Keith English Blog

I love sharing this exhibition with you all. The love that Keith and his work generated throughout his lifetime is a pleasure to behold. You came. You shared your memories and stories with me. We laughed and we cried. It was such an amazing experience and you have all helped me through the first hurdle. I cannot thank you enough for all that you have given. And the lovely paintings gave their light and energy right back to us. Thank you Keith for sharing your inspiration and your talent with St Ives and the world! The Star Goddess Capella The Star Goddess Capella will not be on display again unless by permission of her new owners. She was one of four of Keith's latest paintings, finished in the summer of 2016. Capella is a star that is especially dear to Keith and me. It shone brightly through our bedroom window in our first rented flat. It appears as a single bright star but actually consists of two sets of binary stars. For Keith she was a "Twin Flame...

Earth Song Keith always painted to music. In the early days when he had just a small studio upstairs in Lanhams Building he liked to listen to anything that Jon Anderson released, as well as Jon and Vangelis. He felt that Jon's words were so spiritual and matched his way of thinking. After we opened the gallery in 1990 we played ambient music to create an atmosphere of peace and harmony. Many of the musicians we featured were local to Cornwall and the UK such as Medwyn Goodall and Nigel Shaw. They were young, had a purpose with a message to share and produced cutting edge music for the time. The music that we surrounded ourselves with enhanced and complimented the paintings that Keith was producing. Keith is on the far right playing the harmonica in The Cavern Keith was a natural musician. He had played in a band from 1958 through the 1960's, often opening at The Cavern for the 1960's bands that we all now remember and love. His band was called The Strolling Bo...

Parallel Dimensions The stunning image of Pegasus the flying horse has captured our imaginations since the days when Greek mythology began. There is something so free and noble about him. In the stories, Pegasus often uses his powers to rescue others. According to legend, Pegasus was the offspring of the sea god Poseidon and the Gorgon Medusa. The white sea foam gave him his brilliant white colour. Illuminated Pathways Keith was always fascinated by the concept of a black hole. What if it divides us from another Universe?  What if it is ruled by Mother God? What if it is parallel to us but in negative relief? So many mysteries to explore! Keith asked all these questions. I like to think he is bounding through the Universe now gathering all his answers!!! And if he could command the Pegasus he would be flying free! The Story of Semele This painting, The Story of Semele, is a depiction from Handel's opera 'Semele'. Zeus loved the princess Semele and she, in fa...

Freyja Pilgrim, for you I hold the Amber Necklace As you search for it through Odin's pageantry beneath a Nordic Morning Star. The secrets of great Yggdrasill are spelled out for you within the Runes of Fate. And Asgard holds the power of life and death; peace and war. I keep the secrets safe for you until you open up the gate.                                                                             poem by Jodieanne Keith and I began our path of study by reading everything in sight concerning all the world religions. He had dyslexia and found reading difficult so I read aloud to him as he painted.  We did not delve into paganism, however, as we had both been raised in Christian homes and we were left with the impression that this was a darker path than we wished to study.  ...

Hauling in the Nets at Sunrise The hardworking fisherman was admired by Keith and often was the subject of his early paintings. He came from a working class family. His father was a painter but not of pictures. He worked for a firm that painted practical things. Keith was born in Ashton-Under-Lyne and was raised in Cheadle Hulme along with his older sister Joyce. (His niece Megan and her family live in and around neighbouring Stockport to this day.) When his Headmaster tried to convince his father to allow Keith to go to Art College, much to Keith's dismay the request was refused. "Get a trade, lad. It will never let you down." Keith was an avid footballer and played in goal. (He played football until his late 40's, after which he helped teach American youngsters soccer while living the winters in Florida. But I get ahead of myself!) Keith is the 4th one from the left, top row His father found him an apprenticeship with an electrical firm and Keith appli...

The Virgin and the Unicorn Keith had a fascination with the myths and legends of our planet Earth. He felt like these marvelous beings were in our consciousness for a reason. Why are unicorns much loved by our children? Why have they fascinated artists and story tellers throughout the ages? What is the symbology behind them? To Keith the unicorn represented purity of thought and action. The legend says that only those pure of heart can touch the unicorn and live. Love, Innocence, Purity and Power In this painting Keith represented these four qualities: love (the wise matriarch), innocence (the young woman), purity (the unicorn) and power (the lion). In Keith's paintings nudity is representative of complete trust and simple innocence. This painting has a gentle energy, even in the face of the powerful lion who rests quietly with inner mastery. A Touch of Innocence and A Secret Shared These are the two most purchased prints by children through all the years of o...

Shambala A study in Compassion would put me in your place; Would have me walk a stranger's strides and wear a foreign face. Being in your footsteps; wearing your sized shoes; Holding back my judgements and suppressing Ego's views... As your pathway opens up,  making your choices seem so real Compassion blossoms into Love and both of us can heal.                                                                      - poem by Jodieanne Keith has the most remarkable ability to somehow inject feelings of peace into his paintings.  This was demonstrated to me in our home. For many years we had no paintings on our own walls. (The shoemakers children go unshod!) But finally we brought them in, gifting our home with their lovely light. Our son was a teenager and a remarkable thing happened the v...