Carpet Fish, 19 x 29cm, Gouache and Shell gold on wasli Paper

Mackerel Clouds, 19.5 x 30cm, Oil on primed paper

Jaipur

                                 

                  Mughal elephant, 29 x 19.5cm, hand made clay paint with gold  on Wasli Paper

My first traditional Indian miniature painting!

I have returned from my 3 month INTACH travel scholarship adventure in Jaipur. I was very lucky to meet Ajay and Vinita Sharma http://www.liveminiature.com/. Ajay took me on as a student. I have learnt so much; it was such a privilege to have been taught and to have  worked with such knowledgeable, skilled, disciplined, patient and kind people.  Missing you!   And if anyone wants the best chai ever it can be found at the Sharma's house in Jaipur.

  Mughal Maharaja with his hookah and ladies, 27 x20.5cm, Hand made gouache with gold on Wasli Paper

Krishna and Radha, Kangra style. 15.5 x 14.5, Hand made paint with gold on Wasli Paper

Persian Poet, 24 x 18cm, Hand made gouache with gold  on Wasli Paper

Collaborations with Vinita Sharma

Falling boy series, 32 x21cm, hand made paint and gold paint on Wasli Paper

Falling Boy series, 32x 21cm, Hand made gouache on Wasli paper

Large scale falling boy, 140 x 120cm, Hand made paint with gold on hand made paper, Painted and decorated by Vinita and Prabhu Ji

Jump into the void, 85x 65cm, Hand made paint on hand made paper.

Pichwai Bird, 29 x20cm, Hand made paint on hand made paper.

This painting is a rearrangment of the Pichwai paintig above. Deigned by me painted by Vinita

. 

2 elephants, (A visual conversation between two elephants,  cultures and artists.) The Elephant on the left was painted by Vinita and the one on the right was painted by me. 20 x 29cm. Hand made paint on wasli  paper.

Vinita and Ajay in their studio

The shells and clay pots that the pigment, glue and water is mixed in.

Working on the falling boy figure.

Cow under the blossom Tree

Cow undr the blossom Tree,36 x 30cm, Oil on Primed Paper

I saw this tree by the Wolvercote round about and love its shape and general symmetry.  It’s at its best in April, bursting with life.  It's like a firewok but better.   It reminded me of ‘The Night of the Glowing Sembar’ painting; I thought I’d paint the cow from that story under this tree.

Creation

Creation Myth, 37 x 29cm, Oil on Primed Paper

I was looking at creation myths from around the world.  According to the Iroquois tribes of North America the world is on the back of a turtle.

 I wondered what was under the turtle and came to the conclusion that it must be an elephant. Then that got me wondering what’s under the elephant?  I reckon it’s probably a bear.  Yeah then a goat.  Theen a lion maybe, not sure…

Spot the real constellations.

Black and White Animals

Black and White Animals, 37 x 27 cm, Gouache on Paper.

One day whilst cleaning dishes with my friend Georgia Cass, I commented on how I liked her t shirt with a big Panda on it.  We then proceeded to play a game naming as many black and white animals as we could.  We were surprised out how many there are.

It got me thinking about Taxonomy- the science of identifying and naming species, and arranging them into a classification.  Why not create a visual taxonomy.  So here we have animals from all different classes, birds, mammals, fish, amphibians, insects etc. but ones that all share the same colouration.  They could be subdivided further into groups with the same pattern:  the snow leopard and the gecko could go into a spots family; the Zebra, snake, snail , frog and the damsel fish go into the stripy family etc.

I might paint orange animals next.

Elephant Pile

32 x 25cm, Elephant Pile, Gouache and Gold paint on hand sized Paper.

Islamic Illumination

30 x 25cm, Shamsa (or 'little sun' in Persian), Gouache and shell gold (23 carat) on hand seized Paper. 

 

Last Autumn I went on an Islamic illumination course at the Prince's School of Traditional Arts run by Ayesha Gamiet, http://www.psta.org.uk/publicprogramme/.  The course was fantastic I learnt so much.  I thoroughly enjoyed the experience on many levels.  It was so satisfying to see Ayesha at work and observe the patience, discipline and skill required to make the work.   I feel like I gained real tacit knowledge on the course.  As with all highly skilled activities one learns most through observation and participation.  All the books in the world aren’t as good as simply watching a master at work and then trying to copy them.   Many insights were gained on the course such as learning that rubbing agate stone on my forehead before burnishing the painted gold adds the lustre that illuminates the image.  I found this process magical and would never have learnt this on my own. 

Geometric Patterns

20cm x 20cm, Gouache on Paper

An animation of some of  the construction lines used to create the image below.  All geometric tessellating patterns can be generated using only a compass and straight edge.

20cm x 20cm, Gouache on Paper

Zebra on the moon in the garden

Sand and earth drawing

I'm off to Rajasthan!

I have received a grant from INTACH UK Trust Travel Grants. http://blog.icomos-uk.org/intach-uk-trust/ I plan to spend 3 months in India from January to April learning as much as I can about the art of Indian miniature painting.  I am hoping to find a generous master who's willing to take me on as a willing apprentice.

Sheep, Duck and Cockerel : Aerial Pioneers

I wanted to paint a balloon.  Upon researching hot air balloons I discovered that the first ever passenger flight took place on September the 19^th 1783, in Versailles.   A large crowd of about 130,000 people witnessed the event and among the guests were Louis XV1, Mary Antoinette and the French court.  The passengers suspended below a hot air balloon were- a sheep, a duck and a cockerel.  Why these particular animals were chosen, I don’t know.  The balloon flew for 2 miles, and the passengers returned to earth safely (but probably with a bump) 8 minutes later.  Here they are mid-flight wondering what’s going on…

36x28cm,  Oil on Paper

26 x 19 cm Gouache on Paper 

A Fox Flying a Kite

23 x 18cm, Oil on Paper

The Night of The Glowing Sembar

I bought a lovely book called ‘THE NIGHT LIFE OF TREES’. It’s a book full of intricate silk screen prints made by Ram Singh Urveti, Bhajju Shyam and Durga Bai of the Gond tribe in central India. Each print is accompanied by a story.

Here is one of those stories:

THE NIGHT OF THE GLOWING SEMBAR

‘In the rainy month of July. A cowherd was looking for a lost

cow along the edge of the forest. The evening grew darker, and

there was no sign of the cow anywhere. The cowherd became

anxious, and the little calf with him cried for her mother.

  

Together, they wandered into the forest calling out for the

cow and soon they lost their way.  Night fell fast and the black

clouds gathering in the sky confused the cowherd.  He could do

nothing but weep with the calf.

A firefly saw the scene and felt pity for the two lost creatures.

"Follow me," he called to them.  "I think I can lead you to what

you seek"

And so the two walked through the dark forest, led by the lone

blinking light.

And all of a sudden, the cowherd saw a strange vision ahead of

him.  It was a Sembar tree, shining like a jewel in the blackness.

On every leaf,on every branch, sat a firefly.  And under the tree,

Bathed in the glow, was the lost cow.

So to this day, we know that good spirits live in the Sembar tree,

and to this day the cowherd and the firefly are friends.  And if

you happen to be lost in the forest, you should find your way to

the protecting Sembar, glowing like gold in the night'

from the 'NIGHT LIFE OF TREES', TARA BOOKS

Here is my painting of the moment of relief when  the cow is seen safe and sound under the tree.

37x 25cm, Gouache on Paper

The Damascus Drum

I have recently painted an image illustrating 'The Story of the Damascus Drum', written by Christopher Ryan.  It is being used on the front cover. It is a great book, a highly recomend it.

'Daud the Arwadi, a successful trader in
his prime, has his world turned upside
down when the caravan carrying his
fortune is ambushed en route to Damascus.
Takla, a young serving girl in a convent,
encounters a mysterious stranger who sets
her life on a new course. And then there
is Shams, an old billy goat, who lives high
above Damascus on Mount Kassioun
with his flock of goats, who one day loses
his bell. Feeling a sudden sense of
wonderment, he leaps off the very top of
the mountain, and begins a journey into
the unknown such as no billy goat before
him had ever undertaken.

After many adventures and amorous
encounters with endearing female goats,
Shams dies, and his skin arrives at the
shop of Abu Kerim, a Damascene musician
and drum maker who immediately senses
that this skin is special. “The quality of a
drum depends on the animal it is made from.
Not all animals are dumb, you know,” he tells
his friends, “and the skin of an animal can
speak things you couldn’t imagine.”

And so begins a journey which takes Daud
from one end of Syria to the other and back
again, following the beat of a drum, following
his own fears and hopes, following love until
all is given up, and then returned, though not
at all as as he might have imagined.'

Gouache on Paper, 30 x 21cm

The Deer stared back

9 x 20cm, Gouache on Paper

16 x 12cm, Gouache on Paper

Sand and Earth installation made on the floor of the North Wall Arts Centre.  Thank you to Nick, Marloes, Mike and Orlando for all your help.

Private View

The quiet night before

The busy day



 The thank you Speech above the clouds

Interview on Amelia's Magazine

/http://www.ameliasmagazine.com/art/an-interview-with-the-painter-jethro-buck/2010/12/08/

exhibition is up!

Most paintings are sold already  I feel over the moon!  Chilling with the zebra at the moment.
The North Wall Gallery
South Parade
Oxford
OX2 7NN
up untill the 20th
Opening times
10-4 mon to sat

Snow, Port meadow

Gouache on Paper

4 X 16cm

 A Zebra, on the moon

Oil on paper

26 X 20 cm

Bird Carpet Carpet Bird 

Gouache on paper 

26 X 20cm

Elephant puddle

Gouache on photo

10 X 15 cm

Oxford
22 x 16cm

The Creative Goose

Forever.
Root 2 progressive spiral.

Light Box

Fall

Fall 20 x 14cm

North Wall Exhibition

Come to the North Wall, (South Parade, Summertown, Oxford between the 6th and 18th of December) for an exhibition of my recent work.


http://www.thenorthwall.com/moreinfo.php?ref=237&year=2010&month=12&date=09

Miniatures

Nature Flows

15 x 15cm

Gouache and liquid gold on paper

 Elephant Cloud
Gouache on card
19 x 30cm
Sitar dream
Jump14cm by 20

Nick, Ollie, Orlando and Beer
Closed Door
Open Door

Camel Dream
Carpet Sparrow
Red Admiral