In that year I have learnt a great deal about missing children all over the world – most of it I wish I didn’t have to know.

There are many many tragic and horrifying stories – enough to make a stone weep. However, there are also some amazing ones of children who have been FOUND. Natascha Kampusch, Elizabeth Smart and Shawn Hornbeck were all discovered long after they were believed to be dead. It is clear that it is VITAL that the world does not forget missing kids and NEVER gives up hope for them.

On May 3rd I for one will be lighting a candle for Madeleine and all missing children everywhere. Don’t stop looking, keep this little girl in mind. She could be anywhere in the world. Always pay attention to children around you, yours and other people’s. If you see or hear something, anything, that makes you think a child is in danger call the police. Please join all the people who will light candles that night and take a moment to say a prayer or meditate or do whatever you think is best. Maybe together we can light Madeleine’s way home and make the world a better kinder place for all the children in it.

http://www.helpingtofindmadeleine.com/

My current artwork project involves creating promotional materials for an album called Motown Africa featuring Classic 60s and 70s Tamla Motown hits performed by African singers and musicians.

The complete album is still in the studio but we have some awesome pre-release tracks that can be found on Bushman Productions MySpace profile (Click the image above to hear Stand By Me, Tears of a Clown, Papa was a Rolling Stone, Let’s Get it On and much more.) You have to hear this! It’s like Motown has come home and the marriage with haunting African voices and percussion rhythms sounds soooo natural and right. Considering Tamla Motown’s place in Black History it’s not just the music that sends shivers down your spine but a kind of a sense that here is the Wheel turning full circle in plain sight.

Much more information from this project and the story of the musicians involved coming soon just as soon as I can get these guys out of the studio to tell me more of what we need to know.

Abavuki Stand by me

This painting is for sale at $1700 or 1100 Euros. It is of the little church of Agios Antonios at Megas Yialos on Syros. Painted in Acrylic on Canvas and measuring 80 x 100 cms (sorry I had the measurement wrong the first time I posted!) it took several months to complete and is very finely worked. It really makes a very strong impact when you see it for real and never fails to attract comment.

Contact me direct if you have any questions, would like to enquire about another painting here or would like a chat about a commission. Email: gia23001@yahoo.co.uk

As you may notice, the portraits in progress have not done much progressing. The reason for that is that I have recently been working with Barney Rattle creating costumes for a unique event called Evolution involving video, African modern dance and percussion which takes place on March 5th at the Renaissance Rooms in Vauxhall, London. You can see some previews at New World Africa’s website

The Show was conceived and the music recorded in South Africa and preparations have been ongoing for more than a year. Dance troupe Ayigafrik are young, exciting and different and for the Evolution event are joined by an eclectic mix of performers and artists. It promises to be an unforgettable evening.

EVOLUTION THE EVENT- 5th MARCH – Wednesday 8pm featuring SUPAFLY, LOUISE GOLBEY, JNAY and DJ Stanley (InGroove), MC CHRIS JONES
Entrance to the night starts at 8pm and offers two separate rooms of entertainment.

EVOLUTION features dancers and live percussionists from the Ayigafrik Dance company www.ayigafrikdance.com, music from South African Marimba Band ABAVUKI www.abavuki.com and fantastic visuals on a large 30 foot screen charting evolution from the BIG BANG right up to modern man. Performances 9 and 10 pm
LOUISE GOLBEY www.myspace.com/louisegolbey 9:30pm vibrant acoustic set

JNAY www.myspace.com/jnaybaby 10:20pm up tempo dance set to lead into Supafly

SUPAFLY http://www.myspace.com/supaflyonline will give us an hour and a half set of their best dance tunes which have been setting the pace on both sides of the Atlantic.

MC CHRIS JONES (brother of infamous Grace) will be our compere for the evening and give us a taste of his upcoming album

STANLEY our DJ for the evening is renowned Chinawhite music director and Afro Dance beat record producer (In-Groove Records)

Also a chance to put on your skates and enjoy a night at ROLLERDISCO

www.rollerdisco.info skating to music from various DJ’s.
one off admission price – only £12 in advance £15 on the night

Tickets can be purchased on-line,

www.rollerdisco.info

or from the venue on the night or in advance.
Info Line : 07717026445
Venue : 0207 720 9140
Renaissance Rooms – Vauxhall – London SW8 1RZ

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The Hippy in Me is a Happy Bunny tonight. I just made such a cute little psychedelic Slideshow of a few of my digital art expeditions into the heart of Photoshop…..very enjoyable.

See it here at the page called Digitalissima

I’m loving Slide.com – this is the third slideshow I’ve made there and this one gave me a chance for a little unrestrained fantasy indulgence in their feature set.

I’ve also installed a new set of photographs of Syros to give you a flavour of this lovely island.

Find that one here at the page called Syros Photographs

I’ve begun a portrait of my brother Mike the poet who posts verses here under my various paintings. Michael has decided that time of life has been reached when a portrait would be appropriate. I’ve got the job and what a pleasure it is too. Here you see the first working drawing which will be used to lay down the shadows onto the canvas. The technique I am describing in Work in Progress has seldom been so much use to me as with Michael’s image – a face so familiar to me. Any artist will tell you that you have to get past what you think you see and draw and paint what is really there – and what is really there is light. Light and not light. Concentrating purely on the shadows absolutely liberates you from the psychological effect of the image. There were several times in creating this drawing that I lost sight of where I was but persisted in studying only the enlarged portion I was working on and transferring it to the paper via a grid. It is to be recommended – I have just completely rediscovered a face I have known quite literally since the day I was born.

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The first drawing of Ted the Elder is now ready and you can read about the ongoing story of this developing work on Work in Progress (see the tab at the top of the page here)
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I’ve updated Work in Progress with the next stage of the Two Teds portraits. I’ve worked a bit more on Theo’s drawing and am much happier with it now. It looks much more like him (compare with the post below).
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I’ve started work on my very first portrait, a commission to paint an uncle and his nephew, both called Ted.

I’m very excited about it and I intend to document my progress here (reckless idea probably). If you go on over to Work in Progress you can see the first stage happening in a series of photographs and explanations. Watch this space to see the work as it develops.

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