April 20-22nd. I’m a part of the Art Trail at the Ventnor Arts Festival, Ventnor, Isle of Wight. Not quite sure where I’ll be, but I presume there will be some sort of map showing artists and their locations. All sorts of other goodies.

2nd May. Delivering some oil paintings to Robert Perera Fine Art,  St Thomas St, Lymington. Subject matter – Western Solent and Lymington Marsh as befits such a location.

Mid-May. Taking part in the inaugural exhibition at the Big Wight Space at the Rembrandt Gallery, Scarrots Lane, Newport, Isle of Wight. A couple of tasteful watercolours.

June 20-27. Quarr Abbey gallery with Sarah Talbot, Sally Woodford and my wife, Melanie. As well as the fine art works, I recommend a visit to the cafe for tea and cakes, particularly the cakes.

Late July. I believe the 100 guinea Cup (the first name of the Americas Cup) is being held at Cowes – a race round the Island for classic yachts, on the 31st, I think – a re-run of the original of 1851, minus Queen Victoria. I will be observing from various points and fans may expect some painterly outcome, possibly at the Bembridge SC show (see below), but more likely at the RSMA in October.  

Mid-August. Bembridge Sailing Club. During their regatta week, the club hold an exhibition in the library. I am often invited to contribute as I have been this year. Not sure of the exact dates. Nice place.

Mid-October. RSMA Mall Galleries, London.

Anything else, I’ll let you know.  

Information: Email  swanmartin@hotmail.co.uk or martin@martinswan.com

Welcome to my website. I hope you will find it enjoyable and interesting.

 The site has been designed by my nephew, Matthew – a handsome young man now living in Australia and married to a nice Australian girl called Jo. He has provided me with an administration system sufficiently simple for a Neanderthal of my caliber to operate. Thus I am able to change the content of the site without bothering him. What I can’t do is alter the fundamentals, change the look of the thing or delete certain features I no longer like or re-arrange others. For instance, I would like to have the archive section on the homepage, but I don’t know how to move it there. So it remains largely out of sight, available only via  the “Select a Category” button (top RHS). I’m waiting for him to visit me and introduce me to the fundamentals.

I have just added a  Commissions section. This is to highlight the fact that I willingly undertake commissions, should anyone ask me. Most subjects considered, in any painting medium. I can be contacted about this via the Homepage.  As I don’t normally photograph these works there are only three paintings to show.  Latest update – there are now four pictures in this section following a commission from a firm of London lawyers. See “Siam”. 

The big news at the moment is the birth of little Edward Kennard. Since 3.32am Monday 19th December, I have become a grandfather, albeit a step-grandfather. Born in Birmingham and weighing in at 8lb 11oz, I am told he is adorable. Mother Zoe and baby are both doing well. My wife, Melanie is there giving general assistance (knitting tiny boots and hats) while I keep things tidy here. Edward’s father is Luke Kennard, well known now as a poet, short-listed for the Forward prize a couple of years ago and short listed for lucky-xxxxxxx-of -the-year when he married Zoe a few years before that.

Update on little Edward. Not so little anymore, indeed, rather large for his age. Shortly to visit Scotland for the first time when he accompanies his doting parents to the wedding of his uncle Joel (Zoe’s brother).

The pig pictures have arrived – see them in the Gallery and Recent Paintings sections. Rather pleased with them. I submitted them for consideration into the Lynn-Stainer Prize exhibition in London. They were spurned by the selectors – presumably not pig fanciers. Nevermind. I’m exhibiting at Quarr Abbey again this summer (June 20-27th). More pigs possible, therefore, in the future.

I’m thinking of entering a piece of work into the Open Exhibition at Quay Arts on the Isle of Wight. There is a theme, Standpoint, with a sub- theme, Diamonds in the Rough. At the moment I’m thinking of Twitter and Face Book and the disemination on a vast scale of trivial informaion, together with the popular obsession with the vacuous lives of minor celebrities. Such an occupation with so much dross. But in among it there are pearls of genuine interest and importance. I remember “Riverbend” blogging from Bagdad as the bombs fell. Likewise images captured on mobile phones of the uprisings in Lybia and Syria. How this might take a visual form, I’m not yet sure – I don’t usually involve myself in this sort of thing –  and time is running out. But we’ll see. It’s good and exciting to tread new ground.

More later.   

 Further information. Tel 01983 530894. Email swanmartin@hotmail.co.uk