'quality exercise'
i’m staying straight face about this artwork! many a time i have just given ‘that’ look now at the ripe old age that i’m at and the mantra i don’t give a fuck (see mad as a box of frogs’ series) other versions of this ‘dialogue’ suggest it takes 42 muscles to frown, but only 4 to slap someone – almost there folks!
this work explores the economy of expression that comes with age, experience, and diminishing tolerance for performative politeness. the subject maintains a deliberately neutral expression — a straight face that conceals decades of observation, restraint, and hard-won indifference.
referencing popular (and often dubious) claims about facial musculature — that it takes many muscles to frown but only a few to strike — the piece plays with the tension between civility and impulse. the humour is dry, the threat entirely theoretical. the true action lies in the look: a silent dialogue that communicates boundaries without movement.
 
answers on a postcard extends and develops ideas from the mad as a box of frogs series. the work addresses the familiar dilemma between producing originals and limited editions — a question that often invites conflicting responses. in this instance, the decision is intentionally rooted in the original.
the series reflects a longstanding interest in language, idiomatic phrases and humour, bringing these elements together through painted text. the selected phrases are chosen for their wit and lightness, inviting a moment of quiet amusement for the viewer.
each piece is hand-painted on canvas, paper or board. the works are completed using a model maker’s magnifying lamp and a fine 5/0 brush, allowing for precision and close attention to detail - oh dear, my poor eyesight!
and i hope they give the viewer a giggle too.