Poppyland Band at Sidestrand church

Poppyland folk music band had there first gig at Sidestrand church in North Norfolk last Sunday evening. Sidestrand church was moved in from the coast line 100 years ago and it is now just 50 metres from the coast again, as England is loosing its edge with the rising tides.
Eddie Anderson and friends have set up an archive group as this village needs one urgently. Bertie Anderson wrote some fantastic songs and music for the evening and when she started doing so she was pregnant a year ago and now she has a baby girl named after the area called Poppy. In the sketch done in red fineliner felt tip pen above I have captured the whole band that managed to fit it self in the area of the pulpit and a few I noticed were balancing themselves on the edges of the church walls.

Eddie Anderson films the band from the church pue on the left hand side.

Annie who I couldn’t fit in the first picture. Here she is playing the fiddle to a song called Sallybeans. Sally Beans was a lady who lived in a cottage near the sea, off Shucks lane and she use to help the smugglers hide there hoards. My Granny Verily Anderson owned the house and named it after Sally Beans.
The evening had a full house and I am pleased that some of my friends from beyond Norwich came along from the Wildlife Trust after they had cleaned a part of the Broads river.

Rose Collis at Norwich Pride

Rose Collis at Norwich Pride came up from Brighton to perform at St. Margaret's church of art. Her trouser wearing show is a musical of songs and stories.

The audience all crossed dressed for the evening as Roses show was all about Ladies who crossed dressed in the past.

Sketch Back Sunday week 6

Not that far away in Sketch back history this Dip ink pen drawing was drawn at Secret garden party in 2011. I went along to the festival with my Auntie Alex and we discovered a life drawing tent which ran day and night and was packed out.

Unknown artist at the Feedback bar in Sydney. I use to give out paper while I was drawing so that people wouldn't look over my shoulder. It got everyone going.

I somehow got myself and Lisa McKnight a job on an Atlantic clipper sailing boat on the Barrier Reef. It was extremely hard work for me as I was in the galley 18 hours a day. My bed was near the engine room and I hardly ever saw Lisa as she was a chamber maid. The idea was to get some diving in which didn't really happen. I did swim in my break and swam with the sharks which made me walk on water. 

The deckie, his job was to get the ropes and tie them up on the harbour. The ship was a night mare because the captain had lost his marbles which made it very stressful. He soon got taken off and replaced by a new captain. 

Sketch back Sunday week 5

Here is a sketch looks like it could be biro on paper of Kath Ellis and Hugh Coffey from the band Hubris or now called Kathellism at Alpha house gallery in Newtown Sydney in June 1996 one of the very few sketches I have from Sydney days. I followed Kath's band the most but draw an awful lot of bands in Sydney at the time.

Another one of the same time of a drummer Newtown Sydney.

Now this is a rare sketch made by Kath Ellis in Newtown in a bar. Kath's work was jewellery style wire work. We worked on amazing art projects together for 7 years and took on challenging enormous projects because we worked so well together. We didn't really have any direction other then to say yes to every art job. Which reached a cut off point of having to say no eventually. 

Madam Lash at Palm Beach in Sydney. I went to visit Gretel Pilinger as I had a special invite we got on very well. I think I stayed for about a week. I had plans with Moira to create a Good ship lolly that went round the coast of Australia and children decided the course of the ship via the internet as well as decided which celebraties should go on board the ship and the ship would deliver christmas presents to remote communities. Far to early an idea for that time. We actually managed to secure a ship and funding but the internet was not on everyones table in the 1990's. Lash painted 4-D while I sat and drew her. She worked away every hour of the day and I never saw her away from her paintings.

Sketch back Sunday 2nd one

 Its sketch back Sunday. Every Sunday I will be posting sketches I drew in my past. There is a lot of them. My Art school days started at 16 years old in the mid 1980's and since then I always carried a sketch book. In the photo here is artist Nicola Lane she had come over from Dublin to Norwich to visit me. We were at secondary school together in Dublin. I have a lot of writing I also found while recently tidying up my studio with the sketches and that was the started of Sketch back Sunday. I am posting them on facebook too. Drawn in pencil on paper in 1987. I sent the picture via email to Nicola Lane who I have recently got back in contact with and she said she remembers the shoes I had drawn and she bought them in London when she was over then and I had drawn them perfectly. The picture has had a battering as my art has moved around peoples sheds while I was away at college and abroad for a few decades.

This is a photo of Alexandra Dansak a musician and biker. He had found me a house to rent with my college friend Holly Lerski on Adelaide street in Norwich. This is Alex playing the electric guitar round at that house. Done in Pen and paper in 1987. Even Back then I was not into the painting still life's exclusively for the rich and more into drawing of life itself for everyone as an inclusive thing.

A pen drawing of Mousehold heath in Norwich which was the first time I had made an effort to concertedly go out and draw for drawings sake. Drawn in 1989

The same view in crayon it was mesmerising seeing so much and not knowing where to start. I just drew what jumped out at me.

Cromer Music Evenings

Mothering Sunday I went along to Cromer music Evening during the day to see Bogan Vacarescu on violin and Heidi Parsons on Cello. Such a passionate pair of performers. They played more then what was on the programme and gave it there all. They had played before at Templewood in a year and half ago but I didn't get a chance to see them due to art commitments.

The music events are once a month and our a delight to the rural locals to enjoy some culture. 

I gave my mother who also was in the audience, the biggest box of chocolates ever which put my siblings to complete shame. 

 A bust of Mr. Paul Paget who is smelling Roberts hair and smiling as Robert watches the concert.

Lots of sketches drawn of the show which I will post later after exhibiting at the Royal Academy. 

St. Margarets Church of Art Drum for Justice Practice '

Selfy

Ann Nicholl's keeping the beat while Jasmine plays the large saucepan

Tracey Taylor plays the spaghetti tin and Ian Brownlie plays the pipes with the flip flop

Jo, Poppy, Ann, Jasmine, Tracey, Ian practising the Drum beat.  

Future Radio Pride Live Drum for Justice

Drum for Justice Norwich Rising at Future radio on Pride Live with Dandelion and The Rockets

on Pride Live with Dandelion and The Rockets

Di Cunningham who presented the show I went on the other week.

Julie Bremner with her assistant and Dandelion and the Rockets 

One billion and rising publishes my poster

Today I am drawn towards this article on the one billion and rising website.

Check out the amazing plans to RISE in Norwich!
They have a junior school steel band accompanying accompanying everyone’s drumming. The drum beat is from an Australian musician that spells out ENOUGH in morse code! The MP will be there to support and the council has printed 300 posters of well known international artist Eloise’s painting featured above to publicise the event.  The local domestic violence charity will be there and the local papers have assigned a dedicated reporter to cover lead up events and on the 14th.  For continued updates and coverage visit their One Billion Rising Blog HERE.  The organisers have been on the community radio station and got them to play the new Germany OBR anthem/song! Other program items include dancing to Break the Chain, Zumba, Hip-Hop, Belly dancing and freestyle dance!
RISE  RELEASE  DANCE!

Drum for Justice Practice at Angel Road Junior school

Projected words written up by the teacher to help the children learn the drum music.

Sue is brilliant at teaching, each child is playing a different steel pan drum with notes written on the inside of the drums.

The class is mostly girls but there is boys too. 

Tracey Taylor from DGAS drum group came along and showed the children how to do the Drum for Justice theme tune.

Each drum is made from an oil drum and cut in half then the top bottom of the barrel is beaten with a hammer for days till its quite thin. Then its tuned with different notes.

The teddy on the right helps make the music.

Here is a steal pan with the different notes labelled on it.

14th February 2014 at 1pm to 2pm at The Forum in Norwich come along and join us drumming the secret drum and dancing to Break the Chain. 

www.norwichrising.wordpress.com

Drum for justice a full page spread in the Evening news!!!!

Norwich rising, Drum for justice got a full page spread in the paper today. Tracey Taylor from Dead goats appreciation society went into Catton Grove school to teach them Julian Culpans music that he wrote for Norwich rising.
There is a nice story and photos in the paper check it out. Click here ! 

Future radio

On Friday I went on Jasmine radio show with Shelly Telly. We talked about last years Norwich Rising and what were up to this year. I gathered up some things from the kitchen and took them in to the show and played a few things on air. The rabbit pastry cutter and egg poacher sounded quite nice.
Lots has happened since last week. Ian Brownlie from CME is bringing in Junk drums to the next rehearsal. Angel Road steel pan are going to play on the day. Tracey Taylor from the Dead goats appreciation society drumming group is going to teach Catton Grove school drumming.
Anna Mudeka who is Norfolk's favourite African drummer is going to also play on the day.
We also revealed the Secret in our Drum beat that Julian Culpan created for us and the beat says in Morse code Enough is enough!
Here is a link to the podcast from the show and you can listen in anywhere in the world.

Pride live on the future radio for Drum for Justice.

I cycled over to the Future Radio studios on Monday to go on Di Cunningham's Pride live radio show to promote Drum for Justice, Norwich rising and get people to come and join in the fun.

Here is a podcast of the Pride live show.

In the photo is my portrait of Di Cunningham at St. Gregory's centre for the arts. I entered her portrait into a portrait painting competition for Pride, a few years ago. The real Di is standing with the painting in the 2nd photo. 

Norwich rising drums up support

Norwich Rising Drum for justice got into the local evening news paper this week. It is excited that with time were gaining so much support. 4 rehearsals away from the big day on the 14th February 2014.

Please do come along and bring something from the kitchen to play on. 

Norwich rising 2nd rehearsal

 Norwich Rising,  "Drum for justice" rehearsed on a sunny winter morning outside the Forum this week with all there pots, pans, kitchen utensils and shakers to the sound of the beating drum that was designed by an Australian artist Julian Culpan especially for us in Norwich to stop domestic violence. Domestic violence is held a secret to families that have to suffer from it. Our song has a secret in the beat that spells out exactly how Norwich Rising feels about domestic violence.

Maddi from Chasing dogs tail community music waved her pink and black feather dusters conducting the drumming of retired ladies, working mothers, women and children to what seemed a tune that would break any silence. We practised playing loud and quietly and had a go with trying out different interments, my favourite was the ripples on a old tart tin with a large serving spoon which had the sound of a frog chorus in a summer jungle.

The band began to grow over the course of an hour. I left on the pavement a scatter of homemade shakers and kitchen instruments which tourists started picking up and joining in and having a great time. Drumming on a Sunday morning is very normal for Norfolk especially with kitchen pots and pans. 

Colouring in pictures were handed out to people with small children in toe that paid an interest in our splendour.

Next week we are planning another rehearsal outside the Forum at 11am 26 January we meet for a cup tea and a chat and then at the beat of a drum we start the rehearsal. Anyone can join us and it is free for tourists and locals.
By the 14th we should be in time to the music and be able to rise up and raise money for Leeway charity.
Look out for us on www.norwichrising.wordpress.com