This and That

   1. The Grand Finale ( Acrylics )

As a finale to a meeting of several groups of Morris Men in a Derbyshire village, they all danced together,  inviting ladies from the audience to join in. The sun was low in the sky and the dancing shadows produced an atmosphere which could only be described as surreal.

                            2. The Turn Up ( Watercolours  and Pen)

The Ashbourne Football game is an annual event. Young men gather at the starting point eager to force the ball towards one goal or the other, over a mile apart. Shop keepers in the town board up their windows as there is no telling which way 'the hug' will go. The river usually becomes a highway for the straining participants. This sketch shows a local dignitary performing 'The Turn Up', casting the ball into a sea of grasping hands to begin the game.

               3. Seeding Poppy Heads ( Watercolours and Drawing Pen )

             In this fanciful painting ripe pods, shaken by the wind, release their abundant seeds. Only three colours were used to depict the pods and ribbons of seeds, but a fine drawing pen completed the modelling of the image.

                 4. The Sea Shell (Watercolours and Drawing Pen)

A  strong outline and watery colours have effectively caught the sheen of this sea shell. Black penned dots have added a textural feel to this simple image.

           5. The Crew Room, R.A.F. Topcliffe, 1954. ( Pencil and watercolours )

Airmen taking a break from their various skilled tasks in servicing a squadron's aircraft. A Lockheed P2V-5 Neptune, chock full of anti-submarine radar, taxies towards the runway. This image of R.A.F. Topcliffe about 1954, was sketched from memory a few weeks after my demob. I still recognise these young men, though their names are lost.

       6. Rooty and Custy (Drawing Pen )

We had these two friendly cats for twenty years. They loved to cuddle up together. They modelled very well for this pen portrait.