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I’ve been tweaking the above on my iPhone, between actually working on the real ‘flesh n’ blood’ article.

And it’s definitely starting to come together. at one point the bottom half seemed the better part. Now it’s undoubtedly the top half I like best.

The bottom half – the keyboard motif in particular – needs work. Essentially, simplifying and declutterring. Could be a metaphor for my life!?

Do I darken (and lighten)in the bottom sections, as per this iPhone edit? Or do I leave as in the pic above that? Either way, I think this is finally nearing completion.

If I’m totally honest, it’s not a triumph. But you can’t win ‘em all. And I have to learn to be more accepting of a broader range of results.

As Sting once sang:

‘To search for perfection 
Is all very well
But to look for heaven 
Is to live here in hell…’

(‘Consider Me Gone’, Dream Of The Blue Turtles)

Well, I’m utterly miserable. Probably a result of the excess of whiskey on Tuesday night. Jeez, what a furkin’ dope I can be, sometimes!

It’s a gorgeous sunny day. And I feel like a stinky turf on someone’s smelly old shoe. Horrid!

Chester’s pestering for food has been really annoying me. So much so I’ve shut him out several times, to let me get on with Dad’s painting.

That seems to be going a bit better, in part. Specifically the bottom half. I introduced the ‘keys’ in the arched piano portion of the design. In near primary colours: red, yellow green and blue.

Some black and white line work, with acrylic pens has also helped focus things a bit. But I still feel a long ways from happy with this…

I have a few ideas… and, in true jazz style, it’s all about improv’.

Hmmm!? I think this is finally starting to hang together a bit better. Due to immense simplification. Somewhat to my own surprise, going almost black n’ white in the top half, has really helped.

Dialling down the noise and complexity is key, as well. I’d like to work towards arriving at more bold simplicity quicker. Rather than via the slightly tortuous layering I often currently resort to.

MUCH LATER…

Oh my God… I can’t stop ‘worriting’ this image! I’ve fiddled around with editing it on my iPhone a few times now. The above is the latest example of that.

I’m almost starting to like the upper half more than the lower half now. Hmmm!? Where on Earth (or Saturn?) is this thing headed?

As it nears midnight, I have to stop, and get some sleep. But I feel I am finally getting somewhere.

First order of the day today, something I’ve been avoiding like the plague. Sorting out my car insurance.

Managed to do it. And it was a lot less grief than I’d anticipated. And I’ll probably save some money, as well.

I now have SD&P with Admiral, at just over 25% pa (c. £400) of what they wanted for H&R (c. £1,600!). And I’ve now got a PAYG deal with INSHUR, which is both cheaper, and payable as you go… phew!

More car bills loom, as Flo’ is due her MOT. The first in my custody. Aargh! I’m like that proverbial pelican; no matter which I turn there’s always a large bill in front of me!

I’ve come to the cafe at Peckover House, to chill, read, and continue trying to book work…

I picked up War of Wars in a church, for 50p!it’s a massive book, at just under 1,000 pages. And very, very good.

It’s sometimes remarked, in praise of good writing, that it’s ‘readable’. That may sound rather pointless and silly. But actually it’s the mark of the best writing. And this book is very readable.

I’m about 85-90% of the way through the book now. And it’ll be sad, in a way, when it ends. But o have plenty more books to move on to. Including volume three of N. A. M. Rodger’s epic rendering of Britain’s naval history.

I like to use stencils occasionally. And sometimes I’ll use the inner cut-out spaces, whilst others I’ll paint around the pieces that were cut out. If you see what I mean? These of course can be flipped over, or even used to ‘print’, giving a lot of potential for per-mutation…

Hmmm!? Well, I’m pressing on. With Sun Ra’s Secrets of The Sun playing in the background.

I suppose the music is supposed to be helping me create the artwork? But, truth be told, it’s so out there, and I’m feeling worse for wear after last night’s regrettable whisky-fuelled foolishness…

So me-thinks I’ll return to Planet Earth for a while! At least till my own inner world calms down… a lot!

The above is the current state of play. At around 1pm, today. I’ll work more on this piece later. It for now I needs must book some work.

So RSI from hitting ‘refresh’, here we come…

Two different croppings:

Went out, did two delivery shifts. Got back, and did this:

I’m really unsure of this piece, at present. But never mind. Have faith, Seb!

Adding a couple of larger blocked in type elements. Simplifying the too busy composition (which was always the intention).

I’ve included stylised references to trumpet, saxophone, drums and double bass, in this piece. There will also be piano keys, in due course… for Sun Ra, obvs!

There’s still a long way to go. And I’m not sure if the end result will be any good, frankly. But I’ve made the effort!

I feel that, whilst I’m not over the moon about this piece, it is at least going roughly where intended.

Well… made a start on a new piece of art. This is the base layer. There’s a lot more to come.

Started a couple of new sketches. These were ‘inspired’ by some jazzical album covers. Starting out with a very basic nod to Albert’s House, by Chet Baker, I’ve then layered in some other trumpet related ideas.

These aren’t working as well, yet, as a lot of other recent efforts. But hey, you can’t win ‘em all! After a disappointing spell, I’ve gone in for a bit of wavy line abstractifying. And I think. That’s improved them.

I really didn’t like these two, in their earlier stages. Some of which remains, above. But I’ve worked on them a fair bit, and they now look more like this:

Definitely improved. Poss ok, now? Certainly there’s stuff happening in them now I’m much happier about.

All four have started out similar to these new two, above. That’s the Albert’s House component. After that, I go to the Jazzical Moods book, for ideas…

I’ve been getting into Sun Ra and his Arkestra quite seriously recently. For someone like me, working with very limited means, sets like this are an absolute godsend.

What we get here is a collection of four early Sun Ra/Arkestra albums, plus a CD full of early singles, from Ra’s prolific Saturn Records output,

The albums are: Jazz by Sun Ra (1956), Supersonic Jazz (1956), and Jazz In Silhouette (1959), and The Futuristic Sounds of Sun Ra (1961). These four albums are spread over discs one to three. And then on disc four we have 18 tracks issued as singles.

These latter range from blues, rock n’ roll to doo-wop, novelty tunes (Christmas themed, etc.) and Arkestral jazz! Quite a range. This stuff is where they get closest – in my view – to what one critic described as being or sounding like an ‘intergalactic ice cream van’!

It’s 5:50 am, and I’m eating porridge for breakfast, sat downstairs. Getting ready for an early shift.

My gum/jaw still hurt, from the tooth extraction, performed last Thursday. I’ve been gargling/rinsing with salty water. I do hope it’s not become infected?

I’ll hit my weekly baseline target for earnings with this morning’s shift. But I need and want to do several more. That will bring in enough money for me to buy one or two things I want.

These appealed to my naughty sense of humour. And they’re delicious. Can’t beat a nice mouthful of tasty Spunk!

Due out on April 1st, 2025…

The above is the massive £1,500 limited edition boxed version. Below is the more affordable but still very dear £75 unlimited edition.

At over 600 pages, with 400 images, this should put the previous Taschen book on Baselitz very firmly in the shade.

I love Baselitz’s colour, touch, composition, and so on. The whole ‘upside-down’ schtick? Bit of a gimmick, to be honest. But not a bad one.

Painter, first and fivemost, printer, sculptor… I just love the vibe, the aesthetic, he has. I simply to MUST HAVE this book!