Paintings On Sale For Charity

Bob has organised a sale of 4 of my paintings at Peak Restaurant, Llanberis. These were requested by the owner Mrs Julia Roberts who has kindly offered to sell them to raise funds for St David's Hospice who provide excellent care for patients at their hospice in Llandudno.

There were four paintings selected by her in early December I shall be posting two more after this over the weekend.

The first one was posted on 2 January 2016.

The second one(below) is called "Dinorwig Slate Quarry, Llanberis" acrylic/mixed media on canvas 2015.

Any feedback most welcome. I respond to all comments as soon as possible i.e. when I am not painting.

New year Greetings

Bob has let his fans down! After his arrival back home he called all his friends of a like mind(a dissolute rabble...Ed) and set to partying in Bob's room for the best part of a fortnight. Luckily the neighbours are away for the holidays but it has meant that neither of us has had much sleep in that period.
I have spent most of that time clearing up empty beer and wine bottles not to mention ice cream cartons, chocolate wrappers etc. I had reached the end of my tether when the local girls marching band arrived in full kit just after midnight on New Year's Day. I threw the lot of them out onto the street, drums and all. I was grateful for the fact that there were no fireworks involved. Bears' fur and fireworks do not get on well together.

At this point I realised something had to change so I arranged a business meeting with Bob and themanagement team (me) fortomorrow ( 3 January) to make plans for the coming year. Hopefully he will have sobered up by then. Meanwhile he asked me to post "Tryfan from Llyn Ogwen, Snowdonia", an acrylic on canvas painted in November 2015.

Going Home!

Following the medical crisis last week Curly Bob made a miraculous recovery. Unlike previous holidays the weather was not as warm and frequently wet so Bob didn't go out much. Instead he lounged around his suite spending a lot of time on his  specially converted IPad. The music was not as loud as what I am used to and the deliveries of beer, spirits etc had dropped off.

Clearly Bob was up to something but the question was what? No doubt all would be revealed in the fullness of time. The next day all was revealed. Bob had been trawling the web to see what traffic there had been on his blog recently. The latest visitor stats indicated that Bob was nearing 10,000 blog visits.

Humility has never been one of Bob's stronger points and he announced that he would hold a party and invite virtual visitors from around the world as befits his celebrity status. Hoping that Bob didn't realise they wouldn't actually turn up I agreed and we began packing immediately.

His achievement would be celebrated by posting a painting every other day for the next year. I tried to explain that I didn't have that many images in our archive. His answer was to have me get some paint and canvases ordered during "Black Friday" weekend and start painting to meet the demand.

We bade our farewells to the Hotel de L'Horloge staff, especially the manager, as they always go out of their way to make us comfortable. On the way to the station he suggested that I post "Lonely Towers", an acrylic on canvas from 2013 to get the ball rolling.

As we rolled out of Avignon heading North, for some reason, I wondered if this might be a turning  point in our careers.

"Lonely Towers", acrylic on canvas from 2013.

It's Touch and Go!

I was awakened early in the morning by an internal call on the hotel phone. After some fumbling and trying to open my eyes I located the handset and was greeted by Curly Bob. I have to say that despite having him as my manager for over 2 years I could barely tell it was his voice. He was calling for help so I assumed things had taken a turn for the worse. Of course I should have known better but there was no time for debating the issue.

I dressed quickly and took the lift to the top floor. Readers may wonder why I wasn't sharing a room with Bob and there are 2 good reasons for this. Firstly it would result in almost total lack of sleep  most nights. Bob would be giving me instructions endlessly. He also has more visitors than Barack Obama!

Secondly Bob feels he should stay in a suite as befits his standing( and no one else's...Ed). The minibars are much better stocked such suites. The fact that he doesn't actually pay for the room never crosses his mind.

On entering I found Bob under the sheets with just his snout on view. In a feeble voice he told me he had run out of medicine and asked would I go and get some more for him. After the unfortunate incident with Monsieur Le Docteur De La Morte ( see previous post) Bob had decided to self medicate i.e rum, honey and lemon, with the emphasis on rum and honey. I pointed out that is was now 3 a.m. local time and even the easy going French do not expect their supermarkets to open before 7 a.m. In any case I didn't think he looked that bad and he could manage until after breakfast. Bob demanded a second opinion. It was necessary to remind him that the above doctor was the only one in Avignon who was willing to treat a bear and secondly about the size of the hypodermic syringe he carried with him.

Inany case I felt it necessary to tell him that he had consumed so much rum that he was a positive fire hazard!

Bob didn't reflect long on the this and the question of the Doctor's syringe and agreed to await his medical supplies until I had eaten breakfast. However since I was up and now wide awake he suggested I might make use of the time by posting  "Distant Hills, Jordan", an oil on canvas from pre 2010. This was donated for sale by our area fundraiser for "Help for Heroes" earlier this year.

"Distant Hills, Jordan", an oil on canvas from pre 2010

Bob Has The Dreaded Lurgy!

I went to rouse Bob from his slumbers as he had not been seen for a while. The "Do Not Disturb" sign had been on his hotel room door for 3 mornings and there had been no calls for room service as far as I could tell. I was fairly certain he had not been out "Au clair de la lune" as there had been no reports of unruly behaviour in the city or it's environs.

As I approached the door there was a strong smell of peppermint oil and sounds of coughing and spluttering. Once inside Bob was quite a sight. he was wrapped in a muffler, woolly hat and only his head was showing above the bed covers. I enquired as what was the problem. His fur was all matted and clammy plus he was shaking with cold. This was odd as it was 22C in the shade given it was the South of France. Bob had decided that his condition was 2touch and go". I tried to point out that he was being a little over dramatic.

After some debate Bob insisted I summon a doctor before it was too late! I checked with the reception desk downstairs and they called Monsieur Docteur de la Morte who promised to call by as soon as possible. I reported back to Bob to confirm his request had been met. Luckily for all concerned Bob's knowledge of French is solely limited to placing orders for alcoholic drinks and essential food items such as honey, chocolate and ice cream etc.

The said doctor arrived and examined Bob. He carried out a detailed examination. After much head scratching he pronounced "Monsieur Le Curly Bob a "La Grippe de Nounour ". For those of our readers who have not had either the benefit of a full education or access to Google Translator, Curly Bob has "Bear Flu!"

Bob is allergic to antibiotics so the doc advised a hot toddy which in local terms would consist of a goodly measure of dark rum, honey and lemon juice. I promised to go and fetch these items after the doctor left. However there was the matter of the bill to be paid. The white card I carry in the EU doesn't apply to bears. Bob said that was descrimination. He was further enraged when the doc gave him the bill. Bob was under the impression that they were exchanging phone numbers! 

Much discussion took place resulting that Bob put his paw down and flatly refused to be ripped off by some French quack! Clearly this was not a good idea. The doc produced a giant syringe, rubber tubing and muttered something about irrigation and even my limited French told me that he was not talking about watering the garden.

The doc also pointed out that his name was really a nickname and he would be happy to demonstrate why. I interceded quickly and offered my credit card which did the trick. The doc left happy and Bob lived to create mayhem another day.

The exertions of the morning have worn him out. Before downing several doses of the recommended medication  and subsequently taking his daily nap, Bob asked me to post "Winter Storm, Black Point #2" oil on canvas from circa 2008.

Still in Amsterdam

Yet again I am concerned because Bob has not come back from holiday after some 2 weeks. He went with us to Amsterdam by train but we went our seperate ways soon after arrival. Apparently Bob was very interested in locating some coffee shops.???

After making some enquiries it seems that coffee shops in Amsterdam are not primarily purveyors of coffee. I have since learned ,for that, you need to visit a cafe. A garbled email from Bob said that his research was going well and he was sampling lots of the local produce. Originally I assumed this was a reference to the excellent apple pie and cream sold by many Amsterdam cafes but now I am not too sure.

The wording of the email and the repeated references to "cake" lead me to fear the worst and that Bob is now actively engaged in trying out the local produce.

While the problem is being resolved I have taken an executive decision and now publish "Cwm Idwal", an acrylic from 2014. It is fitting to choose a Snowdonia scene as we plan to be leaving some paintings at St David's Hospice Shop in Lllandudno on Sunday. 2 will be views of Snowdonia  and 2 from Provence. All works will be published in this blog in due course.

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.

Curly Bob Gets Stuck in For The Weekend!

Bob called by to say he would be in the loft most of Friday night running his paws over my back catalogue  with a view to making more room for new work.

I  plan to try some new mixed media work this weekend so we may not see much of each other for some time.

Before he started he advised(told) me to post"Parys Mountain", an oil on canvas that was sold some time ago but we have an image bank of his favourite works.

Parys Mountain is in Anglesey. It is a derelict copper mine that has generated huge heaps of waste in colours that have to be seen to be believed. Van Gogh would have loved it.

A good weekend to all Bob's fans and followers.

Clear Out The Archive

Following Bob's long awaited review of the attic Bob has now decided to clear the back catalogue to clear the way for publishing my latest works which will feature on my web page and Blog gallery which are in the course of preparation.

Here is "Magma", oil on canvas circa 2010, 60cm x 50cm

Curly Bob's Art Emporium opens for business!

Curly Bob proudly opened his first retail unit with a modest sized unit at Botany Bay, Chorley this morning. We have high hopes of displaying my work to a much wider audience in this famous venue visited by large numbers of people every week.

We have hopes to expand as soon as possible but we are very pleased with the display. It was significant that Bob made a rare public appearance to open it. He is normally working hard at home expanding our internet operation.

Visitors will have the opportunity to see my work in a well lit, all weather environment. To mark the opening Bob has asked me to post "Boat at Low Tide ", (40cm x 30cm), oil on canvas for sale at £45.00.

We look forward to any feedback from visitors and viewers alike. It should be noted that neither I nor Curly Bob will be at the unit most of the time because it is operated on an unmanned basis but works can be purchased and paid for at the cash desk on the ground floor.

Curly Bob's Art Emporium Opens a Retail Outlet At Botany Bay wef Tuesday, 3 March 2015!

Following a brief board meeting, Bob has decided it is time to market my work in the real world as well as in cyberspace. After lengthy negotiations Bob has secured a space where I can display some of my work at the world famous Botany Bay, Chorley. It is a modest enterprise initially as befits Bob's humble nature but we hope to expand as soon as possible.

Curly Bob's Art Emporium (retail) opens for business  on Tuesday 3 March 2015 at Botany Bay which is open every day of the year except Christmas Day. For up to date opening hours etc please visit the Botany Bay home page.

Unfortunately Bob's other commitments prevent him from attending Botany Bay in person. However we hope many of you will visit our display and avail yourselves of unique original artwork at very reasonable prices.

As part of the opening ceremonies Bob has directed I publish  some of my work that has yet to see the light of day. 

Therefore, Curly Bob's Art Emporium's first business post is "Winter Crows #1", an oil on board, (40cm x 30cm)..enjoy!

At the same time Bob does not wish to neglect his world wide following in cyberspace so posts will continue to be made at regular intervals.

Bob Dreams of Holidays Past

Last night I saw Curly Bob pawing his way through his photo albums of holidays past. He hasn't mentioned where he plans to go this year yet. He allows me to use his holiday snaps  as subject matter for my artistic endeavours.

This one is from Bob's stay of a month or so in Antigua. It was painted in 2012 , in oil  on canvas, and is called "Paradise #2"

The Clearout Continues!

Bob  has spent the last week compiling a list of works suitable for posting and as soon as they have been photographed (for his album) they will be sold off to make room for new stock. I was unaware space was at such a premium in my loft and Bob is not allowing me up there at the moment as he says he doesn't want his work disturbed.

I know better than to ask twice so here is "Lighthouse #3", an oil on canvas from way back.

Clearing Out The Attic!

Bob's new  life of sobriety is taking it's toll. In a bid to keep him on the straight and narrow I suggested that he should review his managerial strategy for 2015 to stop his mind wandering towards excesses of honey, ice cream and much worse. He agreed my suggestion was sound and he has spent the last 2 weeks in the loft conducting an inventory of my back catalogue.

I could hear him moving boxes around and the occasional thud to reassure me he was still hard at it. He emerged yesterday with his results and conclusions. He felt a clear out was called for. Therefore  he has suggested that I post much more frequently over the next 2 months. As works are photographed and published they will be sent for sale until we have some room for new paintings done in 2015.

The first of these is "Island dreams #2", an oil on canvas painted in 2010.

Season’s Greetings To All Bob’s Fans!

Bob has asked me to convey his very best wishes to you all at the beginning of the festive period. His absence has been caused by personal problems which are now behind him hopefully. As soon as the bill for his extended stay in a famous rehab’ clinic have been paid I am told there will be money available for canvases and art materials.

Bob has plans of his own in paw but he has promised that he will offer guidance to develop my career as an artist. I have to admit that he has been spot on in his decisions on all art related matters. I would only consider his judgement to be “iffy” when it comes to almost everything else.

Bob has now abstained from alcohol for nearly a year and his binges on honey & ice cream are now few and far between. I am fascinated as to what his plans are but he has not shared these with me or anyone else as far as I know. He has been online, with my credit card,  several times this week but as he has his own account I don’t know what he has been buying. However he assures me all will be well.

Meanwhile he suggests that I start posting my work on a regular basis. Therefore here is “First Snow, Tryfan “, a work in oil from 2013 when we had a short break in North Wales. Bob felt it was quite appropriate given the weather.

We hope to see you all in 2015.

Christmas Comes But Twice A Year!!

I had heard nothing about Curly Bob's whereabouts for a long time and I was beginning to despair of ever seeing him again.

No doubt Bob's ever loyal fans will be as delighted as I was last Sunday morning. I was having my mid morning siesta following my daily workout(Doctor's orders unfortunately), when there was a loud knock at the door. The courier driver said he could barely lift the box and would I mind helping him carry it over the doorstep. After some difficulty the box was carried into the hallway. I couldn't help but notice the noise of glass bottles coming from within.

As I examined the box more carefully I saw it was marked "Very Fragile" and "This Way Up!" all over it. Strangely enough it was full of holes which had been made all over the box. After opening the lid I tipped it up a little and then a bit further resulting in an avalanche of empty beer, wine and pop bottles, ice cream cartons and honey jars(all empty). As I rummaged through the mountain of debris out popped Curly Bob!

Further rummaging revealed another bear who was introduced  as Da Vinci Bear. Apparently he was an emerging talent who Bob has taken in paw. They had met in one of Bob's many visits to bars, cafes and parties in Montmartre. Speaking of bars they both looked very much worse for wear and reeked of alcohol. Apparently Bob had arranged to have himself and DVB mailed to me to avoid "potentially embarrassing questions by the French Customs  authorities"( more like arrest and subsequent deportation..Ed).

Anticipating the efficiency of the French postal system Bob had packed a few extra supplies which was just as well because he has been missing in transit for over 2 months. Despite protestations to the contrary I put them both in the shower and after they had dried off they went straight to Bob's bedroom where his pile of Christmas presents were still unopened.

When he had thanked me for them we celebrated his safe return with yet another party. I managed to capture this snap of Curly Bob during the festivities .

However Bob was very mindful of how much time had elapsed since my last painting had been published. Wasting no more time he directed me to post "Hope #1", an oil on canvas from way back in my "pre Bob " period, to get things back on track.

"Hope #1", oil on canvas.

Disparu!!

As reported in my last missive, Curly Bob was thought to be on his way back home. However this  was not supported by any hard facts and in particular how he would manage to reach the U.K. without being arrested again for breaching the terms of his release from Avignon prison.

Apparently Paris is having an election to appoint a new Mayor. The 2 main contenders are both local women who are, like all Parisiennes, both intelligent and beautiful. Given Curly Bob's immense popularity and charm & savoir faire (Is this the same bear we are talking about? - Ed), both of the candidates have been seeking Bob's endorsement.

Rather than have to disappoint either of them he decided it was time to come home. Informed sources claim a cunning plan has been hatched to enable Bob to avoid the clutches of the Gendarmerie and paparazzi plus negotiate the hazards of Customs without his passport. Readers will remember it was confiscated following his arrest in the South of France.

Meanwhile his Christmas presents remain unopened under the tree which I have not had the heart to take down ( Gulp again!)
It remains to be seen whether this plot is successful. If it is, I don't know whether I will give him a hug or wring his neck!

One thing is for sure none of this has distracted Bob from his life mission. Before leaving Paris he emailed to ask me to post " Grasses in The Sun", oil on canvas from 2008.

Still Missing

.Hopes of having Curly Bob back home have been dashed yet again reliable sources in Paris(i.e. in the same bar) have confirmed Bob is alive and well but not yet ready to come home. Actually he is ready to come back due to a lack of cash but the Gendarmerie are still scouring the streets and bars looking for him.

The place just doesn't seem the same without him. I often pass his room and look in somehow expecting to see him there.

I have kept nearly everything as it was when he left for France. His little bed is next to the bookshelf containing all his well pawed bedtime stories (gulp). There is a poster above his bed of his all time hero, Yogi Bear and on the other side a poster inviting all bears to come to Jellstone Park. His stock of Koala Brothers DVD's are stacked next to his tv with bear friendly remote control (sniff).

It is true I cleared up all the empty honey pots under the bed and other evidence of numerous midnight feasts of which all bears are so fond.

At first it was a relief to have Bob away for a while. I took the opportunity to refit my studio and order art materials. I was even able to do some painting. Bob has never really grasped the concept that, to donate works to charity fundraising, somebody has to actually paint them in the first place.

Given the number of sightings of Bob , exclusively in bars, it is no wonder that many of the gendarmes allegedly searching for Bob are volunteers!Unconfirmed reports of late night parties in the Pigalle area of Monmartre, Paris suggest all is well with the curly one. I am not sure if it is the lure of hanging out with artistic degenerates or the rather exotic night life, (Probably both - Ed).

Anyway I expect him to come home to soon as he will want to celebrate his 2000th fan club member and 3000 hits on his blog. Both targets are expected to be reached before the end of next week.

As always, Bob has his paw on the wheel and has asked me to post "George" a work in graphite pencil on cartridge paper from my early days before he adopted me.

Still Missing!

Curly Bob is still A.W.O.L. but I am not unduly worried. I have tracked his IPad to a very exclusive part of Paris. The absence of any demands for money and/or any goings on in the City of Light suggest that Bob is behaving himself, at least for now.(That will be a first - Ed) 

The local papers carry headlines such as "Ou est Monsieur Le Bob?" or "Curly Bob Est Disparu!" but apart from that very little else. 

I suspect Bob is lying low until the heat dies down and then he will quietly make his reappearance in the U.K. Bob is not well known for subtlety or tact(They are not qualities with which Bob has ever been blessed-Ed)but he does have charm in abundance. This probably accounts for why he has never been found in a pool of kapok with his throat cut.

All I receive from him is a stream of terse instructions, via his specially adapted IPad, as to what I must do. The latest one bids me to post "Flooded Forest", an oil on board from the vaults.