methods & materials.....

Again, finding that what u scrape OFF the canvas is as interesting as what u put on.... using ordinary kitchen scrubs to part expose the underpainting and / or gesso. In other areas i'm building up layers of acrylic and body. i have never reached a cut n dried method of completing a single piece of work EVER! Every single thing has some element of experimentation. Even the later Aftermath series pics have stuff like cigarette ash and glue mixed in. 
So ... nothing i do ever has a uniform finish. I used to beat myself up about it.
Now.....i don't think so, Sonny Jim.

Stealth shoes!

 Bah, i am bored - and restless. Work is impossible.
Solution - i am off for a walk in my Noo B-2s!
(i used some black shoe leather dye that i already had kicking about - u prep the leather first with nail polish remover).

Audi history

This (horrorshow) is mine and my friend Alan's  2001 Audi A6 Avant Tdi that we bought jointly about 3 years ago and share the cost of insurance, tax, diesel, MoT. garage costs for service, maintenance and upkeep.
Its original 2.5L turbo engine had 125,000 on the clock. However, an identical car  with an identical engine was found that had been sitting burnt out in a barn since 2001. Its engine, with only 20,000 on the clock, was completely untouched and in perfect condition. 
We took our car over to Co Antrim and with forensic precision, the engines were swapped at the excellent garage we use in the beautiful little harbour village of Ballintoy, near the Giant's Causeway. 
This summer we decided get the bodywork renovated, especially as the car had been hit twice by other vehicles here within 6 months. Unfortunately, due to various commitments, I couldn't go (meaning Circuit and Panzer didn't get their mental-cat farm holiday either).
In this photo u can see its new mudguards and wing etc, prior to respray. ( the whole car has now been resprayed and relaquered)
As well as getting everything serviced - like the air-con, the electrics and computer system, it has got a few new bits under the bonnet  such as  track rod heads, plus 4 new wipers and 4 new tyres. The interior has been completely steam cleaned and re-trimmed.
All of this cost A FRACTION of what we'd have paid on the mainland and the work has all been done in a priceless friendly atmosphere.
Oh, and m'Audi will be coming home next week  with tinted windows.
 
: D