OCTOBER 2021

 

 

Saturday 2.10.2021

Henrietta’s birthday as well as the second (lunchtime) reception at the gallery. We’re very touched to see Nicky and Karin Mander and my dear friend Sheila and her niece Elizabeth, a very clever young woman who built her own house in Cornwall last year. Such a treat to see Audrey Guille with her great nephew Will.

We take Henrietta, Kev and Jai for lunch at Wild Honey to celebrate her birthday

 

Sunday 3.10.21

Kev cooks a grand lunch to celebrate Henrietta’s birthday. Nathan & Clem and Gill & Ian also come and Isaac’s friend Fran. It is a delightful occasion

much enhanced by Kevs cuisine and good company.

 

Tuesday 5.10.21

Drive to Ramsgate to spend the day with Nathan and Clementine. After a Breakfast of poached eggs Smoked salmon and Avocado prepared by Nathan we walk along the beach to Broadstairs in the afternoon. It is a good and invigorating walk of about 4 miles. Broadstairs is  charming, a little smaller and slightly more expensive than Ramsgate. After stopping for a cup of tea in the Chapel we walk back. Nathan cooks Sea trout dinner for which is accompanied by Cementine's rather exotic sea weed dish  that they had learned about on their foraging course

 

Wednesday 6.10.21

Say good bye to Henrietta, kev and the boys on their return from school. Drive back to Cheltenham in the evening

 

Thursday 7.10.21

To the Pump Rooms for the Friends of The Wilson to give the welcome speech as President. Loyd Grossman is our actual speaker; he’s very eloquant on the situation of museums and art galleries around the globe.

 

Friday 8.10.21

Ian of Ian and Maeve tried to ‘phone yesterday when we were at the Pump Rooms for the Friends reception. When I ring him back he says he’s surprised to find the kingfishers have a ‘buy it now’ option in a big article in Cotswold Life. I tell him I was rather disappointed they are doing that as they didn’t mention it earlier on. He then tells me that mine has already sold to which my response was “Oh no!” as I knew Ian and Maeve had wanted to acquire it. He can hear the despondency in my voice as I’m wondering who it could be he says that it was them who bought it. I’m delighted but like them sorry that it won’t be auctioned on the evening. He says they will be delivering it tomorrow.

 

Saturday 9.10.21

Lovely e mail from Ian and Maeve with photographs of my Owl and Pussycat kingfisher which they say they are loving.

 

Monday 11.10.21

I’m busy working on a commission for a professor in Canada who had missed getting the painting he wanted in my exhibition.

 

Tuesday 12.10.21

E mail from Sarah at Chelsea Arts Club asking if I would give an artist’s talk This particular event is called an ‘Artist’s Confession’ which consists of a fun and relaxed discussion about your life and art with our hosts. The talks are hosted by fellow member, Brendan Neiland, and usually one other.

 

Monday 18.10.21

Lovely e mail from Candia asking if she can use my ‘Black Nativity’ painting as one of the internal covers in Cotswold Life, to promote my charity Open Studio They are always brilliant at giving me coverage which is really helpful as it reaches people we might not.

 

Wednesday 20.10.10

Richard gets a second puncture on his way back from Cheltenham so had to walk about a quarter of the way back.

 

Thursday 21.10.21

To the Pump Rooms for the Kingfisher auction. But of course mine had already sold a couple of weeks ago to dear friends and collectors Ian and Maeve because they have sold at least half of them beforehand much of th Auction is a bit of a damp squid. But Hoorah the National Star Colleges Goes for a good price

 

Saturday 23.10.21

We had a delightful invitation to lunch in the the Royal Box at today’s Showcase meeting at the Racecourse but Richard now seems to have my cold so we decide it wouldn’t be fair to inflict in on the Board and other guests.

 

Monday 25.10.21

Interesting e mail from Kate at Art Shape displaying the new courses they are offering, something for artists and writers so wonderful at covering all bases.

Wallace ’phones to say how excited he is that his three paintings have been delivered. He’s already hung two of them but is still deliberating on where he will hang the large Albatross - Tale of the Sea.

Richard’s cycled into Cheltenham for his Covid booster and ‘flu jab whilst I’m waiting for UPS to come and pick up Gary’s painting ‘The Lamp’ to fly it to California. But unfortunately they don’t arrive before Richard returns, in fact not until ….

 

Tuesday 26.10.21

….just before 4pm today.

Panter & Hall have now made two transfers paying the outstanding payments from the exhibition. The first came just before the exhibition closed; they are always very prompt and efficient.

 

Wednesday 27.10.21

Still busy working on the two commissions…

 

Thursday 28.10.21

… and also the miniatures

 

Friday 29.10.21

‘Phone call from Martin. I congratulate him on his appearance at the Royal Albert Hall performing some of his Green Poems for a Blue Planet . Wallace said how very good it was and that there was a large image of Martin performing on the front of the building.

 

Sunday 31.10.21

Sue and Andy come to tea and to collect the painting they have bought from my London exhibition. As the clocks went back last night it grows dark very early and while sitting round the fire eating egg mayonnaise sandwiches and Richard’s walnut cookies and banana cake we’re startled by a knock at the door. R is confronted by two ‘scary’ ghouls and proffers them a walnut cookie which the Dad accepts but the little girl doesn’t like nuts so I place some cons in their bucket. This is followed very quickly by another who I didn’t recognise as our friend Andy and his son Charlie from just down the lane - luckily I still had some pound coins left.

Sue and Andy are always such good company and Andy tells us more about his early childhood growing up on a boat with his siblings.