FEBRUARY 2007
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.........I go to bed just before R leaves for Heathrow after packing the Camel Herdsman in his newly made crate. He calls in at Brian's Gallery en route to collect a newspaper painting requested by the Art Consultants for one of their clients to see next week. He delivers this after dropping the crate off at the Federal Express office who say the painting should be in Japan by Monday.
Two interesting smaller cheques arrive today, one for royalties from Wentworth the jigsaw people and the other from DACS who had collected the artists droite de suite on the resale of a painting sold at a London auction last May, before I had signed up with the Artists Collecting Society (part of the Bridgeman Art Library).
Have spent the day working on the Camels. It's surprisingly bright, sunny and mild for early February - probably due to global warming. I think I saw a blackbird fly out of the ivy on our house wall yesterday, where I suspect she is starting to build a nest. January was the warmest January since 1916. On the news today results of a huge report on climate change by scientists from around the world, sponsored by the United Nations who are 90% sure that it is man-made and that if we don't move rapidly to address the problem there will be increases of flooding, hurricanes, heat waves, rising sea levels and many other natural weather related disasters and that Greenland might even disappear.
R delivers the two racecourse paintings back after they have been borrowed for the Melton Carnage exhibition.
I'm dividing my energies between the Coffee Pot Seller and the Camels; both need to be photographed on Monday.
We set off at 10.45 with my Mum to visit my sister Gill and Howell in their new home in Bedfordshire, arriving at 1.30. The house is beautiful, 15th century, full of history. Once the house of the Brotherhood, a small group of chantry monks and there is still some wall painting and lettering left from that time in Gills study. In the 1620s the poet John Donne lived here whilst performing the duties of Rector (though he was also Dean of St Pauls for much of the time). Next door in the living room some beautiful wood carving and a tiny minstrels gallery into which I have great fun climbing in the dining hall. A hidden bedroom is entered through what looks like a cupboard door quite high on the wall reached up some small portable wooden steps and a bit of a heave-ho into the room on all fours. They have been told by previous owners that it is haunted though haven't as yet witnessed it for themselves. Gill's cooked a wonderful fish pie especially as she knows we don't eat meat. In the afternoon Gill and I go for a walk with Kate the dog. When we leave at 6.30 it's dark and a fog has descended, probably because we a close to the water and low lying but we are soon through it and are back home in time for me to do a good night's work on the last two Arabian canvases.
R takes the Coffee Pot Seller to the Darkroom photographers whist I continue with the Camels. Phone call mid morning from Siljia at the shippers to ask if the paintings are ready and would it be alright if they came early afternoon tomorrow instead of early morning, I am very pleased with these extra four hours as it will give Richard enough time to take the Camels to the photographers in the morning before they come rather later this afternoon. This last stint seems like quite a marathon as apart from working the Camels, I am tweaking little bits here and there on the other canvases (which have all been photographed) on parts that the camera will not have seen.
....having worked all night I wait up until Richard returns from the Darkroom with the Camels as I want to give them a final check to make sure the frame hasn't got marked in the process. my body is rather out of sync when I rise as dusk is falling and I now have to decide what to channel my energies into now that this huge commission of the five Japanese and ten Arabian canvases have been finally completed - it's taken two years and three months.
Rob Whittle is coming on Thursday; he'd phoned to ask if I could let him have two or three works for forthcoming Art Fairs, which means I need to finish off a small newspaper painting and juggle about getting works back from a couple of other dealers.
After staying up late again putting hats onto some of the readers of newspapers and a little more refining on the Circus, Rob rings to say that due to the heavy snow fall overnight, road conditions in Birmingham are bad, so he has postponed coming to collect the works. Everything is wonderfully white and bright, reflecting the light; the first snow fall of the year. Lots of schools have been closed and there are mentions of people skiing and snow boarding in some areas.
I spend the day working on Mrs Lennard's commission, feeling somewhat guilty about Lee's circular painting sitting on the next easel. She had 'phoned again from New York on Thursday hoping that it would be finished to photograph and ship to their condominium in Puerto Rico where they are about to go . She had hoped it might be ready for Hanukah, then Christmas and now before the 22nd February when they leave. Though she did mention they would be back there in March which seems to give me a little longer. I feel rather like a child procrastinating especially when she says maybe I would get inspired; although she's a dealer I don;t think she realises quite how many commissions I have to do. It's never the ideas that are the problem only lack of time.
Rob rings early to say they are going to try and make it through the snow this morning which they succeed in doing at 11.30 am. They set off again about an hour later with the three paintings wrapped safely in their boot. I am rather concerned during the evening when I hear on the radio news that traffic in Birmingham has come to a standstill and driving is almost impossible. All the schools are still shut.
Again Mrs Lennard's commission absorbs the day and evening.
We drive to Burford to take my dear friends Jane and Roy for lunch at the Bay Tree Hotel. I'm amazed at how remarkably good Jane looks for someone who has just undergone intensive chemo and radio therapy and am so pleased that she has managed to regain some appetite. At one stage during the treatment she felt so awful she was unable to eat or drink anything for four days. But this wonderful girl is back on fighting form and manages a glass and a half of wine (which the doctor has said is good for stimulating the taste buds).
Am back in the studio by 4.30. Another easel is sitting on the other side of Mrs Lennard's commission upon which sits a pristine and gleaming white canvas stretched and primed by Richard. So I spend until supper starting this which is a commission for Butch and his uncle, Victor Chandler. He's invited us to supper with them during the Cheltenham Gold Cup Festival, so I'm hoping to have it nearly finished by then.
After dinner I return to Mrs Lennard's interior.
It's bright and light in my studio when I commence work on Butch's Poker painting on which I continue until late afternoon when my Mum visits. I take her over the road to the house where we go on a tour of inspection, Richard showing us all the parts he has been painting and filling on the top floor.
Henrietta calls to say that she, Kev and Isaac are back from their skiing holiday in Canada with friends who live there and have a little boy just six weeks older than Isaac. they have become great chums.
Before going back to work on Mrs Lennard's commission I peruse the large white canvas and frame in the third room, picturing in my minds eye the beginnings of the composition that will become Madge and Eamon's painting.
Continue on the two commissions
In today's post a package from Andy Curry at the Pryory Gallery, it includes the transparency of The Circus which she says sold for £5,300 at the charity auction 'Yes to Life'. The charity for complimentary therapies in hospital cancer units was set up in memory of Bryony who died aged 23 by her father, Robin Daly. The auction and dinner, held at the Wallace Collection, was organised by Andy, who says it was a 'wow' of an evening. I'm so pleased that the painting has made a lot of money as people sometimes expect things to go for less at charity auctions when really they should go for their regular price or more.
Call from Brian Sinfield who's back from three weeks in Australia.
Continue on the Poker Players and Mrs L's commission.
Drive up to London with my Mum, collecting Nathan and then Rebecca en route, for Isaac's First Birthday. He now climbs up the stairs and whilst I was behind him on one of his numerous trips up, he learns to negotiate his way back down. He helps me assemble Oscar the rocking lamb that we have bought him; he loves putting the screws into the holes and is fascinated by the Allen key for turning them; he also likes putting our new bricks in and out of the back of his truck.
Richard runs Nathan and Rebecca back as Nathan is teaching an evening class in 16 mm Film Making at Central St Martins.
I help Kev bath Isaac and we discuss how amazing it is that he's now fairly independent sitting and standing on his own in the bath, no longer dependent for the total support of the new born he was one year ago.
We leave after supper arriving home at about 1.30 am.
Back to the commissions.
Friday 16.2.07
ditto
Saturday 17.2.07
ditto
Day absorbed by the commissions.
The sample strips arrive from the printers as full actual size vertical section of the painting. It's quite strange to look at the three repeats, each varying slightly in colour.
Working on the commissions.
Howell my brother-in-law goes into Papworth for his major operation tomorrow.
We drive up to London for Estonian Independence Day as guests of Margus - the President is also there. We spot Nigel the British Ambassador to Tallinn who was at my opening there and I meet Reet, the Cultural Attaché who I had corresponded with before the exhibition. We chat to Eva Laidre and Robert and Toyah briefly also Jacqui; Wallace is there too. Part way through I get a phone call from my sister Gill to say that Howell has come through his open heart surgery that took place this morning. I'm so relieved. I had been talking to Roger Jones, the Estonian Consul for Wales, wearing a large medallion as his badge of office. He also seems to be Chair of Swansea University and of the Welsh National Trust.
After we manage to locate the car park and start driving across London. we decide we have enough time to visit Tate Britain to see the Hogarth exhibition en route to Nathan's. It's a wonderful and comprehensive show (apart from not including an altarpiece). It's very diverse and includes of course the Rake's Progress and Marriage a la Mode. In this latter gallery there's a rather wonderful winged sofa with legs in shocking pink and yellow at an angle, echoing the chambolic nature of the series. One gallery is dedicated to his 'High Art' and of course there is the wonderful portrait of Captain Coram who founded the Foundling Hospital (with the help of people like Hogarth and Handel). This marvellous hospital became home to thousands of abandoned babies, (though sadly many still died). Captain Coram invited artists to exhibit within the hospital to enrich and stimulate the children and also encourage the wealthy to visit it and become patrons. Perhaps my favourite painting the whole exhibition is the group portrait of his servants, their faces full of humanity although I have to admit that the observation, narrative and wit of Hogarth's work is always a joy to see and so informative about the time in which he lived and worked covering almost every subject from politics and theatre to family life.
We then drive to Nathan's where we are also joined by Rebecca and he cooks us the most delicious spinach and cheese pancakes followed by another course with lemon and sugar.
I phone Gill again for an update on Howell's progress as she and his daughter Karen have visited him. He's not really conscious although does smile when his dedicated male nurse tells him that his wife and "the other woman" are leaving.
We make our departure at about a quarter to twelve, arriving home at about half past two.
I am feeling rather guilty about not having got Lee's commission to her in Puerto Rico so decide to have a big bash so that we can send a photo graph of it in progress for their arrival back in New York. A Cornish Gipsy comes to the door and tells me amongst other things that she can see an aura round me, I am gifted and over worked, I must remember that some things can wait until tomorrow. I only have a five pound note left in my purse to give her as I had given Tom a hundred pounds (for his charity) in exchange for some of his beautiful photographs when he called at the studio recently. I hadn't seen him for some time and my Mum had mentioned that he now had a carer. It was such a joy to see him, the medication was working effectively as the erratic, involuntary, Parkinson induced movements were well under control although Tom tells me that there is only a short window of time each day in which it works effectively.
Howell is making good progress.
Working on Lee's commission during the day, before R takes a photograph to put in the post and also send via e mail. phone Gill for progress report on Howell he has been laughing and she has managed to get him to drink three glasses of water. We discuss the miracle Heart surgery at Papworth, they have repaired his Mitral valve and replaced his Aortic valve with one of animal material (porcine or bovine).
The new sculpture of Mrs Thatcher, unveiled in the Houses of Parliament this week, is by Tony Dufort, who was in the same year as Richard at Winchester School of Art.
Jenny, sixth form student from Cleeve School, comes to visit the studio and talk to me about the way in which I work, as part of her A level project she has to create a piece using a similar working practice to the artist she has studied. She's the granddaughter of Bernard and Joan who are friends of my Mother's at the senior residents club.
Lee rings from New York; they have just returned from Puerto Rico and have read my e mail but not been able to open the attached image of their painting in progress. I tell her we've also put a hard copy in the post but will also e mail it to Jim's office at his law firm. We were going to visit Howell this weekend but Gill thinks it better to postpone as his heart beat is up to 120.
Spend day working on Mrs Lennard's commission.
We are very pleased as we were after a set of stretchers that Cornellissen in London did not have in stock and as they also supply Fourmark the artist material shop in Cheltenham we were surprised to find, after a phone call, that they did have a 58 x 42 inch set with cross bar that they had in stock for several years, (since they first started stocking them).
Howell's heart beat up to 145 the bottom half is working effectively but upper section is going too fast.
It's Richard's birthday so I spend the day finishing off a little painting I started for him a couple of days ago. In the evening Richard and Rose our friends and neighbours come to supper as do Minnie and my Mum. R insisted on doing the cooking himself; his famous fish pie followed by a most delicious apple and almond cake served with ice cream.
Lee rings from New York to say they have received the photograph of the painting. I explain that there's still a lot more to do and she says she will send the payment.
A most touching e mail from Margus who we had missed speaking to at the Estonian Independence Day celebration. He is so apologetic and blames himself for not having spotted us as he had wanted to introduce us to the President. He's such a dear man and doesn't realise that we felt even more guilty about it as we thought it was our fault that we hadn't managed to get to him through the crowds.
Gill and Anthony from the National Star College Appeals Office come to lunch bearing a wonderful bouquet of sunflowers. and a bottle of wine It's a most enjoyable and fruitful discussion - we are aiming to do a charity exhibition and auction during mid October to help launch the fund raising campaign. A couple of years ago the College was able to buy the farm just above and next to them in the glorious setting of Ullenwood (on the outskirts of Cheltenham) in the hope of developing the College facilities and accommodation further. Part of this marvellous development will be a brand new creative arts department and this is the part we would like to focus on. The Learning and Skills Council have awarded them £7m but the College has to raise a matching amount. The complex will even house an eco friendly biomass power plant. It's going to be the most amazing college of further education; it's the first time that the Leaning and Skills Council have funded a residential college where the staff (teaching; care; maintenance etc.) outnumber the students by 4 to 1 as the severity of disabilities has increased considerably since the founding of the College forty years ago.
The prints arrive by courier.
R manages to prepare and pack the prints to send to the Middle East and
drives them to Heathrow.
SEPTEMBER 2006 - OCTOBER 2006- NOVEMBER 2006 - DECEMBER 2006 - JANUARY 2007 - MARCH 2007