I thought I’d give a quick update to my rather overdue blog, quite a lot has happened since my last post and although I’ve been posting new work on Facebook and Twitter, my WordPress has been slightly neglected. For those not wanting to wait more than a year for an update here are the links to my other pages:
https://www.facebook.com/Simon-Tolhurst-16537193567/
https://www.twitter.com/simontolhurst
University of London Still Life 2016 Oil on Canvas
In the Summer last year, my long term employment with the University of London came to an end. I started working at ULU (University of London Union) in 1991 shortly after finishing college and over the years it’s been a great place for me to work, allowing me to develop my artists’ practice, gain teaching experience and even exhibit my artwork (the building still has three large scale pieces of my work on the walls, installed in 2005). I also got to see some of my favourite bands play and I got to work with several people who’ve gone on to do big things like Will Champion of Coldplay fame and Ricky Gervais of.. well.. Ricky Gervais fame!
I’ve made some great friends and several of them have been wonderful models too. Thank you to everyone I worked with at ULU over the years, especially the student staff, you were always terrific.
When the University told the staff at ULU last summer that we were to be outsourced to another company I decided to move on and I’m delighted to have joined Haematology Cancer Care at UCLH as their Fundraising and Engagement Officer since January of this year.
https://www.uclh.nhs.uk/aboutus/Campaignsandcharities/HCC/Pages/Home.aspx
It’s a brilliant charity, doing some really great projects to support the patients, their families and the Haematology Unit, check out HCC’s Twitter and Facebook here:
https://www.twitter.com/HCC_UCLH and https://www.facebook.com/HaematologyCancerCare/
My role is part time which should (once I’ve got the hang of things completely) give me time to continue my creative output and it also allows me to continue with the Portrait Artist in Residence project at UCLH. Instigated by Steve Roper (artist and arts organiser) and Sara Goldman (Head of Fundraising at HCC), I’ve been visiting the hospital on a weekly basis to make portraits of the patients. The project is free and all participants get signed prints of their drawing and I’m hoping to exhibit the originals. I’ve got too many drawings since my last post to add them all here but below are some of the recent ones:
Thank you very much to everyone who has posed for me recently!
Lastly, here are some other images since my last post:
Thank you for visiting my blog!
Simon Tolhurst 