Tony Porter - Toys

TOYS TONY PORTER’S

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02 Mickey in Yellow Wellies, ÂŁ750 watercolour, 50 x 30 cm

TOYS

TONY PORTER’S

The first two subjects came into my life at Charlie’s flat in London. I needed something to paint; it was late in the day or miserable weather, I forget, but there was Mickey Mouse looking at me so I tried him out.

Now I think about it,the first toy figure I ever painted was a tiny lion that I stole from Hilary Lane in my first year at the Slade. I still have it.

Then there was Noddy in his little car, and I realised that these figures come alive for me when I paint them. The paintings are made in the old fashioned life class way - direct from a model. I don’t use drawings to build a picture, and no lens devices. I work from figures I borrow from the children in my family, sometimes even dragging back one that has been given away. I buy them as I travel around and about and I am building up a little collection. I need things that are used and preferably a bit tatty, characters that have had a life before they find me.

I don’t know why these figures come alive. I think it’s more than simple nostalgia or sentiment. The figures mean things about us, like the endless male-female chase of Tweetie Pie and Sylvester. I don’t like to think about it too much. Sometimes these figures seem unsympathetic; so far I really haven’t understood Barbie. I love ambiguity

front cover

01 Noddy, £750 watercolour, 41 x 28 cm

in painting - is it that I am finding a third life for these figures?

I was born in 1945 and attended the Slade School from1964 to ’68. I went back there last year, had a wander and chatted to students, who were amazed that I knew Coldstream and particularly Euan Uglow who taught life drawing. I used to get so tense in his classes he would tell me to have a pint at lunchtime. The students seemed desperate to get that sort of teaching now, but the old studio architecture has been trashed.

I taught art in schools from 1974 to 2000.

Nothing has changed my view that all formal qualifications in painting are ridiculous, in particular degrees.

I started exhibiting regularly around 1980, at the Mill Street Gallery in Oakham and the Portland in Lyme Regis, before showing in London in ’84 at the Mercury. Chris Beetles on Ryder Street hosted two one-man exhibitions too. I’ve since shown in Wells, Broadway, Northampton, and Reigate, and have had works selected several times for the Sunday Times watercolour competition.

None of these exhibitions included toy subjects. Not sure toys is the right word for these things but a better one hasn’t come to mind yet.

Paintings are watercolour on paper except nos. 26 & 27 which are oil on canvas.

03 Sylvester and Tweetie Pie, ÂŁ750 watercolour, 47 x 34 cm

04 Charlie’s Noddy, watercolour, 38 x 50 cm, £750

05 Slinky Dog, watercolour, 31 x 45 cm, £750 phone 01572 821424 or buy online at goldmarkart.com prices include frame, vat and uk delivery

06 Little Noddy, watercolour, 44 x 33 cm, £750

07 Double Dennis, watercolour, 50 x 38 cm, £750

08 Woody and Jessie, watercolour, 50 x 36 cm, £750

09 Frilly Minnie, watercolour, 39 x 30 cm, £750

10 Pooh and a Bee, ÂŁ750 watercolour, 40 x 30 cm

11 Group Portrait, ÂŁ950 watercolour, 42 x 74 cm

phone 01572 821424 or buy online at goldmarkart.com prices include frame, vat and uk delivery

12 Winnie, watercolour, 33 x 25 cm, £750

13 Mice 2, watercolour, 26 x 20 cm, £750

14 Woody, watercolour, 53 x 32 cm, £750

15 Tim’s Ted, watercolour, 43 x 30 cm, £750

16 Noddy and Mickey, ÂŁ750 watercolour, 34 x 24 cm

17 Dennis, ÂŁ750 watercolour, 42 x 25 cm

18 Two Policemen, watercolour, 42 x 33 cm, £750

19 Mice, watercolour, 37 x 27 cm, £750

20 Noddy, watercolour, 30 x 42 cm, £750 phone 01572 821424 or buy online at goldmarkart.com prices include frame, vat and uk delivery

21 Double Dennis 2, watercolour, 37 x 29 cm, £750

22 Hello Rupert, watercolour, 49 x 33 cm, £750

23 Charlie’s Mickey Mouse, £750

24 Pooh and the Honey Pot, £750

watercolour, 42 x 35 cm

watercolour, 36 x 28 cm

25 Moth-Eaten Mickey, ÂŁ750 watercolour, 48 x 28 cm

26 Mickey, ÂŁ950 oil on canvas, 21 x 21 cm

27 Policemen, ÂŁ1250 oil on canvas, 31 x 25.5 cm

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Orange Street, Uppingham, Rutland, LE15 9SQ 01572 821424 Open Monday to Saturday 9.30- 5.30, Sunday 11.00- 4.00 and Bank Holidays Buy online at goldmarkart.com November 2015