The Bear & The Octopus

Solo show of new oil paintings at Morvah Schoolhouse, Pendeen TR20 8YT, 11-3:30 Thursday to Sunday

Great turn out for the PV on Sunday, and many people asked why octopuses? Well after painting and drawing a series of works for a show it isn’t always easy to look back and reconnect with what instigated the work. Apart from the discovery of Japanese and Korean ink wash drawings, and re-interpreting them on found paper, there was an interest in octopuses. I have for years been fascinated by their behaviour, finding out that they regularly steal food and escape when held in captivity for one thing, but also reading about their extraordinary ‘alien’ bodies. How their limbs have separate personalities and so can be shy or bold and lazy too. The unique model of a ‘brain’ distributed almost everywhere in their selves is mind blowing. Making a show to celebrate that finally humans are beginning to see that other species deserve some respect and space of their own, feels good.

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