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E mail from Lilo, Swiss art consultant, who had approached me a few weeks ago about commissioning a newspaper painting/s to encompass about 60 Swiss German newspaper titles for an advertising agency. the time scale would have been very difficult and the prices I quoted were too high for them but today she has e mailed to say they have employed someone to make a pastiche of my paintings for their purpose. Would I look at the image she had e mailed to see if I approve? I was about to do so when she rang. The whole idea appalled me! that they they should feel they could simulate my work at a low price for their own means. I was very upset and told her that I would be very unhappy if they proceeded, especially after I had looked at the images. I said that I would take the matter further on grounds of intellectual property, breach of copyright and damage to my reputation. She was actually very nice and I think contacted me because she knew they were on shaky ground.
R takes the newspaper painting to A Good Read be photographed as we need to let the Bridgeman have the transparency as soon as possible for the prints that they are kindly donating to Starart.
R takes the other two of the transparencies of A Good Read, (the painting that is also being donated to the Starart auction on Friday), to both the Echo and Citizen offices.
Making preparations for the Star Art exhibition
Still sending off invitations and catalogues
I do a little more to the group of small works for the Star Art exhibition. Richard's still busy putting things into frames.
Today is our first at the Gallery. It's much thanks to Gail and Sam of the Art department at the Star College that we get things hung. They are quick and efficient; having hung the students' works they then move around the rest of the gallery. This is very helpful as early on Jeremy Davies comes in, instructed by Anne his wife to be there at the start. They visit three times singularly and together and have purchased the beautiful Lucy Willis etching and June Berry's lovely Evening skyscape. Also early on a visit from the Goodmans who have just purchased my Day at the Races from the Brian Sinfield Gallery; a very nice couple they quickly decide upon the Howard Phipps Chesil Beach wood engraving; Olwyn Bowey's drawing of a pony and my little Tiger painting. Anne Strathie, Appeals Officer from the Art Gallery & Museum pops in after work, she's organising events to raise money for the AG&M's appeal. She decides to go away and think about Colin See-Paynton's exquisite wood engraving Arctic Quintet but returns within a minute having decided yes; which is very lucky as we receive an e-mail close to midnight from someone who would like to purchase Richard's garden painting and the Colin See-Paynton !!
Another good day; I sell the Michael Craig-Martin print to a young couple - he says he will be in tomorrow to pay. Also the Anthony Whishaw Head and my Little Angel, Tiger and Dove to Geoffrey and Eileen Riddell, a very interesting couple, he's head of Zurich and she is also involved with a charity that works with the disabled in horticulture for which she is organising a similar event at Martin's Gallery.
It's wonderful to arrive at the gallery which today is wearing its marquee extension. A hive of activity with Gail, Sam, Gill, Neil and others setting up. In no time at all people seem to be arriving; iKeyth Richardson, Director of the Catering Academy (Gloucestershire College) and a group of his students prepare to serve the champagne and elder flower cordial donated by Waitrose, followed shortly afterwards by the delicious canapés from Petit Blanc Brasserie served by some attractive members of Petit Blanc's staff.
It's a marvellous turnout that includes the composer Martin Kiszko, Dr Margus Laidre the Estonian Ambassador, Greg and Mrs Smith (Principal of Gloucestershire College), George Breeze (former Director of the Art Gallery & Museum) and many other dear friends like Jane and David who buy the Ros Cuthbert and Cut-throat Jake; Ronald and Lyn who purchase several works including the Patrick Hughes at auction and have also donated Ronald's Hong Kong Suite; Daphne and Michael who 'win' the John Ward at auction and then put a red spot on the Carel Weight donated by Richard; Andy and Lionel Curry have driven down from London especially for the event and acquire the newspaper painting A Good Read at the auction. Brian Sinfield is our art expert for the evening and Miranda takes details of all the auction winners. The Star students are a wonderful group; the press take lots of photographs of them - Aaron's beautiful African style pot, Spencer's vibrant canvas inspired by Georgia O'Keefe; likewise David,handsomely dressed ready for the Freshers Ball to which they are going on to later tonight. Nick Park's Wallace and Gromit was won by Wallace Dobbin who is also on the Appeals Committee at the National Star College - his wife Morag the Elizabeth Blackadder and his sister in law Janet the Sir Peter Blake. Our auctioneers were all brilliant; Richard Chatham worked very hard and entertainingly, encouraging bidders to go on longer than they might have, a lovely man who's had experience doing it for the Round Table. The elegant and eloquent Ian Mean, editor of the Citizen, auctioned my newspaper work and just in the nick of time Edward Gillespie MD of the Racecourse arrived to auction the box at next fridays races, a late donation by an anonymous Star College supporter. It's obvious that Edward has also done this many times before.
We are delighted that Mark and Viv Axtell-Powell have purchased Sam from the Art Department's Torso, a beautiful ceramic; Helen (Principal of the College) has acquired Gail's exquisite ceramic patchwork dress. Sue and Mike Hill, our neighbours are having the beautiful etching of Lilies by Louis, also of the art department, for Sue's birthday. Wallace just pipped me to the post on Martin Kyszko's piece of music manuscript and CD. I am buying the lovely etching by Laristotta, The Outing, for Henrietta. There are several other pieces I would like but I fear I must wait to give other people the opportunity to purchase them first. Trouble is I have grown so fond of all the pieces that I have to stop myself putting red spots on them and wait my turn.
We're feeling a bit like the day after but its so nice meeting the interesting people who come into the gallery like Kim, a neighbour of my Mother's, daughter whom I haven't seen since she graduated (in illustration) many years ago; she now works on art projects at the Sue Ryder Home and is helping to organise an exhibition of works created by the patients, at the Mall Galleries in London. George and Rachel Breeze come to look at the Sir Anthony Caro charcoal drawing of trees that he purchased last night.
Richard persuades me to stay in the studio to work on the pieces going off to the Toronto Art Fair, whilst he mans the Gallery. It actually takes me all night and through to..........
........10.30am when I retire to bed. Richard has made beautiful boxes to house the paintings on their long journey and carefully packs them to be collected by Federal Express. Eddy (our builder) is going to wait at the house until they come as R has to go back to the Gallery.
Today is our last day here. Sam and colleague from the Star College have taken down and removed the student's works by lunchtime. A few people come in to collect their works. I phone the Davies as I know they were interested in the Carel Weight, to let them know it had gone but we still had the Ken Howard they were also interested in. They end up buying that and the Alf Stockham (which brings their total to four).
We've both enjoyed the Star Art exhibition immensely but it is good to be back in the quietude of the studio and house
My Mum calls in to collect Sue Bezani's photographic triptych of Tiree which she has purchased from the Starart exhibition
Peter and Beverley Cottingham come to look at the Bernard Dunstan and Michael Craig -Martin. We are delighted when they decide to have both.
Jane and David visit for coffee and to collect Cut-throat Jake by John Ryan, Ros Cuthbert's Damsel Flies and Orchids and one of Richard's Bodleian doorway engravings. Then in the afternoon George Breeze (who used to be Director of the Museum) collects the Sir Anthony Caro trees.
R drives to London via the Brian Sinfield Gallery, to deliver the newspaper painting A Good Read that was bought at the auction by Andy and Lionel Curry.
R delivers the Richard Long to Amanda Turner, who had been the official photographer for the Starart Auction Evening. Nice e mail from Madge Abbott, Wallace's sister, who would like to buy the Leonard Manasseh.
Phone Roy to see if Jane is up to a visit in Churchill Hospital. He says yes and wonders if we could come about 4 as there are quite a few people coming at 2.30 which gives me a couple of hours to work on the painting that I am making of her. We arrive at about the same time as Sheila. Jane is in a deep sleep but then at about 5 o'clock she opens her eyes and smiles at us and we spend a wonderful hour laughing and chatting.
Working on commissions and the little Star Art paintings that needed more work (even though they had sold) on the parts that escaped the camera's lens ( top bottom and sides of frame).
Still finishing off little bits and pieces on of frames (donated to the Star Art exhibition) before sending them out to their purchasers. Each evening I write thank you letters to the artists who have so generously donated their work.
The giclée prints the Bridgeman Art on Demand are donating to
the Star Art exhibition arrive. Ian Mean is going to run an offer in the
newspaper for them.
Phone call from Michelle Blondel asking if I'd like the March/April exhibition slot at the gallery next year. In the evening I discuss it with Richard as I feel it would be much too soon to get the work I'd like to do finished by; he says he will phone them tomorrow to discuss the possibility of a later slot.
Friday 26.10.07
Nice e mail form Greg Smith , Principal of Gloucestershire College asking if I would like to exhibit some of my work and perhaps some of the other artists and Star students he saw at the Star Art exhibition, for the Grand Opening of the new College Campus in Gloucester Docks, by John Denham, the Minster for higher education, which sounds like a lovely idea.
Working on commissions.
Richard comes into the studio looking very pleased with himself as he's just spoken to Alain Blondel and arranged for my exhibition to run September - October 2008. This will still be a bit of a rush but it has ever been thus.
Tom visits with his latest oil painting which is very good ; rich subtle browns ambers and mauves quite atmospheric. A most remarkable young man he's mixed some of the paints himself using olive oil as a base. it's going to be exhibited in an exhibition of works by fallow Parkinson sufferers in Bristol an February next year. As I watch him make his way up the lane I marvel at his ingenuity - the painting is suspended upside down on a small easel from the handlebar of his walker.
Daphne and Michael come to supper and to collect the Carel Weight and the John Ward it is such a joy to see them.
I continue with the painting of Jane until we leave for Oxford to visit her in hospital. It's her birthday on Tuesday so I tell her that I have an on-going-in-progress present for her and that she can have some input ; I am including photographs in the painting so she can decide which she would like them to be. She's looking better still today although Roy says her condition on Thursday was on a knife edge again and she didn't wake at all. She has the most beautiful smile even when her eyes are closed it still plays upon her lips, only sometimes when she is moved her eyes seem to well up and Roy gently dabs away any tears that have escaped. Even though we are in the midst of a hospital it feels quite intimate perhaps increased by the rain and darkness outside. We stay until after Roy has fed her her dinner. We drive back through what feels like the premature darkness (the clocks having gone back an hour last night) and the drizzle.
R takes the giclée on canvas prints (donated by Bridgeman Art on Demand) of A Good Read into the newspaper offices for Ian Mean, with a draft order form.
Call from Salli Thomas who says they were away in Cornwall last week which is why she hadn't replied to my e mail. But it will be fine to send The Fisherman painting to her now they are back. I thank her again for telling Bill Clarke, the Cheshire dealer, about the exhibition and we chat and wonder at the huge generosity of the artist Mary Fedden who is now in her nineties.
Whilst I go in to Cheltenham General hospital to visit my dear friend (fellow Art student ) Joyce, who had a hip replacement operation yesterday, R delivers the full scale print, glazed and framed, of Locals to Anita (the Editor at the Echo offices. Joyce is looking remarkably good and we spend an hour or so chatting before Richard arrives, during which time she has also had a visit from Annie, another of her long standing friends.
The news today is full of King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia's state visit. This elegant man who I have painted twice, ( as two of the ten Arabian commissions), remarkable for his age, has the difficult job of guiding his country through dangerous times. In an interview with the BBC King Abdullah said he feels we do not take enough precautions against terrorism. Having been to Saudi Arabia and having observed the huge levels of security, I can understand that it is not so much a criticism as what he would see as good advice. Remembering our journey amongst the party of his guests through the desert to the banquet and opera that he was hosting at the Janaderiah Festival, where I had never before seen anything at this high level of armed protection. Even in everyday situations on the street one is very aware of the armed National Guard on foot and in armoured cars, the many chicanes and car searches.
It's good to be working in the studio on this bright Autumn day back on the commissions, after having written more thank you letters to artists.
Am interested to hear Jackie Collins (who owns several of my works) talking on Front Row about her latest book which she is over here to promote.
It's Halloween, so when I hear a gentle knock on my studio door I assume it's 'trick or treaters'. But it's Tom who has brought me a beautiful 2008 calendar published by the Parkinson's Disease Society. All the paintings poems and photographs within are by people who have Parkinson's. I smile and say "you'll have to send something up for the next one" and he replies that I should look at August. And there it is, the most beautiful photograph of a butterfly silhouetted against the sky as it rests on the blossom of a tree on Cleeve Hill; the whole country landscape behind it.
Three little Ghouls arrive shortly afterwards.
SEPTEMBER 2006 - OCTOBER 2006- NOVEMBER 2006 - DECEMBER 2006 - JANUARY 2007 - FEBRUARY 2007 - MARCH 2007 - APRIL 2007 - MAY 2007 - JUNE 2007 - JULY 2007 - AUGUST 2007 - SEPTEMBER 2007 - NOVEMBER 2007