JANUARY 2008
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Some nice calls enquiring after my Mum's well being after her cataract operation and to wish us a happy new year. Further progress on Karl's composition.
Call from Lee in Puerto Rico to wish us a Happy New Year; she's just done a television programme where she was entitled 'The Treasure Detective' for the discoveries she's made when appraising. She wants to know when the Paris show is as they will be there in March, which I explain to her will be six months too early! Also nice e mail from Martin Kiszko the composer inviting us to his 'big birthday bash' next month. A couple of days ago he sent us a copy of the CD of his film score for the "Killing of John Lennon" : we hid it away to avoid the Christmas chaos and now can't remember where!
Continue to work on Karl and Sharron Monday's commission.
Karl and Sharron's panting absorbs most of the day.
Reverend Ian visits to wish us Happy New Year I explain that I haven't made any further progress on the large altarpiece triptych but am hoping to this year!
Work on all fronts including small refinements for the pieces that Rob Whittle is taking to the Fine Art & Antiques Fair in Birmingham.
Richard is very excited when he comes over to my studio at 1 am as he's just been listening to BBC 7 when they announced that next Saturday at 6 pm and midnight they will be broadcasting the composer and writer Martin Kiszko's play 'Scramble'; it appears to be about a Britain where the Government bans the recording of music and sound - should be a good listen.
E mail from Alistair in Saudi Arabia enquiring about how much it would cost to have a reproduction made up of the Saudi Arabian newspaper painting.
Nice e mail from Karl Monday saying that they are excited about the prospect of their commission but unlike the first large piece I painted for them, they would like to keep these as a surprise rather than seeing 'works in progress'.
Work late finishing paintings for Rob Whittle.
Rob Whittle came to collect the works that he is showing at the Fine Art & Antiques Fair next week and to give me a cheque. He told us wonderful stories about two sets of art forgers, one set had tried to sell him a beautiful Giacometti painting of Annette, his muse but he explained that the price would be far out of his reach - it wasn't until two months later when he read an enormous two page spread in the Telegraph on them that he realised that it had been a forgery.
E mail form Alistair requesting a large print of the Arabian newspaper painting.
The Darkroom do a proof print for me to approve before making a large one. Send off transparencies of recent works to the Bridgeman Art Library.
Work on the painting of Jane.
Brian Sinfield comes to collect a racing painting having taken one of my other works into The Darkroom to have a transparency made for his newsletter. He's just left when I receive a call from Roy to say Jane is very weak - she may not survive until tomorrow.
The weather's a strange mixture of wild rain (which causes flooding on the main road into Bishop's Cleeve) and snow; the Federal Express man (who came to collect the print for Saudi Arabia) had managed to make it through as he was in a truck but cars couldn't.
My Mum, who has been making good progress since her cataract operation, comes for her now usual cup of tea and toast. When I walk her home it is snowing. Sadly, on my return, Richard tells me he's just received a call from Roy's sister in law to say that dear Jane had died at about 4 o'clock, at which time I had been working on the painting of her. I phone Roy to tell him how sorry we are to hear the sad news but also to tell him how caring and compassionate he had been in looking after her. Later I phone Sheila a mutual friend who had shared so much with Jane.
Continue on Jane's painting but seem to be going round in circles. Every night for the past week I've been putting tops on the jam jars of colours I have mixed, in readiness for our trip up to London. It's now become a midnight ritual but tonight it is at 1 am as we listen to Martin Kiszko's play 'Scrambled' on BBC Radio 7.
It's only 4.25 when I am aware that Richard is rousing me as he's received a phone call from Kev to say that he's just dropped Isaac off at Emma and Andy's and is taking Henrietta to the hospital. Get up, wash and dress in the semi darkness and carry the bags that have been packed for the last week downstairs. We are on the road when Richard discovers he has left his wallet behind so we turn back from the Andoversford reservoir to collect it but just as we reach home there is another call from Kev at 6.30 am to tells us that Henrietta had given birth to another little boy, Samuel Louis Patience, both names of great great grandfathers on Kev and Henrietta's maternal lines respectively. We are overjoyed and amazed at the rapidity of his arrival as we had thought we would probably get there before this wonderful new little boy appeared but like his big brother Isaac who will be two on the 14th February, he obviously wanted to surprise us all.
We make it to Blackheath just before Kev comes back from the hospital and goes to get Isaac, Who we take to Greenwich Park whilst Richard collects Nathan. In the evening Richard, Nathan and I visit Henrietta and meet little Samuel for the first time. During the night I hear Isaac crying and Kev comforting him.
Poor Isaac has been sick during the night and Kev is bathing him and thoroughly washing his hair in readiness for Henrietta's return with little Samuel later this morning. Henrietta had planned that Kev should carry Samuel in so that she could hug Isaac straight away. Isaac's very sweet with him though I'm not sure he knows the baby's here to stay.
In the evening we move into the apartment we have rented to give space for painting etc.
E mail from Alistair saying the print has already arrived in Jeddah and they are very pleased with it.
Whilst Richard goes into the West end I start a new small circular painting to celebrate the birth of Samuel Louis Patience and also work further into a small commissioned piece. When Isaac and Kev call in the afternoon, Isaac spots the painting and sits at the desk, paint brush in hand, brushing it with pale blue water from my water pot. After a visit to see the deer in the Park in the rain, we go back to their house to give a helping hand before returning to the apartment.
Isaac and Kev come for an earlier trip to the park today as it's bright and sunny. There's a wonderful woman feeding the ducks in a leopard skin coat and a black sequinned hat with long red/black hair. She and her silver haired male companion are also there when we visit the deer. Isaac comes back to the apartment with me asleep in his push chair so that Kev can go off to spend time with Henrietta and Samuel. I paint whist he slumbers until Richard arrives back from Canary Wharf with a push along tricycle that he needs to assemble before Isaac wakes which he does just as R has completed the task. He seems to like this new vehicle very much although still insists I get his tractor out before a spot of painting and some dancing . We then make the long journey back to his house, me pushing him on his new trike with richard pushing the empty push chair. Isaac bobs his head and sings as we process past Jools Holland's old house. He's been much brighter today so must be feeling better.
I've been working on the two small paintings before a visit from Isaac, Samuel, Henrietta and Kev.
Today we take Isaac to Tate Modern to see the Doris Seccundo crack in the floor of the Turbine Hall and the Louise Bourgeoise retrospective exhibition both of which he enjoyed almost as much as the escalators ! The bookshop too provides ample scope for hide and seek; being part of the game am somewhat distracted and end up buying rather more children's books than intended including two display copies!
e mail in the evening from Rick Rumrell who has apparently been trying to phone us at home to say that he mentioned me in a radio broadcast he had just done from Hollywood; also hat he's now received the painting by Simon Quadrat that he purchased from the Starart exhibition and the puzzle.
Henrietta, Samuel, Isaac and I go to the Park in the morning; then Richard and I take Isaac back there after his lunch whilst Henrietta is feeding Samuel and Kev is preparing their house for viewing as they have put it on the market and are interested in another property. R cooks us an early dinner which goes down very well with everyone, especially Isaac. When they leave, Richard and I drive into Tate Modern to see the Poetry and Dream exhibition. I was also really pleased to be able to see three of the works by Juan Munoz (creator of the memorable Double Bind in the Turbine Hall in 2001). I'd caught a glimpse of one of the sculptures through a doorway when we were here yesterday with Isaac but as R pointed out, the exhibition doesn't start until 24 January so was delighted to discover the gallery with these three works already open to the public. I found them fascinating and strangely moving.
Isaac's been enjoying the 'Monkey and Me' book that we bought him at Tate Modern. We take him shopping to buy a little outfit for Samuel and one for himself and visit the toy department where he has a wonderful time running around the aisles and particularly admiring the big boys toys. Later we go to the Park to see the deer then Henrietta and Kev come to supper with Samuel.
In the evening more work on the paintings.
Henrietta, Kev and Samuel take us to lunch at Café Rouge in Blackheath. Isaac has gone to play with his friend Jonathan. Later after the rain has stopped henrietta and I go for a walk before Isaac comes back and I trim his beautiful curls. We set off home at about 8pm. On our return at 11.30 I find two messages on the answer machine from lee in New York asking if I can send her images for a client for tomorrow!
Phone call from Rob Whittle who has sold Tea Time at the Birmingham Fine Art and Antiques Fair, so wonders if I might have a similar piece for him to take to the other art fairs he has lined up this year. And would there be the possibility of a large work next year.
Am beginning to start new paintings for the Paris show.
ditto
Friday 25.1.08
ditto
Our friends the doctors Emma and Charles come to tea with their daughter Susanna after spending the day at the Races. When they are looking in the studio he particularly likes Madge's large station commission and interestingly Emma likes Wallace's smaller piece.
Sunday 27.1.08
Work on the painting of Jane.
ditto
We set out at 12 noon for the service of thanksgiving for Jane's life, arriving in Sydenham at 2pm half an hour early as we'd been warned that the beautiful old church would be packed. And so it is for this beautifully arranged memorial to Jane which included a sweet reading by Sheila of a poem found in Jane's purse that Roy had written to her on the eve of their wedding in 1989 (which also took place here) particularly moving as both had been widowed. We follow Tom and Sheila on the 45 minute drive to the crematorium near Oxford - this service was short but a lot of emotion displayed on our exit. Then back to the Old School Hall in Sydenham for the most magnificent spread prepared by their friends in the village. Lots of memories exchanged and particularly poignant as the wedding breakfast had been here.
Today is the service at the Bethesda Methodist Chapel for dear Doris Dent, the 93 year old widow of Reggie, who had ben Principal of the Art School when I studied there. So it's touching to see in front of us several of the people who taught me etching, lithography, painting and drawing. perhaps looking a little more distinguished than they did then. Again a moving tribute to dear Doris who was such a modest person for the considerable creative skills she possessed; she had met Reggie whist she was studying at the Royal College of Art. Also a talented musician (Doris played the piano) a skill inherited by her son Robert who became a professional violinist. Her father was an organist and one of his hymns was included in the service. During the tea, sandwiches and cakes afterwards, a lot of Art School reminiscences; someone yesterday had commented that Jane's passing was the end of an era but this really is. In the local paper obituary it mentions her friendship with Eric Ravillious, Sir Hugh Casson and Ruskin Spear so I am somewhat overwhelmed that it also adds me - but of course the privilege was mine.
Thursday 31.1.08
Ironically two small paintings that Richard had collected back from Rob
on Friday for a possible project are now being requested back by Rob when
he phones in the evening. One of his clients is interested in the pieces
so we arrange for them to again meet in a car park at Studley for the exchange.
I mention that Richard had bought a rather nice reusable Fairtrade shopping
bag at the Co-op store in that car park; I have been making efforts to reuse,
recycle and reduce our carrier bag consumption as it takes a vast amount
of time (500 years) for polythene to break back down. I've also just ordered
a very practical black compost making bin from Tewkesbury Borough Council
for only £10, normal price would be £50 but as they are buying
them in bulk they can make this reduction. We do in fact get it for £9
by doing it online.
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