 41"
Unrequited (The Little Mermaid) - Original
- This piece ‘Unrequited’ is inspired by the much loved Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Andersen and complements the ‘Little Wing’ piece that was created at the same period.
I have created pockets of drama through brushstrokes and textures and vivid colour along with beautiful light. Hundreds of tiny hearts come together to form the mermaid and contrast with the abstract markings that represent the rock that she sits on.
For me it is how she just sits calmly, looking out to see, waiting with hope. The colours of the hearts that make up her upper body depict that emotion and love that she holds for the Prince.
The composition is based on the beautiful sculpture that sits at Copenhagen’s harbour. There is beauty and hope blended with darkness and frustration to depict her love that she has for the Prince and it going unnoticed that leads to sadness, heartbreak and a waste of life. -
- Released: 2016
- Collection: Storyteller
- Specification: 1 of 1 original framed embellished canvas, hand signed by artist.
- Image Size: 48” x 36"
- Framed Size: 54” x 41"
Little Wing (The Little Matchgirl) - Original
- This piece ‘Little Wing’ is a different take on The Little Match Girl by Hans Christian Andersen. It is a piece that I have wanted to do for a long time and is my mother’s favourite and one that struck a chord with me growing up mainly because of just how bloody sad it is. If you simply replicated the story it would be too sad for someone to want to put up possibly so I wanted to interpret it where we turn sadness into beauty and hope. I wanted to depict a kind of ‘never again’ type feeling from the piece, where the neglect and cold are gone.
The scene shows the little girl reaching out to the light from her grandma who is in heaven, her body shape is set to depict this acceptance that she is passing but also in a more positive way that she is acting like a care-free little girl - dancing and being happy, not made to sell matches for her father in the cold. The glow radiating form her chest represents all that is good and her spirit that is moving upwards, there is also a subtle dove in line with the first piece. I have chosen to add angel wings, very subtly as it represents that she is becoming an angel, strengthening the sense of the beautiful transition. Her body is made up from tiny sparkles that symbolise the glow from the matches that she made to sell which are complemented with the tiny dream-like icons that flutter around her body. So in all, a piece that on first glance looks beautiful and allows the viewer to interpret it how they choose. -
- Released: 2016
- Collection: Storyteller
- Specification: 1 of 1 original framed embellished canvas, hand signed by artist.
- Image Size: 48” x 36"
- Framed Size: 54” x 41"
You're Safe Now (101 Dalmatians) - Original
- This piece shows the living room scene from when the dogs are safely back in their homes and the dark forces that are Cruella and her dognappers have been banished. The angle is set so it is viewed as if you are sat on a sofa within the room with the puppy looking right at you. To start with I kept but reworked the window in the room as this not only creates depth but represents hope, hope for change. By moving this to the right I have introduced an ornate door that not only adds character and grandure to the room but also further adds to the depth and also creates a point at which darkness can get in. This is inline with how dogs tend to fear front doors and those that come anywhere close to it.
In this instance the door is where the battle between dark and light, evil and innocence plays out, dark shadows loom behind the glass, is that Cruella returning or simply from a tree shadow cast from the opposing Greenwich Park? The dark forces that are finding their way in are ultimately over powered by good, it makes for a really dramatic detail to the piece and sets up the end point of the narrative. A grille on the wall is an extension of this, again representing areas within a room that a dog (or a child) would typically fear. The window is much lighter, still with hints of the darkness that hides behind the curtains but ultimately good, with a subtle white dove overseeing the home from outside. If you look closely you will see rain drops on the glass yet it is sunny outside, representing that the storm has passed and brighter times ahead.
The focal point of the piece is ‘Lucky’ the dalmatian puppy who is sitting watching the TV but turned to look at you for reassurance. The soot that they covered themselves in to escape their captors is surrounding him, subtle tear stains and a tear runs down his face, showing his fragility and the impact on what has happened previously. The light details that surround him signify protection, positivity and comfort. These protrude from the door and also more significantly the TV (there is something really lovely about the original film where the puppy is stood up at the screen). -
- Released: 2016
- Collection: Storyteller
- Specification: 1 of 1 original framed embellished canvas, hand signed by artist.
- Image Size: 48” x 36"
- Framed Size: 54” x 41"
Enigma (50 Shades Of Grey) - Original
Released: 2016 Collection: Storyteller Specification: 1 of 1 original framed embellished canvas, hand signed by artist. Image Size: 48” x 36" Framed Size: 54” x...
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OH :( (The Magic Faraway Tree) - Original
Released: 2016 Collection: Storyteller Specification: 1 of 1 original framed embellished canvas, hand signed by artist. Image Size: 48” x 36" Framed Size: 54” x...
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The Beast From The East (Mary Poppins) - Original
- I have created a number of pieces to date inspired by the film and shows how I have come at it from a very different angle, suggesting that there was a relationship between Mary and Bert and playing out the reality of that across a number of very, very different pieces for clients. You might remember the 'Cast Off Your Shackles piece from last year but won't have seen 2 other pieces that I will post up, this being the first.
Mary Poppins is a classic film where it cleverly masks over the underlying darkness of the plot and some of the characters, no one more than Mary herself. The two main areas I wanted to look at where Marys’ character and also her relationship and possibly history with Bert. As quirky and surreal as Mary Poppins is, with all of her spells, singing to birds and flying about under an umbrella there is a very strong dominating quality and power that she portrays over a good number of the characters so she gets what she wants, gets the job done. When you then hold that thought and re watch the film it really does come to light and you see Mary in a completely different light, you really can’t get away from it.
The 2 characters of Mary and Bert are polar opposites in terms of class and character yet they have such a bond and if you take the line in the story where Bert says it’s 'nice to see you again Mary Poppins’ then we have something, they have history, why? There is another factor in that she appears when needed and heads back when the wind changes, the fact that she isn’t settled is something else that I have looked at.
So Paula Abdul said opposites attract, she did well for herself so I’m running with it. I have created a piece based on the theory that Mary Poppins and Bert have a lust that burns and a very dark secret that they play out up on the roof where they don’t have to dodge anything, apart from the odd cannonball. Mary Poppins takes on the dark, dominatrix character and Bert the submissive, innocent ‘English’ gent that he is.
The innocence of love, in their eyes what they do is not sordid or wrong, it’s beautiful, it is purely their characters playing out. This is what I have set out to achieve in the overriding feel of the piece and how people interact with it, to create something that is ultimately beautiful and intricate to the point where it dilutes the harshness of what they are doing up there. So rather than putting it in your face it is subtly hidden, just like they try to do. I also wanted to achieve a sense of movement in the piece to convey the changing wind direction and Mary coming in and going away.
The scene is set on one of the most iconic places of the story, the roof terrace, looking out over London with the billowing chimneys and St Pauls on the horizon. The strong sky, shadows and warm skylights were qualities that I picked up on from the film and have used them as key parts of the piece. The rooftop is littered with objects that tell of their explosive liasons, some clear, some subtle that are picked up on from tiny references within the narrative. The wind is blowing in from the east, Mary is here. With the wind, a darkness blows in with it, shown from the pollution coming from the chimney (hyper exaggerated in its force to reference the damaging affects of pollution). The weathervane points West and has been chained down by Bert in an attempt to trick his love to not realising the wind has changed and to keep her with him, conveying his innocence. -
- Released: 2016
- Collection: Storyteller
- Specification: 1 of 1 original framed embellished canvas, hand signed by artist.
- Image Size: 48” x 36"
- Framed Size: 54” x 41"