I have some work on Reynolds to share shortly, but in the meantime I remember fondly some previous early art crush posts on the following:

G.F. Watts

John William Waterhouse

Sir Thomas Lawrence

John Everett Millais

Sir Thomas Gainsborough

Sorry, it’s only been men so far!

It’s no secret that I love old black and white films, so this is right up my street.  I daresay many of you will have seen it already…

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Back soon!

I don’t normally like to post two songs or music videos in a row, but this is special – so here goes!

The Mum loves The Choir with Gareth Malone (if you haven’t seen it, go now and watch it!), which she’s been watching for a number of years.  The most recent one created was a choir of military wives and girlfriends.  Something to occupy and unite them while their loved ones were away.  It was a particularly emotional experience watching it, and lovely to see them at the Albert Hall in November.

Now it’s time to support them for the Christmas number one – they really deserve it, far more than the manufactured rubbish that is always in the charts.  This has depth and meaning. The song was created by Paul Mealor using letters home – the words are all real.

Please support them by buying the single by download or CD – I’m going to – it’s out today!  All proceeds go to charity.

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Thank you! #Message Ends.

Here is their first single – Storytime.

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My art crush for this month is William Dobson.  I discovered him in a roundabout way – via Charles II, his cousin Prince Rupert and the lovely artist Van Dyck.  When I say discover – I heard about Dobson painting a ‘lost’ portrait of Prince Rupert in Charles Spencer’s biography of him – I love anything about him, especially portraits and there are quite a lot of those (and not just by Dobson).

Van Dyck is another hero of mine, a very accomplished (and flattering) court painter for Charles I, and Dobson replaces him when he dies.  The other interesting thing about him is that he painted so few art works before his premature death, and these were during one of the most turbulent times – the English Civil War.

Some of you will have come across Dobson due to the 400th anniversary of his birth this year, and there is a lovely website on him here.  There was also a great documentary linked to this site shown on BBC Four, and this is well worth seeing if you can.  It is also well worth picking up a second hand copy of the exhibition catalogue from the last major exhibition in the 1980s (which I have, it’s lovely), though it has gone up a lot in price recently!

So when are we getting an up to date exhibition on William Dobson?  I’m waiting!

A great book on Rupert – Prince Rupert: the Last Cavalier by Charles Spencer

William Dobson Exhibition Catalogue 1611-1646 by Malcolm Rogers

An engraving of the lost Dobson portrait of Rupert can be seen here.  An old photograph of an unfinished version of the portrait can also be seen here (as well as in the exhibition catalogue).  Scroll down to number 37 for Rupert, but the others are equally interesting.

The is also an interesting book about Endymion Porter (a court subject, who was painted by both Van Dyck and Dobson), from an exhibition from the 1970s.  Endymion Porter and William Dobson is by William Vaughan, and I viewed it via a local Library.

Whilst many Dobson portraits remain in private hands, here are a just a couple of galleries you can view his work:

The Tate Gallery

National Portrait Gallery

So, who else likes Dobson then?  Any favourite portraits?  I also love his portrait of Colonel John Russell.

English Country Houses Interiors by Jeremy Musson

I love any books by Musson.

Bergere, Poke and Cottage: Understanding Early Nineteenth Century Headwear by Serena Dyer

I am really in need of some good hat books!

Charles I’s art collection was amazing. I know a little about what was recovered, but not enough…

Spas, Wells & Pleasure Gardens of London by James Stevens Curl

I have his book on the Victorian way of death – and:

Vauxhall Gardens by David E. Coke

I’ve always been fascinated by the pleasure gardens, as so little of them survives.

Don’t leave it too late, they’re very popular and often sell out!

What if Shakespeare didn’t write his own work?

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To celebrate I have even gathered my courage together and entered the New Voices writing competition with my historical story.

You can read and comment on Miss Carteret’s Maid here.  Thanks in advance if you do!

The only problem was to decide which picture I was going to choose.  You wouldn’t believe just how long I can stare at photos, seriously.  In the end, I focused on my castle pictures.  I have always wanted to have something of the castle on display permanently.

So I chose an unusual view of the castle to be sent off to be made into one of the professional canvas prints.  That was after I’d tweaked the colours a little, and sharpened the view of the house.

So here is the final product, which I’m very proud of.  It only took a few days for the print to arrive, and it’s really nice.  Very well made, and packaged and with the appropriate equipment to hang it up straight away.  Apologies for my picture, which isn’t doing it justice at all.  My version is the 30x40cm one.

You can find out more here about trying online canvas printing for yourself.  I’m just looking for ideas on where to hang it now!

Let me know what you think of my canvas picture.  I might even get some more made for myself or even as presents…