Ostend, Belgium April 2017

Ok. At last i'm back in real time on this blog. Lots of paintings, book work and prints all coming to fruition this year, so it should be a good one. I took a lot of time to myself to experiment and work in private the past year or so. I had to withdraw from being so on show for a while so i could work on some ideas. I feel really energised for my work now i've had the time to build a few foundations for future work. I've unlocked something and feel more driven than i think i ever have. I've always felt art should be passionate, and to see someone's work become a commodity or bland is a very present fear once being an artist becomes a job. If i'm not working with a fire in my belly then i know i'd just stop.
      I've been giving much more time to planning future graphic novels and book work connected to the stories suggested in my murals. I think i often forget how tightly these two things are interconnected. The more i develop narratives in my books, the more natural and intuitive my mural work feels.
      I also want to continue to dedicate more time to my print studio. I've managed to get my copper plate etching up to a standard i'm really proud of since the last run i released. I'd like at least one edition out this year that's a bit easier for people to buy. I'm going to set more time aside to do a big edition size.

So thats enough of me rambling. Here is the work i've just done for the crystal ship 2017 in ostend Belgium. Credit to Ian Cox for the first photo of me sketching the work from the lift.