A short film looking back at my modern art highlights of 2012, the best and most successful year I have had so far as an artist.

Like anything worthwhile, the effort involved in producing something you care about is rarely appreciated until you understand the work that goes into to making it. Any kind of creative or skilled process demands great attention to detail, passion and belief. When these three things are in place the results can be truly inspiring. For an artist this is no different. Much of the work that's involved is done without you ever seeing it or knowing about it; painting can be a small piece of a large jigsaw - even if it is the most important by a mile. I have so many things to consider when I need to create that the actual process of creating with paint is but a small part of a very much bigger picture (no pun intended)... Find out what goes into every piece I paint...

We all love music. Fact. It has ways of shaping our moods, relieving us of our worries and taking us to places that few other mediums can. For artists this is a very important thing as it directly affects what comes out of our hands and onto the canvas. I can't ever recall not painting to music in some form or another, even if it's a random radio station. I don't have any preset playlist or particular genre I choose; instead I'm normally happy to hit the Shuffle button and see what comes out. I like the idea of this as music can shape our ideas into something truly inspiring. At the core of my listening preferences are a few selected artists that will normally end up playing at some point during the creative cycle. For me, these artists and their music form a core of all the things I hold closest to my art. Expression, freedom and an ability to get lost in whatever you're doing.

OK, so I have a large carpeted studio that is roomy, spacious and has everything I need in it. However, when big projects are on the go I often run short of space. In this single shot of my top floor I have highlighted areas of importance in terms of paintings and materials and given a brief outline of what I do and why I do it. Hope you find the brief tour and insight into an artists' studio interesting! Get the low down on the tools and materials I use on a regular basis long with an explanation of other cool stuff too.

In a world of conformity and rules it’s sometimes necessary to let everything go. Imagine for a moment that you are under 16 and have little or no interest in reality outside of the opposite sex, drinking and smoking. painted drip art on education day. Imagine that your puberty-ridden world is about to be challenged by some guy who throws paint around for a living. The prospect of having to sit around on a cold floor listening to some 40- something has-been drone on about colour and stuff, in some tedious monotonal blurb is almost too much to bear. No wonder you hate school so much. Your teacher has been trying for weeks to get you excited about the arrival of an artist but still you can’t raise so much as a derisory scowl. And then, the day of days comes. You are instructed to bring your old clothes to change into (as you might get messy) but not even the thought of casting aside a uniform in a defiant demonstration of self-expression can get you suitably enthused.

One thing I have learned over the last year is that entering ‘open-submission’ art competitions is, on the whole, as fruitful as trying to empty the Pacific ocean with a pipette. One major UK event boasts spaces for 1200 artists’ works from anyone resident in the UK. It carries significant weight with a prestigious name, airtime on television and can be a sign of recognition for the lucky few who get accepted. However, all is not what it seems. The actual number of slots for people like me is far less than those claimed, partly due to the usual stagnation of a network of favourites and names that get to curate their own artists’ works instead. Those that are left get whisked past a panel of cobweb-ridden philistines who are out of touch with anything but the most shocking or most mundane of artforms and genres. Your entry fee and transporting costs would be better spent with a children’s charity or a local hospice than being squandered on the notion that you are going to be the next Hirst or Emin

I have been featuring guest artists across the site on occasions as a way of being able to promote those individuals who's work spans genres and boundaries - often because of the sheer quality of their art. Charlton Palmer (aka CP The Artist) is no-exception to that constant. I became a fan of his unique style over a year ago partly down to a single piece that took my breath away (What Now? Feb 2010) “CP the Artist” is a visual artist with an ever changing concept that is not restricted to any category of medium, type or style. He can be urban art, digital art, traditional, modern, commercial art, abstract, classical, etc. His forte is digital painting, graphic art, traditional oil and acrylic painting.

I can't believe it's been another year since I last did my review of 2009. In many ways I am staggered by how far my work has evolved in twelve months. I have painted in more styles, produced more pieces and sold more more art than ever before - despite being in the middle of a global economic downturn. The video below shows my highlights of the last year including installations, my favourite pieces and previously unseen studio pictures. The music is deliberately cheesy and an absolute classic for kids of a certain age... Enjoy.

"Dashing through the snow on a one-horse open sleigh, Over fields we go – laughing all the way. " A Risk Assessment must be submitted before an open sleigh is considered safe for members of the public to ride. The Risk Assessment should also consider whether the use on only one horse in appropriate – particularly if passengers are of larger proportions. Permission from landowners must be gained before entering any ‘Open Fields’. To avoid offending those not participating in the venture, it is required that only ‘moderate’ laughter is used and not at a noise level likely to be of nuisance to others.

If you could read some of the random mail I get from people I think it would make your hair curl. Somedays i can't believe the audacity of some folk. However, i always reply back and always politely so I thought I would list my top ten favourites for your reading pleasure and the kind of responses I give. Enjoy and share if you can... 10. If I wanted a painting like that I would paint my own Then be my guest. What paints are you going to use then? I take it you have used paints before to produce abstract art? Mmmmm…..Let’s see. You will need canvas. I assume you know all about the weave densities and primer properties? Leaving paint aside what kind of painting are you going to produce? You are obviously confident about what colours to put together so it should be easy for you to stand in front of a blank canvas and create something you will want to look at every day?

OK, so it's a Monday and it's cold outside. I can't think of a better way of easing myself into another crazy week than allowing myself a few minutes of childish amusement. Here are a few little light hearted quips that may just raise one corner of your mouth...enjoy... My racing snail is not winning races anymore so in an effort to reduce his weight I removed his shell, hoping this would make him more aerodynamic. It hasn’t worked as I expected though – if anything it’s made him more sluggish… Blonde wife is painting the house when the husband walks in and can’t believe she is doing so well – but to his surprise the sweat is pouring off her so he asks: “Why are you wearing leather jacket and an anorak?”

My life long work ethic has always been solid: do a good day’s work, achieve lots and sleep well. I don’t shirk, don’t pull sickies and don’t lie about things. I graft, toil and know what needs to be done to get where I need to be – even if that path is a long and complicated one. I am a worker, plain and simple. I can’t stand people who fanny around and piss about. I don’t like time wasters and people who cheat and lie about things because they don’t have the bollocks to say it how it is for the greater good (spineless faggotts)… So yesterday was one of those extra specially productive days where I threw off the shackles of doubt and my ill health (flu) and got stuff done. Here’s the proof:

This just got sent to me on email. It's so good I needed to pass it on. Enjoy! "When you occasionally have a really bad day, and you just need to take it out on someone, don't take it out on someone you know, take it out on someone you don't know. I was sitting at my desk when I remembered a phone call I'd forgotten to make. I found the number and dialled it. A man answered, saying "Hello." I Politely said, "Could I please speak with Robert Campbell?" Suddenly a manic voice yelled out in my ear "Get the right fuckin number!" and the phone was slammed down on me. I couldn't believe that anyone could be so rude. When I tracked down Robert's correct number to call him, I found that I had accidentally transposed the last two digits.

For the first time ever I am taking my entire collection of original paintings to Spitalfields Art Market in London on November 25th - 28th this year. This bustling and vibrant open air market is the perfect venue for my work - allowing anyone and everyone to get up close and personal with the art and also with me. I plan to paint whilst I am there too - probably choosing to use a giant flat piece of canvas thrown onto the pedestrianized bit of the thoroughfare. I'll be splash painting, drip painting and probably using chalks and charcoals in some of the work too. I have never done this kind of exhibition before so I'm gearing myself up for an adventurous experience! There will be information packs to take away, hopefully my new promo DVD will be ready and lots of other things besides. So if you are in London around this time then come and shake my hand and say hello. I love to meet people who engage with my work. Being able to talk about what I do is as much pleasure as painting it so come and find any excuse to talk to me. All my art will be available to buy so if there's a piece you have your eye on then it's probably best to get to me early on Thursday morning just in case!

I’ve often marvelled at natural history programmes and how herds are organised and operate as one collective unit – despite being made up of many individuals. Nature, it would seem, finds ways of sorting itself out. Pity then, that the same cannot be said of humans. Witness the car park stampede on a Saturday lunchtime for proof of my theory. If you haven’t had this pleasure, especially bad as we approach the festive season, permit me to enlighten you: The premise is a simple one: pop into town, park, visit one store, come home. No dramas there. What makes this a unique experience is the swarming hoards of other people who share the same idea. The first problem is finding a car park that doesn’t say ‘FULL’. When you find the only one left with spaces there are invariably a billion other cars waiting to get in, often only allowed entry by the exit of another car. So we wait. You get to the barrier and the machine says ‘FULL’ (oh quel surprise!), so we wait some more. Problem is that the people behind you don’t understand why you are sat there like a prize plum doing nothing.

seo consultamts spamI object to many things in life, all of which could be blogged about, but I shall let this particular annoyance be expressed through the email reply I just sent to an SEO company claiming I had no idea what I was doing. I hate spam from internet marketeers at the best of times but when I get told that they can do a better job than me my blood boils over and I feel compelled to set them straight on a few things. Here is the reply text I sent back; it's fairly self explanatory I feel...If I had the time I would make a phone call and politely request them to go whistle dixie. "Thankyou for your email David Firstly let me acknowledge your apology if you feel you have caused offence – indeed you have, but that’s only half the story isn’t it?

I can remember a time when cars either worked or they didn’t. A time when a rough sounding engine could be cured with a screwdriver and a squirt of Redex. Not so long back the joy of owning a car was a physical and emotional experience both in front of the wheel and underneath the bonnet. Sadly though, this last great bastion of bravado has gradually been eroded away from even the most hardcore of petrol-head. Our modern day cars are an impure combination of technological marvel and black box wonderment. Offering us all the things we have ever needed in a car – comfort, relaxation, performance, economy and safety. Regrettably it would seem, such leaps of progress are not without compromise – quality.

I like to feature the work of artists I know and admire from time to time and I am particularly pleased to be featuring the work of Rachelle Antoinette on my blog. I have long been a fan of Rachelle's bold and expressive style of painting - combining stunning colour combinations and tremendously expressive forms. In a world of diversity it's easy to place modern day artists into pigeon holes or stereotype them into genres. Personally, I work hard at mixing styles so I don't let that happen to me. With Rachelle's work - I see glimpses of established styles in her forms but uniquely she has captured a technique that is all her own - something very difficult to do these days. One of the irresistible things I enjoy about engaging with her paintings is the relative ease with which you are able to indulge yourself within them. They entice and lure you into their very core enabling an instant connection to be found. I also enjoy the freedom of her expression - it's that ability to not have to think too hard about what she is conveying that marks her talent out as unique.

Despite my best efforts to relax and take things easy over the last two weeks it appears that I have managed to do the exact opposite. In fact, each day has resembled a Jason Statham movie - fast paced, action packed and full of foul language. Thankfully I have averted smacking people in the face or calling people 'Chico' for no reason, nor have I adopted a cockney accent. In what was supposed to be a leisurely saunter up Chill Lane I had become sucked into a world of deadlines and targets. Often brought about by my own desire to get things done. I painted hard, tried new things, organized this that and the other, spent money I didn't have, stayed up too late, watched bad TV, ate trash food, tried to please everyone and ended up feeling stressed, tired, unhealthy and miserable... and then came Saturday.

I think I know why I keep my studio a secret place. It's not some magical haven of creativity or a shining beacon of expression. It is a secret place because it is mine. When I go there I have no outside world. I have no distractions and nobody around me. I can close off everything and just be by myself. Sometimes I don't paint - I like things to be tidy and neat so I will clean and put things in their place when I am not painting. It's my escape route from the world that surrounds me. I still get full of fear when I am about to tackle a piece of canvas but at least I have no-one around me to tell me what to do. I can't bear that when I'm painting - actually I can't bear that anyway. I like being isolated and cut off. I only have to battle with my own demons and not someone elses. Somedays I just sit on my big red sofa and do nothing but look around or think about stuff. You know, the big things in life - why bother painting, where the next latte is coming from etc..