oN THE EASEL

July 29 2022

There seems to have been a reasonably long period of inactivity since I posted anything here so I thought I’d better up-date a little.

Apart from doing the odd painting commission, I have devoted quite a lot of time to my other passion - music and recording a new album. So, just in case anyone out there has an hour and twenty minutes of their life to spare, below is a link to a podcast/interview I have just given to a guy in Texas under the sobriquet ‘Tending the Pale Bloom’.

To briefly explain, Greg is a very knowledgeable music and art enthusiast who came across an early Dulcimer (my old band) Album from the 70’s and tracked me down via the wonders of the interweb and asked me if I would be interested in doing an interview for his channel. Although I pledged never to do a zoom meeting, I was suitably flattered and more than a little intrigued and agreed to it! As I mentioned, it is quite long and is mostly a lot of me, me, me regarding my painting and music ‘careers’.

Link: Pete Hodge Interview - 7/10/22

I hope my former students are still drawing and sketching and producing good work, but more importantly, continuing to enjoy what they are doing.

With Best Regards Peter

PS. If there is no such thing as global warming, why is my banana plant producing fruit in the garden?

January 3 2022

I would like to wish all my former student friends a happy and hopefully, an exciting and healthy new year and also thank you all for the Christmas cards, gifts and kind messages I received.

Finally, a few images below relating to the book, including a nice review by Cotswold Life.

Review by Cotswold Life

January 3 2021

Well, that was an ‘interesting’ year and for those of you who have survived thus far, I wish you better things for the year ahead. Having been pencilled in to return to my art workshops in October, the resurgence of the enemy bug and resulting lockdown laid waste to those plans and now any forward planning seems pointless, particularly as so many of us fall into the vulnerable bracket and the future is an even more mysterious and distant horizon.

I must say the latter, somewhat drab stages of the year have not been quite as enjoyable as the lazy days of summer, but fortunately I’ve been keeping busy with a private commission involving a series of formal, through the season, garden paintings. So far they have been very small, almost miniature, and a good test for my eyesight.

Prior to the latest restrictions I have also managed to finally complete my latest music project; the result being a new album entitled ‘Forgot your password - try again’ - Surely a title for our times! Should anyone out there be at all interested, some friends have just built me a music website. Information and a few tracks will be available in a few days time at: petehodgemusic.co.uk

More news later, stay well and safe and let’s enjoy the time we have in restricted life to the best of our abilities

August 27 2020

So here we are in strange and mysterious times.

Reluctantly, I have made the decision to finish my art workshops at Evesham College and Stanton Guild house, largely due to the many complications and unknowns caused by the Covid situation and I would very much like to thank the many organizers, students and friends who have attended these groups for their help, enthusiasm and support over the years.

I will be evaluating - and hoping to re-start my Tuesday, and Wednesday classes at Little Comberton and Lower Moor respectively, in September when hopefully, social distancing measures will be a little less murky and we all feel a little more relaxed, if not fatalistic, about our brave new world.

I will truthfully admit that lockdown has been a not unpleasant experience for me, opening up opportunities to pursue and catch up on a few interests and ‘must do’s’ that I have been neglecting in recent times. Probably the most exciting of these has been a return dalliance with surrealist, or what I prefer to call ‘weird inner landscapes’ and I will endeavour to post a few of these images in my ‘other works’ section when I’ve figured out how to do it! Or more likely get someone to do it for me.

I’ve also been working on ideas for a new ‘solo’ album of my songs and am just practicing to go back into the studio and add the finishing touches to the recordings and cover art and also embarking on a commission for a series of garden scenes. I’ve also been spending a lot of time in the garden and finding time to enjoy the wonders of fauna and flora therein, also re-discovering the joys of country walks and even getting into cooking - not cordon bleu- but not bad and occasionally quite edible. So boredom has not been a problem. Yes, I am feeling a little guilty at finding this little oasis of creative calm, whilst so many are suffering the trials and tribulations of these turbulent times, but perhaps it’s just a breathing space to reflect on what we consider most important in our lives and the bigger issues confronting the planet. Sorry if that sounds a bit precious and ‘me me me’, but it is as it is….. to be continued

January 2019

THE BOOK!

It’s been a long time since I have felt drawn to an update, mostly because I have not had a great deal to report or comment on, and also because I really try and avoid the stress my laptop heaps upon me.

In the meantime I have been continuing with my regular art workshops, doing a little of my own painting and still dabbling in a few musical ventures, but my main energy has been focussed on my ‘book’ which I was beginning to doubt would ever come to fruition. You may remember that I have mentioned it in the past - several times - and hoped it would have been out before Christmas, although I was never sure which Christmas.

However it has finally happened, thanks to a great deal of help and encouragement from my writer friend Tony Buttler and a tremendous amount of hard work in design and production by Alan and Andy Hughes.

I started this project many years ago with another publisher then shelved it for several years after a few disagreements on marketing, logistics and related matters!

When Hughes and Co. took on the publishing some years later I don’t think any of us realized just how much work was involved, as many of the images had become scattered or disappeared completely, and those that we still had needed to be scanned and colour balanced from many different types of source material. i.e. it all had to be digitized and re-arranged to fit in with the text and new images and further text added; a daunting task! But the mountain has been scaled and I believe the climb has been worth it and the view is good. We are all happy with the result.

The book is called ‘THE COTSWOLDS AND BEYOND’ and as the title suggests is predominately a collection of my Cotswold paintings together with a ‘warts and all’ commentary on the life of a working artist including forays into graphics, design, picture restoration, music, surrealism and plate and greetings card design; in fact a potted auto biography of my meandering life in things art related.

Initially it is only available from Hughes and Co. (located behind the indoor market at Pershore) and Sedgeberrow Books in Pershore High Street, but we hope to have other outlets soon and also a book signing or two to be confirmed: one small step at a time. The retail price is £19.95.

Also watch this space for news on a new Wyrewood C.D.

Well that’s the plugs dealt with. A belated Happy New Year to you all.