Steampunk introductions into intriguing characters

Last week I took along three more paintings to be hung at the Moonstone Gallery as I had arranged with the owner the day before. It was a glorious bright sunny morning with the welcome hint of spring in the air and as I walked towards the shop two very intriguing looking people walked in through the door ahead of me. Its the sort of shop that interesting people frequent so I wasn’t at all surprised, just intrigued. Since they were known by the owner she introduced me to them, and the friendly man easily shook my hand as we chatted and his female companion smiled and said hi before she went off to chat to the owner about some of the clothing in the shop that she was interested in buying for a photo shoot she was soon to do with a bird of prey!  Leaving the guy and me to chat together, and it turned out he was two very interesting things, he was a magician, which was enough on its own, but it was his interest in Steampunk that fascinated me the most. I know of it as a general concept but when its explained by an expert you can’t help but get caught up with the passion.

He explained in depth about it being a fantasy world where everything is based on Victorian technology and aesthetic design but if it was only built by steam power or copper machinery. So I suppose its best described as Neo-Victorian with futuristic inventions such as people in the Victorian times would have envisioned them. Ok, that explained it far better for an intrigued artist like me, and then he told me about the various inspired outfits he had made, and the Steampunk characters that he had created from old materials he had to hand from horse blankets to old quilting and even part of a light fitting, and his clever use of all sorts of things he finds in antique shops and second hand shops. He showed me photos of his various personas and explained that he’d done a lot of photoshoots and was featured in a lot of Steampunk promotional events. Wow! I can understand now the culture of it and why people get so caught up in it.

I’d love to do a themed commission painting in that style. It would be real good fun to create!

We chatted happily for more than half an hour about life, and death, and art (as you do. Or at least as I do! ) before the Steampunk enthusiast couple had to go, leaving me alone with the owner of the shop as she put the kettle on for one of her delicious cups of tea whilst I went to hang the paintings I’d taken and we carried on chatting about all sorts of things as we tend to do when we see each other. She’s so welcoming and friendly and easy going, and I just love being in that fragrant shop with its fabulous mystical gifts and artwork that always make me happy just to be amongst it all.

Job done, I am delighted to say I now have twelve paintings with the wonderful Moonstone Gallery in the picturesque and wonderful Ashby de la Zouch in Leicestershire. The paintings I have hanging there are themed specifically for the theme of the shop, some are mystical, some are erotic, some are brightly coloured abstract nudes, and some more muted in their colours. I hope that various friends can go along and see them whilst they are there but of course if anyone likes any of my paintings enough to want to buy them but doesn’t live locally, I’m sure we can easily arrange collection of them to be delivered or transportation if need be. The prices are very reasonable from only £95 to £520……. And first come, first served.