My summer hols have arrived and in celebration of that welcomed event and also of the great weather we have been experiencing of late I thought I would post this painting from the year 2000. The painting’s subject depicts children on a beach getting ready to watch a Punch & Judy show. At that time I had been a primary school caretaker for a number of years, post-graduation. The job involved working early mornings and evenings freeing me up to paint during the day. From time to time I was allowed to draw the children in the classrooms and at play, a real privilege. Much work came out of drawing and observing children including this piece. My other source of inspiration for this painting was the Comedia dell’arte. When an art student, one of my projects I choose involved me researching, writing an essay and producing illustrations about that theatre tradition of which the English Punch and Judy was an offshoot (the English tradition of Christmas pantomime was also influenced by the comedia). I also painted it during the summer holidays of that year so I was in a holiday groove. Punch and Judy. Acrylic on stretched cartridge paper (2000)
My summer hols have arrived and in celebration of that welcomed event and also of the great weather we have been experiencing of late I thought I would post this painting from the year 2000.
The painting’s subject depicts children on a beach getting ready to watch a Punch & Judy show. At that time I had been a primary school caretaker for a number of years, post-graduation. The job involved working early mornings and evenings freeing me up to paint during the day. From time to time I was allowed to draw the children in the classrooms and at play, a real privilege. Much work came out of drawing and observing children including this piece.
My other source of inspiration for this painting was the Comedia dell’arte. When an art student, one of my projects I choose involved me researching, writing an essay and producing illustrations about that theatre tradition of which the English Punch and Judy was an offshoot (the English tradition of Christmas pantomime was also influenced by the comedia).
I also painted it during the summer holidays of that year so I was in a holiday groove.