I went to the Francis Bacon show at the Tate Liverpool in the week before it ended. I was blown away by it. To have the opportunity to see so much of the master’s work up close and personal was mind blowing. I was able to sketch and use my pastels without being challenged. The quality of the fields of colour contrasting often with the human elements stayed with me. The paint was so carefully applied and the quality of the blues and oranges have to be seen in the flesh as it were. I really appreciated seeing the sketches and photos that served as inspiration. He was brave enough to go towards the darker side of human nature. I talked to my dad about it all in our last conversation together. He had much to say on it and the nature of beauty and the way artists choose their subjects. Here are two sketches I made on the spot in front of the works. The male study wasn’t one of the more dramatic pieces but it drew me to it. The female figure fascinated from the start and the quality of the blue behind her.