Don Craine digital painting features in The British Blues Exhibition

Delighted to have my digital painting of Don Craine of the Downliners Sect feature in 'The British Blues' exhibition, which launched yesterday at The Musical Museum in Brentford at the opening of Rock's Diamond Year Festival.

The exhibition runs for a month and is dedicated to Don, Alan Pearce, the Editor in Chief of Blues Matters! and Charlie Watts who all died recently.

Setting off from my home studio with a digital painting of Don Craine. Different sizes available here.

Rock’s Diamond Year 2022 has been set up by The Ealing Club Community Interest Company as a celebration of what has become a global music form. The exhibition includes items that help tell the wider history of British Blues as well The Ealing Club.

Darren Weale of the British Blues Exhibition 

My portrait of Don Craine in situ

Here's a sneak peak at some of the other great exhibits you can see...

Lonnie Donegan - who lived in Brentford Dock at one time - synthesised American Southern Blues with simple acoustic instruments like the acoustic guitar, washtub bass and washboard rhythm in 'Skiffle', a reference to music from people with little money for instruments. The new style captivated an entire generation of post-war youth and fellow musicians in England.

Chris Barber was an English jazz musician, bandleader and trombonist who, according to Wikipedia, helped the careers of many musicians including Lonnie Donegan whose appearances with Barber sparked the mid-50s skiffle craze. He provided an audience for Donegan and, later, Alexis Korner, sponsoring African-American blues musicians to visit Britain, inspiration for 60s R&B.  

Keeping it in the family.  Peter Donegan at the Half Moon Putney where I'm Resident Artist mixed media on paper £195. 

An early washboard

If you're looking for a great gig this afternoon 2-7pm then check out The Chris Jagger Band today at The Musical Museum who will be helping celebrate Rock’s Diamond Year 2022 with a special performance highlighting tracks from the recent 'Mixing Up The Medicine' album. Support will include a special 'Rock Diamond Year' tribute to Blues Incorporated & to the skiffle/trad jazz scene that preceded Blues Inc’s formation.

For tickets click here.

Chris Jagger playing The Brentham Club under the auspices of The Ealing Club mixed media on paper £245

And Marky Dawson, who I painted in lockdown, will be playing the museum's beautiful Wurlitzer Organ in the foyer...

Marky Dawson musician in lockdown oil on canvas £310

I leave you with one of my favourite pieces of memorabilia from The Ealing Club in the exhibition, donated by Robert Hokum, founder of The Ealing Blues Festival.

It's a1964 Futurama Bass De-Luxe - an aspirational guitar - like that famously played by a young George Harrison.

Robert Hokum of The Ealing Club mixed media on paper £230

The Musical Museum Brentford