Five Fine Things On A Thursday....

guest post from David Horgan Art

Photo credit: Viagara Boy lead singer Sebastian Murphy on stage.NME.

Yes, I realise it is in fact Sunday, it’s been a loco week but here goes….

This weeks’s ‘Fine Things’ is a guest post from talented artist David Horgan! David is a painter living in South London. You can find his most recent work on Instagram here and more about him via his website here. David was also the artist who painted the cover art for my book Roaming Wild, the Founding of Compassion in World Farming. His next exhibition is at the JM Gallery on Notting’s Hill Portobello Road and the exhibition will feature 20 original works from David and 20 originals from the wonderful Lucy Mahon. Over to you David….

1.Reading! East of Eden by John Steinbeck. East of Eden follows one family and is a modern day Garden of Eden tale, it is fable-like with distinct voices, well- shaped characters and focuses on the trials of everyday life. Family relationships and sibling rivalries dominate against the backdrop of a looming World War One.

2. Boxing! I love boxing training! I go to Clinton Mackenzie’s boxing gym where the mantra is get fit but not get hit! Exercise is so important to me for focus and mental health and I’ve yet to find a form of exercise that is more enjoyable and hardcore than a good boxing workout. There is nothing quite as satisfying as the resounding slap as your fist connects whilst doing pad-work with the champ himself. Check out Clinton’s insta here. (For those who don’t know the name, Clinton Mackenzie is a former British and European champion who has fought Sugar Ray Leonard.)

3. Drawing! with caran d’ache crayons. These crayons, which fellow artist Lucy Mahon introduced me to, are da bomb! The feel is buttery, the colours are rich, and they are ideal for travelling too. Editors note: check out some of David’s crayon drawings on insta here, my personal favourite is ‘Jesus as a Merman’.

4. Absorbing! The Darkness frontman Justin Hawkins’s musical knowledge and bants on his podcast Justin Hawkin’s Rides Again. Justin’s podcast features both musical reviews and long-form insights into the pitfalls of the music trade which taps into my frustrated musician sensibility. He is entertaining, insightful and amusing and provides a great introduction to new music to boot. I am also a fan of his talented and understatedly funny producer Jenny May Finn.

5.Listening! Following on from this Justin in fact introduced me to the mighty Viagra Boys! A raucous bunch of punk misfits from Sweden with infectious raw energy and banging tunes. Check them out!

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Thanks so much for reading as always dear Substack friends and if you are interested in other recommendations both cultural and artistic then please see here. In other news here is my most recent non-fiction piece (my first travel one) and here are a handful of excerpts from my ‘work in progress’ novel.

Thank you very much to David for his assortment of fascinating five things this week and as you know I/we like very much to hear your current fave things so do ‘comment below’.

Finally, hello there to new subscribers and thank you so much to my new paid subscribers, I literally love you!

Love,

Emma x o x o