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My 1980’s paintings abandoned in a garage…<\/p>\n \u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n Dear Mr. Bullock<\/p>\n I probably over-egged the crticism of Goldsmiths per se. ( suits wider arguments) as it coincided with a very difficult time in my personal life. I was living in a legalised squat on North Circular London and had lost my studio ( first interview with Goldsmiths was there) so when second interview had to take place in front room of a deserted squat I using as studio it already counted against me. I had no money for rent let alone materials and had split up from a messy relationship…..most people read my paintings of that time as depressive (Horrible Heads Paintings Flash slideshow<\/a>)…all in all not my best time.I resented then and now the witch-hunt against Fuller from people who nowhere near his ability. When somebody who famous for sexist record covers (Roxy Music) starts lecturing me about fascism I bristle.<\/p>\n It took me twenty years to even get in a financial position where I could actually rent a studio again ( here in Nottingham) and when I did teaching preparation destroyed time to paint. As I think de Kooning said the trouble with poverty is it takes up all your time. It is only because of my current partner’s love and support that I even close to resuming seriously.Now finally I have a glimpse of some space and time and a postgrad course through Derby University to look forward to. Since I attended college an M.A. has become the equivalent of a B.A. in people’s attitudes despite some wearers of that title being less able than they think.Also I have started to find a group of excellent younger painters here who despite the system are keeping the flag flying. I have been virulent in damnation of certain aspects of the art world in those 20 years both from personal angle and because I genuinely appalled at how de-skilled the art schools have become. Even these colleges are now realising that something has gone wrong. But life rooms, recipe<\/a> technical support and print rooms have all been jettisoned for digital cheapness and replacing them is costly.<\/p>\n Before I go off on another rant about education which better placed elsewhere I will return to my development (or lack there of).<\/p>\n Having lost studio and house in London I returned to Oxford and my parents house in 1989 and stayed there until 1992. In that time I took to the hills..literally and completed a large sequence ( every fine day that summer) by strapping a drawing board to the back of a white bycycle and heading off to draw the chalk hills. This sequence I still have and is my most sustained and complete sequence of drawings. see some of them here…<\/p>\n \u00c2\u00a0http:\/\/mysite.orange.co.uk\/flyinshoes\/landscape.htm<\/a><\/p>\n Call me reactionary then I become an Impressionist:-) Actually I was heavily influenced by Canadian Group of Seven…..many of whom were Brits fleeing WWW1 and Sheffield Ruskin trained…all connects! Also Paul Nash who drew same hills… Just visited your artist-guide pages and fascinated by the Edinburgh connection…I massive fan of William Johnstone<\/a>.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/belcheresque.files.wordpress.com\/2007\/06\/didcot003.jpg\")
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\nI showed them at Rocket Press (now Gallery London) and after blazing row with gallery owner who taught me a valuable lesson in how caring and sharing such people are…..(I ended up painting his walls to repay debts to him!) I ran off with a lovely Spanish lady to Edinburgh where the only art I managed outwith crap temp jobs in banks were some etchings. Then that too ended …I awoke from a daze 7 years later\u00c2\u00a0with some music, order<\/a> some poetry but no art and once again back in\u00c2\u00a0my parents and yet again\u00c2\u00a0no house, viagra<\/a> no partner…c’est la vie………it\u00c2\u00a0has taken\u00c2\u00a0last 7 years to put that right again! Hopefully…<\/p>\n