Full Fathom Five

Full Fathom Five limited edition delft tiles

These are 6 of the 18 limited edition delft tile designs I created exclusively for the Full Fathom Five exhibition (A Celebration of the Nautical World), at Hornseys' - the Gallery in Ripon, North Yorkshire and featuring the work of Jonny Hannah, Michael Kirkman, Ed Kluz, Emily Sutton and yours truly.

Available only from Hornseys' - the gallery, Ripon. http://www.hornseys.com/

Bobby Shafto's Gone to Sea (Silver Buckles on his Knee...)

A delicious Cromer Crab

England Expects that Every Man will do His Duty. Nelson's famous message to his men at the Battle of Trafalgar.

A Flying Fish, of the family Exocoetidae (after whom is named the Exocet missile)

Full Fathom Five Thy Father

Of his bones are coral made;
Those are pearls that were his eyes;
Nothing of him that does fade,
But doth suffer a sea-change
Into something rich and strange.
Sea-nymphs hourly ring his knell:
Ding-dong,
Hark! Now I hear them – Ding-dong, bell.

(The Tempest, W. Shakespeare)

King Neptune, god of the Seas and of Earthquakes.

Great Fire of London delft tiles (cont.)

Great Fire of London delft tiles (cont.)

Here are 11 more of the 48 limited edition delft tiles I produced for the Artists of Spitalfields Life exhibtion at Ben Pentreath Ltd, Rugby-street, London. Those unsold have now relocated to the Town House gallery on Fournier-street, Spitalfields until the end of December. Hurry and catch a bargain!

The tiles are inspired by the Great Fire of London 1666 - food, fire, pestulence, carnality and the Merrie Monarch!

 

 Beer Lane

Billingsgate Fish Market

Boar's Head Court

Bread Street

Cock Lane I

Coffee House. The first coffee houses in London appeared at this time.

Corn Hill

Grocer's Hall Court. The word grocer means 'one who weighs'.

John Tradescant, botanist

Milk Street I

Milk Street II

Old Town: News Extra

Old Town: News Extra

An A6 promotional postcard design I did for Old Town clothing, to advertise their tumblr blog 'News Extra' http://oldtownnews.tumblr.com/

The fella with the bugle is based on a World War I 'poilu', or French infantryman - literally 'a hairy one', as they had earned the reputation of rushing into battle rough, ready and unshaven - resplendant in his buttoned-back blue coat and helmet and red breeches.

Great Fire of London delft tiles (cont.)

Great Fire of London delft tiles (cont.)

Here is my introduction on last week's Spitalfields Life for the Artists of Spitalfields Life selling exhibition that starts to-night:

Come and see Paul Bommer’s series of forty-eight delft tiles inspired The Great Fire of London 1666 at The Artists of Spitalfields Life opening at Ben Pentreath Ltd on Wednesday 7th November

Like Pieter Breughel, George Cruickshank and Ronald Searle, Paul Bommer’s work is firmly rooted in the European grotesque and populated with distinctive specimens of humanity – conjured into being through his unique quality of line, waggish, calligraphic and lyrical by turns. Fascinated by culture and lore, Paul celebrates the strange stories that interweave to create social identity and the fabric of history, turning his attention to The Great Fire Of London in this latest series of limited edition Delft tiles.

Bull Wharf

City of London

Pudding Lane III

Garlick Hill

Pepys' 'Parmazan' cheese, which he buried in his garden to avoid destruction by the Great Fire. Whether or not it survived is lost to History...

Nell Gwynn - actress, beauty, courtesan, oraNGe seller and mistress to King Charles II, the Merrie Monarch.

Great Fire of London delft tiles (cont.)

Great Fire of London delft tiles (cont.)

Here is my introduction on last week's Spitalfields Life for the Artists of Spitalfields Life selling exhibition that starts tomorrow:

Come and see Paul Bommer’s series of forty-eight delft tiles inspired The Great Fire of London 1666 at The Artists of Spitalfields Life opening at Ben Pentreath Ltd on Wednesday 7th November

Like Pieter Breughel, George Cruickshank and Ronald Searle, Paul Bommer’s work is firmly rooted in the European grotesque and populated with distinctive specimens of humanity – conjured into being through his unique quality of line, waggish, calligraphic and lyrical by turns. Fascinated by culture and lore, Paul celebrates the strange stories that interweave to create social identity and the fabric of history, turning his attention to The Great Fire Of London in this latest series of limited edition Delft tiles.

Honey Lane, traditional bee skep.

Ypocras (or Hippocras), a spiced and sweetened wine, named after Hippocrates, very popular in England from Medieval times and mentioned frequently in Pepys' diaries.

Coney Hope Lane. where stood the Grocer's Hall. Coney being a term for rabbit, from Latin Cuniculus.

Great Fire of London delft tiles (cont.)

Great Fire of London delft tiles (cont.)

Here is my introduction on yester-day morning's Spitalfields Life for the Artists of Spitalfields Life selling exhibition that starts next week:

Come and see Paul Bommer’s series of forty-eight delft tiles inspired The Great Fire of London 1666 at The Artists of Spitalfields Life opening at Ben Pentreath Ltd on Wednesday 7th November

Like Pieter Breughel, George Cruickshank and Ronald Searle, Paul Bommer’s work is firmly rooted in the European grotesque and populated with distinctive specimens of humanity – conjured into being through his unique quality of line, waggish, calligraphic and lyrical by turns. Fascinated by culture and lore, Paul celebrates the strange stories that interweave to create social identity and the fabric of history, turning his attention to The Great Fire Of London in this latest series of limited edition Delft tiles.

Hare Court

Windmill

Fig Tree Court

Mister Punch. Punch and Judy was first recorded in this country in the diary of Samuel Pepys, performed outside St Paul's church in Covent Garden.

Smithfield Meat Market

Samuel Pepys, diarist.

Memento Mori of the Great Plague 1665

Great Fire of London delft tiles (cont.)

Great Fire of London delft tiles (cont.)

Here is my introduction on yester-day morning's Spitalfields Life for the Artists of Spitalfields Life selling exhibition that starts next week:

Come and see Paul Bommer’s series of forty-eight delft tiles inspired The Great Fire of London 1666 at The Artists of Spitalfields Life opening at Ben Pentreath Ltd on Wednesday 7th November

Like Pieter Breughel, George Cruickshank and Ronald Searle, Paul Bommer’s work is firmly rooted in the European grotesque and populated with distinctive specimens of humanity – conjured into being through his unique quality of line, waggish, calligraphic and lyrical by turns. Fascinated by culture and lore, Paul celebrates the strange stories that interweave to create social identity and the fabric of history, turning his attention to The Great Fire Of London in this latest series of limited edition Delft tiles.

A Plague Doctor of 1665, with the beak of his mask filled with herbs to protect against evil vapours.

Annus Mirabilis. 1666, the year of the Great Fire was dubbed the 'Year of Wonders' because in Roman Numerals it was the only date that contains all Roman numerals, once only and in the correct, descending, order.

King Charles II, who famously hid from Cromwell's men in the Boscobel Oak.

Pudding Lane. Although this actually refers to offals, tripes and innards, rather than sweetmeats and desserts!

Poultry. A road in the City connecting the Royal Exchange with St Paul's.

Fish Street Hill, just up from Billingsgate Market, where to-day now stands Sir Kit Wren's Monument.

Eurus, the East Wind, that blew the fire westerly towards Old St. Paul's.