Drying Racks Changes, AIDPP Underpainting

An unplanned slow start to today, I'd hoped to charge into painting but felt tired and listless. Instead I found myself making some new drying rack parts, as the new painting, 'Artificial Intelligence Discovering Perfect Pornography', needed a drying space and I'd run out of racks. This is partly because I'm painting larger this year, I had enough smaller racks. Here is my rack design. I made them in 2009 or 2010:

I have 4 of the small 8-hole middle parts, but too many, as I tend to paint large now, and small panels are easy to rest somewhere. So, I cut a 7-hole and 8-hole section up to create a new 10-hole piece, which is much more useful. This means I have the spare end pieces. I could do with a very long one, and I thought that I could use some spare wood to make a telescopic mid-section which would make it fairly easy to store yet allow a very long length if needed.

My biggest hole-section is 18 holes, 88cm, and that's now in use under the Telepathic Daisy painting. I've never needed larger than this. I used to have 2x 18-hole pieces, but one was bent so always wobbled, so I recycled it this year. Perhaps though, it might be useful to have one that can be as large as I'll ever need... not much bigger than 88cm I think... but one never knows. So I'll make plans for an extendable middle-part.

I felt so hungry at 11:30 that I ate lunch then. I can't remember ever doing this before, it might be the first day in 30 or 40 years that I've eaten early when at home (I may be forced to adjust if I'm out). I did this specifically to give me time after eating to paint, so I did so and painted part of the AI painting.

Them And Us Framing, YouTube Updates, Art Writing

Framed 'Them And Us' yesterday, and updated my Artist's Statement.

Today, edited all 300 or so videos on my Music Channel to permit comments, and updated the tags for consistency. Then entered the RBSA Prize Exhibition, I'll need to frame 'Punishment of the Sun' if required. Later wrote a essay on Surrealism and Magic Realism, and related works of fantasy. For me, there's no difference. I'd like to write more essays on art, and ideally video these.

It's the last of a few hot days. I hope it remains sunny as tomorrow I'd like to paint again. My instincts are calling for music again, new work, more unified with my painting and new philosophy on 2026. The new is always so much more appealing than the now.

Bickerton Collection, Art Photography

A very full and busy day. Started with some computer admin, then quickly off to Bickerton to collect my work from the exhibition. I sold 'The Time For Love Has Nearly Flown', one of my favourite 2007 paintings which I exhibited in the Lyceum Theatre at my first exhibition, and clearly remember showing at The Cubby Hole at my first 'Surrealist Art Exhibition' there in 2010. It was even exhibited in the RBSA in Birmingham later that year, and many times since. It was reframed a few years ago, and I think this Bickerton showing was the first in its new frame. This is my first Bickerton sale since 2021, but all sales since 2020 (and Covid) have been scant as I've barely exhibited. My focus since 2019... until this year... has been music.

Then, lots of art photography with the new rig I've built this summer. It was a lot easier, but still hard work. The job involves assembling the lights, the flatbed, the towers, the steel tracks, the camera and it's shoe, taking the photos section by section, digital stitching (by hand at the moment, I need software for this ideally), then taking everything apart and re-packing away. Everything is in small parts for storage, so it normally takes a day for a session. Today's work was complete by 19:00, but I still have some filing to do.

The photography was done for the sake of 'Punishment of the Sun', so here is the finished painting. The face is good enough but suffers a little due to the heavy texture of the canvas. I'm not really used to fine details on works of this scale.

Backups, Platform, McCartney Songs, The Impossible Hopes Of Sisyphus

Backups yesterday, then the final proposal for an exhibition in Crewe's PLATFORM gallery. A slow day today, lacking in focus and still somewhat tired. Why? Am I still recovering physically from the Punishment of the Sun?

I've put my name down for the next John Lindley tribute night, Paul McCartney this time. I never like performing well known songs, seems boring and pointless to me. I prefer writing something new, but I searched through a few of his solo albums and picked one new to me called 'Women and Wives'; middle of the road lyrics but a great dark feeling, echoes of 'House of the Rising Sun'. It would sound much better on piano, needs percussion really, but I'll have just my weedy Microkorg and its 4-note polyphony. My first instinct was to play 'Temporary Secretary', let down by the fact that it's perhaps McCartney's worst song and one of the worst songs by anyone. A plus side is that I could improve it!

Of next paintings, I want to paint 'The Impossible Hopes Of Sisyphus' in large format, larger than I normally paint. I think it would help to draw out a small version first, so have marked the paper for a 1:3 scale version.

Rest Day, Prometheus v3.90

A rest day after too many exhausting days, again awoke tired and full of aches. Did some singing practice. Manged to hit D5 without much trouble, this note was unreachable in years past, yet my general performances were not good, perhaps I need to practice more, or perhaps I'm still recovering from last Wednesday's Dancing Queen!

Went out in the lovely sunshine and bought a few things to cook later. Updated Prometheus to v3.90, making yet more use of the FX text box to dispose of multiple menu options (eg. Frames Per Second, Tuning, Split/Merge Tracks; these had lots of menu options, now a small number of common values with a 'Set to FX' option to make a smaller menu with even more flexibility).

In the evening, played keyboard to a CD as practice, a joyous jam. I dream of doing this with other people. Monthly backups tomorrow.

Punishment Of The Sun Complete

Day 4 of glazing, the 8th day of work on this painting overall. I slept reasonably well, but awoke practically exhausted and demoralised as is typical at the start of a glazing day. I began at 09:00 as usual, initially struggling due to the rain-soaked darkness and an eyestrain headache. I took an early break at 10:15 and employed many enthusing techniques; exercise, coffee, tea, and re-evaluation of the work from every angle, then got to work to much better effect finalising the drapery, and in the afternoon adding a few final touches. As usual I've documented the work and parts of which I'm happy with, unhappy with, notes for future improvement etc. The work is unusual in a few ways: my first to use AI for most of the source reference material, and my first of canvas self-adhered to MDF.

Tired, tired, tired now! I feel like sleeping for a few days; but rest will be brief, there is much work to do in this short and limited life. The great rock of art awaits its joyous roll.

Punishment Of The Sun Glazing

Two solid days of painting, both completing at about 19:30. Another day of drapery remains.

Have applied for the Castle Park Life Portrait Painting event. I'm not much of a live portrait painter, but if I manage to be there I'd make it something of a spectacle.

Human-Like AI, Punishment Of The Sun Glazing

The first day of glazing 'Punishment Of The Sun' today. A long and tedious day painting the sky, tree, parts of an intensely detailed sandy floor. Perhaps I need to add more interest in these details, but for now, the art is this detail; in emulation of Cabanel - this was a goal of this painting.

Spent the last two days working on a new painting: 'Artificial Intelligence Discovering Perfect Pornography'. An idea from perhaps 10 years ago originally named 'Alchemist Discovering Perfect Pornography', I modified it to give it a new resonant meaning.

My interest in AI led me to the concept of a intelligence singularity and of greater-than-human intelligence. I became aware that to possess actual human intelligence, an AI would need to know about many things: what hunger feels like, and what different foods feel like, toilet intimacies, possess a sexuality (to accurately emulate a human it would need a gender too; male and female intelligence and behaviours are different), have moods and emotional desires, and a host of other biological behaviours and knowledge that would be utterly without utility to industry - yet these would be vital to an intelligence that must 'be human'. This led me to this painting, an amusing comment on this, a painting with a satirical mood. I drew it out over the weekend and prepared some models and studies.

I can start work after 'Punishment Of The Sun'. I'm glazing this unsually early after underpainting with the aim of entering the RBSA Prize Exhibition. The hot weather means that the underpainting is dry enough.