Another painting for Ukraine: One Year On

 It's with mixed feelings I faced the one year anniversary of Putin's invasion of Ukraine. Sadness, that it is still going on and the people of Ukraine (and also so many families in Russia too) are suffering so much. But also satisfaction and admiration too. Admiration for the fortitude of the Ukrainians to send all their menfolk to fight and not flee like in the Middle East and Afghanistan. Admiration for the Ukrainian women and children, many have stayed to help or just carry on to show the Russians they can't be cowed, and many have gone to friendly countries to support their fighters to manage the best they can till things are better.  Not least I admire many of the young women still in Ukraine, we have seen many on our TV screens over the last 12 months - from Government Ministers and MPs, fighters in the armed forces along with the men, to medical staff and civilians using their skills to help keep the fight going.

I was incredibly heartened by the support my art for Ukraine received  a year ago. I ended up painting not one but two, thanks to the generosity of my patrons; and with some small prints sold at a wargames event and to friends have raised nearly £500 by my efforts. Those families still need our support. Personally I need no convincing that the Ukrainians are fighting for us too.  If they crumble Putin will be emboldened and he won't stop there. The parallels with Hitler and 1938 - 40 are too powerful to be ignored. He tries to tell the Russian people that the West is out to get them. No we are not, but we have to be out to get him, and anyone that fights at his bidding. The only way I have to do that is to paint, and ask you to have faith in my work and raise as much as we can to support those who are fighting and dying for our values of freedom. Before I get too emotional let's get onto the art. 

Here is the second painting which I don't think I ever showed on the blog. The patron has a great sense of humour and he asked that the Russian look a bit like Putin, and the Saxon Cuirassier a bit like Zelenzky

The Saxon Zastrow Cuirassiers fight Russian Artillery in 1812.
Acrylic on canvas 12" x 10"

This year my thoughts turned to trying to honour the women of Ukraine. I recalled that a young Ukrainian lady, who I've called Ella, modelled for me way back in late 2012.  I looked back at the photoshoot, which was of course before the Russian incursions into Crimea and Eastern Ukraine in 2014, and found some useful source material.

I'm bound to offend someone as the history of Ukraine is so diverse how can I,  a poor Englishman, expect to get it right? Apologies in advance but my 2023 "Cossack Girl " is neither historically or ethnically representative - she and her setting are entirely symbolic. I'm trying to say something like the following:

• Cossack men have a reputation for toughness. The 12 months 2022-23 have shown the Ukrainian women are tough too
• Yet Ukrainian females are world renowned for their beauty, feminine charm and tenderness
• The Cossack sabre and pistol stuffed in the sash show she means business
• The highly decorated fur pelisse and fur hat are symbolic of the richness of the country but harsh nature of Ukraine's climate and the war.  However, the flowered blouse shows that underneath is a kinder future
• Her expression is neither angry, happy nor self satisfied, yet is hopeful as she kneels among the burned wheat that is regrowing anew around her and embodied in the Ukrainian flag.

I give you "Hope for Ukraine - Cossack Girl". Details of my online auction are given below the pictures

"Hope for Ukraine - Cossack Girl"
Acrylic on canvas 11.5" x 8" , UK A4 size

Cossack Girl - detail

The canvas sides are painted but it could be framed.
The painting comes varnished, strung and ready to hang.

Once again I will be giving to what I believe to be a reliable charity - the UK Disasters Emergency Committee, Ukraine One Year On

I usually sell paintings at this size for between £75 and £100. This one took me about 12 hours work. So please start the bidding at £80 and let's see how far we get....... I will give 100% of the result to the charity minus the cost for insured postage to your location.

Please email me your bids to Chris Gregg. 

The Auction closes at 1pm UK time on Thursday 2nd March 2023. I will be giving updates on this blog and my Instagram account.

If you are unfamiliar with my art work, or have not looked for some time please visit my website https://chrisgregg-art.co.uk/. You can ask me questions through the "contact" page there or via the email link above.

Thank you.

Chris

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UPDATE 2000 HOURS MONDAY 27th FEB

I'm delighted to be able to say that after the first 24 hours the bidding has reached £120.. While I would be disapointed to have to turn away the current leader please keep the bids coming to get more money to the cause. Thanks to all who have emailed me and commented in any way.

CG

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UPDATE AT 1020 ON THURSDAY 2nd MARCH

Just few hours to go and the bidding is now at £140.  Thanks so much to those who have expressed support.

CG

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FINAL UPDATE:

The auction is now closed and the painting went for £140. Very pleased to say it went to one of my oldest friends who I studied art with at school. He is an active supporter of the Ukrainian cause and lives in Southeast England. Even better he is planning to auction it to try to raise yet more money!

A heartfelt thank you also to everyone who has emailed me with good wishes and support even though I know many could not bid for various reasons. Let's hope the war is "solved" enough by next March so I don't have to do this again!!

CG

Standing with Ukraine - a new Hussar painting

 My blog has been quiet  for quite some time and I've been very busy, among other things, in organising several wargaming weekends for 2022, more on that in the next blog hopefully. More significantly I've been stunned by Mr Putin's action against Ukraine and it makes a mere hobby pale into insignificance compared to the plight of the many thousands he has put to flight and deprived of their homes.

Apart from making mere donations like so many others, last Sunday, realising that things for the women and children of Mariupol was going from bad to worse, I resolved to use what little skill I have to try to raise more money than I can afford myself.

Since then I've been trying to do the best job I can to pay tribute to the fighting spirit of the Ukrainian people in a painting of the Mariupol Hussars in 1812.  Admittedly then, their homeland was part of Russia and fighting to protect it from the French. How times and politics change!

So I present you with the finished result and invite you please to read on - find out more about the painting and how to bid.

"Determination - The Mariupol Hussars 1812".
Acrylic on canvas 16" x 12" by Chris Gregg 2022

This is an acrylic painting on canvas and is 16 inches x 12 inches (40cm x 30 cm), unframed, but with painted sides and is ready to hang or frame. 

I had thought to just dash it out quickly and cash in, so to speak on the zeitgeist. But dashing off paintings is not my style and it soon became evident to me that as my clients like detail and accuracy I had to do my best within an artistic spirit, and it's taken about 15 hours work over 5 days. As every day has passed the plight of the besieged in Mariupol  has got worse and my sadness deepened. I'm privileged to know a few people, Ukrainian and Russian, in the UK and with relatives in those two blighted countries. They are all on the same side.........Just as the Ukrainians and Russians were in 1812 and in 1941. It's not my fight (yet!) but I'm hoping this painting can raise some money by an online auction.

Many of my readers will be familiar with some obvious artistic influences from the Napoleonic era and in my humble way I hope I'm paying tribute to them too. Funny though, these were all painted in homage to an autocratic ruler who also had disregard for how may lives were lost in pursuit of his goal of a Europe united under his leadership!

Théodore Géricault - Charging Chasseur

Edouard Détaille - "Vers La Gloire"

"Towards Glory" - detail

Edouard Détaille "Le Trophee 1806" 4th Regiment of Dragoons

Capturing enemy standards seems to be a theme of these glorifications of war from the 19th Century. For mine I have gone for the Ukrainian flag as a background to show solidarity, not captured, but preserved. The same colours are echoed in the Mariupol Hussars uniform and purists might say it should be "dark blue"; but I looked up all the sources I could and artistic representations varied from sky blue to dark blue and everything in between so I used my own instinct of what works best.

I've called it "Determination" and I've tried to reflect that in the expression of the Hussar and the defiance in the horse's eye (as in Gericault's too). The sun flashing on his blade is another "Don't mess with me" message which I get from the vox pop TV interviews with 2022 Ukrainian fighters.

So, maybe you have thought you might like one of my original paintings but never had the excuse. I'm auctioning this to the highest bidder via email or DM on social media by 11pm London time on Tuesday 15th March.  I will donate all the proceeds (minus insured postage to your location) to a suitable Ukrainian aid charity. I have in mind the UK Disasters Emergency Committee, which is reliable 

https://www.dec.org.uk/appeal/ukraine-humanitarian-appeal

I normally sell this size picture for between £125 - £175 so I'm starting the bidding at £100 please. If there is only one bidder you'll get a bargain! But I hope it will raise considerably more!

Feel free to email me with questions , and especially bids! If there is anything to report I will post an update on here each day.

Thank you for whatever you are doing to help.

Chris

UPDATE

2100 Friday. Very pleased to say the bidding has started at £125 

UPDATE

Sunday 12 Noon - Bidding now at £151 - very many thanks 

UPDATE

Sunday 1900 - Now up to £200 looking good, thank you

UPDATE

Monday 1500 - Going really well - Bidding now up to £250. Still a day and a bit to go so you still have plenty of time to cash in your Premium Bonds and bid! 

CONCLUSION

Wednesday 1100

Well I didn't get any further bids last night but really pleased to say that we have raised £250 on my work on this painting. Better yet, one of the thwarted bidders has donated another £100 for the DEC Ukraine appeal on the strength of me doing  a commission specially for him later this Summer - possibly of the Saxon Zastrow Cuirassiers fighting the Russians in 2012; look out for that in due course.

It's been an interesting but demanding exercise as I spent a lot of time promoting it round the web. Successful bids came via a personal email shot to over 60 addressees - many past or current art clients or wargamers.  I did a small a paid boost of my Instagram post which evidently reached over 5000 people and solicited about 100 "likes" but no direct bids. Useful knowledge for the future and for anyone with an Instagram account it seems a fair and cost effective way to promote yourself if you have something special to offer (Yeah, I know I'm normally irresistible anyway!!!!).

I only had one "adverse" comment via Instagram Direct Message. That was from a person called  "Elina" who complained that a Russian "imperialist" Hussar was an insult to Ukraine. I get the point but tried to address it in my blog. "She" said I should have done a Cossack, so I agreed and tried to engage her in helping me by advising of the right sort of Cossack so as not to cause offence again. Sadly by that time she had gone "User not found". So if you are out there "ellina" please get back in touch.

I find it ironic that in 1812 the Cossacks too were fighting the French in the "imperialist" Russian army. But more significantly, we wargamers and military art enthusiasts associate Hussars with hard living, bold, smartly dressed and daring soldiers but look on cossacks as pillaging near savages in tatty uniforms and who only fight from ambush. Hence my choice of a Hussar.....but I'm really pleased to see that with the help of UK-supplied anti-tank missiles the current Ukrainian soldiers are fighting successfully from ambush and knocking out hundreds, if not thousands, of Russian vehicles.........So the real choice for me is what art subject is likely to gain the best price for the cause! I think I made the right decision, I'm pleased with the painting and excited to think of where my buyer will put it in his home.

Thank you to everyone who helped, bid and supported in whatever way. They are fighting for us and it goes on.

CG 16th March 2022

Hussarettes: a new model

What with all  the packing, selling on EBay and moving house it's been some time since I've been able to do any oil painting. Additionally, I had a big and  complicated commission to do illustrating a scene from one of Ian Allen's "Chronicles of Umpopoland", and that took me about a month last Autumn. That's now safely framed and up on his wall and you can see a picture of it at my website chris gregg paintings. If you want to know the background to it please comment and Ian or I will reply.  So the Hussarette project took a back seat after my "historical research" before Summer had faded away last year; here's a reminder   can-blackpowder-era-cavalry-really-fire-mounted.

But when I least expected it along came a commission for a Hussarette to be a companion piece for Lucille of Lauzun's Legion. Since these posts have become my most popular over the months I thought the least I could do was to bring you the story of how I found and employed my latest model, whom I will call Ella.

It was on a sunny day last Summer when I was stewarding at an art exhibition. Exhibitors at this show have to volunteer to steward in pairs and the artist colleague on my session was having trouble to commit to the whole 4 hours. So she persuaded her sister, Ella, to do an hour's duty. And what a pleasant and helpful companion she turned out to be. Ella is Ukrainian and just happened to be over in England to stay with her sister. Not only is she pretty but intelligent too, and studying for a post graduate scientific qualification in France.  I always tend to have my camera with me as an artist never knows when inspiration will strike, and I had been collecting photos of likely ladies for handmaidens in the Umpopoland commission mentioned above. Eventually I plucked up the courage to ask Ella if I could take some photos of her, and she willingly agreed. She had to go back to France that day but left with the thought that she would be back at Christmas and would like to earn some money modelling for a photo-shoot for paintings.

After the exhibition I had shown her photos to one of my patrons who said, as she was Ukrainian, I should ask her to pose as a female Cossack. This seemed like a good idea and I kept it "up my sleeve". However, not long before Christmas I got the next commission in the shape of a request to do a Hussarette emulating a pose from an existing miniature of a futuristic or steam punk female fighter in tight breeches. When Ella got in touch on her return to England I just knew she'd be great in that guise.

So it was that on a very wet day shortly after Christmas I found myself in a light and airy conservatory in a southern suburb of Gloucester having to spend 3 hours with Ella and her sister while she got made up and dressed, and then undressed, for the camera. It's a hard life, but someone has to do it for the sake of our European cultural heritage :-) 

Her artist sister was a marvellous help, organising all sorts of outfits, jewelry and hairstyles for my various ideas. The commissioned Hussarette was the main item on my agenda since the client would be subsidising her fee. But I had also asked for any "authentic looking" Ukrainian gear, and among the leading items was a superb fur lined jacket just right to do duty as a Hussar's pelisse but without all the lace.  In addition Ella had high boots, which although they had stiletto heels, gave a very sexy edge to the idea of hussar riding boots. Also equipped with my cobbled together belts, sabretache, ammo pouch, and fur colback we applied the French Napoleonic-style weaponry in various combinations.  So, hundreds of photos later I had a great variety of poses to choose from for my commission and many more options for other paintings. Here are some examples:

I had a vision for the tough "Cossack lady" with a floppy fur hat but we did not have one between us, instead what I got was a sexy version of a sweet Ukrainian traditional maiden, with addition of weaponry - like this:

Cossack bandit girl?

I had to try to get Ella to laugh - with a sabre dance.
As I said, it's a hard life directing females!

Not only flowers in her hair but a bunch of them too - very chaste.

And just for variety - one of the bi-products of the Ukrainian culture was evidently the black clad secret police! There were quite a few leather-look coats and boots to choose from in the dress-up box so we made full use of them.

A focus group I tested last year for pin-up subjects suggested posing ladies with classic cars and motor bikes, and so the leather gear seemed perfect. I've got lots of reference material for Harley-Davidsons but just needed the girl, so my Ukrainian beauty posed for them too - but,  like acting for CGI with a blue screen, we had to imagine the motorbike!

Within a week or two I'll show you the finished result of the Hussarette painting, and the best news on that is the client loved Ella so much he wanted two of her in one painting, and in the gorgeous combinations of colours of  the French Legion Etrangere in the American War of Independence. So look out for that soon.

I hope you've enjoyed this taster of one side of my work but carrying it on depends on the support I get. So please comment on this blog, or email me Chris Gregg if you have ideas or want to commission me with a painting yourself. Complete discretion guaranteed.