August 2025
Reggae Festival Bedford street
Sunday 30th August
An absolute pleasure to create Art Work at and from the Reggae festival on Bedford Street, Royal Leamington Spa, held by Bedford Street Bar. The atmosphere was electric and vibrant with so many local residents enjoying an event that focused on bringing music and celebration to all attending.
I was surrounded by so many inspiring individuals enjoying the festival. It was easy to select interesting folk and people and even though I stayed at Bedford Street up to midnight, way after the festival had finished working on the art and making more.
Thank you to everyone who put this amazing festival together, It was absolutely brilliant.
Painting from Lachlan Bryan and the Wilde’s
Monday 18th August
After an amazing day of painting and helping out in the Arts Trail gallery, I attended Temperance with the intention of creating a single art work responsive to the music from live performance by Lachlan Bryan and the Wilde’s, lead singer from Australia and a band featuring highly talented musician from England and Australia.
As I was setting up at Temperance to create the art I was informed by my good friend and owner of the venue that there would be an opening set Riley Catherall. I had an opportunity to chat with Riley prior to the Music started and he informed me that he hailed from Melbourne, Australia: this I was excited to hear, as I have created art from the charm of Finches who too come from Melbourne. It was delight to be informed by Riley that not only does he know them, but also he plays base in their band, as he would be for Lachlan and the Wilde’s later that night.
Riley had has an amazing voice and his songs were hauntingly sad and morose to my ear and responsive emotions, felt cold and blue, rain and despair, something I feel way to often, and currently do to after my own recent end of relationship. I created a very Blue work capturing the emotions, sound and beautiful voice I felt and heard, along with impactful lyrics that hit a nerve.
Lord Lachlan and his band, created a very different feeling an response within me, I heard the dusty western landscape, the space of desert and void that exists between places, where the sjtories of local heroes and villains from the west or mid Australia are told in local towns and smaller dwellings in the past. I loved the Sound.
Last of all I was inspired to paint from a song that raised the very hairs on my arms. Afraid of the light. I was moved by this so much. I’m currently afraid of the light and loneliness of my now empty home and lack of love and connection I had with my ex partner. The work though transformed into a Mother giving comfort to her Daughter, Something that was totally unplanned but I as Lachlan loved the art work I created from my song and the performance.
Pride, Leamington Spa and inspiration from diversity
16th August
Yet again an amazing pride event in Leamington spa. A celebration of pride that was so inclusive, joyful and full of beauty.
I arrived and sat down on my trusty stool, surrounded by my art materials and then looked out onto a sea of people enjoying themselves on the band stand green. The event itself was so well put together.
I was inspired to capture people and how they interacted with one another and or their stand out uniqueness, a very difficult task for me to pick out subject matter, as I was like a child in a pick and mix sweet counter with hundreds of colourful and energetic choices available. But I managed.
I was asked to create a piece, spoke to four ladies at length if I could create a piece and last of all I painted people un aware but spoke to them after, talking and chatting and getting to know them slightly. A total joy and I found myself one of the last to leave that night, looking up from one of my paintings and seeing litter pickers at work. Time to go home and reflect and work into the art I had started that.
Cant wait to complete each work and attend my next Pride.
Inspired by People in Jephson Gardens, Royal Leamington Spa
15th August
I went to Jephson’s Gardens, a local beauty spot full of inspiring colour and a favourite place for myself to paint and work into art, bizarrely this day I decided to have a brake from painting and read instead. I was reading a book on mindfulness and read about how doing something is the best way to alter thoughts when they are negative. I was feeling sad and overwhelmed for the past few days regarding a relationship brake down, loss of my dog and concern about a friend and their wellbeing. So alas I decided to head home and get my paints and pop into the local WH Smiths to get a new A3 sketchbook.
I wanted to remove my thoughts from past art works and there attachment to past memories that were and are amazing but heavily connected to my ex-partner. So I thought I would see what I could and would create a new. I imagined focusing on positivity nature and maybe something around this would inspire me to draw and paint something different.
But at this point I started watching, observing people and I’m really glad a lady sat down at this point I thought to write in a journal across from me on a bench at a little distance. It felt awkward and intrusive, I will be honest to draw someone who wasn’t aware they had become the inspiration of a work I had titled in my head “Thoughts of the day” but after completing my drawing I spoke to the lady, who in fact was drawing herself, very skilled and talented blue and red line work for possible crockery designs. It was an absolute delight to meet her, A lady from Amsterdam with a partner she was due to meet being of all things an Art Dealer. We also chatted and both had a mutual friend from the Leamington art community. Its a beautiful and small world it seems and creativity really is an amazing aspect of not only my life but for so many that makes this world a wonderful place to live.
I then created two more art works from two people and passed my card on so they can see the works in progress and completed on this very website.
Doing and creating seems a very mindful and correct way to change that negative headspace and from It I look forward to paint more people and engage with the community more and more. What joy life holds, even through loss.
Live Painting From Connelley and Hayes at Temperance
August - 11
The awesome duo with band totally smashed it with yet another sell out gig at Leamington Spas best live Music Venue by far Temperance on 33 Bath Street.
I currently have focused on painting a single art work at gigs to have a more finished and impactful art work to show the band and fans. The work is not fully complete and requires some more work but both Frankie Connelley and Jess Hayes were delighted with the Art work and I have been invited to create more works in the future and on canvas (TBA)
The Art work features both artists and elements of the opening song and parts of songs that resonated with myself and as always combining them with my sensory response to the music and colours and shapes produced in my my mind at the time.
I’m currently going through a depression stage and also grief with some personal changes in my life and have noticed that a darker base of colour is within most works, but listening to Connelley and Hayes was amazing, their music and play, along with their stunning vocals brightened up my night and burst out in my response and on to the Art work. Their look and style as musicians also filled me with energy which I wanted to capture on the art work. Jess wearing her mirror bling full length top, Jess stating that on the art work “ I look like a Mermaid, that’s good, I love Mermaids!” and Frankie with an awesome set of shades and a shirt that mirrored the coloured response I was getting from his amazing guitar skills and voice. A massive thank you to Frankie’s girlfriend for taking the photo and apologies to yourself and the rest of the band, I’m notoriously poor at remembering your names, but the talent on Drums, Bass and Keys you displayed was outstanding.
I look forward to creating more art and hopefully very soon to Connelley and Hayes. I will ensure I update you all on this as soon as confirmed.
Review and Insight
Creating Art at Warwick Folk Festival 2025
At late notice, basically 4 days before the festival started i contacted them to create Art from live performance music. It was an absolute pleasure and delight to be granted access to the kings Maker Tent over the 4 days, creating a live painting to 20 acts. All these works were displayed as works in progress in the main stage area.
Its exciting that next year the fully completed works will be on display and available to buy as originals or prints if purchased prior to the festival 2026 which I will be attending again to create more art works from an amazing array of musicians from around the world.
FARA
Ellie Gowers
Donnelly and South
Exhibitions
View a selection of my original work at two separate locations within Royal Leamington Spa. My Art is on display at Arts Trail Gallery, located in the Royal Priors Shopping Mall and Temperance Café, located on Bath Street, opposite Iceland’s. I hope you enjoy the work that’s on display and available to purchase directly from each venue. Enjoy!
Currently On
Painting In Torbay
August started with a creative return trip to Torbay with my Son camping for a summer holiday allowed for plenty of time to work into several paintings at several beautiful locations in the Torbay Area.
It was wonderful to be able to talk and chat to many people while developing paintings and art works created from various venues, enthusing them with current thoughts and emotions, developing the very soul and meaning to each work.
I look forward to my next trip in September to work into more art, in a peaceful and happy location for me.
August 1-7
July 2025
Warwick Folk Festival
July 24-27
Warwick Folk Festival runs from 24th to the 27th July 2025 and I will be attending throughout those days and creating Art Work at the event to live performance Music.
I will be creating a single painting to various performances from several musicians and incorporating elements from several songs into a single piece of Art, As I will be live painting and set up with an easel.
All completed works will be shown next year as either an Original or print as each piece will be available for purchase once fully completed.
Creative Lines at Mill Street 1
July 9th
It was an absolute pleasure to host a slim line version of my creative lies workshop at 1 Mill Streets lunch and learn on Wednesday the 9th of July 2025.
Creative lines encourages individuals to take a brake from there normal daily life and play with line making, in this case I hand the participants lyrics from several songs and to tap into their imagination and draw from the lyrics directly or from the environment that we were sitting in. Most participants did and do not regularly create art and once passed the initial fears of letting go created some very unique creative lines and most importantly having a bit of fun and release from work by doing something different in a shared space.
If you are interested in Creative Lines and hosting the full version of this please do email me on alanm0nk3y@yahoo.co.uk.
New Logo and Business Card
July 2025
Its been a long time coming and with the kind support my logo and business cards are now in use. The fantastic creation from talented digital artist and designer Evangeline Green as produced a logo that fitted my brief perfectly.
The three little aliens with one central smile are positive and joyful. A card that is positive and happy.
AAA Logo
Evangeline Green