Swirl. claim there is no anchor or draw from Hartlepool and surrounding area, but Blackhall beach remains electric in my mind. If I had any success I'd return to collect more pebbles and place them in a vitrine. #theferrisfiles #mycottenham #acrylicpainting #metaphorsaplenty

Ironstone. There's no underpainting or drawing, just the improvised background and border. Then I use the brush to make the image. I wanted to show real stone and its image, but not sure I still have them! #theferrisfiles #acrylicpainting #mcottenham #acrylicpainting

Conglomerate. This is a manmade fragment lapped by the sea. So much industrial waste on the North-East coast. False beaches, chemical seep from copper and iron slag. Beautiful day outside. #theferrisfiles #metaphorsaplenty #mycottenham #acrylicpainting

Eros. The support if Khadi paper (my fave), A5. This is a smaller find from inland. I understand Henry Moore's fascination with flints. My own Cabinet of Curiosities. #theferrisfiles #metaphorsaplenty #acrylicpainting #mycottenham #geology

Dead Man's Bank. The name of a little road down to the beach in Co Durham, near where I was born. I never finished the 385 project. This should be in the Japanese museum for petrified faces! #theferrisfiles #metaphorsaplenty #mycottenham #acrylicpainting #nostalgia

World. I decided (futiley) to do 385 in one multiwork; it's the sum of the first 10 squares. Each of the latter would get a sub-theme. I wanted the 'Stone' section to show my early urge to be a geoogist. #theferrisfiles #metaphosaplenty #mycottenham #acrylicpainting

This [redacted] government. I will NEVER vote Labour again. I cannot believe their arrogance and ignirance. How dare they? but then, they do it over and over again! And the excuses... OMG! #theferrisfiles #metaphorsaplenty #ferrisphotos #frustration #nostalgia

I first used the enamel to guarantee I could put white over black and for it to not show through. used it all the time after that. Last bit of pizza tonight. Baked potatoes tomorrow. Variety. #theferrisfiles #metaphorsaplenty #mycottenham #mixedmedia

A Calvino City. Now the [redacted] keyboard is playing up. I am sure the Fates conspire to make everything worse on a daily basis. Should buy large canvases, but just not enough time. Frustrating! #theferrisfiles #metaphorsaplenty #mixedmedia #mycottenham

My tutor at AHEC, Olive Mayo, told me that she thought much of my work was like a sketch for a future bigger, better piece. Doeesn't happeen. Perhaps it should, but I need sles! The world disappoints. #theferrisfiles #metaphorsaplenty #acrylicpainting #mycottenham

Bat Boy. No hugely successful, but it's hard to integrate all these different techniques; I dare say if it I was really good at IT, I could manipulate the proportions. I have to be satisfied with Neil R instead! #theferrisfiles #metaphorsaplenty #mycottenham #frustration #mixedmedia

Another abstract over the threee primaries. Could be a response to Jasper Johns. he was one of those artists who started brilliantly, then lapsed into complete unfulfillment. Along with Rauschenberg and de Kooning. #theferrisfiles #metaphorsaplenty #mycottenham #mixedmedia

Been cutting up the personals from gay mags from 2003. Am going to glue them to another piece of paper or card, spray withing enamel, and then impose an image on top. Would have prefered a bigger piece. #theferrisfiles #acrylicpainting #metaphorsaplenty #mycottenham

Balancing Act. Right! Time to get on with it. I have no idea how I keep going some days. All I want now is for some gallerist in Japan to 'discover' me... Won't happen though. #theferrisfiles #mixedmedia #metaphorsaplenty #mycottenham

Angel Boy. Made an apple and sultana crumble earlier. It'll do 6 meals. Listening to Bronski Beat. Looking at old source material. Anoher project for a MA thesis after I'm dead. He said, hopefully! #theferrisfiles #acrylicpainting #mycottenham #metaphorsaplenty

Heavenly, Tahoe. My skiing days are over. I came across a cache of old photos. Took me back to 1982 in Acambaro, and Brussels a little later. Will scan some and post. #theferrisfiles #mycottenham #nostalgia #acrylicpainting

Red Nude. Last in this batch as I got 3 notifications this morning. Acrylic on wallpaper sample. Early 70s, given to my father for school, but it came to me. #theferrisfiles #metaphorsaplenty #acrylicpainting #mycottenham #nostalgia

Chacmool 2. A frottage and enamel on paper. It's a food implement taken from Catz when they refitted. The name is a falsehood, made up by an overkeen archaeologist, apparently. #theferrisfiles #mixedmedia #metaphorsaplenty #mycottenham #nostalgia

Grilled cheese with A's tomatoes. Fisr time ever to use the grill incorporated into the oven the owner replaced a couple of years back, though it took Tucker Gardner 9 months to do so! Anyone else eat this snackette? #theferrisfiles #ferrisphotos #mycottenham #metaphorsaplenty

Loads of blackberries at the back of the house. Making a crumble with C's apples later. I have lard for pastry, but it was 'Best before 2021'! Where does the time go? #theferrisfiles #mycottenham #metaphorsaplenty #ferrisphotos