SCANDAL '63 EXHIBITION REVISITED

The exhibition initially titled DEAR CHRISTINE focused on Christine Keeler and her role in the 1960s Profumo Affair, opened at the Vane Gallery, Newcastle, in June 2019, went on to Elysium Gallery, Swansea in November and opened in London in February 2020. Sadly, its stay at Art House Gallery S.E.1 had to be cut short due to the sudden tragic death of the gallery's owner. But now, thanks to the persistent efforts of Fionn Wilson, the exhibition's initiator, creator and curator, it opens again in a new format, curated by Steve Chibnal and Fionn Wilson, at the Leicester Gallery of De Montfort University. The show's new title is SCANDAL '63 REVISITED. I'm attaching the gallery's flyer and invitation to the opening on Thursday 2nd March.

You may remember that I was one of the artists invited by Fionn to create something for the initial exhibition. Since I'm not the shy,humble type, here are photos (again) of my two works which are in the Leicester exhibition. Plus a photo of the portrait I painted of Fionn Wilson in 2018. It's not in the exhibition but Fionn deserves attention.
Details of my artworks in this exhibition (photos below)

1.The Game. NdA 2018. Mixed media on rag paper. 83 x 84cms

2.Scarlet Woman. NdA 2018. Oil & balsa wood on canvas.30 x 25cms

3.Portrait of Fionn Wilson. NdA 2018. Oil on canvas.

NEW STORY ABOUT OLD STORY

I 've posted here before about the astonishing resurrection of an anti-war story for children I wrote in 1952, wonderfully illustrated by a friend, Italian artist Gian Berto Vanni. The project lay dormant all this time but suddenly, last year, I got a message from his son Ruggero Vanni (also a talented artist) telling me that Gian Berto had died some years ago but my story and his drawings for it had come to the attention of a children's book publisher in Rome who wanted to talk to me about publishing the book. The deal was done. I translated the story into Italian and with Ruggero's help we put the book together.

We signed a contract with the publisher, Orecchio Acerbo, and behold!! PER CASO (Accidentally) is now out and gorgeous! Hardback, printed on beautiful heavy paper on which the words and Vanni's striking black line drawings dance and sing.The book measures 7 x 10 inches (17.5 x 25cms).One of Vanni's drawings from the book currently heads their website and Facebook page.

https://www.facebook.com/orecchio.editore/

Orecchio Acerbo's motto is: Books for children which don't damage adults/ books for adults which don't damage children.

I don't yet know if foreign rights have been arranged but copies of the Italian edition are now available to order from the publisher.

NOT A VALENTINE

THINKING OUT LOUD

It's not like anger at certain persons or situations or concepts. Those are pretty clear. Anger with myself is a tightly tangled mess of steel wool threads. Yeah yeah there's the LoveYourself blah blah blah and I do. I think I'm an adorable creature. My mother called me that in French, une adorable créature. But there is still anger with myself and no chocolate-covered blindfolds can erase it. Maybe it's necessary. Legit.

FEBRUARY GREETING

Happy first of February!