Ian Mood, an artist, is sat at a desk wearing a pair of black rimmed glasses and a black jumper. They are painting a piece of artwork which is on an easel to their right. They are holding a paintbrush in their left hand. They are surrounded by bottles of paint of different colours.

Welcome to the first blog post from my residency* with Newcastle Common. Over the next two months I’ll be painting selected venues in Newcastle celebrating what for me are the vibrant new spaces and faces of our town.

My last residency was in 2019 and the world look very different. The paintings that emerged from that residency on Newcastle High Street were paintings of scared figures – with an unsure future. Now to me the town feels very different; I’m hopeful for our future and I see people around me who feel the same. So I’m spending time painting in a few of my favourite venues including Mellards and Anasma (the Greek bakery). If you see me sketching please come and say hello – we’ll be documenting the process on social media and want as many people involved as possible. It’s your town as well as mine!

Check out the Appetite Facebook and Instagram for updates and there’ll be a new blog post soon… 

Images by Jenny Harper of Ian Mood’s 2021 residency ‘Open Up’

*What is an artist residency? When an artist such as a painter, illustrator or performer creates work over a period of times in a particular place. At Newcastle Common, an artist will work in our space as well as creating work for audiences like you to enjoy. 

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