22nd July 2021
Ok, gonna hit you up with another of my 'Subtle Vandal' paintings. As I previously mentioned this is a series of up-cycled paintings I did during the pandemic to cheer myself up. Most of them are oil paintings that have been in bargain baskets, a few are reworked prints, most of them are funny, some are rude, and some are not for the delicate natured. You have been warned!
Today's oil painting is medium sized , (not like the huge painting of dogs I posted the day before yesterday). This painting was in pretty good condition but a bit dirty. The subject matter was not very inspiring, which is why I guess it had been for sale for so long. A painting of an old Dorsety style sleepy village circa 1940's. This made me think of all the men folk being away at war and how popular the postmen were. I decided to introduce a postman into the painting and a bored housewife who was missing her husband, but once again it would be a little subtle addition. All I had to do now was to give the repainted area an acrylic varnish so it blended in with the original and give it a new name. Yes. So it is now called 'The Postman Always Comes Twice' by Subtle Vandal. The pics below are of the before, after and close-up detail. P.s. this series will be available in signed prints :-)
                                    
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With the date of Glastonbury Festival steaming towards me, I decided I had better try and get a little organised in my preparation. (Something which certainly doesn't come naturally to me).
So today I wrote a list of jobs that needs doing before leaving, and realised a lot of them were to do with working on my Showmans wagon.
I need to have a display area where I can have a little exhibition of my work. So I decided to move some cabinets around in my kitchen which will have a dual purpose. They will have to be useful as kitchen cabinets but could double up as a display area when needed.
I already have a nice art deco cabinet in the kitchen which would serve this purpose, but there was an annoying gap between the top of it and the roof, so I filled it in with two little cupboards I made with flap doors. Then I moved some other cabinets I had which were in the living room, into the kitchen and I felt that they would serve to do the job very nicely.
Many years ago; (long before Drew Pritchard, and other trendy salvage hunters), I bought an early plastic, hollow tigers head at a Car Boot sale. I think it may have originally been a mascot on a lorry. I can remember as a child sometimes you would see a lorry with an illuminated mascot on the top above the windscreen. One day I thought; I will install it as a lamp in a piece of furniture, as the showman's wagon is Circus themed, it seemed appropriate  to install it into my re-worked display cabinet. The tigers head had always slightly annoyed me; because one of the eyes was slightly bulging and therefore slightly facing in the wrong direction. To remedy this; I used some heat on it from my jewellers torch (being very careful not to over do it!). With a bit of pressure applied to it as it cooled down, the eye popped back to its correct position. Then I painted the cabinet, as I wanted it to be bright and engaging as this is what you see when looking in through the showman's door. (See above pics of before and after. The blueish tinge in the before pic is due to the tarpaulin on the roof, which I removed so that I can see the colours clearly). It's not quite finished yet but I'm pleased with the progress so far. I have an l.e.d. light ready to fit into the socket I prepared for the tiger light.
I've just found out that there is a new super venue for The Unfairground area of Glastonbury, it's called The Blind Tiger. If I'd known this earlier I could have just stuck a black patch over the tigers eye and saved myself half an hours work, and be very in keeping with the festival vibe.
Tonight though; I'm feline quite content with todays work.
                        
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​1st June
I've completely lost track of time. I thought I might start blogging again on the first of June and describe the preparation that goes into getting everything ready for Pilton. (Or Glastonbury Festival as it is more commonly called).
The only thing is; I thought that the first day of June was on Monday, and only noticed this evening (Saturday) the first is actually today.
I'm trying not to panic at the amount of work I have to do before the festival; however, I've just lost two days that I thought I had.
In the past I have heard a Pyschiatric Nurse say that the biggest influx of patients in Psychiatric Hospitals is around the really stressful times of year.
The first being Christmas; when people are getting everything ready for a perfect family holiday and there turns out to be far more planning than they had planned and their heads go ping. 
Secondly; around Glastonbury Festival,.......... for the same reasons.
It really is miraculous what is achieved in a small amount of time; in a few fields, around Pilton Village, in a few weeks time.
It always makes me think of Henry VIII's 'Field of the Cloth of Gold'. 
The Field of the Cloth of Gold was a magical artistic triumph that must have been spectacular. When you read the descriptions of it (which are quite detailed) it must have been an enormous undertaking for the artists involved. It was made in England then transported over to France, set up for a few days then disappeared just as quickly. There were working giant fountains which spouted red wine; life sized buildings painted onto canvas and erected in situ, etc etc.
Basically; the equivalent of a modern day film set, which is very similar to large parts of Glastonbury Festival. The Long Drop Toilets (probably only best to scroll through the pics on the link, if you have a strong stomach) are often described as medieval.  
​All we really need at Glastonbury Festival to get it on par with the Field of the Cloth of Gold are some red wine fountains! Sadly; somehow, I don't think Michael Eavis would fund that though. 
However; I may need a glass or two tonight, now that I've realised I've just lost two days...