The First Half, at The beginning of The Itchycoo Story Painting number 3

At last you can see something now. I have painted my Whale in a salmon pink, this is in memory of the pink dolphins that I saw in Hong Kong  around ten years ago, sadly they no longer exist there. He cries tears of pain and happiness that become the ocean he swims in. The white cat has a bit of a 'Hello Kitty' feel to her. I think I'm going to give her dots like my daisies as she looks a bit ghostly at the moment.  As usual I have crammed as much as I can in, I still need to learn less is more. I have taken out an upside tree, I'm sure there will be more to go. 

Possible Title Sequences, and Exterior Influences:

1. Somewhere beyond the Sweet Milk Mountain.

2. Where the Silken Threads Surround You.

3. I love You Inside Out, Whoever you may be.

4. Curiously We Wait Across an Arctic Wilderness.

5. Starfish and Coffee at a Table Laid for Tea.

6.  Super Fly High in a Sky, Beside us a City That Floats on by.

7. The World Tree Whispers Seasons to You and Me.

8. Northern Lights Flicker, Fold and Firecracker Bright. 

9. Under a Midnight Sun, Habbits Dance of Fun.

10. An Unbearable Lightness of Being, I Wait for You.

11. The Ring of a Bell, an Echo, Like a Butterfly I Flutter Free.

12. Yellow Wallpapered Tears, Hiding a Zombie Trance. 

I wander how many of the above or variations, make it in the future? I like to look back at my original thoughts, particularly if the directions change, which they usually do. 

Norwegian connections:

Arctic - Towards Norway's Arctic Circle.

The World Tree, from old Norse Mythology, echoed in context by Vigeland's Park in Oslo

Under a midnight sun. 

Northern Lights. 

While the Land of Itchycoo appears to me randomly through my dreams and imagination, I am interested in how the mind works, exploring the boundaries between the imaginary and real. Realising there is a fine balance.  As a child the imagination is able to be free and explored, while as an adult it becomes closed, a little escapism is okay but too much becomes boarder line insane. That is why I have introduced three amazing books. Not that I have illustrated any of their visions, I have suggested them merely as different thoughts of exploring the imaginary.

Literature

The Unbearable Lightness of Being: By Milan Kundera

The Diving- Bell and The Butterfly: Jean-Dominique Bauby

The Yellow Wallpaper: Charlotte Perkins Gilman

Starfish and Coffee, at a Table Laid for Tea.

Looking at my last sketch, I love the idea but I think it is much too much for one picture as I have the Romany caravans and the tea party. After looking at everything I would like to put into the tea party, the detail that you can see below I realise that I have to spread it over two paintings.

On the side I have written carousel Puddycat with a fish on his way. On the top: Starfish and coffee, maple syrup and jam. Butterscotch clouds and a tangerine ..... Purple rain. (As a young teen I was obsessed with the music of Prince) At the bottom: Gingerbread house in the distance. Butterflies over ears, mouth and eyes.. Liquorish (as in all sorts!) In the picture then starting from the left: A gramophone on top of a red toad stall.  A table is laid for tea that is a butterscotch cloud, with ladders as legs, underneath it the rain is purple. There is a stack in the centre of plates, cups, cakes and starfishes (anything and everything). At tea characters sit on cakes and toad stalls so far there is my purple flower bunny, a habbit, horse, owl, Rhesus Monkey, Squirrel and a frog. Bloombie has just walked up. The tree behind acts as a server using it's branches to pour milk, coffee or tea, offering cakes and star fish. Above, not seen here, our boy will be sitting watching on. I'm not sure if Mimi will be at the tea or also watching from afar. 

The painting that follows has a floating city in it. The balloons are helped by various creatures, leaping over spring bunnies frolic in the air. The trees echo their formations from Vigeland's park in Norway. Taken from the tree sculptures that follow life's cycle in a circle around the great fountain. The tree's and situations in Vigaland's thoughts, use 'The Ash of Yggdrasil', The World Tree that refer to old Norse mythology, using 'The Ash of Yggdrasil' (I will continue his thoughts here.) Mimi will dive in one of the trees, just as a girl dives in one of Vigeland's trees. Other animals will mimic situations that exist within this circle. The habbits, purple bunny are talking around a tree. Off centre a lake is heart shaped. Bloombie watches on.

5 months breathing space, everything changes

At last getting back into painting big, it's been a while but I'm definitely ready. It's also funny how things change. I drew the image below about 5 months ago, and has since been collecting cobwebs in the garage. I've given the picture some space, taking out the giant apple and pear, leaving a strawberry behind. They have been replaced by a smaller carousel deer. 

Also 5 months ago I wrote this list:

1.    Somewhere beyond the sweet milk mountain,

2.    Where the silken threads surround you.

3.    I love you Inside out, who ever you may turn out to be.

4.    Curiously I wait across an Arctic wilderness at a table laid for tea.

5.    Super fly high in a sky, beside us a city that floats on by.

(A list of the first 5 pictures) and then wrote:  
Somehow and somewhat a little peculiar.

While starting off with the above, last night I did the next sketch for painting no 4. I realise it's easier to work in pairs while I'm on a roll. 

To the left of the sketch there are a group of igloo's, the back one has turned into a giant turtle. Within the ice, the space around it has formed as rock and vegetation, that has formed from trolls that have burst in the sun. In this area there are Gypsy caravans, one that has Mimi (name changed from Kiki) on the stairs in a doorway. The habbit and a horse are also there with Bambie, otherwise known as bloombie. There may also be a carousel frog with them. Joining onto the next iceberg along are a couple of zebra's that connect the the tea party. I'm not sure of the characters there yet. I'm thinking of the Rhesus monkey, See no Evil, Speak no evil and hear no evil, on a toad stall. I will be thinking more how to work this part of the picture. To the edge is a tree, similar to a tree that surrounds the great fountain at the Sculpture park, Vigeland's park in Oslo, Norway. The boy will be sitting there slightly hidden watching on. In the back ground there is another cake mountain, and a stranded iceberg that has the same pink tree from the second picture, although the baby penguin that was there has been replaced for an adult. I'm not sure if it has grown into the adult or it is the adult who is searching for it's child that was there, the last time they saw each other. 

I had this dream a couple of nights ago, I thought I would use the Zebra's to bridge the icebergs. Not sure if you can make it out in the centre of the sketch.

My Dream:

I had met a guy called Barry at

university who had won an art prize. I had gone to some type of awards

ceremony - you knew Barry was a serious artist because he had a

suitcase that would have fit 10 of my 30x 40inch paintings in it,

except it was full of giant tubes of paint and brushes. I thought the

prize was really naff- odd leaking jars of ink and half used tubes of

acrylic and oil paint. I said he must be disappointed, he said he

didn't care as it was in a Saatchi  exhibition in the spring, although

he had called it something else. The picture was amazing obviously I

have forgotten most of it. It was called Zebra's crossing the Yellow

brick road. (the only bit I can see clearly) At a closer look at the

canvas the paint turns into plastic, so it is modelled 3d (like a kids

toy) The yellow brick road then has retractable (real) Zebra's that

fold out flat retract across each side into a stair case.  As the

Zebra's meet (There is on on each side of the road) as stairs they

have become a bridge(thinking Tower Bridge.) They then fill out

becoming real zebras - I guess after someone has crossed over. Did I

mention there were Cheerios stuck to the ceiling?

Itchycoo Part 1 & 2

Itchycoo Park Series:

Each of the paintings that will become part of the Itchycoo Park set will be numbered and follow a sequential order, allowing each painting to roll into the nextand so becoming a seamless storyboard. Usually a story is written and then illustrated. Here, the painting comes first unwinding random images like a dream. I am hoping that somewhere down the line I can find a story.

‘Somewhere beyond the Sweet Milk Mountain.’

Kiki stands hiding behind a tree. She watches flower powered flora merge into fauna as the animals play and feast. They have escaped a carousel that is the topping of a triple-tiered cake. The mountain is also a cake that has a sweet milk fall. Gold drops from the mushrooms into china cups. The wise owl looks on. The jellyfish are spirits that appear during dusk, some become free floating to heaven, others drift and get lost. The trees have beads of jewels, nets and weep tears.

‘Where the silken threads surround you.’

Escaping the carousel the horses/ rabbit – (habbit /raborse?)wade through the sweet milk lake. They are held earthbound by giant daisies, multi - coloured flags and silken threaded nets (Dream catcher/ Indra’s net). Evil crows whisper and lead others astray. The sweet milk lake of emotion pours into a small china cup. A lonely pink tree weeps the weight of the world amid a heavy snowfall. Beneath stands a penguin lost from home. A sad octopus gives a lending hand.

‘Somewhere beyond the Sweet Milk Mountain Where the Silken Threads Surround You.’

The 2nd painting rolling into the 3rd. I need this as I may not have the other paintings for reference.Detail from 1st painting

Detail from 1st painting

Detail from 2nd painting

In the Beginning of Itchycoo

Here is the start. The most important part starts with sketching ideas and finding a balance within my composition. These sketches are about the size of a postcard. I find it quite funny to see firstly, how awful or bad they actually are and secondly, to see the journey towards the final painting and to see the changes and progression from the original idea. I have never made a picture that is true to the original idea, no matter how hard I may try, it always becomes something else. I have learned to be open and just go with it. The mistakes become vital as awkward parts lead me to something new that often become features I like best. So, from these two sketches that have been mixed together, I have got my first painting. The second painting doesn't have a sketch as I have just continued with the flow into the next.

So here is the base layer, most of it - pre dots.

It's been done on two canvases so together they are 30" x 80". I have decided that although the paintings stand alone they will also be part of a series where each canvas will roll into the next. The pictures will then become part of a story that is called Itchycoo Park.

This story is different to most with a beginning, middle but no end, it has got caught in a loop of imaginary space that has found random pattern and form wandering into something that it is not. The painting comes first as the story is secondary, found somewhere within the picture. Therefore, the writing becomes the tool for illustrating a possible meaning or purpose to the story and not vice versa. There is no direction, plan or reason other than to paint and see what comes next.

These sketches are the first ideas for part 3 and 4. I love it that they are so bad and look forward to see how the painting turns out, even if I don't get round to it for another 6 months!

No. 3

There is a floating island with a cat on top talking to a whale with an owl on it’s back. Underneath, upside down there are trees and an igloo. Behind is a wigwam mountain and in the distance,an Eskimo is seen fishing from a hole beside his igloo (a flipped mirror image of the other.) In the foreground there are a family of Russian dolls.

I have then listed wild swans, grand piano, keyboard steps and flamingos

No 4:

It looks like a huge puppy, It is meant to be a polar bear that drips eye drops into a birds' eye so it can see, it then shrills a 'speech bubble' of pattern. A path and a rainbow sprout colourful giant flowers and fruit amongst storm clouds with daisies. The focal point is a the tree of life. Behind, a teapot pours houses that sit on floating fairy cakes. The houses have twin doors to keep equilibrium, a perfect balance within the north and south magnetic poles.

No 1.

Here is the focal point, the base layer- pre dots. Animals are playing having escaped the carousel. Hiding behind a tree, my girl in red is yet to be painted in.

No 2:

Here is the focal point, also the base layer- pre dots. The escaped horses held earthbound by giant daisies and multi coloured flags. I wanted a bit more so I added these flowery lace webs. This was after my daughter Daisy who continuously wakes up scared, had been lent a dream catcher from a friend to keep the nightmares away!

The explanation reads: The Dream catcher , the Plains Indians say: The bad dreams get caught in the web. The good dreams work their way through the whole in the centre, rest in the feather like a dew drop, and evaporate to the great Spirit in the morning sun. The prayer beads on the dream catcher trap all the bad dreams that are left on the web. The prayer beads then burn them up.

I then thought of Indra's net:

The Indra's Net: What Is It?

FAR AWAY IN THE HEAVENLY ABODE OF THE GREAT GOD INDRA, THERE IS A WONDERFUL NET WHICH HAS BEEN HUNG BY SOME CUNNING ARTIFICER IN SUCH A MANNER THAT IT STRETCHES OUT INDEFINITELY IN ALL DIRECTIONS. IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE EXTRAVAGANT TASTES OF DEITIES, THE ARTIFICER HAS HUNG A SINGLE GLITTERING JEWEL AT THE NET'S EVERY NODE, AND SINCE THE NET ITSELF IS INFINITE IN DIMENSION, THE JEWELS ARE INFINITE IN NUMBER. THERE HANG THE JEWELS, GLITTERING LIKE STARS OF THE FIRST MAGNITUDE, A WONDERFUL SIGHT TO BEHOLD. IF WE NOW ARBITRARILY SELECT ONE OF THESE JEWELS FOR INSPECTION AND LOOK CLOSELY AT IT, WE WILL DISCOVER THAT IN ITS POLISHED SURFACE THERE ARE REFLECTED ALL THE OTHER JEWELS IN THE NET, INFINITE IN NUMBER. NOT ONLY THAT, BUT EACH OF THE JEWELS REFLECTED IN THIS ONE JEWEL IS ALSO REFLECTING ALL THE OTHER JEWELS, SO THAT THE PROCESS OF REFLECTION IS INFINITE

THE AVATAMSAKA SUTRA
FRANCIS H. COOK: HUA-YEN BUDDHISM : THE JEWEL NET OF INDRA 1977