Patrick Woodroffe

NEWS UPDATE: THE 30th.OF APRIL 2008

MY NEW BOOK "BENIGN ICONS" IS READY TO BE PUBLISHED.

"EDITION BRUSEN" my good friend is the publisher of "Benign Icons". The book shall be launched at "FANTASMUS" on Saturday the 14th. of June. I shall arrive there on Tuesday, just so that we can both work together and organize the exhibition of my images. There shall be 100 very high quality limited editions of the books in boxes, including some giclée prints of either "The Metamorphosis of the Tiger" or "Milk Robbers", all signed by myself. These shall cost either 1000 or 300 Euros. The book in no box with no giclées shall cost 50 Euros. He also plans to re-publish some of my old books eventually.

You don't need the real website address for Claus's new gallery "FANTASMUS"... just search, and you shall find it on the TOP! I am now doing a big new painting that I hope shall work well mainly as a poster for that Gallery. I have given it this silly title -

"A DEN with a MARK for FANTASMUS"

I shall add the real image to this NEWS page as soon as it is finished, and I shall also add the date of my exhibition for the launch of "BENIGN ICONS" at that gallery. It could be in May. The next website address shall also be interesting for you.

www.imaginaryrealism.org

Marcel Salome finished "DREAMSCAPE-2" in 2007. I was included as the guest of honour.

I came back from Munich in November 2007 after contributing to the exhibition in celebration of Michael Ende, the writer of "The Never-Ending Story". This was at the Deutsche Theatermuseum, Odeonsplatz in Munich, but it shall be at the Filmmuseum, Breitestrasse, Potsdam from 15:02:08 till 05:10:08.

THIRTEEN RECENT IMAGES

The title is "The Spiral Rainbow", just one of two suggestions for the cover of my new book "Benign Icons". Both have positive messages - as almost all my images do.

This image "Peace" was my main suggestion for the book cover of "Benign Icons".

In my new book "Benign Icons" I have included a bit of the story which I did for my film project "Your Place or Mine?" This image was done as a sketch many years ago, so now I have added layers of oil colour.

These are also sketches done years ago for my film project "Your Place or Mine?" and now with oil colour added. The story fits in well with "Benign Icons", especially as everything I do has a possitive message.

I show this image both ways up, mainly because it has positive messages which ever way you see it. I may change the title. The dimensions are 40 X 40 cms.

I did my book "Benign Icons" via Adobe Photoshop CS2 and InDesign.

Falmouth is full of beautiful chimneys, even dracaena growing from the tops. This is another image that inspired me simply because of a mysterious message I shall be able to interpret one day.

This painting was also inspired by the mysteries of life and Nature. No scientist could ever predict evolution for our distant future. To see that makes me feel keen to live forever!.

This is an unusually simple image, my plan to exclude any other small distracting subjects. I had no intention to include a facial expression, but my wife Jean spotted two straight away. Anyway, they're not supposed to look sad!.

All my images have a positive message, even a bit mysterious to myself, but as I did this new image I realised that I wanted us to use the swastika a different way, especially as it has a totally different effect in India and also as I love the Germans.

I started this image "The Animal's Epiphany" in 1990, but a few years ago I never expected to have the ability to finish it. Anyway, 175 Christmas Cards from me were printed in 2006.

I was inspired by an old small painting that my father did when we were on holiday in TENBY in 1947, so these images - plus cut-outs, etc., have been included in the first chapter of my new book "Benign Icons".

This is a very silly image of no real importance. Eighteen cut-outs to be used on Birthday Cards, etc., mainly for my two children, who are now in their forties!

"INTERNATIONAL FANTASY REALISM"

We also agreed on the latest suggestion for the title - INTERNATIONAL FANTASY REALISM. I also came up with a silly poem that really fits in with this global club - IFR.

Just imagine a nation - just of imagination! An international nation - with reality in action! An images nation - in friendship forever! Fantastic idea - International Fantasy Realism!!!

I added colour to some small old sketches for use as cut-outs in my new book - "Benign Icons".

"THE FORGET-ME-NOT GARDENER"

My recent Swiss/Cornish book (2005), a graphic novel twinning Le Château de Gruyères (www.gruyeres.ch/chateau) with Pendennis Castle (Falmouth) was published by Éditions Gruériennes (BULLE, Switzerland - www.lagruyere.ch/editions-grueriennes). I was in Switzerland in November 2006 - at "BDmania" Fribourg.

"CALENDAR FOR 2009"
This may not be the correct cover for the new one for 2009, which should be available soon. So, have a look at their website.

My Swiss publisher Éditions Gruériennes (BULLE, Switzerland - www.lagruyere.ch/editions-grueriennes) designed this calendar for 2006. If you need to contact them about sales, distribution, etc. then use their website address.

EXHIBITIONS, ETC. UNDER DISCUSSION:

No year decided: A retrospective exhibition of just my own work in a castle in Denmark.

2010: A second exhibition at Falmouth Art Gallery - in celebration of my 70th. birthday - 2010! We shall see.

"LA ROUTE DES CLOCHES"
Still no dates defined.

My Swiss project is progressing very slowly, the only real news being that "La cloche de la Gruyère" is included in Chapter 10 of my book "The Forget-me-not Gardener" and also in the project to re-do the paving of the village of Gruyères. The "plaquette" (a large brochure to be sent to all potential collaborators, sponsors, cantonal councils, etc., etc.) is also a potential bande dessinée in collaboration with Éditions Gruériennes (BULLE, Switzerland). In fact the first bell/sculpture - for the village of Gruyères (FRIBOURG) - should be realised within a few years. The project's Swiss Contact is Georges Baechler of Fribourg, so if you want to know more about this, then please contact him. For addresses, etc. please access the BELLS page.

"LA TOUR DU PRISONNIER"
Permanent exhibition.

My exhibition of 62 transparent reproductions (Ilfochrome Classic), displayed in light-boxes in the former Prison Tower in Le Château de Gruyères, Switzerland, is now defined as permanent. The project was realised in collaboration with ILFORD AG, Marly, Fribourg. So, have a look at their website: www.ilford.com

"SIDH & BANSHEES IMAGES"
Some reproductions available now.

This small French images publisher produced a selection of eight of my most popular images as post-cards and two as book-marks. There was also a plan to produce a collection of similar images (24x30cm) for a portfolio. A website for this small company is still in progress, so all we can give you now is the e-mail address: . sidhbanshees.images@freesbee.fr

"FCC"=FOUND COINS COLLECTION

I found 1057 in 2004, 692 in 2005, and 1057 in 2006. In 2007 I found 906 coins, and for this year 2008 I got beyond five times the number of this year - 10,040 on Saint Piran's Day. On Saint Patrick's Day I got to 10,067. Odd coincidence - I am 67! My total is now 10,152, but I am not 152! Ti Hi!

My obsession to pick up and keep any coins I find does continue, and I'm sure that it still helps to keep me fit. It nearly always seems to fit in as coincidences. This obsession is included in my recent book "The Forget-me-not Gardener", so I added a lot of the coins found that year to my little sculpture "The Symmetry of Love" exhibited in Gruyères Castle. In fact I have been doing this since 1988 when I found a German coin (Deutsche Mark) on the pavement in Brixton straight after delivering paintings to be sent out to the Munich exhibition mentioned on the list of past exhibitions. It is utterly daft! But... it does keep me fit and my scanning vision stays extremely perceptive.