I was asked recently where inspiration and ideas for the next painting comes from and my reply was that it can be from song titles, books I’ve read, films or from talking with friends about years past. A few years ago I was talking with a friend from Springside and we reminisced about the local swing park and the fun and dangers that made up time spent among those teeth chipping contraptions. This was of course the time before soft rubber matting around the base of the swings etc…naw we had to contend with tarmac or concrete. Anyhoo one death defying tool of massive injury was the rocking horse. I remember all the bad lads trying to swing it so high that it jammed the metal cogs underneath and if you caught your leg underneath as it swung back well it was a trip to the hospital to reattach your ankle back on. I thought that a few of my auld men swinging on one of these rocking horses would make a good image to paint, trouble was that I had to find one of these old death machines that hadn’t been confiscated by the health and safety man so my search had to start at my old haunting grounds of Kilmarnock, the land that time forgot and as if by magic there was one left in a rough part of the town surrounded by a pack of wee neds (chavs). So I started to swing the horse as high as I could to get the right shot for my reference to do the next painting and as I started I noticed all these wee toe rags gathering around me to see what I was up to. One of them with a ginger skin head and covered in snot came over and said in his strong Ayrshire accent “ Hiy mister, whit ur ye dayin takin a pictuur oah that hoarse fur?” I proceed to say “ I’m an artist son”…….wrong thing to say for no sooner did I get these words out my mouth here came my retort with all the sharpness of a bunch of flying daggers headed in my direction……”Aye yur a piss artust”. They all thought it was hysterical except me. Well I got the picture that I needed but a red face too for my trouble. When I got back home I decided to get my own back on my poor old model at the time John and had him nearly breaking his neck to get the desired action pose for the piece and “Cowboys” was produced.
Posted on: Sun, 26 Oct 2014 19:11:58 +0000
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