Thursday 1.12.11

Working on four or five of the miniatures plus adding more sheep to Sheep of the Wold which we take with us in the evening to the Ellenborough Park hotel as decided that we should support Laurence and Jackie for this lovely dinner for LINC that they as patrons have spent much time organising and are wonderful and hardworking hosts.  We are are delighted to meet Dr Gill Rouse again who founded the charity with one of her fellow doctors who sadly died shortly afterwards. Edward follows us in and we watch him brilliantly doing a circuit of the whole room talking to as many people as he can before going home to Alyson.

At the table I am sat between Laurence and a man who until September was high commissioner to Kenya  his beautiful wife a great friend of Jackie’s sits on the other side of Laurence next to Richard;to his left a lovely wallpaper designer and her husband Mark who prints wallpapers for Laurence. The last item that Laurence auctions is my little painting “Sheep of the Wold” which I’m very pleased to say raises £1200 for LINC

Friday 2.12.11

Finishing small paintings and miniatures for my open studio in aid of the Friends of Cheltenham Art gallery and Museum’s fund for the Museums new development. Phone call from Andy late afternoon he and Sue have  just  got back after a week on their Longboat and  looked at the works on the website and would like to have Down by the Seaside and Black headed gull. A few minutes later he phones again to request Tea for Three for Sues mum. Not long after I get a call from Peter Cottingham he and Beverley would like The Fruits of the Sea and Elephant with Swans. Just after I put the phone down Andy rings  back to say Sues sister Jane wants Elephant with Swans!! So I start a little circular work” “Circus Elephant”!

Saturday 3.12.11

Meet Mark and Julia Hurrell and their son David as I cross the lane to the Studio which is already buzzing with people  it is wonderful to see so many familiar faces  who have come to join us for a glass of mulled wine and mince pie. It is also very exciting as I keep spotting red dots as they appear next to next to the little paintings or miniatures. Rose and Philip even buy two of the Large photographs of Night Mare that are laying on the side as well as the Angel, Dove and Tiger wood engraving Print. Lovely Lucy Pratt the Artist asks if she would be allowed to buy three? Likewise the Hurrells (patrons of the friends) who add two more to their collection. I am so touched also that a neighbour another Lucy who studied art and her husband Andrew buy the little “Tiger and Angel” painting. A sweet couple buy one of the life-ring seascapes as do dear Daphne and Michael. I am truly overwhelmed that so many have come and purchased cards and raffle tickets too including Helen and Sophia from the museum and Anne Strathie too.

I can’t believe how much we have raised by the end of the day, mainley from the sale of these tiny works, plus some from my cards and raffle tickets, when Wallace and Richard count the cheques and money out. Back to the studio to finish the little Bridge painting for Richard and Catriona Smith who had commissioned it at last years Open Studio and will be here tomorrow.

Sunday 4.12.11

There are just as many lovely visitors at today's event as yesterdays including Sue and Andy who are back with Sue’s Mum Eileen (such a delightful family)who have considerably boosted the sales of these tiny pictures. The Smiths seem pleased with their card players and the Storm’s have added a more Intellectual Cat to their collection. By the end of the day the we have sold all 24 small paintings and miniatures. The last one going to to a very nice couple of the friends,who also pull the raffle tickets out for us and deliver one of the prizes! and we also received a donation in lieu of a little painting that I am going to create especially for Revd John mead and his wonderful wife Jenny.

I phone the Sue Ryder Hospice to see if we can visit Rita, they are so accommodating and tell me yes visitors are allowed at any time day or night but warn me that we might be shocked by Rita’s deterioration. It is a  large beautiful building that in the darkness looks Jacobean/gothic on the outskirts of Cheltenham at about 8 o'clock when we arrive a very quite low light peaceful atmosphere. The nurse who had taken my call comes to the door to let us in and leads us through the building and up the winding staircase. She explains that Rita had been brought in as an emergency yesterday she is not in a coma (or on medication just a drip to keep her hydrated) but a deep sleep and not in pain. She gently snores rhythmically as if untroubled and at peace her lightly tanned face and thick hair not changed. Her eyes flicker as I say her name but there is no apparent response as I talk about the special times we have shared I have the feeling that she has left her spirit at home surrounded by the paintings she loved and the view from her window. When we get back I phone her dear friend Jenny who tells me she doesn't think she will wake again and I don’t think she did.

Monday 5.12.11

This is the first morning of  The Big Give our chance to double monies donated to charities

and today it is  for The National Star College. Poor R keeps plugging away at it only to be told to try again in-between calls from Richard Smith from the Appeals office at the Star who can see that none of the Star supporters have succeeded. This must be due to the sheer volume of people trying for their designated charities.

Tuesday 6.12.11

Richard from the Star rings early to say they moneys R had donated from my horse and painting had gone through in the middle of the night! So now phone Gina chair person of the Friends of Cheltenham Art Gallery and Museum to check whether if I donate the Moneys from the sale of my miniatures etc. through the Big Give they will be used towards the Museums New Development. With a definite yes we are off again! Richard and I manage to put £5750 through, the maximum we can as we’d already put £4,250 the for National Star College so John Wilson valiantly says that he will put another £2,750 of it through on his card for us and I will reimburse. Eureka  with the brilliant help of the Big Give we will have turned turned the £10,000 made from the sale of the miniatures etc. into £20,000, When I pay the Balance.

Wednesday 7.12.11

Off to london via gallery and meeting Simon and Caroline  for hot drink in Burford They have just been to see the Exhibition,where they really related to Night Owl but having just bought their painting for this year which they had immediately fallen in love with I’d now given him a problem!. To The Art Bronze Foundry to check the wax and cut the tail etc. of new horse!.....

Thursday 8.12.11

and to see Isaac and Samuel’s Nativity plays which being by the Nursery and year one are both in the morning and are Oh!so beautiful. Samuel is an Inn Keeper and Isaac an alien who has alighted from outer space to see what is going on! In the evening we take them to buy a large Christmas tree which Isaac chooses plus a pair of reindeer antennae. Samuel picks a penguin who  walks and sings “It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas” in an American accent!! Then we take them to tea where they decide upon a christmas tree walking stick candy! a lolly! Chocolate covered marshmallow twizzels on sticks! and Ginger cake from which they both only eat the icing but Richard and I are partial to ginger cake!!

Friday 9.12.11

later in the day am back  in the studio when Rose who is also an artist, and Print maker comes to studio with her husband Philip to collect the print they purchased and surprise us by saying they have also just bought The Night Watch! I am so delighted that it has gone to such nice people. It will also solve Simon’s problem

Saturday 10.12.11

at work in studio

Sunday 11.12 .11

ditto

Monday 12.12 .11

Call from Jenny to say that dear Rita died last night in the way she had wanted, perhaps this is why she looked so peaceful, it certainly took away the fear of death to slumber from this world to the next seems to be a most fitting departure. God Bless you Rita.

Peter White  Director of  Marketing and from Gloucestershire College arrives at one to discuss the small bursary that I am adding to the student prizes that I award there in a similar way to The National Star College.

Tuesday 13.12.11

Richard’s Aunty Mabel is one hundred years old today so he drives up to Huddersfield for the family gathering to celebrate this wonderful occasion. Aunty Mabel still lives independently, cooks her own meals and R says is Little changed from when we went to her 90th. I stay at home due to croaky throat that Richard had last week and work starting a new piece!

Friday 16. 12. 11

E-mail from Dave Whitte in USA of the punk? metal band Municipal Waste who is a fan of my work and wonders if I might design a t-shirt for them? And one from Robbie asking if I will support the Arts Academy for an Artmark application , which of course I’ll be delighted to do as they achieve such brilliant work there and I so enjoy working with them.

Tuesday 20.12.11

Visit from the Great Roberto conveying apologies from Toyah who is in Pantomime as the Bad Witch - he says she’s very good at it and can induce everyone in the audience bar him to tears. He’s bearing gifts including a bottle of vintage champagne. We debate with him the fors and against of opening the presents now and we all feel it would be great for him to see the pleasure they give. First out of the bag a set of Tarot cards - we had recently had an e  correspondence in which he asked if I had ever painted them as they have in Toyah’s collection of Tarot cards a set by the Scottish painter Fergus Hall who also used to show at the Portal Gallery. But these are using medieval manuscripts. Second from the bag a book by Chris Limb “I was a teenage Toyah fan - adolescent adventures in 80s pop”; then Sir Roy Strong’s A Little History of the English Country Church. Dedicated to AN Wilson it looks fascinating. I tell him we met and had dinner with with him at the Dover Street Arts Club some years ago with Ronald and his wife the late Margaret Green. But there is yet another present in the bag “Who cut the Cheese, a cultural history of the fart” by Jim Dawson. on its back cover it says did you know that dinosaurs who farted prodigiously over a number of years probably donated enough green house gas to make the Earth’s atmosphere habitable for humans and farts have featured prominently in the works of the greatest writers from Aristophenes to Shakespeare, Chaucer to Swift and Blake to Balzac’. And to top all that a beautiful draft excluder. . As he says anyone who lives in an old house has drafts. A delightful time chatting over the mince pies comparing notes on 2011 and planning a get together after their return from Ls Vegas and Seattle in January.

Wednesday 21.12.11

We go to the Humanist service in Prestbury to remember dear Rita. I’m really touched when I go through the door to see how many friends she had including her friend Cathy Scott who warmly greets me and then I see Jenny who has organised this. We’re actually pleasantly surprised as we weren’t sure what to expect from a Humanist service. The Humanist Celebrant conducted it with dignity and great warmth; reading tributes from her friends as they remember her. Edith Piaf’s ‘Adieu Mon Coeur’ and as we are leaving, Abba’s ‘Mamma Mia’ from the film of the same name - Rita had been a member of the Cheltenham Film Society.

after delivering a small painting re the Open Studio (for FCAG&M) to Jenny Mead, it time to go back for Richard to prepare the supper. Peter, Beverley and Tom Cottingham arrive bearing mackerel paté and ice cream Christmas pudding which are delicious. Its lovely to see the three of them, Tom’s back from university in Birmingham where he is studying Biology. Richard’s made pheasant casserole.

Thursday 22.12.11

Day spent making preparations for Christmas and wrapping.

Friday 23.12.11

Henrietta, Kev, Isaac and Samuel arrive during the afternoon.

Richard Chatham calls in the evening to collect the little painting he purchased from the Open Studio in aid of the Friends of Cheltenham Art Gallery & Museum’s fund towards the new development.

I get to read Isaac’s bedtime story, Roald Dahl’s Magic Medicine and am very interested that he takes great pleasure in picking out the words George and Grandma each time they appear on the page. We don’t really get far through the book as we have many discussions en route; a magical time for us both.

Saturday 24.12.11 Christmas Eve

We meet Henrietta and the boys at the Everyman in Cheltenham as they have been to Bananarama in Stroud. Henrietta’s going to take my Mum (who we’d brought with us) to lunch and christmas shopping whilst we go the pantomime, Jack and the Beanstalk. We’re up in the gods as we were lucky to get these four tickets for Christmas Eve. The pantomime’s very good and the jokes aren’t smutty but very traditional - its full of magic. The lighting added considerably to this and the giant was an enormous puppet - Isaac told me there were ten men inside! Its a great success especially as Isaac didn’t like pantomimes last year due to the bangs and flashes etc. but this year seems to take them in his stride and even tries to work out how its done now he’s five. Two ice creams later we visit the arcade to watch Kit Williams’ clock for a few minutes, before going up to the roof top car park and a trip to the toy section of John Lewis. They keep eyeing enormous boxes but I tell them this is an extra, they each have a Lego set. We sing carols and Christmas songs in the car on the way home.

Samuel is quite tired out so Kev manages to get him to sleep with ease but Isaac is very excited especially after receiving a message from Father Christmas in Lapland on the laptop where Father Christmas tells him he’s managed to make the ‘good boys’ list! Shows a picture of him on vacation when we were in Paris and tells him he must try hard to eat his vegetables!

Nice nut roast supper afterwards.

Sunday 25.12.11 Christmas Day

My sister arrives from Bedfordshire about midday then goes to collect my Mum. There are a huge number of presents under the Christmas tree which the boys help Henrietta wearing their Christmas elves hats, to pass around and which we open before dinner. The boys had already had their Christmas stockings on waking of course, as had Henrietta and Kev. When the boys are in bed we play the traditional game of cards.

Monday 26.12.11 Boxing Day

Gill departs early from my Mum’s to return to Bedfordshire. Around lunchtime we hear a very distinctive engine sound - its Nathan and Ruth in his Ford Cortina Mk2 which had come out on its first long journey from London since he bought it six weeks or so ago. The boys are very excited and Isaac films them on the Vetech movie camera that we had bought him for Christmas. They both look well; its such a joy to see them and have everyone here. Richard’s prepared another pheasant casserole for lunch after which we have a delightful exchanging of presents again !                   

Tuesday 27.12.11

Henrietta, Kev and the little boys leave at about 1.30. for Kev’s parents. Richard takes my Mum home as she has inevitably caught the cold! R makes and delivers a big pan of turkey soup to her before we have dinner. Over which our chat includes art directing a Rihanna music video by Nathan and a Coldplay by Ruth about their recent projects and then play whist.

Wednesday 28.12.11

Nathan and Ruth leave in style in the iconic Ford Cortina 2 after leisurely brunch and another record breaking “Bounce” session!! A present from our dear friends Professor Ken and Nancy Simmonds. E-mail from Brian Sinfield saying that the Owl and the Pussycat have been sold.

Thursday 29.12.11

I too have caught the inevitable virus - so has my sister now back in Bedfordshire!

Friday 30.12.11

Decide we had better not spread it about so sadly decline tomorrows celebrations with Peter and Beverly and postpone our dinner on New Years day.