The Rebel Magazine: January 2026

Thursday, 1 January 2026

Look back at 2025

January 2025. On New Year's Day I made a collage called 'Vote For Pedro'. I have a vague plan to make a collage every month and then add 12 collages together at the end of the year

Jan 2025 got off to a bad start with dental problems. I experienced the worst pain I'd had for more than a decade. A root canal op got cancelled when the tooth cracked open so at least I saved money.

Lloyd Ellis decided to leave the Tate Gallery after 24 years loyal service. I got my talented friends Thomas Hawes and Chris Tosic to help me make a card for him.

Gordon Beswick and I do a little bit of filming. We have a great time in the studio with Craig Crosbie, Micko Westmoreland, Julian Firth, Kevin Eldon and Paul Putner (pictured below). I'd never met Paul before but had always been a fan of his since the mid 90s.

Go to see the feel good film 'A Complete Unknown' and love Edward Norton's portryal of Pete Seeger.

My first painting of 2025 is a portrait of Roj Blake from Blake's 7. In 2024 I had painted 6 other cast members of the Blake's 7 series. I have yet to exhibit them anywhere. Roj Blake is probably the least successful of my Blake's 7 portraits - I fail to capture the actor Gareth Thomas's character.

Instead of painting characters from Blake's 7 I decide to paint Cows. I find it interesting how to some Cows are just something you can make hamburgers out of whilst in other parts of the world they are seen as Gods.

Febuary 2025

Sadly much of this month is spent going to the doctors, the pharmacist, and feet experts because of problems with blisters on my toes related to diabetes type 2.

On a happier note I get to hang out with supergroup The Spammed who are recording a cover of 'Devil Gate Drive' for a new Specialized compilation CD which will be sold in aid of worthy causes such as Tonic and Teenage Cancer Trust. On this occassion thehe band are:

Above: Mick "Woody" Woodmansey (drums), Terry Edwards (sax and flute), Horace Panter (bass) Micko Westmoreland (guitar) plus Paul Cuddeford (lead guitar), Kevin Eldon (backing singing) and Hannah Hu (lead vocals)