JANUARY 2005
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My dear Henrietta and Kev go back to London. Richard had taken Nathan early in the week. Working particularly on the two newspaper paintings for Standard Chartered Bank; had also been much encouraged that H, K and N had all liked the Japanese canvases in the studio.
Statement from Bridgeman Art Library. Interesting to see that Manifesto, Deadline, Leonardo and two newspaper paintings had all been reproduced again this quarter; some through Getty Images.
Huge efforts still being made to reach victims of the tsunami in the more inaccessible areas of the region. Over a million and a half people now without homes and in need of fresh water and other facilities.
The two newspaper commissions for Standard Chartered Bank are now looking considerably more finished after today's intensive efforts. have changed the largest head that I had started the first of the two paintings with, to Indian rather than African, as he's reading The Asian Age. When I start the newspaper works I like to brush in the whole of the composition before deciding which newspapers each player is reading; it makes for a much livelier and spontaneous composition. It's then intriguing to place particular papers with the various hands and heads.
In between painting photographs on the newspaper works I pop down to number 80 to see how Richard is getting on assembling wardrobes and beds from Ikea for the new tenants who are from Poland. interesting that they are all trained but have not been able to get jobs in their professions in Poland but now they are in the EC they can work here where pay is higher due to our thriving economy even though the jobs they have taken are somewhat lowlier than they would be doing in Poland; they are the sort of jobs that the British find hard to fill.
Get a phone call from Nigel who is outside our front gate in his electric wheelchair having argued with his stepfather who he says has thrown him out. It's the same scenario as every year. We talk for an hour and a half. I try to persuade him that if he could bring himself to say sorry even if he did not feel he was in the wrong, it would humble the opponent. But when he phones him, he can't bring himself to do so. Richard tells him that if he made his visits shorter and left before they got on each others nerves, it would work rather more successfully. It's interesting that although as Nigel says, Richard doesn't mince his words with him, Nigel still takes hold of his hand and says he wishes he's had a father like him. Poor boy hasn't really had a very good deal in life but does as he says, manage to live independently with the help of carers and hasn't taken the easier option of living in a care home where everything would be done for him.
Lee rings from New York. She's sold her apartment in Puerto Rico and is buying somewhere else there, so wonders if I've started the commission as she would like to slightly change the brief.
Having a final bash on The Bar today as R is delivering it tomorrow; probably nobody else would think that anything needed doing but I always like to have a farewell finishing.
Richard's still assembling furniture at number 80. The house looks good with the small art deco suite, new rugs and furniture. It's always fun putting rooms together and making it into a home.
I do a few bits of touching up with paint there before inevitably staying up until 4 am again working on The Bar!
R delivers the painting to Cantilever Bars. Rather touched as later in the day receive e mail from Caroline saying how pleased they are with it and that if they have good year they would like to commission another painting towards the end of it - they know my schedule of commissions is very full, could they book it in now?
More to newspaper commissions, particularly photographs on USA Today, Telegraph and Singapore paper. Had yesterday painted in a white head dress on reader of beautiful green Arabic paper that R starts to put the masthead on - difficult when you don't speak or read the language!
In the afternoon get phone call from Jack our new tenant, saying that he and Justina would like to invite us to a little dinner. Justina had said that the house looked pretty to Richard when he saw her in the morning. For desert we have kishel (?) a traditional Polish dish made from potato flour. It was a beautiful pink translucent jelly-like sauce with slices of different fruits suspended in it. Justina had worked for the police force in Poland, particularly with the rehabilitation of prisoners, often children. She says there are a lot of street children there who even when they are quite small take drugs and are sometimes the children of drug addicts. Drink and drugs are even more of a problem in Poland than here and there are still many legacies of communism that hinder the progress and economy of the country. We discuss Polish cinema and the great Kristoff Kyslowski who sadly died a few years ago. I always feel a bit of a connection with him as Leonardo de la Fuente the producer of his film La Double Vie Veronique, bought a circus painting from the my first Paris exhibition in 1991.
Call from Brian Sinfield who's back in the gallery after the Christmas break and has had an e mail enquiry about my work - wants to go through what is available or not. He's only got one work of mine from from me and another from a collector who's wanting to raise some money. He is putting together a new catalogue so would like an image or two for that.
Call from Nathan who was taken to the premiere (down the red carpet) of Oliver Stone's Alexander, the controversial film on Alexander the Great, by a young lady friend who had worked on it. The Greeks aren't pleased with the film as they feel it makes too much of Alexander's bisexuality but then the gay movement in the USA aren't happy either as they feel it hasn't made enough of it.
The two newspaper canvases occupy the day though still doing lots of reading and research on Japan for the five works inspired by the visit. We now have quite a collection of books, including one on Kimono, four on geisha, two on Manga, two on Popular Culture, Peter Carey's new "Wrong about Japan" and several older works we already had in our library on Japanese arts crafts and culture. Interestingly when we had dinner with Eiji and Meg in Tokyo, they were amazed at how much we had seen and done [ without a guide ] and said they thought we now knew more about Japan than they did! Whilst Henrietta and Kev were still here we watched 'Lost in Translation' the Sophia Copolla film but although it was good and very funny it tended to look more at pop culture like karaoke the more traditional aspects of this ancient culture so although we were mildly disappointed with the film were much encouraged as felt we had learned about and seen the country in greater depth.
Most of the day spent preparing for the party; then suddenly it's 8 o'clock and guests start arriving. The room fills up and I'm trying to introduce people to one another, particularly our four Polish guests. wallace asks if he will be able to show Judy the studio so a large party that varies in numbers as people come and go, fills the studio; particular interest in the Japanese paintings, Ronald really likes them especially the geisha canvas. Which takes the heat off Richard who's in the kitchen producing vegetarian bangers and mash and nibbles. At midnight it's suggested that we should sing Auld Langs Eyne even though we had postponed the party for a week; the last time we heard this was in Japan where they seem to play it in shops and stores at closing time which seemed slightly incongruous in a country so rich in it's own culture and music. After that we play a game that my Dad had invented, called horse racing. My Mum suggests we entitle it The Hustler after him. I'm slightly concerned when I'm telling them how to play it as it's also dependent on having an entertaining bookie and commentator. I think about the guests, who would be most appropriate? and then approach Richard Chatham asking if he's a racing man? he's the perfect choice and is brilliant at inserting all sorts of comic extras into the commentary, visits to the radio car, sponsors and advertisements. he even auctions the horses off before the last race. It's quite amazing that he has whipped the excitement up to such a degree that it sounds as if we are on a real racetrack. When I compliment him on his performance he admits to having done it for charities when he was in the Round Table. I've made a mental note of this and his talent as could be great fun for a charity event. We continue until after 2am.
Both feeling a little fragile today even though we don't really drink (but other guests probably wouldn't realise that I was drinking cranberry juice not wine). Manage to paint in more photographs and work into figures on the nwp commissions.
Brian Sinfield phoned. I managed to get an extension on delivery of the newspaper commissions for Thursday rather than Wednesday which is a great relief as still rather a lot that needs to be done.
Phone call from Robert Sandelson who's just seen my LATE NIGHT MOVIE painting in the cinema in Lower Regent Street; he asks how this came about and says it looks good there.
Reply to the programme co-ordinator for Cheltenham Branch of art appreciation students, University of the Third Age, who would like to come to visit the studio or St Michael's for me to talk about the Rood (crucifixion painting) that I painted for it in 1985.
Up until 4am then decide to call it a day. Richard's still doing text.
Wake up when hear phone ringing at 9.45. It's The Darkroom wondering where Richard is with the two paintings - he's on his way there. He's back by about 10.30. He unscrews the two canvases so that I can paint around the edges while he has a sleep. I get them done by 2pm but R still has to screw them back into their frames and pack them. Phone Jane at Tempest Radford to find out what time they close and she suggests it would be fine for them to come up tomorrow. R's mildly disappointed as he's geared to go but I would rather he had more sleep and more time to do the trip it in.
Reply to Dan Howard at the Art School who had asked to be reminded about time scale and budget for the photography award at the National Star College.
Beautiful card from Leonard Mannassah - vibrant shapes and colours. Leonard had just retired from the Presidency of the Royal West of England Academy when I was a member of the Council of the Academy. A wonderfully ebullient man who thought I was a tycoon.
R sets off for London with the two newspaper paintings, 30th SEPTEMBER 1 and 2, calling in at Brian Sinfield's Gallery to drop off a small painting [and transparencies for his new catalogue] en route. Then onto Robert Sandelson's in Cork Street where Britta has a cheque waiting for him. They have a Mark Tobey exhibition opening later this month. After that the art consultants Tempest Radford to deliver the two np. commissions; there's a van already waiting to take them to be hung at Standard Chartered Bank's London headquarters this evening. Finally a visit to Henrietta and Kev for supper. Kev shows him some of the design work he's been doing; the new consultancy he set up last year with two of his colleagues is really thriving.
meanwhile back in the studio, I'm working on the maiko and geiko canvas and feeling tremendous relief at having got the two newspaper commissions finally finished as really want to devote my energies to the group of Japanese inspired paintings. Then later back in the house studio; more to the small corrugated piece which I've painted with Rita in mind. R arrives back about 2 am.
E mail from Alistair who has set in motion applications to take photographs etc. for our trip to Saudi Arabia, details of the agent who will help with the visa application in this country. Also some discussion on the abaya, the long black robe that covers from head to foot, which like all the women there, I will have to wear whenever I am in public. I wonder if it makes women's lives easier since they wouldn't have to wonder what to wear when they went out.
Some work to the fish market; wooden boxes in the foreground and then we have another bash on the small corrugated newspaper piece.
Rita, Jenny, Graham and Peter arrive punctually at 4. We sit and chat for an hour or two over cups of tea. Peter, a horticulturist, worked for Vita Sackville West who always gave him a big hug and a little bunch of flowers that she had selected and picked from the gardens each time he went home; then he was Constance Spry's assistant. Graham's interesting too; he worked for a pharmaceutical company and remembered giving a lecture at the King Faisal Hospital in Riyadh in the late 80's on medicines to a group of 300 Korean nurses. Later we visit the studio and look at the Japanese works in progress before showing Rita the painting with her in mind, which I have covered. Her reaction when it's unveiled is wonderfully enthusiastic so I won't be able to offer it to the man in Nairobi who e mailed last week saying he would like to buy it for his wife's birthday. They leave about 7 and I continue work on the fish market.
Card from Paris announcing the address of the Blondel's new gallery, which will open in the Spring.
Eddy and Les are back at work putting the green netting around the sides of the scaffolding and marking out the staircase.
Working into the fish market. I was very pleased yesterday when the guests in the studio particularly liked this painting - Graham said you could almost smell the fish and feel the bustle of the people.
Write artists statement for Tempest Radford to put on the labels next to the two paintings. R goes to London to deliver print to the Royal Academy of Music calling in to see Nathan afterwards before taking them out to dinner.
Mix up some new jars of colour for the fish market. Working into background stalls and the hand cart in the foreground.
Nice e mail from Saul who owns Menage a Trois.
Newspapers arrive from Saudi Arabia for one of the large canvases that MJ has commissioned to celebrate his company's 50th anniversary. All but one are totally in Arabic which should be a challenge!!
Considerable progress made on Fish Market, particularly on the lighted hoods above the stalls.
The estimated number of lives lost across the region in the tsunami has now risen to 226,000. The number of estimated British lives lost is ..... but there are still many unaccounted for missing people. One can only imagine the terrible anguish for parents and relatives who will have to live in a permanent state of limbo, perhaps never having it confirmed for sure.
Nice e mail from Jane at Tempest Radford saying that my one statement is fine for the two paintings, 30th September (1) and 30th September (2) ; she says the paintings are "fantastic" which is a relief as it's always a worry with commissions knowing whether you are creating what the client is hoping for. But I imagine they were familiar with my work, particularly the newspaper subjects which I think of as history paintings.
Another letter from the event co-ordinator of the U3A Cheltenham branch saying they are looking forward to coming to the talk on the 19th and where should they park.
Paint rather surreal looking red octopus covered in suckers in a box on the fish market painting. I had never seen so many strangely beautiful sea creatures as at the Tsukiji Fish Market in Tokyo; I imagine they dwell at the depths of the ocean in hotter climes; strange in shape, texture, colour and form which I imagine probably changes when they are alive and moving. But then many of those in the market actually were swimming around in tanks. Long silvery fish like curved blades cutting through the water between smaller striped flat round fish. These aquariums were fascinating, and reminded me of the tanks of lobster waving their limbs that I saw both in a Paris restaurant and amazing delicatessens near the Chelsea Hotel in New York.
More to hand cart and main protagonist on Fish Market market canvas. In the evening we deliver the 6th August to Rita. As usual we are a little late as I've discovered something that needs touching up just before we leave. Her guests are already there and we have fun deciding just where to hang this new corrugated work which requires moving and rearranging Zoo, Library and Fishermen but eventually we reach a mutual agreement on the placing. Peter has invited us all to go and look at his flat and collection. He's prepared quails eggs, anchovies and other small delicacies. The flat's interesting as it's a little like a stage set which is probably influenced by the fact that his partner Patrick had been an actor. When I say that the flat ought to be featured in magazines he takes out copies of Period House and .......... Living which had both done illustrated articles on it. Peter has been head gardner for lots of interesting people like Sir Terence Conran and Sudely Castle and now gives talks to raise money for the Sue Ryder Home in memory of Patrick, who died there about a year ago. Peter was supposed to go to the ballet with one of two friends for a male 'Swan Lake' at Sadlers Wells last night but sadly both friends perished in the tsunami near Pukhet. Apart from a few pillars nothing was left of the hotel where they were staying.
Cheque from Tempest Radford who have been very prompt at paying the balance on the two commissions, the first half having been paid in advance; which is particularly good as it's the first time I have dealt with them. Also invitation from New York to Lee and Jim's anniversary party which the commission is to celebrate.
Richard takes table easel, paints, boards he's primed etc to Joyce [84 year old Mother of my friend Jane] in Naunton. He is surprised to find a lot of snow there as we haven't had any yet. Meanwhile I paint more small red octopus and silvery fish.
Strengthening and restructuring central section of the Fish Market; never manage to do quite as much as I hope each day but it is a very big canvas. When I mention this to R he points out to me just how many paintings I have achieved recently.
Red Scorpion fish and spider crabs in the aquariums; and changing and moving the scale of the market stall on the right hand side as it's hooded top seemed too wide for the small cylindrical engined truck. They buzz around the market at high speed - quite frightening to be in their path. The driver stands up behind the drum like engine on a platform on which he carries his fishy cargo. It's beginning to get there but still large areas of background to resolve, particularly to either side and I've promised images towards the end of the month which will probably as usual be on the very last day. Liz of Cheltenham Race Accommodation rang a week or two ago asking if we could accommodate any punters for the Gold Cup Festival but feel there is too much pressure of work this year.
The two enormous tunas on the handcart have been slightly pared down and refined in shape and I've now painted the red characters on them. It was interesting to see how each fish had been beautifully inscribed and the large pot of red paint and brush standing on the side in the auction shed. Each fish also wore several labels, the final one bearing the name of the successful bidder. You could see by the vast numbers how quickly the sea's stock could be depleted of this piscine harvest. Still so much to do.
E mail from Lisa at Artworks (Leicestershire's Open Museum) asking if they can reproduce The Beautiful Game on a postcard to promote their Collection.
Copy of Theme magazine from Cantilever Bars, which reproduces The Bar painting that they commissioned. A stylish magazine, the reproduction accompanies an article by Simon in which he mention his design for the bar at Sage, Gateshead's new music and arts centre.
E mail from Alistair with a preliminary schedule for the trip to Saudi Arabia which looks exciting. Asks if I've got an abaya yet. We manage to find a mail order web site in Kuwait so order an abaya, veil and cotton gloves.
Now working on the figures in the far distance of the fish market receding into smaller and smaller scale making an almost abstract pattern of colour in a band beneath the yellow canopy of lighted hoods.
Big bash, working solidly until 4 am trying to bring the fish market to life, adding still more tiny figures in the distance and strengthening those in the foreground. Yesterday added a procession of hand carts on the right hand side and men bearing boxes and crates to the left hand avenue.
E mail from Bridgeman Art Library in New York asking if Menninger Perspectives (a psychologists magazine) can reproduce Toyshop to accompany an article on Family Values.
R takes the fish market to the photographers to have transparency made; it actually still needs more work but want to send the image to MJ in Saudi Arabia on Monday and the digital camera we have tends not to pick up the detail and contrast. So today it's back to the Maiko and Geiko canvas. Quite difficult transferring the energy after the frenzy of the fish market which is full of movement and the distant minutiae whereas these figures are much larger in scale, serene and iconic. The canvas is made up of larger areas of flat colour. Start getting back into it by working on the second maiko who has her back to us, revealing the W shape of exposed skin at the nape of her neck, the rest being painted white; originally nightingales droppings were used for this whitening make-up. There's much to do before also sending this image on Monday. Had been contemplating giving the first maiko a drum and start to do this at about 2 am.
R's went out and bought a new digital camera, an SLR with bigger lens, particularly for photographing the paintings for transmitting by e mail. It should enable us to get better detail and colour.
I'm beginning to resolve the areas on the geisha painting that were still problematic. Having initially had a low table for the tea ceremony in the central interior, then painted it out I've now replaced it again with one rather like that which we saw in the traditional house in Nara. I think it works better now as it' broken by the head of the geisha playing the shamisen. Finish working out the construction of drum, also the area on right hand side below the fan where it overlaps the maiko who is partially obscured by the blind; it needed something to break up the flatness so her hand and part of the sleeve now overhang the blind to suspend a small tasselled ball on cord which seems to echo the playful aspect of the young maiko.
Very late when we call it a day; R's been solving working the new camera and software, comparing the photographs with the images he's taken with the previous one and his scan of the transparency of Fish Market - it's a very subtle difference but there's definitely more detail and the colour is a lot more accurate.
Intense efforts on the geisha canvas. Lots of refining of faces and structure. The whole composition feels stronger and more alive now. R takes the photographs at about 4 am but then has trouble sending them - they don't go until 6 am.
E mail from Dan Howard, head of the art school, University of Gloucestershire re the sculpture competition for the making of the student photography award for the National Star College.
In the studio add part of a maiko to each end of the geisha canvas frame; to the left, holding a fan and to the right playing a flute with her shadow falling onto the canvas around the corner.