Thank You David Hockney

The daily news is bleak, and gets bleaker every time you dare to watch. Our days are long and endless and pretty boring (if we are lucky) with only a short daily walk, television and our books and close family to raise our spirits. But this morning brought some much needed Spring like beauty to our lives, as the legendary artist David Hockney released a series of his 10 most recent pictures to provide a respite from the news.

The images, created in his Normandy home, are celebrating the Spring awakening, showing flowers and trees as they emerge from Winter and start to blossom. They are beautiful, vibrant and colourful, and are somehow filled with hope.

David Hockney has said that he believes it is important to still cherish art work during these troubled times, and says “Why are my iPad drawings seen as a respite from the news? Well, they are obviously made by the hand depicting the renewal that is the spring in this part of the world.”

I have long been a fan of David Hockney, his iconic ‘Mr and Mrs Clark and Percy’ is one of my all time favourite pieces of art work, and I think it is great that he has decided to share this beautiful work that is so full of joy and colour with the world. Just last week I featured another Hockney piece on this blog, one that was currently on display at the New Walsall Art Gallery 20 for 2020 exhibition, and it is so lovely to see new pieces that are a breathe of fresh air in our world where this is currently in short supply.

It is funny how this enforced quarantine period is making our natural landscapes and open spaces seem all the more attractive. I am lucky enough to live opposite a nature reserve that is usually out of bounds as it has a golf course running through it, but in our current times, it is deserted and we walk through it daily. I have been capturing my own images of the space, or the trees that are still in eerie Winter mode, and those showing their signs of spring. Not in the David Hockney category, but interesting non the less.