Badde Manors postcard featuring in Sydney Review of books

Anna Couani a writer from Glebe, in Sydney got in touch with me recently via my website to ask for permission to use my Badde Manors painting for her essay about Glebe and surrounding area in Sydney Review of books. I use to know her partner artist Hilik when he use to sharpen knifes that I used in the kitchen at Badde Manors. Hilik sharpened them on the back of his motorbike. I still own a chef knife I bought from him. I liked the smaller chef knifes as the weight of the big ones wore down my wrists. Hilik features in my painting above along side everyone who worked at the cafe and the locals who came in. My painting also covers a piece of social history at that time. The Tent Embassy in Victoria park, also protester on roof about stopping uranium mining, the Internet cafe on the street, performance artists, famous musicians, actors and film makers as well as Danny Sebes as a boy with an gelato in hand and now he owns his own gelato shop in Roselle. I feature as the Egg lady as I made the breakfasts at the weekend. Look out for Anna's essay called "Beauty is underfoot wherever we take the trouble to look"

 

 

 

Celebration of Achievement

My Cousin Sang Bradby was nominated by Viv at the Stepping Stone Project for the Chairman of Norfolk County Council Councillor Rex Parkinson-Hare Award on the 18th March 2016. Sang's achievements were giving blood 50 times in 26 years only missing one donation due to having a cold. Sang attends the Stepping Stone Project twice a week when he is not working in Cafe's. He is part of the allotment and gardening group and have recently been helping with Tapping House garden in Kings Lynn. The Stepping Stone Project also has art and crafts and many activities.
Viv, Sang and his Mum Rachel in the photo next to the Marble Map of Norfolk at County Hall, with the Lion carpet.

Sang was allowed to bring two people with him to the Awards he asked me along and his Mum Rachel.

Every Mayor in Norfolk attended and MP for Norwich South Clive Lewis on the left side of the photo popped in. Everyone is watching D 4 Dance perform.

  

Although Sang claims to be shy at the start of the event he soon made friends with everyone at the event and shook hands with everyone.

This nice chap was there to support his sister who has been an advocate for people with learning disabilities for over 50 years.

The Mayor of Norwich called Brenda Arthur is standing left of Sang and other High roller Civic dudes also with Sang on this prestigious day.

Here is Council Leader Councillor Rex Parkinson-Hare who created the Award ceremony giving a speech. Rex has a daughter with learning difficulties and understands that with all the support in the world it is still a hard for people with learning difficulties to get by. He said all the winners had overcome there learning disabilities, some complicated further by medical conditions to gain life skills, confidence and some sort of independence, the majority of us take for granted everyday.

We all sat in a big room and some of the seats were reserved for the Mayors and the Winners, but we all wanted to seat where we wanted. Sang and I are hard of hearing so right up the front was the best place to sit.

The awards were County council mugs with their logo on and the other side with the name of the winner as well as a certificate. Sang will have his mug on display at the Stepping stone project. 18 people in Norfolk gained an award from all the different support groups in Norfolk that nominated them.

Attleborough Mayor Tony Perkins shaking hands with Sang.

Leader of the County Council Rex Parkinson-Hare handing Sang Bradby his major Award for his Achievements in Norfolk and to his 50 donations to the blood bank. It was a wonderful celebration we had refreshments and met lots of amazing people.

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.

Unexpected monkey in the bagging area

Earlier in the year I got invited to show my work on Ten minute drawings group on facebook which is run by local Norwich artist Andy Merrit. I returned the favour and invited Andy to show his work at Dandifest 2015. Then discovered Andy is into Green Screen movie making.
 So I asked if he would show me how it works. So we made a film in his Green screen studio in Norwich called 'Unexpected Monkey in the bagging area'. Andy spent several weeks editing the film. Here it is.

Graphic Reporting on dementia

 

Last week I went along to a big meeting about Dementia with all the people that have something to do with the care side from across the County. 

The next day I drew up the notes and Sabrina came along to help me colour in the reporting. This was the biggest event yet with 50 people at the meeting. This time I did the actual reporting without Sabrina and Shelly. But I wont be doing that again. I am going to only do the Graphic reporting with a team.  

 This was the biggest event yet with 50 people at the meeting. This time I did the actual reporting without Sabrina and Shelly. But I wont be doing that again. I am going to only do the Graphic reporting with a team. As its very intense listening and converting ideas into pictures and it really helps having friends there to help me. 

One of the comments that someone had said was that 'All carers need a wage' because most carers are family members and its not fair that they are doing a tough job with no money coming in.

Ten metres of drawing for this event and here is a tiny section. 

Poppyland band

 A new band has been formed and has new songs about Poppyland
My Cousin Bertie Anderson Haggert has written lots of songs about the North Norfolk coast and they will be played this Sunday 20th September at Sidestrand church at 7.30pm. 7 pound on the door and there will be refreshments. The funds from the door will go towards the Sidestrand archive group. I heard the songs being played for the first time last week at the Vernum arms folk night and they were fantastic definitely Christmas number one chart topper.

Sidestrand church was moved in from falling into the sea and because of the coastal erosion it wont be long before it might fall in again. Its a cute little church and some of my family are buried there. I have rung the bells once for a wedding in the early 1980's with my brother when we were over from Ireland.

Ukulele Caberet London Beach Party sketches

I was invited to draw the Poster for July's Beach Party theme. The actually event fell on a day when I was delivering a commission to London so I went down there and made a day of it. Dropping off sculptures in the morning spending the day at Tate Britain and Modern then eating out in a vegetarian restaurant and then heading over to the Lincoln Lounge in Kings Cross to see the Ukulele cabaret. 

The musicians were great fun off stage and on

I had not intended to sketch everyone, but got carried away with the music

Tricity Vogue organises the events monthly the next one is in September

Erin Hunter singing about child birth

Jungle book songs

The bar owners

The enthusiasts 

Playing the drum box

Background uke

Rapping to the Uke

Eye lashes that you could string a Uke with

The more serious Uke

First timer Uke

Birthday boy

Beard that you could string a uke with

Rocking out on a Uke

Pride without Prejudice time to catch

A poster by David Shenton of Pride without Prejudice show time to catch last few days of exhibition.

My work is on the right hand side and postcards are behind the desk. 

The Goob Sketches Cinema City

 

The Goob film set in Norfolk with total Norfolk actors with real Norfolk accents  was finally shown at Cinema City in Norwich after spending some time travelling around the world and winning awards at film festivals. The film was raw and realistic showing another side to the horrors of the supermarket industry. Supermarkets creates low prices for the consumer but no money for the growers and workers.  

The film was really well made showing some wonderful shots of Norfolk scenery as well as creating a swirling camera effects and well cast film.

In the sketch above the director Guy Myhill is answering questions about the film.  After the film was shown and the director, producer and actors were brought on stage for a Q and A with the audience. I drew each person when it was there turn with the microphone hence why they are all holding the microphone. Also capturing some of the cinema audience which was made up of friends of the film or people who worked on the film. 

 

I knew two of the Actors, Sean Harris who I was in the film the "Brothers of the Head"  in 2004 which was a film also set in Norfolk. I got on well with Sean Harris during the making of the film Brothers of the head. Also a brilliantly cast film. I am still friends with some of the cast today. Also I am very good friends with Boo also know as Fergie in real life or Martin Ferguson. Fergie has been a ceramic artist and then a plasterer and then a builder, now an actor. He has worked on several of my families homes. But he is also an amazing character and very unique with a great imagination. 

 The sketches are signed by everyone apart from the Goob and Fergie, whom I will catch up with soon to sign it. I will frame them and put them in my next exhibition at the Silver rooms New Community hall on Silver Road in Norwich. 

Norwich Dandies fundrazr

Norwich Dandies are fund raising for next year. They have quite a few big plans for next year and they have applied for Arts council funding but in order to receive the funding from the arts council they have to raise 10 percent. So I started a crowd funding campaign as we have quite a few perks to offer that make donating easier. Next year we plan Dandifest 2015 bigger and brighter and better and also to major shows in London for disability week and a tour of Norfolk round the villages. Please do donate and if you cant do share the funding page. A big thanks from the Dandies and we hope you can come and join in our events next year we try to make as accessible as possible for everyone. Click here to link to page

Dandfiest the movie

The Norwich Dandies are proud to release this short film, which includes the performance poem My Mental Helmet, on World Mental Health Day. Let's all be a little bit kinder, less quick to judge, more accepting of difference… our own lives will be enriched. Have a look at the movie here. Vote for the Norwich Dandies who have been nominated by the people of Norfolk for Art award

In the woods

Woodland ride

Alien tree

Path to the sea

Cliff food

Psychedelic sky

Running wood

Deep wood

Bug bush tucker

Reeding wood

River Mun

Shack attack

Shack stack

Berry walk

Live streaming

Family fire food

Fire fly's

Boys toys

Mush room

Winning Ashes

Running with wolfs

Into the light

Yellow mellow mushroom

Captured in the light

Tree sea breeze

Shrieking shadows

Shadows of the lagoon

You and me

Green scene

Boys at the pond

Swamp

Shadow of a tree

Cake. mmmmmmmmmmmmmmeeting

Streaming