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.

The Manifesto Grows

Curly Bob is still hard at work on the manifesto. During a comfort break(Ice cream & honey) he directed I publish "Snowdon Horseshoe, Winter", oil on canvas 2012.

We are slowly working through the back catalogue which we hope to clear in the next month or two.

This work was done by using a knife for most of the painting except the sky. I remember it well because we were in Llanberis, North Wales in February and it was a very cold day. I say "we" in general terms. I was stood outside the car sketching with watercolours  whilst wearing gloves and receiving very odd looks from passing drivers. I don't doubt they were wondering if I should be committed or not. Meanwhile Bob was in the car with the heater on full sporting a new muffler, hat and gloves. Advice was offered via notes held up to the window. That is the way of things as Bob is usually far too professional to get cold and/or wet in the furtherance of art.

Curly Bob's Manifesto Not Ready

Bob has been hard at it overnight working on his party's manifesto. I could hear him tapping away on my keyboard late into the night. I have no idea what he will come up with as it is a closely guarded secret and unlike Westminster there are no leaks here either by design or subterfuge. The political world waits....

Meanwhile, I found another note pushed under my bedroom door directing that I publish "Self Portrait 2012", an oil on canvas. 

I am not sure if that reflected my own personal state or a portent of the worry the worry of when Bob was to be kidnapped in the Yucatan in April 2013. For those taken with technical matters it was executed entirely with a knife.

Curly Bob Is To Seek Election in May 2015!

After much soul searching Curly Bob has announced his intention to stand for election in the  May 2015 . I explained that he would need a manifesto and publicity machine if he is to compete with the major political parties. There was also the question of his deposit to secure his eligibility in the electoral process.

Bob asked if I would lend him the money and he is now working on his manifesto and title of his party. The political world waits with baited breath.

Meanwhile Bob has taken a break from such weighty matters to ask me to post "Calanque et un Arbre", an acrylic on canvas from 2014

I've Been Framed!

Curly Bob called a very brief management meeting today. In line with the proposed expansion of Curly Bob's Art Emporium (retail) at the end of April he has decided we need a makeover in the frame department.

We have been using untreated wood frames out of personal choice around our house, including Bob's den.
I pointed out to Bob that not everyone wants a minimalist look to their frames and he could not deny the fairness of my case. That said he was soon onto the local DIY to order wood stain and wax in 2 tasteful colours. Of course Bob was far too professional to offer to help with the work as such items are very bad for his fur. 

However,he was gracious enough to provide me with a complete inventory of our frames and a printed time table setting out a (strict) schedule to be followed. He was quite confident that they would all be completed by this weekend provided I did not sleep too much in between. 

When I had completed that task I would be free to complete the  preparation work on all the available paintings to make them ready for sale.

Meanwhile I have been instructed to publish "Lighthouse, Evening Light #2", an oil on canvas circa 2003. It is one of a series of 4 with a lighthouse in each.

Inspired by The Eclipse!

Curly Bob's regular fans will know by now that his thought processes are different from most other people. While he was having breakfast this morning he was very interested in watching the news coverage of the partial solar eclipse.

His selection processes, of which items to post from my back catalogue, can be triggered by the most obscure events. After he had polished off his latest jar of French honey from the "Happy Bees Honey Farm" in Provence he leapt into action. A quick rummage in the loft produced two works from 2011. They were both based on my  attempts to render an image I had seen on an astronomy programme some years before.

 I explained there was no sun involved in either of these works. However Bob was having none of it so here is "Space Dust #2", an oil on canvas. It involved copious amounts of Liquin medium and thin paint poured from a great height. I would not recommend this method unless you have a sound constitution and a well ventilated room/studio in which to work, especially in high summer.

"Space Dust #1" will be put to sale on the Botany Bay branch of Curly Bob's Art Emporium at some later stage and will be posted on this blog at that time.

Let's brighten Up Mothers' Day

Curly Bob woke early this morning so he could post some more work to brighten up Mothers' Day. I don't know why Bob has taken such an interest in such things. He has made it his business to use my artworks to brighten up the lives of his countless fans worldwide.

The weather here in the U.K. is heavily overcast and quite cool so something sunny is called for.

Therefore here is "Cabanon a Cote de la Mer" It is a 60cm x 50cm oil canvas and he hopes it will remind people of happy and sunnier memories of holidays past.(Apologies to out French speaking friends out there but Bob's PC doesn't work very well with accents etc.)

It's Mothering Sunday!

Bob was looking for something to post in keeping with Mothers Day here in the U.K. For some reason Bob came up with  Whilst a nice painting that would make a great present I cannot begin to work out how Bob relates this as a reward for motherhood.

Still, as they say in our neck of the woods, (and no doubt elsewhere), "It takes all sorts" Curly Bob definitely falls into that category.

Still I am fortunate in having him for a manager as he has had loads of bright ideas which will result in lots of archived work being posted over the next few weeks.

Here is "Across Llyn Padarn, Snowdonia" an oil on canvas from 2014. This painting has already been sold so it will not appear in our display at Botany Bay, Canal Mill, Chorley, Lancs, PR6 9AF or the new website.

Another One from The Vault

Curly Bob continues his clearout to make room for new works to be exhibited at Botany Bay, Chorley.

His next selection is "Standing Stones", an oil on canvas, 60cm x 50cm painted sometime pre 2010 and featured on one of our Christmas cards.