The Origin of the He He Band

Just after Art College had finished in 1974, I was involved in a show in Guildford (I believe)I had four fairly large panels based around the essence of "stream" to move there - rather difficult as I was based in Pembrokeshire. So I asked some chums in Surrey to  deputise for me.
Phil Gray,
Brana Radowich,
Tim Mapson.

I was grateful for the favour and sent them £20 - worth a fair bit more in 74 than it is now.
On receiving the note they immediately went down to the liquor store, spent it on beer and whiskey and had themselves a little party. Part of the make-up of that party was the composition of a thank you letter.
All the mail for Shipping Hill used to go through a solicitors office in Narberth where my parents worked part-time. So did this one: it consisted of a greasy half eaten baked potato oozing out of an envelope made from a thin cardboard long life beer box.
Inside was a scrawled drunken letter full of obscure jokes and scribbled drawings. On the back was the inscription "WE GOT THE MONEY". It was addressed to HE HE HUMPHRIES.
I opened it up with my bemused father, and laughed till my knickers were wringing.

Southern Landscapes

Side of the road type places, initially presenting themselves to me through the window of a coach or a lorry we had hitched in.

centre of town - with a statue in the square

Out walking

It wasn't intentional, but I did produce quite a cluster of walking type pictures, as I am finding it difficult fitting the work I produced over four or five years, I reckon this should make a feasible "post chapter to fit somewhere toward the end of the main blog.
Quite often they contain "beings" passing each other.

Husband and wife team

Painted on Egyptian imitation papyrus paper.

By Galatta Bridge

By Galatta Bridge.

You could get down to the old Galatta bridge through Gulhani Park. The main gates being at the bottom of Soak Cesme Yokusu, - cold fountain street. Where the Coskuns had their Bazaar and home built into the old city walls.

The park is basically a thoroughfare with a small zoo and wide sweep of grass and trees running parallel with Topkapi Palace situated on top of the overlooking hill.

During the summer there used to be many various stalls and beer gardens – fun activities for all the family, that came alive at night. I don't believe it happens there any-more.

It was a joyous place, even if the fici beer was watered down, opening out at the other end directly onto the Bhosphorus where all the local ferry boats seemed to begin.

A lovely place to walk through at any-time.

You could get a ferry to many relatively local places, just put a relatively inexpensive jeton into the slot at the entrance gate and rode with the rest. We used them a lot.

Often having a sahlip en route, milk with cinnamon.

Or even a thin crispy doughnut shaped simit.

Once I was on a ferry where someone fell overboard and every body consequently crowded 

to one side what was happening. A scary moment and they certainly weren't small boats.

All around, the views of Istanbul were breathtaking.

It seemed that all life were represented within that craft and I never came across any trouble or witnessed any aggravation on board.

Indeed, Istanbul seemed to be almost crime-free, at least burglary wise. But in shops anyone was fair game.

So, it was pretty well promenade all the way to the old bridge and beyond, again, with all kinds of stuff happening there.

*

In between the parked ferries were small fishing boats selling fresh fish and grilled fish in bread sticks.

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In between the fishing boats were blokes fishing – but they didn't compare with the fishing activity that went on, on top of the bridge itself. They filled the side of the road, side by side, hunting for their dinners.

Unfortunately, I don't have the painting these images were heading toward. I gave them to a fellow degenerate who fell out with me as I wouldn't share one of the two bottles of beer I was taking home to drink all by myself.

Poor sod got knifed in the stomach for standing up to a hardened thug outside a night club. (it didn't kill him).

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Underneath the bridge were loads of fish restaurants, which could be a real pain, just to get by, due to the “come on in” hustle. Although, they somehow seemed to know if you had eaten somewhere else, even if it was on the other side of the bridge.

And,

there were the very cheap bars, where people sat round on two foot high wood and hemp stools. A souvenir I always meant to bring back with me, (very practical for down to earth jobs)

The old bridge was clogging up the waterways – I suppose the small arches couldn't cope with contemporary rubbish which used to build up underneath.

All the restaurants moved to the other side of Kumkapi. - - turning right as you hit the water as oppose to left.

Link to the main blog:

http://whitemoustachestreet.blogspot.co.uk/

Achilles Shield.

The first set of illustrations I made for "Achilles Shield"

Inspired by conversations with John Percival and Proff. Peter Walcott from Cardiff Uni. We worked out that the shield would have to be 30 ft tall to hold all the designs as described in the Illiad.
Also heavily influenced by the various Archaic sites we visited.

Originating from the Archaic site at Smyrna, north of Izmir, from on top of the tepe.

Then the famous crippled god created there a pasture in a lovely valley bottom,

Originating from the site at Teos by Sefherisa, close to Izmir.

Two scouts were stationed some distance from that army,

waiting to catch sight of sheep and short horned cattle.

Then he set on the shield a herd of straight horned cattle,

with cows crafted out of gold and tin.

They were lowing as they hurried out from farm to pasture land,

beside a rippling river lined with waving reeds.

Simple herdsman.

the herdsmen walking with the cattle, four of them,

were also made of gold.

Nine swift footed dogs ran on behind.

Link to the larger Istanbul site:

http://whitemoustachestreet.blogspot.co.uk/

(highlight and right click)

Down the road to Eminonu

     .   ..   ..

EMINONU

First Impression

Down to and around Eminonu existed most of my practical life. From buying rare disposable nappies by Galatta Bridge, or illicit tobacco outside the Egyptian Market, paints, inks and brushes from the cluster of stationary shops

Claustrophobia rules O.K.

.But, then again, these corner towers exist in a swathe across central Istanbul and Ankara for that matter.
An echo of an earlier empire.

tower, with Miss Marples (at the top) 91

I got into Gaudi eight years later, maybe that was a flamboyant flush, moving onto something lighter.

Link to the bigger picture:
http://whitemoustachestreet.blogspot.co.uk/

Five doodled landscapes

Five Landscape Doodles

With hindsight, I realise that a lot of the doodled landscape drawings within the brown sketchbook weren't particularly to do with anything specific.

But they were made roughly “at the time of passing” and so if anything attempt to capture the feel of where I was.

 Often, the near surrounds, the paths, rocks and undergrowth of the countryside we were walking through.

I think these five fit this definition.

I also feel that at the time of making, there was the possibility of composition in the back of my mind. - maybe combining more than one or inserting elements from each.

Link to the Istanbul Blog Site.
Quite big and very much still under construction.


http://whitemoustachestreet.blogspot.co.uk/