I spent yesterday putting a few bits on saatchionline.com and will aim to add one good quality print per month from now on. I'm not really a printmaker but then most artists dabble with print from time to time. As a graphics graduate I feel I really should play more with the manual techniques that I learned at art college back in the early 1970's - when computers were only just appearing in art colleges and personal computers were 10 years away ! Now colleges have rows of computers and very few easels ! Print rooms are becoming a thing of the past. Dinosaurs like me try to encourage our students to produce hand made artwork but it's a losing battle - students prefer Photoshop and photography rather than drawing and print-making. I'm sure it's only a matter of time before they realise the limitations of Photoshop. There has been a resurgence of interest in illustration and who knows maybe a printmaking revolution is in the air too ! I for one will be doing my bit ! Watch this space and view my profile on http://www.saatchionline.com/profiles/index/id/177433
Tuesday 28 December 2010
Sunday 19 December 2010
17 YEARS, PROJECTS & DRAWING THE LINE
Good morning world and good morning all you creative souls. Life at "Wood Villas" began about three hours ago when I was rudely woken up by a pressing need to micturate. The house was and still is very cold, despite the fact that the heating is on and the radiators are doing their level best to counteract the effects of the arctic climate outside ! After sorting out my own plumbing - I looked around the lavatory and was reminded that I still haven't completed boxing in the pipe-work that was replaced when we moved in 17 years ago !
The subject of this mornings cautionary ramblings is BEWARE of "PROJECTS" that take over your entire life ! My mental note to myself is "DRAW THE LINE". I seem to have very little resistance and rarely say NO, when perhaps I should. I also have a habit of starting one project before completing others – consequently my life is a constant whirlwind of chasing my own tail !
My parents are to blame - encouraging me to subscribe to the Robert Burns school of “try, try again” and that the impossible is a challenge to be overcome. I have always bought houses that were not quite like those that other more sensible people bought. All have been “projects” in need of large amounts of tender loving care – (in short major restoration).
When I was at art college I used to earn my way by spending holidays working on building sites and I learned not only how to feed cement mixers but many useful DIY tips that stood me in good stead when I bought my first house. It was a good few years before I’d saved up a deposit for my first “PROJECT”- a three bedroom terraced house on a busy road in South Wimbledon but this was the start of many such projects, some of which remain far from being completed.
Whilst my first house was structurally sound, it was in need of a lot of updating and for every yard of wallpaper that I stripped off – two yards of plaster fell off with it. I have fond memories of rebuilding the outside wall of the bathroom in a snowstorm in 1976 ! In addition, the bathroom required two new window frames, which I built and installed, along with a new bathroom suite, stud wall and tongue and groove pine paneling, to which was applied 6 coats of yacht varnish – the later being a perk of working for a ships chandlery in Notting Hill Gate.
Intelligent people buy houses that are sound in structure, smartly decorated and that don’t need more than a lick of paint to make them habitable – I have always bought houses that need much, much more !
An illustration of how long some things have taken me is that a piece of sculpture that I started when I was 17 was finally completed when my daughter was 17 ! I also bought a classic boat when she was about 7 and that is far from complete and my granddaughter will be seven next year – I’d better get a move on !
On my easel at the moment is a painting that I’ve been working on for nearly two years and there’s still a lot that needs doing to complete the 5 foot canvas. My excuse for not visiting my studio today is that its too cold and there’s too much frozen snow between the house and the converted chapel down the road !
I will go there tomorrow and add a few more details with my 0000 brush – and hopefully this PROJECT will be a little nearer to completion. I will also add a few more bits of timber to my lavatory too !
The moral of these ramblings is : BE CAREFUL – SOME PROJECTS TAKE A LONG, LONG TIME TO COMPLETE – or is that just me ?
Saturday 18 December 2010
Typographic Diversion
As this is the first day of my Christmas Holidays I thought I'd celebrate with a typographic diversion ! The image is simply a doodle generated in Photoshop. The multi-layered pattern began by opening an A4 page in Photoshop, then selecting a colour, font and size, before typing "CHRIS". Next the pattern was selected using the "MARQUEE" tool, then the type was "RASTERISED" by choosing "LAYER" and "TYPE". Finally to make the pattern I selected "FILTER" then "PATTERN MAKER" and before hitting "GENERATE" I experimented by adjusting the "SMOOTHNESS", "SAMPLE DETAIL", "OFFSET" and "AMOUNT OF OFFSET". Next I added four more layers each with a different colour and font size. Each layer was then played with in terms of the CHARACTER of the LAYER and CHANGING the default setting of "NORMAL" to "EXCLUSION", "DIFFERENCE", "PINLIGHT", "OVERLAY" or "SCREEN". I also added a coloured background layer as a white background can be a little bland. The final touches were re-arranging the order of the layers and adjusting the colours. Like it or hate it - the outcome has a festive look, which was what I was looking for. In addition, the theme of my AS Graphics first piece of coursework was "LOST & FOUND" and the fact that you can't actually read the word CHRIS is a bonus !
As I mentioned, its now the holidays so I should get the time to get in my studio and do some more to my infamous "Tudor Painting" and who knows write a few more posts here ! Don't forget to check my Twitter page too ! chriswoodartist
bye for now !
Wednesday 24 November 2010
ADVANCED LIFE DRAWING WORKSHOP
STOP PRESS . . . . . .
ARTSPACE ADVANCED LIFE DRAWING WORKSHOP CONTINUES TO BE A HUGE SUCCESS. . . . .
This very popular course sells out very quickly so if you’re interested get in quick !
If you would like to join us next term please contact us ASAP.
Tutor: Christopher N Wood., Artspace Artist & Lecturer.
Venue: Art Department, Top Floor “N” Block, Portsmouth Grammar School, High Street, Old Portsmouth
Time: Monday (from January 2011) evenings 7 - 9 pm
Maximum number of students : 12
Parking : There is plenty of off road parking in the school car park - access via Museum Road. The entrance has a security code to open the electronic gates.
Cost: £115 full fee / £95 concessions (only 5 concessions available), the fee for each term must be paid in advance
Bookings: Please make out a cheque to Art Space Portsmouth Ltd and send to : Studio Co-ordinator, Art Space Portsmouth, 27 Brougham Road, Southsea, PO5 4PA.
Resources : We provide a tutor, a model, easels & boards.
Materials : You must provide your own materials. Drawing equipment including willow charcoal, putty rubber, soft pencils, craft knife & or pencil sharpener, sketchbook, 3 or 4 sheets of A1 paper, masking tape or board clips.
Other more exotic materials such as soft pastels, Quink ink, dipping pens, brushes etc may be required later in the term. You will be informed of any special materials needed a week or so beforehand.
Further Information : For more information on Chris Wood go to http://web.me.com/chriswoodartist/chriswoodartteacher/home.html .
For booking information please ring Art Space on 023 9287 4523 or email natalie@artspace.co.uk. Art Space is one of the most respected artist run studio groups in the UK and we have been offering studio space and Adult Education classes in fine art for 30 years.
Dates as follows:
Term 2 (Spring)
WEEK 1 Monday 10th January 2011
WEEK 2 Monday 17th January
WEEK 3 Monday 24th January
WEEK 4 Monday 31st January
WEEK 5 Monday 7th Feb
WEEK 6 Monday 14th Feb
HALF TERM Saturday 19th - Sunday 27th Feb
WEEK 7 Monday 28th Feb
WEEK 8 Monday 7th March
WEEK 9 Monday 14th March
WEEK 10 Monday 21st March
ETHOS
The course is for advanced students who have some prior knowledge of life drawing and would like the opportunity to take part in a structured series of drawing workshops designed to be supportive, challenging and tailored to the specific needs of the participants. Whilst, in theory, this is an advanced class I am happy to teach complete beginners providing they have an open mind and are keen to extend their visual repertoire. Students range from beginners to professional artists and designers. Some students may not have done any life drawing for a number of years and this is a perfect course to reinvigorate and or update skills. It is also a perfect course for those on Foundation courses who wish to build up their portfolios prior to applying for degree courses.
Overview
Term 1 Media & Technique, Term 2 Form & Scale, Term 3 Mixed Media
Each session is structured to provide the opportunity to produce a portfolio of lively and creative drawings. The program is designed to build confidence and broaden horizons.
I aim to offer support and encouragement in a friendly, non-threatening environment. In each session we will look at and draw inspiration from various artists old and new. A variety of approaches will be encouraged from the traditional to more individual expressive or conceptual ways of working. I am also happy for “students” to either follow my structured programme or not - my AIM is for everyone to enjoy drawing and hopefully to extend and enhance your practice as an artist.
Monday 8 November 2010
Composition 8.11.10
Its been so long since I posted anything here - I'd almost forgotten how to ! The last post was at the beginning of my Summer vacation - before real life began and teaching became a distant memory. Well I've been back at the chalk-face since 24.8.10 - hence no posts and very little life either ! Life at in my studio continued throughout and I have managed to find time to continue working on the fiddly bits on my large TUDOR painting. It's coming together and the sterncastle of the main protagonist is now peopled with lots of bustling bodies ! The French battlefleet has appeared on the horizon and an English barge has also turned up ! More on this later . . . .
The first half of the term at College is now done and dusted and it has certainly been a busy one with huge classes of very needy students. The main objective of the first term is to encourage students to explore new skills and hopefully develop some themselves ! So we have been subjecting them to materials, techniques and processes - old and new - abstract and figurative.
The above is a composite of images that were kicking around on my desktop. It is my attempt to maintain my dwindling sanity. The composition comprises of a monoprint, that was in my last exhibition plus a detail of a charcoal drawing of one of my favourite models. At the bottom of this collage of images is the ghosted image of a new studio that I have been designing, although its very faint but so are my ideas for said building ! A topic that my AS Graphic Design students have been working on is "LOST & FOUND" and I think this rather manic composition fits the criteria. Lots of movement with layers of imagery flyiing about - it mirrors my life !
I have just completed a very different illustration for the Artspace 6by4 exhibition and sale which is on Friday and this has thrown up lots of ideas for a series and possible childrens book - so lots more to keep the creative juices flowing and the midnight oil burning brightly ! Talking of which I most get on ! Goodnight all - over and out !
Monday 4 October 2010
Dashboards, dead flies and passing time
Hello to all my dedicated followers, a VERY BIG sorry for not writing for so long and yes I've changed the background for the blog ! I saw the flies and couldn't resist it ! It reminds me of a book called the Wasp Factory by Ian Banks - a very dark tale of violence, the odd wasp and the odd dead fly too !
I haven't written for many a moon due to being back at college and having the odd commission to complete. I still haven't finished the commission but it's my day off teaching - hence the borrowed 5 minutes and the quick rant from yours truly. At this time of the week I'm normaly writing up my lesson-plan for my ADVANCED LIFE DRAWING WORKSHOP but as its not running tomorrow, I have a brief reprieve. I should be in my studio DRAWING LINES with tiny 0000 brushes and water soluable oil paint - but somehow I'm not ! Maybe in a few minutes !
I haven't got my Tuesday evening lifeclass due to the fact that I'm double booked and instead of weilding a lump of charcoal I'll be encouraging even more students to sign up for Graphic Design courses at the St Vincent College Open Evening which so happens to be tomorrow evening ! The course and yours truly is a victim of success and this year we have huge classes - so no rest for the wicked, which brings me back to Frank in the afore mentioned novel - if you haven't read it - beg or borrow a copy and you'll see what I mean - he really was a wicked lad ! That's enough plugging for Mr Ian Banks - not that he neads it. I need a plug and perhaps another cup of tea - cheerio everyone
for more madness click http://web.me.com/chriswoodartist
I haven't written for many a moon due to being back at college and having the odd commission to complete. I still haven't finished the commission but it's my day off teaching - hence the borrowed 5 minutes and the quick rant from yours truly. At this time of the week I'm normaly writing up my lesson-plan for my ADVANCED LIFE DRAWING WORKSHOP but as its not running tomorrow, I have a brief reprieve. I should be in my studio DRAWING LINES with tiny 0000 brushes and water soluable oil paint - but somehow I'm not ! Maybe in a few minutes !
I haven't got my Tuesday evening lifeclass due to the fact that I'm double booked and instead of weilding a lump of charcoal I'll be encouraging even more students to sign up for Graphic Design courses at the St Vincent College Open Evening which so happens to be tomorrow evening ! The course and yours truly is a victim of success and this year we have huge classes - so no rest for the wicked, which brings me back to Frank in the afore mentioned novel - if you haven't read it - beg or borrow a copy and you'll see what I mean - he really was a wicked lad ! That's enough plugging for Mr Ian Banks - not that he neads it. I need a plug and perhaps another cup of tea - cheerio everyone
for more madness click http://web.me.com/chriswoodartist
Tuesday 27 July 2010
Studio Door Drawing & Tip of the Day !
Today's drawing depicts one of my favourite models who is very energetic - I'm not sure if this comes across in the drawing - thoughts on a postcard perhaps !Todays tip is don't put off till tomorrow what you can do today ! The rationale behind this remark is that I've been putting off archiving my work for far too long.
The studio door gallery came about from a desire to unearth more of my drawings from the festering piles in various studios here there and everywhere and to archive, catalogue and share my work both on a local level, with my friends at Artspace Studios in Portsmouth and with my various followers in hyperspace !
“Denis the menace” Charcoal on cartridge
595 x 840 mm
archive 0018
signed chris n wood
Monday 26 July 2010
Studio Door Drawing & Tip of the Day !
On my studio door at today is this multi layered portait in pastels.
I took a rubber to the drawing today and cleaned up some unwanted marks and smudges.
My tip for the day is spray fixative on your drawings ASAP !
Don't do what I do - invariably I leave charcoal or pastel drawings without fixing them. I usually make at least 5 or 6 drawings each session then return home and empty my portfolio - leaving the drawings on an ever increasing pile in my studio at home, the consequence of which is that the wretched drawings imprint themselves onto the backs of each other ! Another stupid thing that I used do was drawing on both sides of the paper. If you do that & forget to fix them - its a recipe for disaster ! I used to be very precious about my labours but now I'll rattle off a drawing and the act of drawing is far more important to me than the result - at least that's my excuse for developing sloppy habits !
Belated News Years Resolution : Take better care of my doodles !
“Gerald in Orange & Blue” Pastel on cartridge
595 x 840 mm
archive 0024
signed chris n wood
Thursday 22 July 2010
Studio Door Drawing 0006
On my studio door at Artspace Portsmouth today is this multi layered portait in oil bars. Drawing with oil bars can make a refreshing change - I like the way fact that, in common with oil paint, they take longer to dry than oil pastels and they blend and smudge together. This drawing was probably done about a couple of years ago (despite instructing my students to date drawings - I rarely do it myself) and the surface still feels damp - so caution has to be exercised when storing or transporting drawings done in oil bars !
“Gerald” Oil Bars on Cartridge
595 x 840 mm
archive 0006
Tuesday 13 July 2010
Welcome to the latest posting of The Studio Door Gallery. This isn't exactly a new drawing - simply one kicking around from my last exhibition at gASP, the Artspace Gallery above my studio. The exhibition was a huge success and I was amazed how many lovely people turned out ! The show was a collaboration with friend and fellow Artspace member, Sue Freeborough. Sue showed some superb examples of figurative sculpture and life drawings - many of which were created at when she attended my Advanced Life Drawing Workshop at Portsmouth Grammar School. We had the last session on Tuesday and explored Deconstruction. The Tuesday evening sessions will continue in September - for further details contact natalie@artspace.co.uk or email me direct on chriswoodartist@aol.com
Happy scribbling !
Sunday 27 June 2010
Studio Door Drawing 0035
Welcome to the first of a new series of drawings that are being attached to my studio door at Artspace Portsmouth. The idea of shoving a drawing on my door came about when I had my exhibition at the gASP gallery in April/May. I had a total of 36 drawings and three pieces of sculpture in the 2 man show and I thought I'd stick a few drawings on my studio door to advertise the exhibition upstairs in the gallery. I meant to go online before but it didn't happen - the best made plans of mice, artists and men !
I had every intention of changing the drawing (at least once a week) and posting the image to my Website, Facebook and Twitter pages - well I've done that - so it's here too.
Pastel 595 x 840 mm archive 0035
signed chris n wood
Sunday 23 May 2010
My first pub sign !
The Victory Pub, (the Hard, Portsmouth UK) gets itself a new pub sign and hopefully I'll get a few beers ! For a look at the original painting go to http://web.me.com/chriswoodartistBye for now - time for a beer !
Artspace Portsmouth Open Studios
Saturday was a great success with well over 100 visitors !
I look forward to today (23.5.10) the final day of our annual weekend of culture. Yesterday was warm & sunny with enthusiastic visitors flocking to enjoy tea and home made cakes in the Artspace garden. For budding gardeners, a further temptation was a vast array of bargain plants for sale. With temperatures soaring outside, those that wanted to escape the sun had the opportunity of either finding a shady corner of the wonderful gardens or going inside and exploring 29 artists studios in the former chapel in Brougham Road, Southsea. A big vote of thanks goes to Adrian Mundy and Jane Kilford of Artspace who have worked tirelessly over the last couple of years to create such a verdant haven of tranquility !
The Artists are celebrating their 30th year since the group was formed back in 1980. Artspace was one of the first artist run professional studio groups in the country and they are going from strength to strength.
In addition to providing studio space at an affordable rents, Artspace runs specialist adult education for those who are up for a creative challenge ! Amongst the courses currently on offer is my own Advanced Life Drawing Workshop which is held on a Tuesday evening 7-9pm at Portsmouth Grammar School in Old Portsmouth. We still have a limited number of places on this popular course - so if you're interested contact me sooner rather than later !
Returning to Open Studios, the artists will open their doors at 12.00-3.00pm - this will be followed by the very popular annual attraction, the Artspace Auction of artwork by the members. You can bid for real bargain artwork by both up and coming and more established members of the group. A percentage of the hammer price will go towards Artspace Portsmouth Ltd with the remainder going to the artists themselves. Its a very good cause so do come along !
I will be very happy to discuss my work and share a glass of something just to get you in the mood for putting your hand up at the auction !
Happy scribbling !
Saturday 8 May 2010
clocks and how to deal with embarrassing growths
I'm not sure quite how or why but upon entering the kitchen I noticed that the clock had sprouted a garland of flowers - was this a miracle ? Will the dilemma spread to watches, sundials and the central heating controller ? How about the trusty chronometer in our car - will they all suddenly burst into mysterious verdent jungles ?
Readers beware - to avoid future embarrassment take down your clocks on the 30th April and place them in a sealed container, bury them in the garden for the next 24 hours. I have been reliably informed that it will be perfectly safe to perform an exumation on 2nd of May.
Wednesday 7 April 2010
Mystery blobs or Oystercatchers . . .
This is quite possibly one of the worst photos I've ever taken.
I tried to soup it up a little but sadly it remains a tad boring !
I tried to soup it up a little but sadly it remains a tad boring !
I had two reasons for taking it (he said apologetically) - firstly it was taken from Shotley Marina (looking towards Landguard Fort) and it was Shotley and HMS Ganges that featured in one of my earlier posts. My second excuse for the shot was, I thought if I had photographic evidence, I might be able to solve a mystery and identify the row of blobs feeding at the waters edge ! Having enlarged
the image I am now fairly sure my blobs are juvenile oystercatchers.
the image I am now fairly sure my blobs are juvenile oystercatchers.
They are somewhat lacking in the beak department with shorter noses than their fully grown parents - either that or I've found a new species ! If there are any ornithologists out there who can solve my dilemma please put me out of my misery !
Tuesday 6 April 2010
I've fallen in love yet again !
It's probably a little late to be making New Years resolutions but here goes anyway ! 1. I must stop going to boatyards and I really must spend more time working on my own poor little gaffer (rather than lusting after other peoples) !
That said, the photo is of a little gem that I discovered yesterday in Shotley Marina. There are many differences between this wonderful example of a classic craft and my own - notably - this one is afloat ! This is a thoroughbred - my boat is considerably shorter, blunter, stouter and more akin to a working Cornish fishing boat rather than a gentleman's yacht. This lady was built purely for the pleasure of an afternoon in the sun with the wind gently whistling through the rigging - so too was my boat - she just looks more like a traditional fishing boat than a refined, sophisticated filly.
My boat has a spoon bow, not a straight stem - so that's one similarity, she also has a bowsprit proudly attached to her stem - that's two similarities. At the other end, whilst I have always admired boats with a counter stern, projecting over the water - my boat has a blunt sawn off transom that has the rudder attached to it (well it would if it wasn't languishing in my studio). The Shotley boat is almost twice the length of my boat (Dolphin is just 20 feet on deck). This greyhound carries a sensible rig with a smaller mast than I would imagine was originally designed for her. The rotting mast of my boat is almost the same length as this one and the boom overhangs my stubby transom by about 4 feet. My boat probably needs a lot more wind to shift her as she is fairly heavily built - so the sail area is proportionately bigger than that of the new found love of my life. Sadly like all one night stands I didn't even get the name of this lady - at least my boat has a name - no pedigree whatsoever but then what would you expect !
Anyway that's all for now - I'm off to my studio (not the boatyard - my boatyard that is )!
Off to paint larger historic boats with very, very good pedigree's ! More of that later.
Monday 29 March 2010
Probably the best ice cream in the world !
17.10.09 : Another fine day on Felixstowe beach - check out those FONTS !
It was freezing cold that day but I really fancied a reminder of just how wonderful Peters Ice Cream was ! It's been a long time since I sampled their culinary delights and for some inexplicable reason the wretched stall was shut. As Arni would say "I'll be back" !
Saturday 13 February 2010
Reminiscence
Sea Scouts, Sailing, Memories of Suffolk
& the humble origins of Chris Wood Artist
Dipping into the mists of time, I recall that back in the mid 1960's, the 9th Ipswich Sea Scouts not only had a brand new purpose built scout hut but a wonderful assortment of small boats, an amazing collection of ridge tents, a huge collection of ropes and spars and a very decrepit Ford Transit van. Whilst there was and still is, plenty of good sailing water in the river Orwell, our sailing base was Woodbridge on the picturesque tidal river Deben in Suffolk.
I had sailed with my parents aboard their various yachts since I was in nappies but this was not enough - as an energetic 12 year old I decided that I wanted to gain experience of camping too so together with my best friend, I joined the 9th Ipswich Sea Scouts and donned my neckscarfe & woggle. The scout hut was about a mile from where we lived and we divided our time between there and the boat compound in Woodbridge, which is about an 8 mile cycle ride away. The scout group itself was a flourishing organisation and there were lots to get involved with. At the time, there were two scout masters and they had the thankless task of controlling about 30 teenagers.
We were divided into about six patrols, Kingfishers, Seagulls, Peewits etc etc. Each patrol had a patrol leader who was usually about 15 years old and a second in command, known as a seconder, who was recruited from the ranks. Our evening activities were divided up into some rough and tumble games, (no doubt with the intention of tiring us out), learning seamanship, rope work, backwoodsmanship and team bonding activities such as planning for our numerous camping and sailing activities. We also worked towards various badges such as second class, first class scout and Queens scout. In addition, there were specialist badges to work for and if you got the first class scout award plus 6 activities badges you were awarded the "Green Scout Cord" which was a glorious braided piece of silken rope not dissimilar to a curtain tie. This was worn around the right arm and over the shoulder and you looked like some kind of visiting head of state from the Orient !
There were various investitures and ceremonies that we would go to at the weekends and we also did a lot of fund raising activities to pay for it all. We paid our subs (subscriptions) of six old pence per week - not that those went very far, I'm sure ! The highlight of the evening was to go to the local fish and chip shop after scouts and buy sixpeneth of chips and if we were lucky they would throw in some free scraps (scraps of fried batter). After finishing our evening at 9.00pm we were certainly ready for food of any description and chips and gossip with your mates on a dark and cold winters night was close to heaven !
One of my favourite and more dangerous games, (which I'm sure is now outlawed) was British Bulldog. The game was a good training for rugby. It began with one poor lad on his own in the middle of the hut - all the other boys would be at the far end of the hut and on the command British Bulldog they would run full tilt past the lad in the middle, thundering past him with the aim to getting to the other end without being caught. His job was to recruit a team by grabbing one of his peers, as they ran past, holding them round the middle and raising them aloft and shouting "British Bulldog one, two, three". Providing the hapless victim stayed off the ground during the chant, he would be "got" and join the guys in the middle. It goes without saying that the object of the exercise was to run like mad straight past the group in the middle and if caught, you would wriggle free and avoid being lifted into the air. The scout hut was about 60 feet by 30 feet and all the furniture was stacked up in an anti room before the mayhem and this was all part of the fun. It goes without saying that nearly everyone ended up with some minor bruises and to this day, I don't know how we managed to escape without broken bones - I certainly don't recall any !
In addition to the scouts who were aged from 11-16 there was an active cub pack and a group of Rovers (who later became known as Venture Scouts) who were the over 16's. I served my time in the group and ended up patrol leader of Kingfishers, then at 16 I passed into the creme d la creme, the Venture Scouts and became a junior leader.
Whilst initially I joined the scouts to gain some experience of camping, what kept my interest was the water sports and we had plenty ! The group owned an assortment of rowing and sailing dinghies which, in spring and summer got used almost every weekend. In addition we used to borrow some large 30 foot Whalers from HMS Ganges, http://www.hmsgangesassoc.org/node/49 a local Royal Naval training establishment that was based at Shotley, on the banks of Harwich harbour. This was a scary place for a youngster as the harbour is the estuary of two wide rivers - the Stour and the Orwell and apart from the huge ships that used to ply up and down, the currents are quite strong - as oarsmen this resulted in the development of some excellent biceps ! The Naval Base had about 12 of these Whalers and every year they hosted a regatta for the all the sea scout groups in the county - the rivalry was fierce - but we nearly always won ! The Whalers were propelled by eight oarsmen (boys) and there was a coxswain steering. I was usually the "stroke" and sat on the port-hand side of the boat with my back to the bow and facing the stern. The job of the stroke is to establish the pace and all the other chaps in the thwarts (seats) behind would watch me and dip their oars into the water the instant mine hit the briny, we would then all pull together, like we were possessed ! The coxswain was usually the smallest and it was his job to steer and give the command to increase the pace. The oars were huge and resembled masts rather than oars ! They were nearly 8 feet long and had a large circumference and for young boys with small hands it was difficult even to lift the oar out of the water let alone row with them ! Even with plenty of practice after a day of handling these massive oars you would end up with huge blisters not to mention total exhaustion !
In addition to the Whalers, HMS Ganges owned a large number of sailing dinghies and again we had free rein with these. They were known as Bosun dinghies and the Navy owned a total of 800 ! They were designed in 1963 and were a light weight 14 foot fibreglass boat with a conventional Bermudan rig with a spinnaker and jib at the bow and a triangular mainsail. I enjoyed sailing them as although they were designed to be a good training boat they were also quick and responsive. http://www.bossoms.com/launches-dinghies-yachts/bosun.html
Amongst our own boats were a custom built rowing boat, similar to the Whalers and we also had several sailing dinghies including a 14 foot plywood "Enterprise" http://www.sailenterprise.org.uk/ dinghy and two smaller heavier "Torch" sailing dinghies http://www.noblemarine.co.uk/boats/dinghy/Torch/ . For a number of years we kept the boats in a compound in Woodbridge and later moved them to Martlesham Creek. The creek was a couple of miles closer to home so this was good news on several fronts! Local builder, Roy Ingham, owned a large piece of woodland that ran down to the creek, where there were a collection of wobbly pontoons that the boats were moored to. The creek is tidal and runs into the river Deben. When the water disappeared there was a sea of very soft mud that stretched as far as the eye could see ! The coppiced wood was a fantastic place and we often camped there in the school holidays. We were allowed to chop down trees, dig wet pits, have camp fires and do all the things that scouts used to get up to before the days of litigation and health and safety !
This isn't meant to sound like an advert for scouting but I am a firm believer in the benefits of scouting. It's a shame its not so popular these days - it taught us so many skills and gave us a solid foundation for life itself ! I stayed in scouting whilst I was at College and went on to be a Venture scout and junior leader. After graduating I went to London to do a post graduate course and whilst that was the end of my scouting career it certainly wasn't the end of my sailing and I went from strength to strength, sailing bigger and faster boats.
Careers
From a very early age my parents encouraged me to record things and to ask questions and I had a great time drawing anything and everything. As soon as I was portable I was taken sailing and that meant from the age of about two months - I have several photos of me still in nappies aboard various yachts and looking very hearty too ! In addition to the 5.5 Metre, my parents used to race smaller dinghies and whilst they thrashed around the cans I was billeted on my two uncles who spoilt me rotten and I often became the centre of attention in their fisherman's hut at Felixstowe Ferry. Billy danced attendance and Settler regaled all with weird and wonderful stories of the sea whilst hundreds of other local fisherman dropped in and out for a cuppa and a yarn. I would sit in the corner with a sketchpad and draw square rigged ships and the odd portrait, for which I would be given a couple of bob (I doubt the drawings were any good - but that was the going rate). I would then nip across the road to the cafe and buy some bubble gum or an apple pie and I was as happy as Larry (whoever he was)! I still like apple pie and the Ferry Cafe still makes the best fish and chips in the land. I recall a wide drainage ditch that ran between the car park and the golf course and it was there that I would spend many a happy hour netting Sticklebacks and getting stung to pieces by the delightful Suffolk midges.
In the hut hung an oil painting by Paddy Gaywood - it was a portrait of Billy with his Trinity House white cap & reefer jacket and I suppose it was that and my early doodles that made me want to do more and more and become a proper artist like Paddy. Back in Ipswich, when I was old enough to go into town on my own, I would either go to the local museum or Christchurch Mansion, where I would draw all the wonderful antiques - I still remember the smell of the floor polish. This was followed almost religiously by a trip to the Haste Gallery in Coleman Street, where I would stare at the latest Lennard Squirrel watercolour and wonder how he did it !
I went from being a precocious child to being a precocious teenager and then went on to art college where I quickly discovered that real artists worked like crazy - so I did, then I went to the Black Horse, followed by the Vaults, the Swan, then Marno's for a coffee or three. We often worked from 9.00am to 9.00pm so a bit of light refreshment very necessary !
To pay for my new found decadence I worked every holiday picking an assortment of fruit and vegetables such as strawberries, blackcurrants, peas and beans - this was back-breaking work and we rarely made much money at all ! I also worked as a labourer on various building sites and again learnt the value of hard graft - still it paid for my art materials and the odd pint of Tolly Cobbold. Why did they ever shut the brewery ? I don't know, you go away for a year or two and they close the best brew house in England !
After four years at Ipswich School of Art I did a further post graduate year at Wimbledon School of Art and this was followed by my first proper job, which was in a design studio in London. We were a separate company but were owned by a big printing firm in the East end of London. Our main clients were multi-national property companies for whom we designed all their promotional material, from brochures for penthouses to office blocks and shopping centres. I was initially employed as a visualiser and later became the in-house illustrator. The premises were in Mansell Street, near Aldgate East and a long underground journey from were I was living in a small flat, which was part of a huge house in Wimbledon Park. The flat was subsidised and ridiculously cheap as I did 10 hours gardening in the grounds per week and I paid about £10 a week for the self contained ground floor apartment. I stayed there for about a year before moving to a smaller and far more expensive flat which I shared with my wife to be - the bonus being no gardening or chores for the landlady - all further chores were for my lady !
After working for the studio for about a year I decided to get a bit of creative freedom and went freelance as an illustrator. At the time I had an agent in Albermarle Street, West London and I took on any commissions I could get but as time went on I found myself specialising in marine painting and doing bookjackets for paperback novels. I also wrote and illustrated a children's book on making kites - this meant delaying my wedding by 6 more months as I was too busy to fit it in ! Freelancing is either feast or famine and during the periods of famine I would look for temporary jobs to earn a crust or two. In desperation when I was rooting through the dustbin I came across a unique opportunity ! In the bin was a magazine that had be thrown away by our flatmate and the magazine was packed with temporary summer jobs for students. One such advert was for someone with experience of sailing to work in a ships chandlery in the unlikely place of Notting Hill Gate - I say unlikely because it was long before Notting Hill became the mecca it is today ! After a quick phone call and a short interview I was given the job, which proved a very lucrative and very interesting diversion.
The job was supposed to end after 6 weeks but thanks to a strong pound the chandlery got busier and busier and I was kept on and every time I threatened to leave I was given a hefty pay rise and more responsibility. After 6 years of working my way up the ladder I became a director of the company and was given the task of running a flagship store in Hamble UK.
Whilst in the marine industry, I somehow managed to find the time to complete numerous commissions for paintings and began to develop a yearning for doing it full time again - so in 1992 after my 14 year sabbatical, I took the plunge and launched Chris Wood Design. I began by producing logo's, corporate identity, exhibition design and advertising for small to medium sized companies, primarily in the marine market. However, I soon developed customers in many other areas such as the Cooperative Funeral Society, a firm of dental practitioners, a wholesaler of photocopiers and a supplier of hygiene equipment to the National Health Service. In addition I marketed myself as an illustrator once more and worked for several major publishing houses.
In common with many freelancers I began the odd bit of teaching. This developed from hosting one-off workshops and master classes to regular adult education classes, until one day I was asked if I would do some day-time cover for a friend who was off sick. What began as a week of cover turned into another career move and I ended up teaching, then full time lecturing and finally in charge of a team of 11 lecturers. Now I am teaching graphic design and fine art 4 days a week in a sixth form college and the remainder of the week is spent in one or other of my studios. Over the years I have also taught life drawing in the evenings and I am currently running an Advanced Life Drawing workshop, primarily for practising artists.
My freelance activity now is more fine art based and I produce large high quality detailed oil paintings for private collectors. Subjects are usually marine and are either historical reconstructions or scenes of contemporary yacht racing.
More memories later !
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& the humble origins of Chris Wood Artist
Dipping into the mists of time, I recall that back in the mid 1960's, the 9th Ipswich Sea Scouts not only had a brand new purpose built scout hut but a wonderful assortment of small boats, an amazing collection of ridge tents, a huge collection of ropes and spars and a very decrepit Ford Transit van. Whilst there was and still is, plenty of good sailing water in the river Orwell, our sailing base was Woodbridge on the picturesque tidal river Deben in Suffolk.
I had sailed with my parents aboard their various yachts since I was in nappies but this was not enough - as an energetic 12 year old I decided that I wanted to gain experience of camping too so together with my best friend, I joined the 9th Ipswich Sea Scouts and donned my neckscarfe & woggle. The scout hut was about a mile from where we lived and we divided our time between there and the boat compound in Woodbridge, which is about an 8 mile cycle ride away. The scout group itself was a flourishing organisation and there were lots to get involved with. At the time, there were two scout masters and they had the thankless task of controlling about 30 teenagers.
We were divided into about six patrols, Kingfishers, Seagulls, Peewits etc etc. Each patrol had a patrol leader who was usually about 15 years old and a second in command, known as a seconder, who was recruited from the ranks. Our evening activities were divided up into some rough and tumble games, (no doubt with the intention of tiring us out), learning seamanship, rope work, backwoodsmanship and team bonding activities such as planning for our numerous camping and sailing activities. We also worked towards various badges such as second class, first class scout and Queens scout. In addition, there were specialist badges to work for and if you got the first class scout award plus 6 activities badges you were awarded the "Green Scout Cord" which was a glorious braided piece of silken rope not dissimilar to a curtain tie. This was worn around the right arm and over the shoulder and you looked like some kind of visiting head of state from the Orient !
There were various investitures and ceremonies that we would go to at the weekends and we also did a lot of fund raising activities to pay for it all. We paid our subs (subscriptions) of six old pence per week - not that those went very far, I'm sure ! The highlight of the evening was to go to the local fish and chip shop after scouts and buy sixpeneth of chips and if we were lucky they would throw in some free scraps (scraps of fried batter). After finishing our evening at 9.00pm we were certainly ready for food of any description and chips and gossip with your mates on a dark and cold winters night was close to heaven !
One of my favourite and more dangerous games, (which I'm sure is now outlawed) was British Bulldog. The game was a good training for rugby. It began with one poor lad on his own in the middle of the hut - all the other boys would be at the far end of the hut and on the command British Bulldog they would run full tilt past the lad in the middle, thundering past him with the aim to getting to the other end without being caught. His job was to recruit a team by grabbing one of his peers, as they ran past, holding them round the middle and raising them aloft and shouting "British Bulldog one, two, three". Providing the hapless victim stayed off the ground during the chant, he would be "got" and join the guys in the middle. It goes without saying that the object of the exercise was to run like mad straight past the group in the middle and if caught, you would wriggle free and avoid being lifted into the air. The scout hut was about 60 feet by 30 feet and all the furniture was stacked up in an anti room before the mayhem and this was all part of the fun. It goes without saying that nearly everyone ended up with some minor bruises and to this day, I don't know how we managed to escape without broken bones - I certainly don't recall any !
In addition to the scouts who were aged from 11-16 there was an active cub pack and a group of Rovers (who later became known as Venture Scouts) who were the over 16's. I served my time in the group and ended up patrol leader of Kingfishers, then at 16 I passed into the creme d la creme, the Venture Scouts and became a junior leader.
Whilst initially I joined the scouts to gain some experience of camping, what kept my interest was the water sports and we had plenty ! The group owned an assortment of rowing and sailing dinghies which, in spring and summer got used almost every weekend. In addition we used to borrow some large 30 foot Whalers from HMS Ganges, http://www.hmsgangesassoc.org/node/49 a local Royal Naval training establishment that was based at Shotley, on the banks of Harwich harbour. This was a scary place for a youngster as the harbour is the estuary of two wide rivers - the Stour and the Orwell and apart from the huge ships that used to ply up and down, the currents are quite strong - as oarsmen this resulted in the development of some excellent biceps ! The Naval Base had about 12 of these Whalers and every year they hosted a regatta for the all the sea scout groups in the county - the rivalry was fierce - but we nearly always won ! The Whalers were propelled by eight oarsmen (boys) and there was a coxswain steering. I was usually the "stroke" and sat on the port-hand side of the boat with my back to the bow and facing the stern. The job of the stroke is to establish the pace and all the other chaps in the thwarts (seats) behind would watch me and dip their oars into the water the instant mine hit the briny, we would then all pull together, like we were possessed ! The coxswain was usually the smallest and it was his job to steer and give the command to increase the pace. The oars were huge and resembled masts rather than oars ! They were nearly 8 feet long and had a large circumference and for young boys with small hands it was difficult even to lift the oar out of the water let alone row with them ! Even with plenty of practice after a day of handling these massive oars you would end up with huge blisters not to mention total exhaustion !
In addition to the Whalers, HMS Ganges owned a large number of sailing dinghies and again we had free rein with these. They were known as Bosun dinghies and the Navy owned a total of 800 ! They were designed in 1963 and were a light weight 14 foot fibreglass boat with a conventional Bermudan rig with a spinnaker and jib at the bow and a triangular mainsail. I enjoyed sailing them as although they were designed to be a good training boat they were also quick and responsive. http://www.bossoms.com/launches-dinghies-yachts/bosun.html
Amongst our own boats were a custom built rowing boat, similar to the Whalers and we also had several sailing dinghies including a 14 foot plywood "Enterprise" http://www.sailenterprise.org.uk/ dinghy and two smaller heavier "Torch" sailing dinghies http://www.noblemarine.co.uk/boats/dinghy/Torch/ . For a number of years we kept the boats in a compound in Woodbridge and later moved them to Martlesham Creek. The creek was a couple of miles closer to home so this was good news on several fronts! Local builder, Roy Ingham, owned a large piece of woodland that ran down to the creek, where there were a collection of wobbly pontoons that the boats were moored to. The creek is tidal and runs into the river Deben. When the water disappeared there was a sea of very soft mud that stretched as far as the eye could see ! The coppiced wood was a fantastic place and we often camped there in the school holidays. We were allowed to chop down trees, dig wet pits, have camp fires and do all the things that scouts used to get up to before the days of litigation and health and safety !
This isn't meant to sound like an advert for scouting but I am a firm believer in the benefits of scouting. It's a shame its not so popular these days - it taught us so many skills and gave us a solid foundation for life itself ! I stayed in scouting whilst I was at College and went on to be a Venture scout and junior leader. After graduating I went to London to do a post graduate course and whilst that was the end of my scouting career it certainly wasn't the end of my sailing and I went from strength to strength, sailing bigger and faster boats.
Careers
From a very early age my parents encouraged me to record things and to ask questions and I had a great time drawing anything and everything. As soon as I was portable I was taken sailing and that meant from the age of about two months - I have several photos of me still in nappies aboard various yachts and looking very hearty too ! In addition to the 5.5 Metre, my parents used to race smaller dinghies and whilst they thrashed around the cans I was billeted on my two uncles who spoilt me rotten and I often became the centre of attention in their fisherman's hut at Felixstowe Ferry. Billy danced attendance and Settler regaled all with weird and wonderful stories of the sea whilst hundreds of other local fisherman dropped in and out for a cuppa and a yarn. I would sit in the corner with a sketchpad and draw square rigged ships and the odd portrait, for which I would be given a couple of bob (I doubt the drawings were any good - but that was the going rate). I would then nip across the road to the cafe and buy some bubble gum or an apple pie and I was as happy as Larry (whoever he was)! I still like apple pie and the Ferry Cafe still makes the best fish and chips in the land. I recall a wide drainage ditch that ran between the car park and the golf course and it was there that I would spend many a happy hour netting Sticklebacks and getting stung to pieces by the delightful Suffolk midges.
In the hut hung an oil painting by Paddy Gaywood - it was a portrait of Billy with his Trinity House white cap & reefer jacket and I suppose it was that and my early doodles that made me want to do more and more and become a proper artist like Paddy. Back in Ipswich, when I was old enough to go into town on my own, I would either go to the local museum or Christchurch Mansion, where I would draw all the wonderful antiques - I still remember the smell of the floor polish. This was followed almost religiously by a trip to the Haste Gallery in Coleman Street, where I would stare at the latest Lennard Squirrel watercolour and wonder how he did it !
I went from being a precocious child to being a precocious teenager and then went on to art college where I quickly discovered that real artists worked like crazy - so I did, then I went to the Black Horse, followed by the Vaults, the Swan, then Marno's for a coffee or three. We often worked from 9.00am to 9.00pm so a bit of light refreshment very necessary !
To pay for my new found decadence I worked every holiday picking an assortment of fruit and vegetables such as strawberries, blackcurrants, peas and beans - this was back-breaking work and we rarely made much money at all ! I also worked as a labourer on various building sites and again learnt the value of hard graft - still it paid for my art materials and the odd pint of Tolly Cobbold. Why did they ever shut the brewery ? I don't know, you go away for a year or two and they close the best brew house in England !
After four years at Ipswich School of Art I did a further post graduate year at Wimbledon School of Art and this was followed by my first proper job, which was in a design studio in London. We were a separate company but were owned by a big printing firm in the East end of London. Our main clients were multi-national property companies for whom we designed all their promotional material, from brochures for penthouses to office blocks and shopping centres. I was initially employed as a visualiser and later became the in-house illustrator. The premises were in Mansell Street, near Aldgate East and a long underground journey from were I was living in a small flat, which was part of a huge house in Wimbledon Park. The flat was subsidised and ridiculously cheap as I did 10 hours gardening in the grounds per week and I paid about £10 a week for the self contained ground floor apartment. I stayed there for about a year before moving to a smaller and far more expensive flat which I shared with my wife to be - the bonus being no gardening or chores for the landlady - all further chores were for my lady !
After working for the studio for about a year I decided to get a bit of creative freedom and went freelance as an illustrator. At the time I had an agent in Albermarle Street, West London and I took on any commissions I could get but as time went on I found myself specialising in marine painting and doing bookjackets for paperback novels. I also wrote and illustrated a children's book on making kites - this meant delaying my wedding by 6 more months as I was too busy to fit it in ! Freelancing is either feast or famine and during the periods of famine I would look for temporary jobs to earn a crust or two. In desperation when I was rooting through the dustbin I came across a unique opportunity ! In the bin was a magazine that had be thrown away by our flatmate and the magazine was packed with temporary summer jobs for students. One such advert was for someone with experience of sailing to work in a ships chandlery in the unlikely place of Notting Hill Gate - I say unlikely because it was long before Notting Hill became the mecca it is today ! After a quick phone call and a short interview I was given the job, which proved a very lucrative and very interesting diversion.
The job was supposed to end after 6 weeks but thanks to a strong pound the chandlery got busier and busier and I was kept on and every time I threatened to leave I was given a hefty pay rise and more responsibility. After 6 years of working my way up the ladder I became a director of the company and was given the task of running a flagship store in Hamble UK.
Whilst in the marine industry, I somehow managed to find the time to complete numerous commissions for paintings and began to develop a yearning for doing it full time again - so in 1992 after my 14 year sabbatical, I took the plunge and launched Chris Wood Design. I began by producing logo's, corporate identity, exhibition design and advertising for small to medium sized companies, primarily in the marine market. However, I soon developed customers in many other areas such as the Cooperative Funeral Society, a firm of dental practitioners, a wholesaler of photocopiers and a supplier of hygiene equipment to the National Health Service. In addition I marketed myself as an illustrator once more and worked for several major publishing houses.
In common with many freelancers I began the odd bit of teaching. This developed from hosting one-off workshops and master classes to regular adult education classes, until one day I was asked if I would do some day-time cover for a friend who was off sick. What began as a week of cover turned into another career move and I ended up teaching, then full time lecturing and finally in charge of a team of 11 lecturers. Now I am teaching graphic design and fine art 4 days a week in a sixth form college and the remainder of the week is spent in one or other of my studios. Over the years I have also taught life drawing in the evenings and I am currently running an Advanced Life Drawing workshop, primarily for practising artists.
My freelance activity now is more fine art based and I produce large high quality detailed oil paintings for private collectors. Subjects are usually marine and are either historical reconstructions or scenes of contemporary yacht racing.
More memories later !
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