I have been busy with paintings in the studio and 3 assemblages based on my childhood crystal set.
I am so looking forward to exhibiting at MI gallery in Wirksworth.
The opening night will be on February 9th 2024.
More on that in the next year.

3 “Crystal Set” assemblages.

“They are part of an ongoing series called “The ontology of objects”
They celebrate the “itness” of things and the way they ‘sing’ when placed together in unique juxtapositions.
The ‘Crystal Set’ pieces are based on my childhood.
Dad made me a crystal set, which was basically just a chunk of wood with a few wires attached.
No battery or current, this mysterious thing called a crystal in the midst of the wires.
Attached to this was a pair of ex-army headphones from the war.
I slept in the attic in the 1950s, with just the slate roof tiles between me and the sky, so this led to superb reception, forgive the pun, but ‘crystal clear’.
I cannot tell you just how important this device was to me.
It was a portal to an emerging complex and beautiful world.
So when I was sent to bed I would tune in to all sorts, long wave morse code from mysterious locations, plays, documentaries, and above all music.
It was through the crystal set that I discovered a world of classical, world music, and of course jazz!
When mum and dad thought I was sleeping , I was on a journey, across continents, across time, all down to this bit of wood and a few wires.
The assemblages are evocations of the crystal set, not replicas.
They attempt to express my feelings for the object in question.
So this is formed from metallic found objects, wood, beads, bottle, slate, washers, screws, nails, wire, prepared, old luggage labels, thread.
The other 2 are again slate ( the roof ) and similar objects.”

Two albums I’m on have just been released on Discus Music.
Firstly “Inner Skull Trail” with the great Leicester musician Jim Tetlow.
Here is a link to find out a bit more.

https://discusmusic.bandcamp.com/album/inner-skull-trail-9004dl-2023

Secondly I was on drums and percussion on the Bo Meson album, “A Stylistic Nomadism”.

https://discusmusic.bandcamp.com/album/a-stylistic-nomadism-9003dl-2023

Happy Christmas to any reader who has stumbled on to here!