Curly Bob Opens His New Web Site!

Bob has been nagging me to restore his web site which has been awaiting a much needed overhaul. Of course that's O.K. for Bob to say because he didn't have to wade through a sea of help files to get the thing up and running.

We had a video conference this morning and we agreed that the update is a provisional one pending the arrival of Autumn / Winter. I asked him if he would prefer me to paint more artworks while it is still warm enough to work outside or sit indoors playing on the P.C. After some thought( 1/2 secs...Ed) he agreed that would be sufficient for now but he expected a much more sophisticated vehicle for his outstanding talents??? by the end of Autumn.

Meanwhile you are all welcome to have a look at the new web site which contains over 120 works from over the years. I also plan to publish various studies and holiday sketches as and when these become available.

Waiting For The Duck House!

Curly Bob left for the bright lights of London some 2 weeks ago and not much has been heard from him since then. I assumed he was busy with the business of the House of Commons etc so I was not unduly worried.

The first suggestion that all might not be well was when I came across an article in the Rotten Borough Gazette, one of the main newspapers in the borough( The only one actually....Ed). It made reference to dubious expenses claims made by members despite the all too recent scandals concerning the same problem. It was when I saw a reference to claims for several duck houses, lorry loads of ice cream and honey together with a crate or two of "Hobgoblin Ale" that alarm bells began to ring.

My best efforts to contact Bob were to no avail but I did receive an email directing that I post "Spanish Village #2", an oil on canvas from around 2010.

I suspect this will not be the last we hear of this.

Rotten Borough's New BMP Unveiled !

Having been duly elected by the populace of the said borough Curly Bob is now a serving Member of Parliament for the next 5 years or at least that is the plan.Before embarking on a resume of the election's aftermath Bob has asked me to post "Sunrise, Snowdon Horseshoe", an oil on canvas from several years ago following one of our many happy holidays in North Wales.

Journalistic hacks have been hounding Bob ever since the rumours concerning the election count reared their ugly head. At first it was thought to be merely sour grapes by Bob's opponents. That was until one of the more knowledgeable, (more like more sober ...Ed), residents of Rotten Borough pointed out that there were no other opponents.

Furthermore some closer scrutiny of the Borough electoral roll showed there were just 689 residents of voting age whereas the total number of votes cast for Curly Bob  were in excess of 8000!

Even the slowest of our residents could see that there was something amiss. Once the hacks could smelled blood there was no stopping them. A little more digging revealed that in the total figure of 8216 were the following items:-

Google followers    2100

Twitter followers  1250

Facebook Friends    166

Pinterest followers   50

Residents             3566

Clearly Rotten Borough was living up to its's name. Whilst writing this blog I have endeavoured to avoid using expletives and 4 letter words  but Rotten Borough appears to be in a worse state than F***, the infamous football body run until recently by Septic Splatter. No doubt further revelations are pending.

All that said Bob was not allowing anything to spoil his victory celebrations. He can be seen below enjoying a glass of his favourite "Hobgoblin" like a true "Bear of The People".

A Result at Last!

After weeks of uncertainty Rotten Borough has at last produced an election result. Rumours were rife that the count was rigged and ballot boxes had been tampered with. This was not entirely surprising as as the consituency does not have the name of Rotten Borough  for nothing.

Either way Curly Bob's fans & followers will be pleased to know that Bob has been duly returned as B.M.P. for the aforesaid borough. Celebrations at Curly Bob's party office went on late into last night and beyond. No doubt Bob will hold a press conference, in due course,  to thank his tireless campaign staff for all their efforts in helping him achieve his first electoral success.

Bob appeared this morning looking vey much the worse for wear. He took time out in his search for a hangover cure to ask me to post "Paradise #2", an oil on canvas from 2013. He felt something upbeat was in order and in keeping with the warm weather currently being enjoyed here in the U.K.

The paprazzi were out in force and despite the threat of litigation and worse it is expected that photos will emerge from the allmighty knees up held at campaign H.Q. last week. Bob is so pleased with the result he still refuses to take off his rosette. I have pointed out to him thet if it gets dirty and he persists then he will be going into the wash with it. He is giving the matter some serious thought.

The Count Goes ON!

The fact that Rotten Borough is still looking for missing voting papers a week after GE2015 has done nothing to allay fears that the electoral process is broken beyond repair. Curly Bob is still awol and has sent another note for me to post "Tuscan Hills", oil on canvas from 2013.

Outrageous Allegations!!

Rumours have beencirculating in Rotten Borough before, during and after the General election 2015. They concern the way in which the election was conducted.

For example a huge number of discarded ice cream cartons, chocolate bar wrappers and empty honey pots were found behing several voting booths. Either the staff manning the booths had a prodigeous appetite for such items or the ugly head of attempted bribing of the voters.

Needless to say ther eis absolutely no suggestion whatsoever that Curly Bob had any paw in the matter. However the fact that the count has yet to be completed 5 days after GE2015 points to something being seriously amiss in Rotten Borough.

Investigations continue into this farago of shady practices which can bring nothing but shame on the good name of Rotten Borough..(You have got to be joking! ..Ed)

Meanwhile Curly Bob has gone into hiding pending the outcome of the enquiry. Meanwhile I received  a note under my door , in Bob's paw, asking me to post "Evening Light #1", an oil on canvas from pre 2010. An attempt to bring calm to a troubled area.

He's Still At It! #CurlyBobforPM

Curly Bob is still out pressing paws as he works his way around Rotten Borough. I am not sure if he is passionate about his policies or he just wants to show off his new rosette to everyone. He may be gone some while as the procedure followed by Rotten Borough for parliamentary elections are slightly different than in the rest of the U.K.

The results of the poll will not be known officially for a few days at least.  No doubt Bob will be working behind the scenes in the case of a hung parliament to secure the best deal for his constituents..( Doesn't he have to be elected first?..Ed)

Meanwhile, I have taken advantage of Bob's absence to do some posting of my own so here is "Still Life With Pears", oil on canvas board, from my pre Bob days.

Curly Bob Hits The Campaign Trail(At Last!) #CurlyBobforPM

Bob has been burning the midnight oil for weeks now toiling over his general election manifesto. He even borrowed my calculator overthe weekend muttering something about budget deficits. Clearly he has been taking the matter more seriously than I first thought.

Bob is a stand up sort of character despite his single minded nature.To be honest I wasn't sure about him standing in the U.K. General Election as a candidate for Rotten Borough for 2 main reasons.

Firstly, (and selfishly), I thought it would be a conflict of interest. I had put a lot of work into the opening of my new expanded retail unit at Botany Bay, Canal Mill, Chorley, PR6 9AF on 1 May 2015. Clearly the timing was not auspicious given the election being held tomorrow, 7 May 2015. Bob being Bob there was no problem to solve. Curly Bob believes the British public are sick and tired of the long drawn out campaign with it's acrimony and false promises. In any case they cannot possibly remember what was said 6 weeks ago by 7 or more parties. ( Perhaps Bob is a bit sharper than we first thought...Ed).

Secondly, Rotten Borough is a very difficult constituency. It was once a very happy place in which to live. Now after 5 years of austerity cuts it is a pale shadow of its former self. Generations of bears have never worked. They lie around idly waiting for the next benefit payment so they can get a quick fix of honey, ice cream or chocolate. Once the sound of the ice cream van playing some happy tune would bring bears pouring out of the houses for a chocolate wafer or an ice cream cornet packed with ice cream(none of that whipped rubbish!). Now there are only the echoes of the tune around the empty streets as the van driver leaves sadly with his wares untouched. Can a single bear turn this around? I have my doubts but perhaps Bob can do it where others have failed.

When he emerged from his room this morning I expected him to be dragging out a huge weighty document. Instead he had a single piece of A5 in his paw. Its contents were very simple:-

•  The party is to be called "Curly Bob For P.M. "..(This level of humility could achieve sainthood...Ed)
• Free ice cream for all bears
• Ice cream, chocolate and honey benefit payments to be trebled.
• Every bear to be given the chance of a job in the ice cream, honey and chocolate factories to be created to meet the demand from the said benefit increases.
• A limit to be imposed on the expected influx of foreign bears seeking the above ice cream etc.
• All bears in prison to be released on licence provided they perform community service e.g. picking up discarded ice cream/chocolate wrappers for recycling.
•  Any Bear refusing to work will be flogged publicly???( I need to have a word on this one..Ed)
• Rotten Borough to leave the E.U.

That said Curly Bob is new to the murky world of politics. I asked him to state his view on how he could use his vote to extract concessions from any coalition of parties. Bobs strategy is very simple. Ice cream for British bears. (He is not fussy about where the said ice cream is made). He seems to be on good terms with bears in most of the U.K. except Scotland. He has no intention of entering into any pact with bears north of the border if they insist in changing any of the above.

Further questions on the question of how these promises were going to be funded led to reporters being bundled out of the press conference. Watch this space for a follow up on this one.

As to leaving the E.U. I mentioned that Rotten Borough is not in the E.U. so the Bears Rights Act didn't apply. However, public flogging still seems a bit extreme. Bob's reply that this was not the time for "nimby politics". I must confess I had no idea he could be so single minded.

He plans to tour his constituency from end to end over the next 24 hours to get the voters out by all means available. The world waits with baited breath for the outcome. A press conference is scheduled for tomorrow providing we can track Bob down.

Meanwhile Bob has not taken his eye off the artistic ball and has emailed from his battle bus that I should post "Le Sentier", acrylic on canvas, 2015.

Curly Bob's Art Emporium Opens Tomorrow, 1 May 2015 At Botany Bay, Canal Mill, Chorley, PR6 9AF!

Yes it's true. Curly Bob's long anticipated expansion of his Art Emporium(retail) is finally coming to pass tomorrow. Bob was very pleased to be able to offer my works for sale at Botany Bay. However he is always on the lookout for bigger business opportunities hence the migration to a different unit at Botany Bay with a 300% plus increase in display space.

Bob has taken time out from his forthcoming election campaign to attend the opening ceremony tomorrow. We hope to be able to display at least 30 works initially. It is expected that works displayed will be rotated at intervals so there should always be something different to interest return visitors. I plan to explore a range of different subjects over the coming months so the display should be eclectic to say the least.

I am always interested in all feedback from viewers especially anyone who is lucky enough to be able to visit Botany Bay, Canal Mill. I try to answer all enquiries and comments as I really do value all feedback.

Bob pondered the question of today's post. Of late, we have been posting many items from the archives. However as he is now dipping his paw into the waters of the retail world he felt I should showcase one of the several paintings I have sold recently. Therefore here is "Ferme Sur Colline", acrylic on canvas 120cm x 40cm painted in February 2015. The french title relates to our holidays in Provence, France in 2014.

The Election Starts Here on Monday!

Curly Bob was up early as our postman has changed his round and now delivers early morning rather than after lunch . Bob was sat on the stairs eagerly awaiting his rosette when there was a thud while we were having breakfast. That was followed by Bob tearing open the envelopes whereupon he emitted a cry of joy...yes his rosette had arrived  at long last!

Now his political campaign can begin in earnest. However I was forced to point out that there was a minor problem with all this. Bob has been so busy with his campaign and manifesto etc he had completely overlooked that I had been promised a much larger rental unit at Botany Bay, Chorley which is  scheduled to open this Friday. This is a much larger retail outlet which should be able to display 30 plus of my works for sale.

Clearly there was a clash of interests especially as Bob would be expected to attend the grand opening on Friday morning. It would be necessary to launch the internet promotion the same day ready for the Bank Holiday weekend here in the U.K. Bob pondered this for several minutes and then jumped into action.

The opening at Botany Bay could go ahead on Friday and his political juggernaut could be unleashed on the world on Monday.  In any case Bob believes the British public are sick of all the promises and allegations after 5 weeks of campaigning by the other parties which will give him an edge in the election.

The house is now a hive of activity(no pun intended) as Bob fortifies himself with stocks of his favourite honey to sustain him through what promises to be a very long night.

As always he finds the time to select one from my back catalogue.."Sunrise, Snowdon Horseshoe", an oil on canvas from circa 2008.

I Don't Believe It!

More wailing emanating from Bob's room told me all was not well with our world famous bear. After being told to keep calm and be patient Curly Bob had been very well behaved. Although fine on the exterior I know he has been very anxious about his rosette.

Our cleaner came today ( she is the one charged with the enormous burden of making Bob's rosette for his U.K. election campaign. He stayed in his room patiently waiting for its delivery. Being unwell I spent the afternoon dozing until awoken by the tidal wave of angst emanating from Bob's den.

I tried to placate him with promises of another rosette but all to no avail. Bob wanted her sacked on the spot. I told him if that were the case then no one would be cleaning his room any more , including the empty ice cream tubs & wrappings hidden under his bed. He accepted that and then suggested having her flogged. Would this look good in the local paper once his campaign got under way I wondered aloud? Perhaps this medieval approach to employment might cast the government's love of zero hours contracts in a better light. Curly Bob reflected on this and with the assistance of 2 tubs of his favourite "Belgian Salted Caramel" ice cream he agreed to await his rosette in the post.

A quick phone call secured a promise of having the rosette sent in the post. I expect Bob to be attacking the post man on a daily basis until it arrives. I think I, like much of the U.K. population,  am suffering from election fatigue and another 2 weeks to go...(Arghh!!! .. Ed)

To avoid the same bitter disappointment Bob requests I post "Village Andalucia #1" another oil on canvas from before 2010.

This Is Not A Time To Be Unwell !

Bob & I returned from holiday on Thursday. I was scheduled for a minor surgical proceedure the following day. This required I rest my leg and keep it elevated for 48 hours. Due to a piece of abysmally bad planning I came down with a very bad chest infection on the way home from Wales.

Bob was horrified..not by my illness but by my being too unwell to operate his vast publicity machine. I hoped he might possibly  begin to appreciate my value to his impeding electoral campaign(A quick reality check....This is Curly Bob we are talking about is it not???....Ed) Sadly my hopes were dashed when Bob gave me a long list of jobs I could do from my sick bed. One of these was to post "Winter Storm, Black Point #2", oil on canvas from 2011.

I have to tell you that if his rosette doesn't arrive by tomorrow, as planned, I am moving out!

It's On Monday(honestly..)

Bob has announced that his party manifesto will be announced on Monday, with or without his rosette. He feels that he can wait no longer before launching his electoral juggernaut.( Is this a solitary bear standing for a single seat what we are talking about here?...Ed).

In a bid to staunch our anticipation over the coming weekend I am bid to post "Sunrise, Glydyr Fach" an oil on canvas from way back. It was inspired by the numerous trips we have made to North Wales in general and Snowdonia in particular. It is widely regarded as one of the most beautiful parts of the U.K. It is also renowned for home made fudge, local honey and ice cream which do much more to attract Bob's attention than the  castles and scenic areas of North Wales.

We hope Curly Bob's loyal fans & followers world wide will enjoy this over the coming weekend.

He's Still Waiting!

Curly Bob's rosette has still not arrived. I passed him this morning as he sat on the stairs looking balefully at the letter box. The post man came and went but there was nothing for him. He was looking a little dejected so I explained that his manifesto would be published after every one else's, which meant that people would remember it best when they came to vote. That seemed to perk him up a bit.

(There is also the small matter that Bob's party is only fielding one candidate i.e. himself. Given the state of things in Rotten Borough I would say Bob has a fairly good chance of being elected...Ed) Still we have to go along with his aims for the moment. Pending the arrival of his rosette Bob has asked that I post "Storm Snowdonia", oil on board based on one of my sketches that I did on a holiday in wales in 2010. As always any feedback welcome.

Curly Bob & I both wish you all a great weekend.

Wot No Rosette!!

I was woken this morning at an early hour by cries coming from Bob's Room. I know Bob has been on the wagon regarding alcohol. He thinks I haven't noticed the odd empty carton of ice cream or jar of honey sent by one of his many fans, lying around his room during cleaning it. (Bob is far to professional to do it himself and the dust is bad for his fur or so he claims... Ed).

Anyway discounting him getting his snout stuck in the aforesaid jar I feared some dreadful trauma had overtaken him or a nightmare perhaps. Resolving not to read him any more Edgar Allan Poe for his bedtime stories I made my way hastily down the hall to his den. When I entered he was sat shouting at the TV screen showing a rerun of the U.K. Election Debate. After some effort and the odd bar of chocolate I calmed him down enough to ask him what was the problem.

It seems whilst penning his manifesto he had been listening to the debate. ( I suspect there is some rewriting here based upon what the other parties have published in theirs...Ed). When he looked up the penny finally dropped...they were all wearing rosettes and Bob was definitely without in that department! I suggested a mutual friend could make one for him which could be made to measure just like his special "Lifeboats..R.N.L.I." jumper of which he is so fond.

I resolved to ring to place the order after the sun had risen. To calm him further I mentioned we hadn't posted anything for a couple of days and this worked as a distraction. Bob asked me to post "Spanish Harbour Sunset", an oil on board from circa 2006. Meanwhile the fate of the U.K. election result hangs by a thread literally as Bob cannot begin his campaign until the rosette arrives.

Still no word

There is still no word from Bob. Meanwhile another vault extract from the past. This one is called "Spanish Village#1", oil on canvas from 2010. One of a pair I painted in that year.

Manifesto Scheduled For Launch!-(Possibly)

Curly Bob is still locked away allegedly working on his manifesto for his new party. I can only communicate with him via notes shoved under his door or by email to his specially adapted IPad.  I prefer to humour Bob's  eccentric behaviour as I take some small comfort from the fact he is still under my roof. This means he is less likely to get into further mischief, (..good luck with that...Ed.).

In my last note to him I pointed out that at this rate, the U.K. election would be over before his manifesto and campaign are ever launched. His reply was typically single minded with comments that I hadn't posted any of my work for 2 days. Bob felt a change was needed to reflect one of the studies I did in 2006 titled "Bamboo", a watercolour. We hope Bob's fans will appreciate another item from the vaults.

Bob Still Busy

Curly Bob is still scratching away in his study. Meanwhile yet another note to direct I post "Dawn, Worsley", oil on canvas, 2011.

It was painted from memory of a visit there early one morning.

It's Nearly Finished!

Amid the sound of scribbling plus tapping of keyboard and Ipad Curly Bob is close to completing his party's political manifesto. Knowing Bob as I do I cannot see why it is taking so long. He is so single minded with regard to the way he perceives the world I would have expected it to cover no more than a sheet of A5 paper.

However I have been wrong before now and as soon as the "Do Not Disturb" sign is removed from his bedroom door then his fans around the world will have an idea as to what he is up to.

I await his revelation with mixed feelings because Bob's ignorance of life in general is positively breathtaking. I haven't had the heart to tell him that most of his many fans and supporters across the globe will not be eligible to vote in a U.K. election.

Anyway, as I passed his door this morning I found another note in his usual bear scrawl. If I have read it correctly he bids me post "Stonehenge", another oil on canvas from way back. We did visit Stonehenge many years ago but Bob had his snout in his Rupert Bear book so he directed my efforts based on photographs.

As always all comments welcome.

A Happy & Peaceful Easter to Everyone

No manifesto from Bob as yet. He took great offence at not being invited to take part in the U.K. Election Debate broadcast last night on television. He felt that with nearly 1600 Google Plus followers and 1000 Twitter followers he was guaranteed a place in the debate. I tried to explain that he might well need a few more before the TV companies  took any notice of him.

Letters of complaint are being written at this very moment which is keeping him busy for a while at least.

Before this political maelstrom erupted Bob and I were debating what we should publish for Easter. Bob is surprisingly well read on some subjects. He pointed out that the Jewish observance of Passover is marked this year and runs over the Christian period of Easter.