Good Things in Small Packages

Brought to my attention by my lovely friend Rebecca & originating via this press release on the University of Gloucestershire website, comes news of another must-see-&-follow artist’s blog, namely & documenting Dan Young’s intended year-long project of a painting-a-day, beginning last November & continuing apace. Another ‘Old Pittvillean’ (as is the aforementioned Rebecca, artist-blogger Kirsty Hall & yours truly), Dan’s series of small format oil paintings, luscious & seductive, comprises simple still lifes of, naturally, all manner of small objects (or fragments of), that have some relevance to the given day - those that might be overlooked or unconsidered, at least as subject matter for painting - elevated to the realm of art, from wooden toy figures, art materials (from pencils, pastels to pans & blobs of paint & even a small mound of dry ultramarine pigment that seems very Anish Kapoor), a Brussels sprout (on Xmas day, of course), half-eaten biscuits, crocheted mushrooms to clumps of earth &, most topically today, a snowball.
The contextualizing blog entries accompanying each of the paintings have an enjoyable deadpan humour to them too, as befits many of the subjects depicted, & the work is made available for ebay auction, with the result that a pleasing amount appears to have sold. As this mere dry description could never do the endeavour justice, please visit the blog now for a real treat!

Whilst being a noble endeavour in its own right, a purpose of Dan’s enterprise is to provide inspiration to make time during the demands of the day to do something from which one can gain enjoyment & satisfaction, one of the fundamental disciplines that also underpins my own efforts, in drawing & blogging, believing such to be of the utmost importance.

More examples of Dan Young’s paintings & digital art are to be found on his artist's website – enjoy, for example, the series of tent paintings, pitched in snowy locations, again suffused with that sense of incongruous humour.

All good stuff & always pleasing to make a Cheltenham reacquaintance in some way - thanks Becca, you're a star.