Latest Work

If you can't get to Nash, bring Nash to you.

Prize Giving Location Confirmed.

This is where the ceremony for the 11,000 competition will take place. If you can work out where it is then you are welcome to come to this extremely important moment in contemporary art and be a part of Gambo's glory. There may even be some more, very valuable prizes to win on the day. Dates to be confirmed.

Winner

The winner of the 11,000 competition is this handsome fool.

Graham Da Gamma Howells will be presented with his pewter shark in a formal ceremony during the summer, dates and location to be confirmed, Ultravox will be playing live with a guest appearance from Jean Michelle Jarre.

Quizical

Next Question:

What article am I holding in my hand in the birthday card that I made for my Mum?

End of an Era

Designed and originally built at Atlantic College, the Atlantic Class B-Boat Lifeboat is leaving.
Due to a number of reasons, the RNLI have decided that they can no longer sustain a lifeboat station at AC. I have blogged about AC before, so you can have a look at the story there. Here you see Saul Mendelssohn and Me on-board the Atlantic 75, Colin James Daniel, this marks the last occasion that the 2 of us will take to the Severn Sea on a B-Boat. We have launched out into this slither of the Atlantic Ocean many times together, sometimes for sport and a couple of times in anger. We both developed a fascination with this lifeboat as kids and never grew out of it. In the second photo you can see me, very importantly (the one in shorts), helping to push the Atlantic 21, American Ambassador up the notoriously steep and wild college slip way.

Atlantic College will never be the same and the loss of this boat is a sad event indeed.


Goodbye Atlantic College ILB, it was amazing.

A nautical nod to the Parkham WI

A former ship's captain held hostage by Somali pirates got a red-faced welcome from fancy dress pirates at a Devon Women's Institute (WI).

The Parkham WI thought Colin Darch was going to be speaking to them about piracy, not realising he was held hostage for 47 days in 2008.

"They were more embarrassed than me," said Mr Darch, 75.

WI treasurer Steph George, 54, said: "He was such a good sport, but we won't be dressing up again for a while."

It was embarrassing but he was such a great chap and he wasn't offended”

The WI group has dressed up to match guest speakers' themes in the past.

So when Mrs George heard that Mr Darch was going to talk about piracy, she and the 14 other members of the group decided they knew what to wear.

"I unfortunately thought it would be a good idea to dress up as pirates," said Mrs George.

"Mr Darch came in and said he had been held hostage by Somali pirates.

"It was embarrassing, but he was such a great chap and he wasn't offended."

Mr Darch, from Appledore, said: "They were a bit nonplussed, but it didn't bother me. They had all made an effort.

"Most of them seemed to be wearing false moustaches and funny hats, it looked like a rehearsal for Pirates of Penzance.

Taken from BBC online.

Poseidon's Adventure

Chin Up flick

Chin Up

A raging success at Chin Up, The Chopping Block last night.
https://www.facebook.com/events/164155300412545/
Go check it out before it closes.

Chin Up

An interesting discovery to support the latest work getting ready for Chin Up at The Chopping Block:

Below is the story of  'The Phantom Lights of Tuskar' - as told by Alun Morgan

So many wrecks have occurred on the treacherous reefs and sandbanks near Porthcawl (see Porthcawl: its History and Development for a fuller account) that it is little wonder many strange stories have been told about the coastline. Not so very long ago, when the docks were being built, it was firmly believed that a ghostly and inexpiable light could be seen hovering above the Tuskar Rocks. Sometimes the light drifted westward and could then be seen hovering over Sker Point. In either case, old salts said, the light was the harbinger of storms and a forth coming wreck.

Possibly because of this light the water around Tuskar was regarded with awe by local fishermen. It was considered appropriate, for example always to cast out three nets. If the middle one filled with crab and lobster, bad weather and a poor season would follow; if it filled with fish, fair weather and a good season were indicated.

In addition to the phantom ship described in Part 1 the sailors of Porthcawl talk a tale in the early nineteenth century of a ship from the underworld. It was a three-masted barque which, as it sailed up and down the coast, smelled abominably of sulphur – so much so that life in the coastal villages became difficult. In this ship the devil had placed the souls of sinners, but its constant meandering had annoyed St. Donat so much that he pierced the hull with a spear. The devil, who at that moment was counting the number of souls aboard, was thrown into the water and had to swim for his life. The ship was wrecked and a giant from the Gower made a toothpick from the mast and a handkerchief from the sails.

Accompanying the ghost light of Tuskar there was the ‘Cyhiraeth’. This was merely a sound but was no less frightening and was dreaded not only by sailors but by all the folk who lived within the sight and sound of the sea. It was an earthy noise, starting first as a moan heard in the distance across the waves and gradually increasing in pitch and loudness until it became a scream. It might stop suddenly or die away gradually only to come again in a startling shriek that petrified all those who heard it. It often travelled inland, frightening the people in the lonely little villages of the Vale. It was always the harbinger of a terrible storm with the certainty of a shipwreck to follow.

The Cyhiraeth sometimes brought the ‘Tolaeth’, another sound, less frightening but more ghostly. This was the noise a carpenter would hear at night after making a coffin when he knew perfectly well that his workshop was empty and locked up for the night. He and his family would hear the sound of hammering but inspection never revealed anything untoward. The Tolaeth was well known throughout Wales for in the past, because of epidemics and short life expectancy of life, coffin-making was one of the carpenter’s chief sources of income. In the coastal areas, because of frequent wrecks, more than the usual number of coffins were required and the Tolaeth was a sure indication that increased activity in the production  of this particular commodity was about to materialise.


Taken from http://hellohistoria.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/phantom-lights-of-tuskar.html

Shark Life

That's one of my sharks who now lives on top of a genuine Alexander Calder.

Next Event

This is gonna a be a rocking show that I'm taking part in..We open next week so hopefully see you there.
https://www.facebook.com/events/164155300412545/?ref=2

Blip Blip Blip Installed.

Some extremely good photos take by Harry Meadley who also helped put up the show and made for an easy install without the usual stresses... Thanks Harry..

Great opening night, very cool Leeds Foundation crowd were in the house and the standard amount of red wine got consumed.

Thank You Juan and Sean

http://blipblipblip.co.uk/

BlipBlipBlip

The car is loaded and the M1 beckons.. If your in Leeds or near by, make your way to http://blipblipblip.co.uk/upcoming.html where Juan Cruz and I will be showing some work.

Leeds Show.

Take a look at the press release for Juan and my show opening Wednesday night.

Up from the depths.

Wednesday 24th Private View.

http://blipblipblip.co.uk/upcoming.html

BlipBlipBlip

From the 25th of April, Juan Cruz and I will be exhibiting at the BlipBlipBlip gallery in Leeds. I will post more details later, but for now here's some glimpses of what's been cooking.

It's grown back rather odd

Prep time for summer

The suns finally come out and I'm ready....

Competition. question 3

You may remember that I attempted to make this model, for some reason. It was so tricky that I got all rage filled an failed to complete it.

The question is this though: Who did I buy it for in the first place?

In Prep

New work coming

At Home

Some Severn Sea recharging...

Weapons of Choice

These have been the tools that I have been using to create 100 individual wax sharks for my next project; MY E28.

Second question for the chance to win a pewter version of these little monsters:

Some time ago in my blog I talked about an Italian dude who was working in the Foundry doing a fellowship at the same time I was working on my bronze.. what's his name?

Overload

They're breeding.. the elements of my next piece due for show at the blip, blip, blip gallery in Leeds, April 25th. More info to follow.

Competition extention

I've received a few comments about the competition being too hard...

So to make it a little easier for you all, (because you can't all be as smart as my Mate Gambo)..  im going to extend the deadline..  you all got a week more until the next question.

There may also be more then one ship name in the blog, so any will do.


The casting has hit some technical, workshop malfunctions so the whole deal is gonna take a little longer.

Remember, the finished shark is going to be worth a sweet £400, and it will only ever go up in price.. so get your thinking hats on..

R.

11,000 hits competition.

Today Severn Boy got it's 11,000th hit...
I'm gonna celebrate by setting a little competition.

On Facebook I have posted a picture of a 3inch model shark that I moulded from wax. He's about to be cast in to pewter. I'm making a limited, signed and numbered run of these little critters and I'm gonna flog em to some rich folk... But if you want one, you might just get lucky...

I'm only giving away one, and this is what you have to do to win him..

Over the next month during the process of casting these sharks I will ask 4 questions relating to my work. If you've being paying attention to my blog you'll know the answers. Whoever gets all 4 will win. If more then one gets them right, I'll set a tie breaker and the first to respond will be the winner.
I will post these questions at critical stages of the completing process.

Send your answers to robinebjenkins@gmail.com

Good luck and happy 11,000

Question 1: I mentioned the name of a ship in one of my posts. What was it?

I will post the answer on Sunday and if you got it right your still in.

Some crap photo's from the show

Better stuff coming soon........................

Freakin Sharks

Leave a spot of water around and they're like mosquitoes.

Film as Measure Poster

Film as Measure

Here's some images of the current show; Film as Measure, at Chelsea.

Shark Infestation

This is evidence of a very dangerous shark infestation that has taken place in my studio in the last few days.. I've got no fingers left.
All part of the next Severn Boy piece of work..