Dean Cornwell

Dean Cornwell (1892-1960) was a brilliant painter who dominated the illustration field for many years. Cornwell was an untiring worker who made a great many preliminary studies and trial compositions before attempting a final painting in oils. These drawings have great interest by themselves for the beauty of their draftsmanship.

Prolific and in great demand, he illustrated for a wide variety of magazines and advertisers, but found time as well to paint many important murals. Notable among them were those for the Los Angeles Public Library, The General Motors mural at the 1939 World's Fair in New York, The Tennessee State Office Building, the Eastern Airlines building in Rockefeller Center, and the Raleigh Room at the Hotel Warwick in New York City.

Dean was president of the Society of Illustrators from 1922-1926 and was selected to its Hall of Fame in 1959. He taught illustration at the Arts Students League in New York, and by example created a "Cornwell School."

Couple of new paintings

I wasn't making anything for a while, goin through a bit of an uncreative time. So I decided on the possible solution of a new space to work in. I was lucky enough to get a studio with the Pallas Projects/Studios. It has been so great to have a new space and i'm creating work again! ( which is a relief!). Here are a couple of new paintings ......

Entitled 'It sends messages to keep me from rolling off my bed'
Oil on Gesso panel

Entitled 'Little holes behind my eyelids'
Oil on Gesso panel

Alain De Botton On Pessimism

This is well worth the watch!

11.30am, Conway Hall, Red Lion Square, London

Alain de Botton is a philosopher committed to the idea of making people happier. That's why - and there should be no paradox in this - he also believes that we should all learn to be extremely pessimistic.

Alain will challenge the great bourgeois promise that everyone can find happiness in love and work. He will argue that the chances of anyone succeeding in both areas (let alone in one) are extremely remote - and that it is therefore peculiar, and deeply cruel, to base our societies around these values. Indeed, in denying a place for misery and despair, the modern world denies us the possibility of collective consolation, condemning us instead to solitary feelings of shame and persecution. Come to celebrate the particular joys of pessimism. Handkerchiefs advised.

Akira Beard

Akira Beard is part of the Tenderloin artist community and is known for painting layered portraits. His artwork addresses pervasive media manipulation, and is inspired by important cultural topics around race and identity.