FEBRUARY 2008
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After R has passed the paintings over to Rob they both bump into each other again in the Co-op! which is one of the best stores for Fairtrade products. As a by the by Sainsburys give a free reusable striped cotton bag to purchasers of more than one Fairtrade item. The Waitrose bag, which costs a couple of pounds, is larger, stronger and carbon neutral.
Start new small work.
R takes my Mum up to Blackheath to meet Samuel and see Isaac, Henrietta and Kev. It's a wild, windy and wet day; I notice peering out of a back windows in my studio that one of the fence panels has blown down. Preparing the paintings for Rob and doing more to a couple of commissions.
Rob Whittle rings to say he's just sold the two small paintings to his clients. He's coming on Thursday lunchtime to collect two more works to show at the art fair he's doing later this month.
Nathan phoned to say he'd had a really good response to the set he's created and built last week at Shepperton - it was very ambitious and had to be completed in a couple of days although the planning and preparatory work took place in his studio.
Working on the two paintings for Rob. Unfortunately I'm rather behind schedule so I have to send my apologies to the rest of the Appeal Committee at the National Star College for not attending this evening's meeting as its going to take me through to the early hours of tomorrow and Thursday to finish the works.
...and so it does...
Rob Whittle arrives about 1 p.m.. to collect the paintings and deliver cheque for the paintings he's recently sold at the Fine Art and Antiques fair etc. As we sit in the kitchen over our cups of tea he tells us more wonderful stories about the people he's met and the stories that they have told him; one of today is a fascinating tale told to him by Billy, a dealers runner who used to scour the world searching for pieces of art that the dealers might be interested in. Just after the Second World War he met a Jewish refugee in Paris who invited him to visit him (to look at some paintings he had). He lived in an overcrowded shared apartment; his room was the bathroom which had all the other occupants to-ing and fro-ing for their ablutions! When Billy the runner arrived he couldn't think where the paintings could be until the man removed a blanket from under the bath. There within it, taken out of their frames and rolled up in this blanket for the man's hasty escape to Paris (from the Nazis regime), Billy could not believe his eyes when the man unrolled the blanket to reveal canvases by Vincent van Gogh . He advised him to go and get them valued properly as they were very important works. He told Billy he's got them from the dealer who had handled Vincent's work after his brother Theo died.
Visit from my dear friend Joyce who has very sweetly brought gifts for Samuel and Isaac as she knows we are going up to see them next week.
E mail from Greg Smith exploring the idea of the possibility of me making a mural for the new Gloucestershire College.
Working on commissions.
We were gong to Martin Kiszko (the composer)'s birthday party in Bristol but as my Mum has got a nasty virus and today it seems to be worse, have decided that would rather not go too far. So spend the evening working on new pieces since as Richard points out to me, anything I create this evening will be a bonus.
Continue on new starts though not always quite sure where they are leading
to. My Mum seems to be a little better.
We drive over to Gloucester to meet with Greg Smith (Principal) and Andy Ginn (director of arts and media) at the new Gloucestershire College to discuss and look at the possibility and site of the mural. They take us on a trip around the campus to observe the different departments and subjects studied. It covers an amazingly broad diversity of skills. It's in such a wonderful situation with the River Severn running alongside and the medieval Llanthony Priory in its grounds.
Have been contemplating three shaped panels that I started to paint during the Arabian series, with patterning taken from the hangings that I brought back with me from Saudi Arabia . For the past few days I have been looking at them trying to visualise the central subject. Today's bright sunshine seems to evoke memories of figures seen at that time; drawing on these I begin to create the composition.
E mail from Toyah saying that she's doing a programme for the BBC called 'Cash in the Attic' that when the crew were there they had admired my paintings and wondered if I might donate a small piece to be auctioned for the charity of Toyah's choice which is Macmillan Nurses. During the afternoon I get a call from Miles, the programme researcher - I say I will be very pleased to do this and wonder if part of the money raised from the little painting could be shared with the National Star College since as I'm a Patron my first duty lies there although I do think Macmillan Nurses are wonderful and we were very grateful to them when Richard's father was terminally ill. Alternatively I wonder if they might have a celebrity without a cause who might adopt the Star College for their programme.
Start two little paintings, one of which will be for the 'Cash in the Attic' programme.
Richard made a carrot cake during the morning which I ice with the likeness of a tiger's face in the evening.
Phone call from Simon, the series editor and man in charge of the 'Cash in the Attic' programme who says that the BBC can't divert part of the moneys to the Star College from Toyah's Cash in the Attic programme but when I tell him I will donate it entirely to Macmillan Nurses he says he will see if they can find a celebrity who will use them in one of the other programmes ( later during the afternoon he emails to say his researchers are positively seeking one).
We're off to London for Isaac's second birthday. My Mum's in the front next to Richard whilst I'm in the back wrapping presents and drawing a large elephant birthday card. We stop in Stoke Newington to collect Nathan and Rebecca and admire the handiwork in his flat which he has just painted white and plumbed in a new sink unit - his first experience of plumbing and he now thinks he might tackle putting in a new bathroom suite !! The space looks really good and has the most amazingly large window facing over gardens to the South so the living room is always light and bright. We arrive in Blackheath at 3.15 just as Isaac is waking from his afternoon nap. We have a lovely time playing with him and helping to open presents. When he sees the birthday cake he climbs up to inspect it and can't resist eating some of the tiger's chocolate stripes. Samuel has visibly grown since we saw him just over three weeks ago and is over two pounds heavier. I love these occasions when we are all together; Kev and Richard prepare the supper and it's a perfect evening. Arrive home about 1.30 am.
Spend earlier part of the day paying bills to the framer and photographer etc. Also putting together a proposal for the possible mural project.
I've been quite prolific recently, making several new starts for paintings for the Paris show. It's good to explore some fresh ideas.
Continue with the small leopard and the evensong paintings as the two alternative possibilities for the 'Cash in the Attic' programme for The Macmiillan Nurses. But also work on a small street scene started for the Paris show. The light is really good again as the sun shines the whole day through.
I've decided to concentrate on the painting with the animals. In a world where one creed or race finds it difficult to live with another I've made this allegorical piece showing creatures great and small living together in harmony in the garden of Paradise with an Angel who perhaps pacifies the animals and makes reference to the Macmillan nurses
Tuesday 19.2.08
ditto
Wednesday 20.2.08
ditto
Thursday 21.2.08
I feel rather guilty as we were going to attend the celebrations for Estonian Independence Day as the guests of dear margus, the Estonian Ambassador at the Banqueting Hall, Whitehall with its magnificent painted ceiling by Rubens. but I won;t get the little painting finished in time for it to be collected on Saturday morning if I go. So in the hope that Margus will invite us again next year I paint the night away.
Such a sweet reply from Margus who says there is nothing to forgive and that I not only has his understanding but his full support. I'm still up till 3 am adding a zebra's head and leg entering on the right hand side of the frame and the tail of a serpent and a black panther exiting the frame on the other side.
Saturday 23.2.08
Liam from Cash in the Attic comes to collect "The Angel in the Garden". Working on a smaller toy shop. In the evening we go to Richard Chatham's (our Starart auctioneer) birthday party, a surprise for him organised by Emma and Mark. It's held in his splendid new golf course club house which was designed by Emma's husband Andy. A lovely occasion at which we see Revd Chris Harrison who used to teach Nathan and knows Henrietta too. He and his wife ( who also taught at the school ) tell us about an exciting exhibition they had recently seen of Patrick Hughes' 3D paintings in Birmingham; Patrick was kind enough to donate one of his beautiful prints to the Starart auction.
Sunday 24.2.08
We've decided to do an early birthday supper for Richard as Sunday seems a better evening than Monday, especially as I want to be up early on Tuesday. Richard, Rose and my Mum are here and R's cooked a delicious fish stew; the wonderful aroma of the wine, tomatoes fresh herbs and spices in which the haddock swordfish, tiapella, salmon and prawns are being cooked greets me as I come in from the studio. I do always offer to make Richard's birthday meal and cake but he enjoys doing it so much I would be depriving him of a great pleasure.
Unbeknown to Richard I have spent the day working on a little painting for him called 'The Bookworm' and of course it features him.
Monday 25.2.08
Richard's birthday. The Gloucestershire Echo have put a very nice reproduction of the little painting for the Cash in the Attic programme donated to the Macmillan Nurses with smaller pictures of Toyah and I superimposed in front of it and a generous write up.
Interview.
Earthquake tremour just before 1am Wednesday.
Wednesday
E mail from Toyah ...The auction happened yesterday and you received a lot of TV coverage for the programme. The painting had a wonderful telephone bidding war and it raised 1000 pounds (which means the selling price was near to £1,200 with the buyers premium) which everyone was thrilled with. It got a huge cheer. Thank you very much for doing this and i think you will be pleased with the programme.....
I'm delighted as I know they were hoping to raise a total of £640 to fund a Macmillan Nurse for a week.
Thursday 28.2.08
Am making good progress on the starts for the Paris show and some to the commissions too.
Friday 29.2.08
Feel guilty again as was looking forward to attending the Bishop's Breakfast but sadly it coincided with an important appointment.
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