Fab new finds...

I have just got back from the opening of the Rob Ryan exhibition at the YSP, opened by Sir Paul Smith, it was amazing.

Rob Ryan is such a talent, soooo fab & clever, I can honesty say, ( this is going to sound dead soppy like but) his work proper moves me. It's narrative , Oh it's just gorgeous! As a massive fan I wasn't disappointed. I'm going back to Bretton at the weekend with the kids to take loadsa photo's. Rob Ryan was such a lovely guy, and Bretton Yorkshire Sculpture Park was just perfect for his work. I'm going to bed happy tonight.

Isn't it funny how an artists work can move you. Like films and music and smells take you to a nostalgic lovely place. amazing really. Wish I had that skill I tell ya!

I remember going to Leeds City art gallery for the millionth time when I was a teenager (a million years ago!!), I knew it all off by heart, and there, in a new place was a Renoir painting.

I'd never ever seen one before and it was soooo perfect. When I looked close it was a mash of thick oil paint strokes, just lovely colours, raw like on a palette before you apply the paint, it didn't make sense but just looked lovely, and then when you stood well back it was the most perfect picture of a girl running through a yellow field of corn in a straw hat.

I stood in front of that picture for an hour..or more

I was proper moved. After that I was hooked.

Another time when I've felt like that was when Chris got me a trip to Vienna for my 30th birthday to see Gustav Klimpt's work.

We saw 'The Kiss', and I couldn't believe the thick crude strokes of oily colour that meant nothing close up but when you stood back, the most perfect picture ever. I couldn't stop looking at it. Vienna was amazing the whole weekend I was star struck by the beauty of the city, it's architecture and the work in it's Gallery's, seeing the Golden Cabbage and work by Egon Sheile just wow. I came home gutted that I wasn't Austrian and lived in Vienna !

And I felt like that tonight with Rob Ryan's amazing paper cuts and screen prints.

Ok I'll shut up now, I've had chish n fips and 2 glasses of vino and I'm gushing I know! But it was ace...nuff said!

But ... in the fantastic YSP shop I saw this book, and loved the illustrations...

I was looking for inspiration for my lino cutting class and I've found it in Ed Boxall.

I think I have creative over load, when your so inspired and in 'ore you don't know where to start!

anyways just wanted to share. At the Ed Boxall website there's some amazing images well worth a look.