Thanks to Steve Hanley on drums, John Dyson on saxophone, Steve Crocker on double bass. This was a Rush Hour Jazz gig last month at SevenArts, Leeds.
Some Recent Jazz Drawings
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Category Archives: pencil
Happy Birthday, Bob Dylan
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Happy birthday, Bob Dylan. Thanks for all the great songs.
Rush Hour Jazz
Drawings from the recent Rush Hour Jazz gig at Seven Arts, Leeds. John Settle on vibes, Will Powell on guitar, José Canha on double bass, and Dom Moore on drums.
Nikki Iles Jazz Orchestra
Some drawings from the recent gig by Nikki Iles and her amazing 20 piece Jazz Orchestra. At Seven Arts, Leeds 7.
World On Our Doorstep III
Three of the amazing performances at World On Our Doorstep festival in Leeds recently. Here is Panjumby, Des Hurley and Friends, and Claudio Kron.
World On Our Doorstep II
More drawings from the World On Our Doorstep Festival at Seven Arts in Leeds last month. Here is Ali Bullivent, Paula Ryan, and Satnam Rathore.
World On Our Doorstep
A recent festival of local music from around the world. Appearing here – Manouche à Trois, Sugarwell Hill, and The Bhangra Duet.
Stormcloud Over Norfolk Gardens
This afternoon, about 4 o’clock. Walking home, I was hailed and rained on.
Eastertide
After Mystic Nativity
After ‘Mystic Nativity‘, a painting from 1500 by Sandro Botticelli.
The Mystic Nativity is said to depict the end of the world, even though the main theme is one of peace. Happy Christmas, one and all.
Under Lockdown Skies
This second lockdown is hard.
The longest month in history? – and still 12 days to go.
Self Portrait 2020 – Coronavirus
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Leaving the Pub
Not the only one leaving.
House Portrait #58
A recent commission was to draw this house in Chapel Allerton, Leeds.
It was built 200 years ago, in 1820 – the same year that Anne Brontë was born and HMS Beagle first launched.
Anne Brontë
HMS Beagle in the Strait of Magellan
Click here to find out more about my House Portraits.
Whitley Bay, Tyne and Wear
Drawn in about 3°C last weekend. To the north, St Mary’s Lighthouse and wind turbines. Looking south, Cypriot registered cargo ship, Imavere, at anchor.
Emley Moor Transmitters
Repairs are currently being undertaken at Emley Moor transmitting station near Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, and there is a temporary mast alongside the 1971 concrete construction.
This is the tallest freestanding structure in the UK (1,084ft). Also a Grade II listed building.
The antennas broadcast digital radio and TV across the North of England – reaching Hull, Leeds, Sheffield and York, and even Manchester, across the Pennines.
It takes 7 minutes in the lift to get to the top – I hope to take that ride one day.
Wind Turbines
Woke up with this in my mind’s eye a couple of weeks ago. Not surprising – turbines are on the increase!
Below is a view from East Leeds, looking West – turbines are part of the landscape, near and far. You can also see the new Recycling and Energy Recovery Facility (RERF) building in LS9.
Further North
A local bar in Chapel Allerton, LS7.
Fire
The fires in my garden were festive, exciting –
Stars and sparks mingling
Woodsmoke a spicy scent, in your hair lingering.
The fires in my fireplace were friendly, inviting –
Warming and mellowing music and wine
The glow in the hearth made your eyes gleam and shine.
But this was a fire that was bitter and frightening
It came uninvited
Rapacious as lightning
Tore through the house, left my life dark and hollow
Its flames soon extinguished
Then long-lasting sorrow.
Weeks of toil, months of mourning, confusion and grieving
And realisation of what is not here –
Then sweep up the ashes and dump what we’re leaving –
We’ll build a new bonfire
The first of the year.
Poem by TW
Liverpool Cathedral
‘One of the great buildings of the world’
– Sir John Betjeman
A dark and rainy winter afternoon last year. Liverpool Cathedral is a complicated and difficult building to draw. I was in my hometown to show paintings in ‘Who is My Neighbour?’, an exhibition about migration and refugee issues.
View from Pasture Lane, LS7
My new view walking home, looking across Chapel Allerton Park. I moved across the border to Leeds 7 a few weeks ago. The house is on a very steep hill but so far I’ve only fallen over once. There are lots of dogs and cats here.
View from the lay-by, A82
A82, 14 mls N of Tyndrum.
Willow Tree, Chapel Allerton
It’s dark at 4 o’clock.
The willow tree is adorned with fairy lights
for the festive season.
Cars and people are on the move and
I’m drawing in a doorway.
Public toilets, Bramhope, Leeds
Today is World Toilet Day, a UN initiative to highlight the global sanitation crisis. Over 4.5 billion people around the world live without a household toilet that safely disposes of their waste. The consequences for health and child survival are severe.
These public toilets are in Bramhope, Leeds.
Data from the Great British Public Toilet Analysis indicates there are about 9000 public toilets left in the UK. Find your nearest convenience at The Great British Public Toilet Map.
See also:
Public Toilets, Woodhouse Moor
Public Toilets, New Brighton
House Portrait #45
Had to stand on top of step ladders leaning against the ivy hedge for this one, it took nearly an hour. Managed not to lose balance or get arrested for snooping.
Roundhay Artists Open Studios
Over 20 artists living in Roundhay invite you in for 2 days this weekend during the annual Roundhay Artists Opens Studios event.
I’m one of three artists who will be showing our work at St Edmund’s Church, Lidgett Park Road, LS8 1JN.
Open: Sunday 30th April 1pm – 5pm
Monday 1st May 11am – 5pm
Wheelchair accessible.
House Portrait #35
An art lover’s house in Roundhay, Leeds. The owners requested a drawing in colour and I was happy to oblige. Painted last week on watermarked T & J H Kent paper from c.1950.
Emley Moor Transmitter
Emley Moor transmitting station in Kirklees, West Yorkshire. The tallest freestanding structure in the UK at 1084 feet high, and a Grade II listed building.
Here’s a 5 minute video showing the history of the mast and the incredible view from the top.
Jo Dunn Local Artist
My stall at Oakwood Craft Market
Oakwood, Roundhay, Leeds 8 ~
once a month, usually the last Saturday.
This was a particularly windy day
~ and I did not blow away.
Pet Redbeard
A local Viking who kindly agreed to sit. Pet has striking features which I am drawn to draw.
House Portrait #18
An art lover’s house in Oakwood, Leeds – early one morning, the end of August. The trampoline is going soon, but the owners and I were glad it features in the drawing. Can you see the Witch on her broomstick weathervane?
Sunday afternoon, Roundhay Park
The last day of the summer holidays…
warm, sunny and showery.
Walking and scooting round the lake,
having a good time and
eating ice cream,
feeding the ducks and
holding hands,
looking at the clouds and
drawing pictures.
House Portrait #199
Our house, is a very, very, very fine house
With two cats in the yard, life used to be so hard
Now everything is easy, ’cause of you…
Black Woods
Late August, the leaves seem more black than green.
I don’t want to go in the woods when they are like this.
Flies buzzing.
Heavy and sweet smells of rotting.
House Portrait #40
“I believe that much unseen is also here.”
Horse Chestnut Tree, Potternewton Park
This tree in my local park is wider than it’s tall. Two weeks ago, the candles were at their best. I’ve painted horse chestnuts in blossom for a few years – it’s not easy and this is my favourite attempt so far. I’ll have another go next year…
Birkenhead Docks – Present and Future
East Float, 2015
Standing at Tower Wharf in the chilly choppy wind, looking across East Float, one of Birkenhead’s inland docks.
The area is due for transformation in the Wirral Waters development project, a 30 year plan to regenerate the area.
In 2045, this could be the view…
East Float, 2045
Hope some one is around to comment.
Public toilets, Woodhouse Moor, Leeds
Today is World Toilet Day, a UN program to draw attention to the sanitation crisis. 1-in-3 people in the world don’t have a clean, safe toilet!
These public toilets at Hyde Park corner in LS6 are now disused – a slash in the Council’s budget, we assume.
There are about 8000 public toilets left in the UK.
See also:
Public toilets, New Brighton, Wirral
Public toilets, Sea Palling, Norfolk
6th August, 1945
River Mersey – Three Queens
The 175th anniversary of the Cunard Line, Liverpool, May 25th 2015 – the three ships Queen Elizabeth, Queen Victoria and Queen Mary II, meet in the River Mersey and perform aquatic manoeuvres neither seen nor attempted before.
It was a sight to behold – a strange and unexpectedly emotional experience. Many scousers, including me, wept with pride.
Telephone Box
Phone box, Lidgett Park Road LS8
There are about 10,500 red telephone boxes like this one left in the UK.
It’s the K6 model – over 60,000 were installed since it’s design in 1935 by Giles Gilbert Scott. The same year my mum was born and Alcoholics Anonymous started.
The red phone box was recently voted the best British design of all time – beating Spitfire, London taxis and the miniskirt. Of course, that’s debatable. This phone box is by St Edmund’s Church in Roundhay, Leeds 8.
The No Tree
As I went out one morning… I spied graffiti on graffiti. Someone had written NO on a yellow spot that was spray-painted on a beech tree.
Unless you had an interest in yellow spots, you might not have noticed it.
The yellow spots appeared on about 120 trees a few months ago to mark them for felling.
Gledhow Valley Woods, Leeds 8.
The Lodge House
I was commissioned to make a portrait of this former lodge house, built in 1888 by Sir Charles Ryder, one of the original partners of Tetley’s Brewery. I drew the house a few times before I painted it. In the middle of one drawing about 300 or 400 geese flew overhead, very high up. They flew and honked their way west in a giant V-formation that changed shape as they went – but they didn’t make it into the painting.
Thorn Lodge, Roundhay
View from the Chevin
View from the Chevin IV
View from the Chevin III
I painted the view a few times.
View from the Chevin, eyes shut
View from the Chevin I
Clock changing woods
I’m losing sleep tonight. The clocks go forward and in the lost hour it feels like time to stop painting the trees and look for a different horizon.
Here’s a drawing with my eyes shut. It still looks like trees:
Jo Dunn 