Diary

This wooden character was created for a very special lady in my life, it was dreamt up and made as a special birthday gift. I intend the creature to look after her or to offer guidance when she hasn't a listening ear or at the very least I hope it just makes her smile!

“The Esor Eillib is a tripedal being with a unique ability to scoot about on a monowheel at high speed. It has a steel horn on the top of its head for defence, so people must never get on the wrong side of Esor Eillib. The creature is your companion and guardian throughout your life, look after Esor Eillib and it shall keep you safe. Its eyes are deep and silver, with the power to see events in your past, present and future and are able to safely guide you. One word of caution, Esor Eillib likes to eat copious amounts of umeboshi plums, so if you have any you must keep them locked up!”

Ingredients / Herefordshire Apple Wood / Pine / Steel / PVA Wood Glue / 12mm Steel Threaded Bar / Boiled Linseed Oil / Creativity / Acrylic Paint / Love / Joy / Dreams /

Tools / Axe / Carving Knife / Drill / Wood Chisel / Brush / Hammer / Saw / Sandpaper /

Esor Eillib - Three-quarter side view

Esor Eillib - Front view

Esor Eillib - Head and upper body three-quarter side view

Esor Eillib - Face full frontal view

Esor Eillib - Side view

Esor Eillib - Rear three-quarter side view

Esor Eillib - Front three-quarter side view

Esor Eillib - Leaning forward front view

This little creature was created for a good friend who lives in the hills of Powys, Mid-Wales. He turned fifty recently and the Ogaipa was brought forth into our physical realm to accompany him on his life's journey. You can see in the images below, the process of making and crafting this miniature beast. Fruit woods when seasoned are wonderful to work with, hard yet forgiving and give me that rough surface chiselled quality that suits these creative projects. The wooden sculptures and characters that I create are all made using found wood and timber and recycled materials that would otherwise go to landfill.

“The Ogaipa is your guardian and without realising it, Ogaipa has protected you throughout your life and guided you safely to your half-centenary. It is around your fiftieth birthday that this magical supernatural creature that emanates from the lower depths suddenly materialises and becomes manifest. Look after Ogaipa and your family and yourself shall be protected too. Ogaipa likes fresh air, whisky, being held and caressed, blue cheeses, nettle soup, classical music and chess. Warning: Ogaipa is particularly sensitive to bright sunlight, cigarette smoke, politics, junk food and teenage boy bands.”

Ingredients / Herefordshire Apple Wood / Pine / PVA Wood Glue / Acrylic Paint / 12mm Steel Threaded Bar / Paper / Cotton / Boiled Linseed Oil / Nylon Bristles / Creativity / Joy /

Tools / Axe / Carving Knife / Drill / Wood Chisel / Brush / Hammer / Saw / Sandpaper /

Ogaipa - Axe carving and chopping the initial form

Ogaipa - Cutting the mouth, shaping the ears and positioning the nose

Ogaipa - Setting in place and pegging on the legs

Ogaipa - Standing up with the addition of a tail

Ogaipa - Ear slots and standing up with the addition of a tail

Ogaipa - Red nylon whiskers inserted and tongue

Ogaipa - Finished and fully crafted product and paint job

Ogaipa - Full front view

Ogaipa - Side view

Ogaipa - Looking down from above

Ogaipa - Looking up from below

Ogaipa - Facial full front close up

Ogaipa - Full three-quarter view right side

Ogaipa - Full three-quarter view left side

The inspiration for my recent work emanates from visions, memories, dreams and personal experience of After-Death Communication (ADC) at a distance with a dying relative. One such experience occurred in 1997 while trekking in the Annapurna Mountain Range in Nepal. The following document details an inexplicable dream www.thearthole.co.uk/dream. I also experienced abstract visions after the death of my father, images of strange and fuzzy metaphysical worlds. It is this journey into the unknown and impalpable that I rigorously investigate and have the need to creatively express in the form of abstract painting and digital animation.

Rob at MA Exhibition, School of Art, Aberystwyth University

Digital Animation and Painting

Clouds Underground Series

Future Vision I, 2021 / Acrylic on Watercolour Paper on Board / 27 x 37 cm

Future Vision II, 2021 / Acrylic on Watercolour Paper on Board / 27 x 37 cm

Parallel Dream I, 2021 / Acrylic on Board / 20 x 40 cm

Parallel Dream II, 2021 / Acrylic on Board / 20 x 40 cm

Clouds Underground I, 2021 / Acrylic on Watercolour Paper on Board / 63 x 40 cm

Clouds Underground II, 2021 / Acrylic on Watercolour Paper on Board / 62 x 40 cm

Clouds Underground III, 2021 / Acrylic on Watercolour Paper on Board / 62.5 x 40 cm

Clouds Underground IV, 2021 / Acrylic on Watercolour Paper on Board / 67 x 40 cm

Clouds Underground V, 2021 / Acrylic on Board / 83.5 x 50 cm

Eidolon I, 2021 / Digital Animation / 01:20 / 2168 x 3072 px

Eidolon II, 2021 / Digital Animation / 01:20 / 2168 x 3072 px

Eidolon III, 2021 / Digital Animation / 01:20 / 2168 x 3072 px

The above Eidolon series of digital animation can be viewed by visiting the following links:

Eidolon I:
https://vimeo.com/590300271

Eidolon II:
https://vimeo.com/590300429

Eidolon III:
https://vimeo.com/590544562

Eidolon
noun

• An insubstantial appearance of a form or body, often seen as supernatural
• An ideal representation of model of something, such as a principle or quality
• A deception or false impression of someone or something

The animations now permanently reside on the Ethereum Blockchain as Non-Fungible Tokens or NFTs at:
https://opensea.io/collection/future-vision-art

One hot August afternoon I took my then four-year-old twin boys for a hike through a dark forest not far from Bishop's Castle in Shropshire, England. Although small, the boys enjoy a good walk and can cover many miles with ease. To make the outing more fun, I like to point out birds of prey, types of trees and insects that cross our path, I also enjoy telling them factual stories and the history of the area.

The forest is also home to the site of Bury Ditches, one of the best-preserved Iron Age hill forts in England dating back to 500 BC. While walking on this ancient land it is not too difficult to imagine the people who once roamed and lived there, I also conjure up strange beings from folklore, trolls, kobolds and imps and start to tell my sons stories of a mythical beast which inhabits these woods. I very nearly scared my boys half to death; this is how the idea of the Skabbawakka was born.

"The Skabbawakka is an ancient spirit being that emanates from the lower depths. They are said to inhabit the heavily forested areas of Shropshire and Mid-Wales where they spend much of their lives living a subterranean existence. Occasionally they make an appearance above ground, but only on a moonless night in order to forage and hunt for food. If you are ever lucky enough to spot a Skabbawakka, as it forages for roots and vegetables or the occasional badger, then you are blessed. You actually have more chance of seeing a UFO than you have of ever spotting this dazzling black and white one-eyed beast. Before you spot one, you shall surely hear it first, as they make a KLA KLA KLA KLA sound which is highly distinctive. The Skabbawakka is said to possess healing magic and if you make eye contact with one then a lifetime of good health, fortune, and joy shall be bestowed upon you."

Ingredients / Holly Wood / Pine / Herefordshire Apple Wood / PVA Wood Glue / Acrylic Paint / Fiendishness / 12mm Steel Threaded Bar / Humour / Stainless Steel Nails / Love / Paper / Cotton / Boiled Linseed Oil / Hog Hair Bristles / Creativity / Joy /

Tools / Axe / Carving Knife / Drill / Wood Chisel / Brush / Hammer / Saw / Sandpaper /

Size / H 74 cm / W 19.5 cm / D 18.5 cm /

Price £750.00 (exc. shipping)

Skabbawakka - Front

Skabbawakka - Arms raised - Front

Skabbawakka - Upward view - Front

Skabbawakka - Side view

Skabbawakka - Back

Skabbawakka - Top half - Front

Skabbawakka - Lower half - Front

Skabbawakka - Top half - Angle

I have not had the pleasure of producing artwork for Nottingham's LeftLion Magazine, not since the A Canadian In New Basford column was resurrected for the 100th edition back in March 2018. Jared Wilson (Editor-in-chief) asked if I could come up with a visual concept for the Christmas 2020 front cover, allowing me pretty much a free rein. The year 2020 in many respects was an 'Annus Horribilis', the political noise emanating from the Oval Office, which should represent the voice of freedom and democracy, was nothing more than a surreal and frightening charade. Fake news, sensationalism and the repeated warping of political reality had become the new norm. Despite losing the election to president-elect Joe Biden in November, I can't help but feel that something terrible and surreal is going to happen, is it possible that we could see a coup d'état in Washington D.C? The Trump presidency has shown us that the old rule book has been torn up and thrown out of the window and that anything is possible.

The Covid-19 pandemic has also raged across the globe this year, it's changed life as we knew it. The artwork is intended to shine an optimistic light on the year to come, hopefully Donald Trump slides out of office peacefully and gradually the vaccination programme is expanded and we can once again begin to socialise, see friends and family and travel freely. In reality I wouldn't want to see Donald Trump decapitated and his head on a plate, but hopefully this image is symbolic of the fact that for him, the party is over and he's going to be consigned, along with Covid-19, to the history books.

LeftLion Magazine Issue #132 Dec/Jan 2020/21 - Front Cover

Front cover art without copy:

LeftLion Magazine Issue #132 Dec/Jan 2020/21 - Finished Art (No Branding)

Things to do with the children during a Coronavirus pandemic.

Last night the three wildlings (our children) slept out in the garden in their brand new tent. Before bed, we made hot chocolates with marshmallows and toasted bread into coal over a fire. To keep watch and as the skies were incredibly clear, I laid out a tarpaulin on the ground beside the tent and put down a thermarest and jumped into my very warm goose down sleeping bag.

The contellation Ursa Major

As the three wildlings snored, I was presented with the greatest show above the Earth. Lying directly underneath Ursa Major the universe in all its wonder panned out before me. I felt as if I was falling into a billion stars. Trains of Starlink Satellites in groups of twos and threes moved across the sky from west to east and south to north. Coincidentally the Lyrid meteor shower was reaching its peak and through the hours that I lay there, I counted fifteen meteors streaking through the heavens. One meteor was incredibly bright and it left a long vapour trail across the southern sky.

Boys toasting bread into coal

By 3 am my daughter wanted her bed proper, quietly we tiptoed around the slugs to get to the back door. The boys managed to stay asleep until 6:30 am, by this time I’d abandoned my wet sleeping bag and crawled in between them. By 7 am we were all sitting by the wood burner drinking tea and eating toast and porridge and talking about the stars last night and the wolf. The wolf was actually a bull in the field at the back of the house, making a frightful noise.

I’ve only had two hours sleep and shattered but it was worth it!

The Effahc came into this world from a few chunks of well seasoned Herefordshire apple wood. A good friend's (the clue is in the name of the creature) fortieth birthday was looming on the horizon, this creature was hewn into existence using nothing more than an axe, wood chisels and a sense of humour.

"The Effahc enters your life when you reach the age of forty. It has special powers to guide you and acts as a conduit to the ethereal plane, opening inner doorways to enhanced creative awareness. The Effahc does this by way of flatulence, the anally emitted gases contain an unknown mildly toxic compound similar to THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol) which is highly psychoactive. They have incredible olfactory senses, so keep your whiskey safe, as they adore single malts and shall ravage your supplies if detected. The Effahc is your personal guardian, take good care of him and he shall take good care of you and your family."

Ingredients / Herefordshire Apple Wood / PVA Wood Glue / Acrylic Paint / 12mm Steel Threaded Bar / Love / 12mm Wooden Dowel / Steel Nails / Paper / Joy / Boiled Linseed Oil / Creativity /

Tools / Axe / Carving Knife / Drill / Wood Chisel / Brush / Hammer / Sandpaper /

Effahc 1

Effahc 2

Effahc 3 - The business end

Effahc 4

Effahc 5

Effahc 6

Effahc 7

Effahc 8

Effahc 9

Effahc 10

Effahc 11

A Canadian In New Basford was my bimonthly slot, where I was teamed up with talented Canadian writer Rob Cutforth. His prose had the distinct knack of bringing out the best in my visual interpretations; I would read his piece, while drinking a cup of tea or coffee and invariably end up choking several paragraphs in, thus showering my screen and keypad. We haven't had the opportunity to work together for quite some time, not since Rob moved from Nottingham to Manchester, but the column has been resurrected with the 100th edition of LeftLion Magazine being published in late March 2018.

Here you can download and read the A Canadian In New Basford article, as published in the 100th edition of LeftLion.

Finally a big thanks to everyone at LeftLion Magazine in Nottingham, for bringing the beast back to life for the 100th edition!

A Canadian In New Basford - Returns

Jacob Rees-Mogg MP illustration for A Canadian In New Basford - Returns

Spring is in the air, with the sound of bird song all around, so I decided to begin work on a small range of bird-related paintings. The daughter of good friends of ours had reached her second birthday, I thought one of these paintings would make an excellent gift.

The paintings are created on gessoed 0.3cm plywood using acrylic paints, they're fairly small at w13.5cm x h12cm x d0.3cm (width x height x depth). They come complete with wall mountings and have a wire loop attached to the back for hanging.

The paintings are for sale and available at the following link:
www.thearthole.co.uk/shop/small-paintings

Bird 1

Price £45.00 (exc. shipping)

Bird 2

Price £45.00 (exc.shipping)

Bird 3

Price £45.00 (exc.shipping)

Bird 4

Price £45.00 (exc.shipping)

Bird 5

Price £45.00 (exc.shipping)

Bird 6

Price £45.00 (exc.shipping)

The year 2016 was a period of transition for our family; a time spent dreaming of possibilities and seeking new horizons. After much discussion and with completing the renovation of our home in Nottingham, we decided to put our house on the market. There wasn’t a defined plan, apart from we wanted to live somewhere surrounded by natural beauty, a place where you could walk in a forest or climb to the top of a hill within a few minutes of leaving the front door. Most importantly for the children, we wanted to give them an outdoor and active upbringing combined with green space and fresh air. The initial plan was to put the house on the market, sell it, pack our worldly possessions into a storage container and then once we had handed over the keys just get in the car and drive off.

View from back bedroom window of St Michael and All Angels Church and Dolforgan Wood, Kerry

We envisaged doing some travelling, an exciting road trip and visit some friends in Europe or North America, but our plan was ever-changing and had to be fluid due to lots of factors. A road trip with three small screaming children, combined with the fact we were going to be homeless and to cap it all off the house move is and has been an exhausting process. After careful consideration and much discussion and with having an offer accepted on a property we liked, we decided the best course of action was to just move straight into our new home. The proposed road trip with the kids would be postponed until a later date, preferably when they are more likely to enjoy the experience.

Prior to leaving Nottingham, we didn’t have a definite location in mind, we considered Scotland, Northumberland, Cumbria, North Yorkshire, Herefordshire and most of Wales. It was a case of finding a house in the right price bracket, in the right place and preferably with more space than our previous home. Outbuildings and space to build a studio and office in the garden or adjacent land was also a requirement and it was also important we had access to amenities for us and our children, such as schools, leisure centres along with access to medical care.

View down Gilfach Lane, Kerry

Eventually, we found a Victorian house in the village of Kerry in Powys, historically the house used to be the village shop and was built c.1876. It is a good third bigger than our house in Nottingham, it has a courtyard and most importantly comes with a ready-made barn or grain store built into the rear of the building. The barn structure was in excellent condition with corrugated iron roof, solidly constructed with iron girders and red pine. Immediately we could see the potential for renovating this outbuilding, it would make a very large and ample shared studio space to expand into. In the garden, there is the footprint of a structure long since gone, but one which we could resurrect and turn into a cedar-clad outdoor office building. The vision was there, a house which needs lots of love and attention and a barn building which requires much the same and space for an office in the garden. This is exactly what we need in order to not only grow as a family but for Billie and I to expand and grow our art and creative businesses into the future.

Vale of Kerry from Dolforgan Wood, Kerry

The surrounding landscape is mile upon mile of green rolling hills, densely slotted with pine, beech, silver birch and oak. It’s a stunning part of the country and one which I feel is largely overlooked. We have access to the coast and Cardigan Bay to the West, Shropshire Hills close by to the south-east, Snowdonia National Park to the north and Brecon Beacons due south. We’re also only two and a half hours drive from friends and family in Nottingham, which is also an important consideration. There is also an excellent direct connection to Birmingham International Airport from Newtown train station, which rather conveniently is only three miles down the road.

We moved in between Christmas and New Year and had a very warm reception from people living in the village. We also have lovely neighbours who have been most warm and helpful.

For us, it is a time of renewal.

President-elect Donald Trump's recent executive orders have reverberated around the world; his most controversial action in order to keep the country safe has been to put in place a ban on anyone arriving from seven predominantly Muslim states. Mexico is also to pay for a wall along the 1,900-mile southern border, which could cost anywhere between $15 billion and $25 billion dollars. Trump was quoted as saying it would be, "big, beautiful and powerful."

These surreal and rather frightening events cause me to wonder what is going to become manifest during his four-year term of office.

Let's us hope that freedom, democracy and above all common sense prevail.

The Trump Administration

Puupuubanga like the Racso, started out as a piece of well seasoned Herefordshire apple wood. My three and a half year old daughter Jasmine liked the Racso so much, I decided to make her a creature of her very own.

I asked her what colours she wanted me to embellish it with and she listed all the colours present in the images below. However when it was completed, she decided that she wanted it to be pink! I couldn't think of a name for this creature, so instead relied on asking Jasmine what his or her name was to be and she came up with Puupuubanga. I couldn't argue with this choice of name, as it suited the beast very well.

Carving and chopping the initial form

The addition of a finely carved nose

Horns and nose added, now the character begins to take shape

Puupuubanga 1

Puupuubanga 2

Puupuubanga 3

Puupuubanga 4

Puupuubanga 5

It all started with a piece of Herefordshire applewood, an axe and a carving knife, the rest was left to the imagination. The Racso came into being with each careful swing of the axe, the form slowly began to emerge from the dry and well-seasoned applewood log. Below is a picture of Rob putting the finishing touches to the creature, along with four images of the finished item.

Rob painting and putting the finishing touches to the character

Razor sharp Swedish knife and axe, the perfect equipment for carving the wooden form

Racso 1

Racso 2

Racso 3

Racso 4

These hand-painted letters were produced as a first Christmas present for baby Misha, who was born in September 2015. Each letter comes with fittings on the rear so that they can be wall-mounted. See below for an example of wall mounting, along with close up images of the five letters. Welcome to this wonderful world baby Misha!!!

Misha - Hand painted letters

M

I

S

H

A

A summary of the April Drawings 2015. Displayed below are eight of my personal favourites, which have been selected from the original set of thirty works. The complete set is available to view on my Facebook page.

No.4 of 30 - Landscape of imagination 2

No.5 of 30 - Landscape of imagination 3

No.7 of 30 - Valley

No.8 of 30 - Tree

No.11 of 30 - Billie

No.25 of 30 - Windy day

No.27 of 30 - Up in smoke

No.29 of 30 - Made in China

Edward Oscar White born 2:53 pm, weighing 4lb 11oz, followed by his younger brother Bruce Harold White, born 2:54 pm and weighing 5lb 4oz on Thursday 8th January 2015. So far it's been an incredibly busy start to 2015, both mother and babies are doing very well indeed. Jasmine Maisy their loving if slightly bossy older sister, turned two on Monday 2nd March, so as you can imagine, our hands are slightly full at this present time and art and creativity has taken the back seat as we adjust to our new sleep-deprived routines.

The good news is, we're all happy and well!

Edward Oscar White (L) and Bruce Harold White (R)

The mugs are sourced and manufactured in the UK and printed by www.clubmugs.co.uk of Belfast. The brilliant colour and high-quality finish are produced using the dye-sublimation printing process at their Belfast studio, the mugs are also guaranteed dishwasher safe.

Buy a mug here:
www.thearthole.shop

6 x Ceramic mugs

Product specifications:
• White ceramic Durham-style mug.
• 350ml (12oz) capacity approx.
• 9.5cm height x 8cm diameter approx.
• Microwave and dishwasher safe.

After much procrastination, having a family, rebuilding his house, chopping firewood and cooking his favourite dal, Rob has now decided to open his first online shop. The aim is to bring you his work in a high-quality format, wherever you live and straight to your door.

Visit the shop here:
www.thearthole.shop

Want One?! - Promotional ad. for initial shop launch - November 2014

The shop was launched on 19th November 2014, it initially carried a stock of ceramic mugs. The aim now is to bring to you a wider range of quality products with similar embellishments. This process mustn't be hurried, as great care is taken to find the finest producers and printers from across the land. Every product has been carefully crafted, he uses the finest quality papers and blanks and every item is personally handled and checked over by Rob before being shipped to guarantee that what you receive is of the utmost quality.

Future stock will include limited prints, original drawings, paintings, ceramic mugs, china mugs, t-shirts, postcards, greeting cards and much more.

Buy someone you love a gift for Christmas at:
www.thearthole.shop

Poster Design promoting the A Book About Death exhibition, held at The Royal Cambrian Academy, Conwy, Wales.

A Book About Death - Poster design

The above artwork depicts a barren landscape, devoid of life, colour or any defining detail. This ethereal landscape of death is exploring the notion that once we depart this mortal coil, we embark on a journey into the unknown. Unknown in the fact that every living creature, every single human that has ever lived, has had to undertake the same journey into a landscape for which no map has been drawn. Even if there were a map to navigate through this barren terrain, the person or soul-making this journey wouldn't be able to retrace their steps in order to reveal the way for us, therefore each of us has to face this journey alone. Hopefully, something wonderful awaits the other side.

Have a safe journey.

BOOK: Post-Traumatic Sketch Disorder Vol.1 (2012) is an 80-page full-colour hardback book, that is packed full of Rob's drawings. Below are some photographs featuring the front and back covers and some inside spreads to give you an idea of what to expect in the finished publication.

Book specification: 80 Pages / 25cm x 21cm / Hardback ImageWrap / Premium Matte Finish / 148gsm Paper.

Price £44.99

Front cover pack shot

Page 1

Pages 12 and 13

Pages 16 and 17

Pages 40 and 41

Back cover

Price £44.99

For the Easter 2014 edition of Nottingham's LeftLion Magazine, I was simply asked by their editor to go crazy along the theme of eggs!

This is exactly what I did and the Flying Egg Machine was born. A monstrous iron clad four-thousand ton, steam-powered, propeller-driven flying egg hovers while delivering eggs from its birthing canal across a barren ashen grey landscape. Numerous otherworldly 'egg-headed' beings scamper around with spears, defending the newborn egg matter from the reader. Set on a backdrop of dense grey crosshatching this beast of an egg dominates the page.

Many thanks to LeftLion for asking me to lay this egg!

LeftLion Magazine - Issue #58 - Front Cover Pack Shot

The year 2013 has been incredible and with it has come many positive changes.

The year kicked off with the birth of our daughter Jasmine Maisy, she is doing very well and in as little as three weeks time we shall be celebrating her first birthday. Along with a new life comes the sense of new direction and working towards fulfilling creative projects, it is time to get to grips with new challenges in 2014 and make fresh headway. I start this with the launch of a new web site to showcase my creative portfolio.

I hope that you enjoy looking through the new site, it has been a bit of a trial putting it together. Many thanks to my brother (aka Uncle Rich) for helping out on occasion with the really geeky stuff!

At home with my daughter Jasmine, Christmas 2013