To be or not to be?

January, so far, has been spectacular. Mild weather with lots and lots of sunshine (perhaps a little rain as well), great morning runs, gentle walks along the coast, leisurely "gig" sessions, delicious dinners and drinks with the kind locals, and cultural events.

Not only does Fowey boast The Fowey Festival of Words and Music, a fabulous art community, book clubs, very difficult pub quiz nights, and film nights, we have our very own drama group, The Troy Players. They are absolutely a wonderful group of people, all different and all bursting with positivity.

There were three viewings, on Thursday, Friday and Saturday night, in our grand Fowey Town Hall, and naturally, we went TWICE! The first and last night. It was fabulous fun, full of great energy, delightful volunteers, impressive food and the play wasn't too bad either. Just kidding. We loved it. It was a murder mystery. Who could it, have been? The loyal butler, the surly maid, the adulterous wife? It did not really matter, as we were all there just to have a blast. 

Being that my Dino is quite the show off, he went and spoke to the director and announced that he would be more than happy to get involve with the group. She welcomed him with open arms, saying that new members were always sort after. He has actually been told that he role may be that of a "gypsy"! That is right, Dino the gondolier, who is now an artist, is to be the gypsy! Naturally, he is perfect for the part. He looks quite suspicious, is a little short, has beady eyes and is the only "foreigner" in the village. 

the caption for our weekly newspaper, following the play...

Watch this space! 

Sculpture of the Month - A Little To The Left

Our friend Luigi, loves all things tall. 

He is thrilled by giraffe documentaries, is a true fan of skyscrapers, and finds old tin mine chimney stacks, simply fascinating. Luigi has never shied away from heights, and thus here he is, ready to leap.

Somehow, after, making his way to the top, he is now taking many factors into consideration... Wind direction, depth of the pool, weight of his shorts and should he have had that extra donut at breakfast?

He is a little giddy from the lack of oxygen, however, nothing will stop Luigi. 

Will he make it?
 

Painting of the Month - The Bowler's Holding, The Batsman's Willey

During the good old days of cricket, when one could smoke and drink non stop in the stands, when little children could run across the cricket field and give Dennis Lillee a beer, when the only colours we saw were white... a famous cricket commentator named Brian Johnston, affectionately known as Johnners, working for the BBC, made everyone laugh by citing the obvious...

Do you recall what he said?

The Grumpy Artist

For the last 20 years or so, Dino has been the grumpy gondolier, sure, he sometimes smiles, can appreciate a joke or two, and may even engage in a little playful banter, however, overall, he is quite negative. Now, he is truly loving being a full time, cranky artist. He has decided to expose the lovely British public, to his grumblings, his pet hates and his view of the world.

Guido, the Cannon-man... He is fearless!

art for serious people

Come into the gallery, on Lostwithiel Street, in Fowey, and you will be greeted by Mr Grouchy. He is a cravat loving, record player aficionado, +2 spectacle wearing... kind of a guy. Do not be fooled by his initial kindness and polite small talk, he is quite testy.

Nevertheless, we call ourselves "Art For Serious People". 
We have managed to paint the shop walls, duck egg blue, put up a few picture rails, install a vintage turn table and voila', a gallery is born!

All joking aside, Dinos' take on the art world, is not as serious, as our trading names implies. He is very very funny in every day life (don't tell him that I said that) and his humorous, whimsical paintings and sculptures, depict his version of how the planet should be. Full of joy, delight and wonder! 

watch the birdie!

We find having the gallery, come studio, come village meeting place, come confessional, very rewarding. Loads of colourful local characters, scruffy tradesmen, bizarre passer buyers, and happy-go-lucky tourists all wonder in, and we become engrossed in the most entertaining and peculiar conversations. The other day, we had someone who spoke for an hour about, his ex-wife, her lover and the sale of his 10 race horses! Yes 10 horses, not 1 or 2... I love it!

Anyway, Dinos' snappy and yet uplifting attitude is to be experienced. So pop in and say hello... that is, if you dare!