CHELSEA ARTS BALL

Look HERE for Geraldgee cutting his rug at the best New Years Eve dance ever.

All the London art schools made floats for a procession in the Albert Hall which were then allthough guarded by rugby teams, demolished on site with great relish.

My own school had a very beatiful and topless mermaid on our float well protected from the young sports. If you helped with the making of the float you got a cheap ticket which is how I got in plus you got to aid the fitting of the mermaids tail

The crowds dancing were so vast you had to make rendevous points or get lost for ever. bars and food were up in the upper passages round the hall,at the very top were the casualities,by five in the morning that floor was full, to the sound of much groaning.

My most enjoyable New Years Eve ever!

Go full screen with the Pathe film

STATE OF THE NATION

Teresa Brewer............

And to think we used to dance to this..........God we were hot!

LATE EVENING....Top field...................Wales

Wacom Tablet

MOMENTS FROM HISTORY.....the arts

PRESENTATION

The items here are Christmas presents from a very good friend in Japan.

No,they are not cakes or sweetmeats,one is a scarf,the other a face cloth.

This is the first time in my fairly long life that I've really enjoyed getting a scarf and flannel at Christmas and I've had a few!

The only snag is I will never be able to bring myself to unwrap them so will have to be cold and unwashed for the few remaining years.

Anyway,thank you Masako for the lovely presents from afar.

Grass and sky

Wacom Tablet painting

POSTSCRIPT

Last painting in 2009

Its been a bad year on my painting scene, not much done and the studio too cold now to mess about in.
Has allways been that way with me,periods when I just cant get into gear and the imagination goes flat and I'd rather be on my motorbike or computer(or doing nothing)for maybe a year or two then a period when I just don't want to be away from the easel and bugger everything else. Complete lack of discipline I suppose,its a bit late to change that at my time of life.

You may have seen this one before,I've made several changes in the last couple of months but got to stop now as it's gone as a Christmas present to family.

POST CHRISTMAS BLUES

PLAY IT AGAIN SAM

My YouTube of the year. Linda Romay with the flashing flirty eyes, voice like an angel and dancing like a sack.
Take note of the handsome cheesecake partner with funny shoes who dances even worse than Linda and a background of Hollywood hopefuls getting sand up their bottoms.
If anyone knows of a better clip please post it to me?

Charlie Gee

Blogger in waiting

West Mersea

Have just noticed "Musings from a muddy island"is back. A site with great photos of the island and many interesting thoughts.
Have put the link back in "worth a gander"(sidebar) and here

SMOKED OUT

Mine were "Capstan full strength" and I've got half a lung to prove it...

SHOCK HORROR

Wayward niece realising she's forgotten to buy her uncle a Christmas present

PAUL GAUGUIN 1848~1903

This music should have you dancing round the kitchen?

A WEST COUNTRY BEAUTY

With a hint of the east

Miss Sophie Jones

Email from Japan

Mei takes centre stage

SUNDAY CORNFEST

MISTY COTTAGE

I have reprinted this photo from "A LOCAL VIEW" as I think it's all a photo should be,and its not the only good one on that site. (click to enlarge and see it properly)

CHRISTMAS BOX

Edge of the Essex marshes

On the road to Mersea Island on the east coast. Marshes are on the right,the house on the left is where we lived in the late 40s. On high tides the sea would be just a few yards from the front door and I have sailed my boat across the road!
In the heavy winter of 1947 a snow drift covered the front of the house right up to the upstairs windows due to the heavy winds and all was dark inside.
We were cut off for a while until the road was cleared, the marshes opposite were covered in thick ice bought in by the tide..

Vanity...Where is thy sting?

Joan Miro......1893~1983

Some I like,some I don't,but one thing for sure,he knew his colours.

ROBERT DOISNEAU

CARDS

UNTIL DEATH DO US PART

The magic of computers

One of my old boat paintings that I have put through my computer,changed it to black and white and raised the contrast.

I much prefer it to the original look as it now has the dramatic feel of the sea and sail.

I've never tried a monochrome type painting but think I might now have a go.

PLAIN LOGIC

BROWNS BRITAIN

WARTIME LONDON as a child

Piccadilly Circus, maybe the rush hour?There was so little traffic then,mostly only taxis and buses.

private motoring was out,fuel rationing saw to that.

A big advantage was that getting round the town was easy and swift,a bus would be the best way as they were usually frequent and to wait more than ten minutes rare.

The tube was the same and seemed more reliable than now but was usually packed and at night time shared with people sleeping down there to escape the bombs.

The tourists were nearly all troops on leave,mostly American and Canadian who were very friendly especially to us children and gave us a good supply of sweets and gum. The different uniforms and caps worn by the troops from all nations were also of interest to us.

Eros in the centre of picture was boarded up against shrapnel damage but was still the main visitors area,again mostly troops,Ladies of the night walked in nearby Soho but us kids knew nothing about that.

My father who was a cartoonist once had his work on those Eros hoardings advertising LCC evening classes.

innovations

MUSIC TO DELIGHT THE HEART AND CHARM THE SOUL

Well mine anyway.

IMOGEN

My great niece Imogen

makes the pies

photo by Bon

MANSCAPE

Doodle painting..very

mixed media

Tracked

Sas

My bestest friend Sas,from her 1960s portfolio.

NHS

YULETIDE

ON BANKING

De Chirico 1888~1978

HIGH STREET

Henri Matisse 1869~1954

VAN PHILLIPS ORCH 1930

SLOW FOXTROT

MY FESTIVE BIT

Stourhead lake

Stourhead gardens in Wiltshire. Digital Olympus E~500

Dad has all the fun

OXFORD GARDENS

Found this weird painting up in my attic depicting my life
in London during the sixties. this is the interior of my flat
with wife,son, friend and a lodger,my feet resting themselves right hand corner!
PS I didnt actually have black walls.
Oil on canvas 1964

CHIT AND CHAT ON THIS AND THAT

BEACH PAINTING

Oil on wood panel. Much changed from start out(middle ground)as I wasn't happy with composition but now near completion

INNOVATIONS

FIGURESCAPE

Studio photo~ 35mm Olympus OM4 scanned neg for edit