Pie & Mash

Pie & Mash

A detail from my latest screen print, The Cockney Alphabet. As well as the 26 letters, the print contains an additional 4 vignettes to compliment them depicting scenes typical of East End life - a Pearly King, a Pearly Queen, a Costermonger (with obligatory mis-spelt labels!) and this, a traditional serving of Pie & Mash, accompanied by lurid green parsley liquor, jellied eels, vinegar, white pepper and a cup o' scolding Rosie Lee (tea). The scene is F. Cooke on Broadway Market.

I had my first jellied eel a month or so ago. And once you get past the skin, the spikey bone, the cold jelly and the odd texture, it wasn't half bad...

https://www.etsy.com/listing/100378924/the-cockney-alphabet-screenprint

The Cockney Alphabet

The Cockney Alphabet

Here it is, in all its glory. A for 'Orses, B for Mutton, C for Miles, etc.


Brand new screen print, 50 cm by 70 cm (B2), Limited Edition of 50, signed and numbered by the Artist.

Available to buy at £145 plus P&P 

https://www.etsy.com/listing/100378924/the-cockney-alphabet-screenprint

http://spitalfieldslife.com/2012/05/21/the-cockney-alphabet/ 

Photograph © The Gentle Author

The Cockney Alphabet - Y for Mistress (Wife or Mistress)
 
A little taster of my new limited edition screen print, The Cockney Alphabet.
A for 'Orses, B for Mutton, &c., &c.. (you get the picture)

Limited Edition screen print, 50 cm by 70 cm (B2), signed and numbered by the artist.

This unlikely-looking Lothario is going to let the two ladies in his life fight it out amongst themselves...

The Cockney Alphabet - W for A Quid (Trouble you for a Quid)
 
A little taster of my new limited edition screen print, The Cockney Alphabet.
A for 'Orses, B for Mutton, &c., &c.. (you get the picture)

Limited Edition screen print, 50 cm by 70 cm (B2), signed and numbered by the artist.

This poor chap, a former merchant seaman injured at work, now begs for coins outside the famous Beigel Bake at the top of Brick Lane with his dog Rex for company and warmth. The man walking by, a recent newcomer to the area who works in the City, believes that Spitalfields just can't get gentrified soon enough!!

The Cockney Alphabet - J for Oranges (Jaffa Oranges)

The Cockney Alphabet - J for Oranges (Jaffa Oranges)
 
A little taster of my new limited edition screen print, The Cockney Alphabet.
A for 'Orses, B for Mutton, &c., &c.. (you get the picture)

Limited Edition screen print, 50 cm by 70 cm (B2), signed and numbered by the artist.

This fellow is a porter at the Old Spitalfields fruit & veg market, back in the day. I imagine he's called Chas, or Sid, or maybe even Jaffa Jim. Mind you, 'jaffa' is also an expression for someone infertile (having no pips) and this chap looks virile and cheeky as only a market-porter or costermonger can!

The date on the wall behind him is the date on the present day market hall (sadly no longer used for fruit and veg) on Commercial Street

The Cockney Alphabet - D for Dumb (Deaf or Dumb)

The Cockney Alphabet - D for Dumb (Deaf or Dumb)
 
A little taster of my new limited edition screen print, The Cockney Alphabet.
A for 'Orses, B for Mutton, &c., &c.. (you get the picture)

Limited Edition screen print, 50 cm by 70 cm (B2), signed and numbered by the artist.

This fellow's appeared in my work a few times, an irascible old Darby, cackling and growling in his Bath-chair under the arches of the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel. Hearing aids have come on, and offer great comfort for sure, but there's something so stylish about the old school hearing trumpet that the modern devices lack...

The Cockney Alphabet - A for 'Orses (Hay for Horses)

The Cockney Alphabet - A for 'Orses (Hay for Horses)
 
A little taster of my new limited edition screen print, The Cockney Alphabet.
A for 'Orses, B for Mutton, &c., &c.. (you get the picture)

Limited Edition screen print, 50 cm by 70 cm (B2), signed and numbered by the artist.

This fellow is based upon a real character I've seen around Brick Lanes a few times, a real gypsy horse-whisperer, his face brown as a berry and lined like a school-book, with huge side-boards. He wears his trowsers high, with turn-ups the size of Spain..

Museum Journal - Part 24

Museum Journal - Part 24

Part 24 of the Director of the National Museum of Britsh History's Diary, for regular client Museum Journal (MJ), June 2012 issue.

This month our man meets fellow Old Etonian and newly re-appointed (how?) Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, who threatens him with a repeat of the old school's initiation ceremony (a monotesticulectomy?) if he doesn't back plans for a new building for the Capital.

As always with MJ the final print size is minute (3 or 4 cm across tops) so its crucial to keep the design very simple and the detail to a minimum.

Museum Journal - Part 23

Museum Journal - Part 23

Part 23 of the Director of the National Museum of Britsh History's Diary, for regular client Museum Journal (MJ), May 2012 issue.

This month our man hosts a Boot Camp on Rainham Marshes for flabby Museum Directors.

As always with MJ the final print size is minute (3 or 4 cm across tops) so its crucial to keep the design very simple and the detail to a minimum.

Museum Journal - Part 22

Museum Journal - Part 22

Part 22 of the Director of the National Museum of Britsh History's Diary, for regular client Museum Journal (MJ).

This month our man smugly watches a conference of small regional museum directors online, entitled the State of the Arts and hosted by Kirsty Wark, dressed a fairy godmother.

As always with MJ the final print size is minute (3 or 4 cm across tops) so its crucial to keep the design very simple and the detail to a minimum.

The Cockney Alphabet - (detail) K for Restaurant

The Cockney Alphabet - (detail) K for Restaurant

A little taster of my new limited edition screen print, The Cockney Alphabet.
A for 'Orses, B for Mutton, &c., &c.. (you get the picture)

Limited Edition screen print, 50 cm by 70 cm (B2), signed and numbered by the artist.

This caff (or restaurant) is the wonderful (listed) E.PELLICCI on the Bethnal Green Road. Standing at the table is the late Nevio Pellicci, in his younger days, carrying a plate of the delicious Meat Balls & Spagetti that his wife Maria is famous for. Sadly Nevio senior passed away last year (and is greatly missed) but he is succeeded by his son cheeky chappy Nevio Jnr, who continues to serve up his Mamma's great food with a generous dollop of banter and charm.

The Cockney Alphabet - (detail) R for Cock Linnet

The Cockney Alphabet - (detail) R for Cock Linnet*

A little taster of my new limited edition screen print, The Cockney Alphabet.
A for 'Orses, B for Mutton, &c., &c.. (you get the picture)

Limited Edition screen print, 50 cm by 70 cm (B2), signed and numbered by the artist,



* Cockney rhyming slang: minute

This lady dillying and dallying about the old Club Row bird market is edwardian Music Hall star Marie Lloyd, famous for her saucy performances and double entendre. When asked to tone down her song 'I sits among the Cabbages and Peas' because of its suggestion of micturation in the vegetable patch, she promised to amend the words - and sang instead 'I sits among the Cabbages and Leeks'! Much better!

Her most famous number was 'My Old Man (said Follow the Van)';-

My old man said "Follow the van,

And don't dilly dally on the way".

Off went the van wiv me 'ome packed in it,

I followed on wiv me old cock linnet

But I dillied and dallied, dallied and I dillied

Lost me way and don't know where to roam.

Well you can't trust a special like the old time coppers

When you can't find your way 'ome!

The Cockney Alphabet - (detail) C for Miles

The Cockney Alphabet - (detail) C for Miles

A little taster of my new limited edition screen print, The Cockney Alphabet.
A for 'Orses, B for Mutton, &c., &c.. (you get the picture)

Limited Edition screen print, 50 cm by 70 cm (B2), signed and numbered by the artist.

Here is Bert, the chimney sweep.
Up where the smoke is all billered and curled
'Tween pavement and stars is the chimney sweep world
When there's 'ardly no day nor 'ardly no night
There's things 'alf in shadow and 'alfway in light
On the rooftops of London Cor, what a sight!

Happy Birthday Edward Lear!

Happy Birthday Edward Lear!

To-day markes the 200th Birthday of Mr Edward Lear, artist, writer, diarist, epileptic and nonsense poet.

To celebrate this anniversary (somewhat overshadowed by his contemporary Charles Dickens' bicentennial!) artists Linda Hughes and Andy Baker have put together a show that opened last night at the Poetry Place, Betterton-street, Covent Garden. Over 40 artists, including both Linda and Andy, Chris Brown, Peter Bailey, Paul Slater, Chichi Parish, Jonny Hannah, Cornelia O'Donovan, Glen Baxter, Adam Graff and many more, including myself.

This is my contribution. This two-colour, A3 screen print is a very limited edition of just 10 and available to buy for just £75 + P&P (it will go up on my Etsy shop later this week)!

The Cockney Alphabet - (detail) X for Breakfast

The Cockney Alphabet - (detail) X for Breakfast

A little taster of my new limited edition screen print, The Cockney Alphabet.
A for 'Orses, B for Mutton, &c., &c.. (you get the picture)

Limited Edition screen print, 50 cm by 70 cm (B2), signed and numbered by the artist.

Here is Knuckles McGrath, a tattooed East End 'heavy' with a broken nose and cauliflower ears, delicately makes his way through the four hard-boiled eggs he has each morning with his toast.

The Cockney Alphabet - (detail) I for Novello

The Cockney Alphabet - (detail) I for Novello

A little taster of my new limited edition screen print, The Cockney Alphabet.
A for 'Orses, B for Mutton, &c., &c.. (you get the picture)

Limited Edition screen print, 50 cm by 70 cm (B2), signed and numbered by the artist.

Here is Ivor Novello, the Welsh composer, singer and actor who became one of the most popular British entertainers of the first half of the 20th century. Born into a musical family, his first successes were as a songwriter. His first (and biggest) hit was 'Keep the Home Fires Burning', which was enormously popular during the First World War. However, I have shown him singing another of his comic songs 'And Mother Came Too'. As well as being the song he sings in the film Gosford Park, it seems appropriate as I've a personal connection to Novello through my Mother. According to family lore, my grandad Tudor Meredith Rees-Davies once punched Ivor Novello on the nose, when they were both young men. Sadly, I don't know why (but I'm sure he deserved it!)...

The Cockney Alphabet - (detail) P for Relief

The Cockney Alphabet - (detail) P for Relief

A little taster of my new limited edition screen print, The Cockney Alphabet.
A for 'Orses, B for Mutton, &c., &c.. (you get the picture)

Limited Edition screen print, 50 cm by 70 cm (B2), signed and numbered by the artist.

Our man here is inconvenienced by the closure of the public conveniences on Middlesex St, more commonly known as Petticoat Lane, London's oldest clothes market.

— at Petticoat Lane Market

 

Schmutter, Whistle and Titfer all allude to the rag trade..

What's left

My solo show in Spitalfields last week-end, Umbra Sumus (We Are But Shadows), was a great success. All the hard work paid off, with plenty of sales, buckets of excitement... and a few very interesting commissions to boot (watch this space!)

Here is all that remains of the 121 faux Delftware tiles that I created for the exhibition - the rest have all found happy homes!

I have put these 28 remaining onto my Etsy shop where they are available to buy. Each one a unique hand-painted artwork. Snap them up before they are no-more!


http://www.etsy.com/shop/PaulBommer?ga_search_query=delft