January 2012 Sunday 1.1.12 New Year’s Day Much of day spent writing a letter of support for the Arts Academy for an application that they are making. I’m delighted to have been asked as they all work so very hard to help enable and facilitate such a wide cross section of young people from across a broad socio-economic background, to fulfil their creative potential. Monday 2.1.12 E mail from Levan Tsulukidze, director of Art Wave who tells me he loves my work and would very much like me to have an exhibition in Georgia and noting that I have exhibited in Estonia. Tuesday 3.1.12 New e mail from Levan Tsulukidze sending photographs of the beautiful State Museum in Batumi. He seems wonderfully undaunted by the practicalities of getting the works there and back and says he will start to speak to the right people although it might take some time. Meanwhile Richard’s looked at travelling there on the trans Caucasian railway which of course would be a great adventure ( if there was time ) starting from London via Paris through Germany, Austria, Bulgaria into Istanbul - Batumi would still be further away that London is from Paris at this stage! Wednesday 4.1.12 Am beginning to get back into the canvas I started to work on in December although I am also tempted by one of the other large canvases R has stretched and primed so beautifully for me. Thursday 5.1.12 ditto Friday 6.1.12 Nice e mail from Jackie saying thank you for the lovely painting which helped towards the in excess of £13,000 they raised for LINC, which she both the and Dr Gill Rouse are really pleased with. Seem to be working at a slightly slower pace, perhaps because of the virus which has laid my Mum low too. Little children are of course the finest spreaders of such things. Saturday 7.1.12 Though back to working at a faster pace in studio today. Sunday 8. 1 . 12 ditto Monday 9 .12 .12 Call from Rob to wish Happy New Year and discuss work for the Fair later this month. He wonders if I can give him a verbal description of the painting I am currently working on for it! E mail from Jeremy at the Injured Jockeys Association (who did the little jigsaw reproducing one of my paintings a couple of years ago) asking if I will donate a CD sized piece of work to the charity’s ‘Secret Artist’ exhibition to be held during the Gold Cup festival at Cheltenham and will then go onto other racecourses. Also an e mail from Abigail of Stroud’s Museum in the Park, also entitled Secret Artist thanking me for the donation I made to their garden project, which I sent as I didn’t receive their request for a piece of work until it was too late. Tuesday 10.1.12 Working on the new painting for Rob to take to the Fair Wednesday 11.1.12 To London for the Directors lunch of ACS (the artists collecting society) at the founding director Harriet Bridgeman’s home. Its a lovely occasion and there is much to celebrate as ACS is growing from strength to strength gaining more artists and artists’ estates - some being very big names. Amongst the new directors are Maggie Hambling, Bill Packer and Paul Huxley, who I sit next to at lunch. A very nice man and Royal Academician, treasurer at the RA and very much involved in organising exhibitions there including the David Hockney which is about to open. On my other side Didier from the Paris office, whom I’ve known for some years; he tells me that reproduction of my painting Good Morning M. Balladur was the first they had given reproduction rights for when the Paris office opened. He’s recently been working very hard for ACS in securing the collection of droite de suite of one of the biggest artists in world’s estate. Nick and Rob Carter two artists who work with light and pigment with the Fine Art Society are there and became new directors in the Summer. Harriet is an amazing woman who Didier says has worked tirelessly to get ACS off the ground for past five years, much to the benefit of all artists whose work is likely to sell on the secondary market. Thursday 12.1.12 Good to be back in studio working intensely on the painting for Rob to take to the art fair. Friday 13.1.12 ditto Saturday 14.1.12 Up to Blackheath for Samuel’s 4th birthday, collecting Nathan en route. When we arrive there are two very excited little boys who immediately launch themselves at Nathan. I’m amazed at his strength being able to walk along with one clinging to each leg, even lifting them whilst still on his legs to drop them onto the sofa. This lasts for at least half an hour, which I spend laughing and laughing at their antics as Nathan becomes almost like a fairground attraction swinging them into the air one under each arm and tossing the carefully onto the sofa. They both adore him, as he does them. Kev and Henrietta had bought Samuel a Scalectrix which keeps all five males including Richard happy whilst Henrietta shows me the lovely Batman (banana) cake she has made; also the beautiful Christmas cake iced with Isaac’s help. Samuel finds it hard to contain himself until after the birthday cake lighting of candles and singing, before opening his presents. He seems very pleased with his Buzz Lightyear laptop which is supposedly educational, though takes me a little time to work out how to operate it properly. It also includes Spanish, counting and phonics etc. We’ve also decided to give Isaac his main present even though his birthday is next month and I’m amazed that as a five year old he recognises it as soon as he begins to unwrap and says with excitement ‘an InnoPad!’ and does a very good job once the batteries are in, of showing us various programmes, including one called Art Studio which after having seen reproductions of David Hockney’s new landscapes created on his iPad, I look more favourably upon. He explains that this is going to be very good for him to use as its educational. His knowingness makes me smile as Henrietta has been trying to limit his use of her iPad and I explained before giving him the InnoPad, that Mummy and Daddy have to look after it and let him use it after he has done his reading or homework. It can be problem, we want children to be computer literate but not at the expense of more important communication and creative skills etc. It has been a good day for Isaac as when Kev took him to football this morning, for the first time he was awarded the football trophy to bring home for this week. Its a lovely evening. We leave at about 10.30, continuing the conversation until we drop Nathan off in Stoke Newington shortly after. Arrive home at about 2.am. Sunday 15.1.12 Good day in studio as bright sunshine gives good light. Monday 16.1.12 Catch up with correspondence before continuing in studio. Answer questions and send image of Playground for student at Loughborough who would like to use it in her dissertation. Tuesday 17.1.12 Lovely thank you postcard from Robert and Toyah in Seattle where Bill Rifflin, the guitarist in her group The Humans (and drummer with REM until they disbanded last year), lives. E mail from another student in Bath writing her dissertation on whether you can be a good mother and a good artist. She has already read my chapter in The Fruits of Labour - Motherhood and Creativity and has attached quite a long well researched questionnaire. Still working intensely on the big painting for Rob. Wednesday 18.1.12 Call from Rob wanting to know if I have a title for the new painting yet. Sometime a title become very apparent during the creative process, at other it can be more elusive; especially if I don’t want it to be too descriptive. E mail from the Art Bronze Foundry to say that the new horse has been cast and that Philip is now working on the patina. Thursday 19.1.12 Mike Westgate sends me a copy of the Friends Newsletter before it goes to print. I’m most touched as apart from Rosemary’s article on it there are three other mentions and thank yous for the Mince Pies, Mulled Wine Open Studio event and moneys raised from the sale of the miniatures. Friday 20.1.12 Still working on the painting Saturday 21.1.12 Stay up late finishing the painting for Rob....... Sunday 22.1.12 ...which Richard drives up to London to deliver to the Fair. Make very preliminary marks on large canvas before Daphne and Michael arrive for supper. I sit on the sofa with Daphne whilst she shows me photographs of the representations she’s made on behalf of carers both at 10 Downing Street and to the Princess Royal’s Carers Trust. Daphne is an eloquent speaker and takes the role very seriously, having been a carer for over thirty years herself. She also showed me photographs of a four day carers holiday in Yorkshire which was free of charge in a very nice hotel generously donated by the owner who made money out of cars before buying hotels and through his connection with the Princess Royal gives these breaks to carers annually. A little later Richard and Lesley Chatham arrive. Its lovely to see them too. I’m really pleased to hear that Lesley’s twin sister Pauline is making good progress as she has been very unwell and is still in hospital. Its a really enjoyable evening and the conversation covers a wide range of topics including Richard’s schooldays at Wycliffe College where he tells us they used to build and make all sorts of things; every boy made a chair for the chapel as well as doing things like making and laying parquet flooring. They also kept animals and his father used to sell them calves from his farm. But now as chair of the parish council, he’s involved in decision making on new housing projects and spoke very sensibly about the importance of views from windows of the surrounding countryside and how he’d pointed out to the planning department that one of their more recent estates didn’t allow any of the houses the view of the Tewkesbury Abbey’s magnificent Norman tower, one of the finest in Europe; and how the grassed play area was on the wrong side so it didn't get sunshine and the grass doesn’t grow and the children don't play there; also that the roads were too narrow to allow access or exit when the refuse truck is collecting or anywhere for visitors to put their cars. Monday 23.1.12 Get small canvas out for Chelsea Arts Club exhibition The Body Clothed in Art which has an artist’s lay figure outlined lightly with spots central to the canvas. But continue to work on the new large canvas towards my London show [Cork Street] in November. Tuesday 24.1.12 Still contemplating the Chelsea Arts Club canvas but continue with the large canvas as this has the greatest pull at the moment. Wednesday 25.1.12 Statement comes from Bridgeman Art Library for reproduction of some of the paintings including Money Matters on the cover of the new Wordsworth Worlds Classics edition of Adam Smith’s ‘Wealth of Nations’. Its not until having spent the day on the big piece which is still in its elementary stages, that at about midnight, I sit in front of the small ‘Body Clothed in Art’ canvas, partly because I’ve been standing to work on the big work. Somehow having the lay figure there has stopped me making a move , perhaps because it feels like somebody else has made a mark on it. But then paint a frame around it through which it is stepping to force myself into action and it is the catalyst needed. By the time Richard comes in to the studio at about 3 am, I’ve more or less worked it out. Thursday 26.1.12 Lovely New Year photograph from Olivier Gerard, (writer and film maker) in Paris who owns a couple of my works, which shows him filming from a seat on top of an elephant! Friday 27.1.12 Call from Andrew Fox at Gloucester City Museum to discuss the opening date and hanging arrangement for my exhibition there in May, shortly followed by a call from Louise, the exhibition organiser. I’m working in the upstairs studio when an e mail arrives from Zviad asking to join me on Facebook. I later discover that he’s a friend of Levan and organiser of the art-house film festival in Georgia. Levan of Art Wave in Batumi tells me that they will be working together on organising an exhibition of my work there. He needs some more information regarding approaching bodies for sponsorship. Saturday 28.1.12 Beautiful sunny day, thus good light. Get Richard to take photographs of my painted donation to the Chelsea Arts Club charity exhibition and auction in aid of the Artists General Benevolent Fund and student bursaries. Then back to work on the big canvas. Sunday 29.1.12 R goes up to London to deliver the painting to the Chelsea Arts Club. Monday 30.1.12 Rs gone up to London again to collect the horse from the foundry.... Tuesday 31.1.12 .. He stays over so that he can go to the Hay Hill Gallery and collect materials from Cornelissen’s. Lots of exciting thing happening at the Gallery. Meanwhile I am working intensely on the new canvas. .

January 2012

Sunday 1.1.12 New Year’s Day

Much of day spent writing a letter of support for the Arts Academy for an application that they are making. I’m delighted to have been asked as they all work so very hard to help enable and facilitate such a wide cross section of young people from across a broad socio-economic background, to fulfil their creative potential.

Monday 2.1.12

E mail from Levan Tsulukidze, director of Art Wave who tells me he loves my work and would very much like me to have an exhibition in Georgia and noting that I have exhibited in Estonia.

Tuesday 3.1.12

New e mail from Levan Tsulukidze sending photographs of the beautiful State Museum in Batumi. He seems wonderfully undaunted by the practicalities of getting the works there and back and says he will start to speak to the right people although it might take some time. Meanwhile Richard’s looked at travelling there on the trans Caucasian railway which of course would be a great adventure ( if there was time ) starting from London via Paris through Germany, Austria, Bulgaria into Istanbul - Batumi would still be further away that London is from Paris at this stage!

Wednesday 4.1.12

Am beginning to get back into the canvas I started to work on in December although I am also tempted by one of the other large canvases R has stretched and primed so beautifully for me.

Thursday 5.1.12

ditto

Friday 6.1.12

Nice e mail from Jackie saying thank you for the lovely painting which helped towards the in excess of £13,000 they raised for LINC, which she both the and Dr Gill Rouse are really pleased with.

Seem to be working at a slightly slower pace, perhaps because of the virus which has laid my Mum low too. Little children are of course the finest spreaders of such things.

Saturday 7.1.12

Though back to working at a faster pace in studio today.

Sunday 8. 1 . 12

ditto

Monday 9 .12 .12

Call from Rob to wish Happy New Year and discuss work for the Fair later this month.

He wonders if I can give him a verbal description of the painting I am currently working on for it!

E mail from Jeremy at the Injured Jockeys Association (who did the little jigsaw reproducing one of my paintings a couple of years ago) asking if I will donate a CD sized piece of work to the charity’s ‘Secret Artist’ exhibition to be held during the Gold Cup festival at Cheltenham and will then go onto other racecourses.

Also an e mail from Abigail of Stroud’s Museum in the Park, also entitled Secret Artist thanking me for the donation I made to their garden project, which I sent as I didn’t receive their request for a piece of work until it was too late.

Tuesday 10.1.12

Working on the new painting for Rob to take to the Fair

Wednesday 11.1.12

To London for the Directors lunch of ACS (the artists collecting society) at the founding director Harriet Bridgeman’s home. Its a lovely occasion and there is much to celebrate as ACS is growing from strength to strength gaining more artists and artists’ estates - some being very big names. Amongst the new directors are Maggie Hambling, Bill Packer and Paul Huxley, who I sit next to at lunch. A very nice man and Royal Academician, treasurer at the RA and very much involved in organising exhibitions there including the David Hockney which is about to open. On my other side Didier from the Paris office, whom I’ve known for some years; he tells me that reproduction of my painting Good Morning M. Balladur was the first they had given reproduction rights for when the Paris office opened. He’s recently been working very hard for ACS in securing the collection of droite de suite of one of the biggest artists in world’s estate. Nick and Rob Carter two artists who work with light and pigment with the Fine Art Society are there and became new directors in the Summer. Harriet is an amazing woman who Didier says has worked tirelessly to get ACS off the ground for past five years, much to the benefit of all artists whose work is likely to sell on the secondary market.

Thursday 12.1.12

Good to be back in studio working intensely on the painting for Rob to take to the art fair.

Friday 13.1.12

ditto

Saturday 14.1.12

Up to Blackheath for Samuel’s 4th birthday, collecting Nathan en route. When we arrive there are two very excited little boys who immediately launch themselves at Nathan. I’m amazed at his strength being able to walk along with one clinging to each leg, even lifting them whilst still on his legs to drop them onto the sofa. This lasts for at least half an hour, which I spend laughing and laughing at their antics as Nathan becomes almost like a fairground attraction swinging them into the air one under each arm and tossing the carefully onto the sofa. They both adore him, as he does them. Kev and Henrietta had bought Samuel a Scalectrix which keeps all five males including Richard happy whilst Henrietta shows me the lovely Batman (banana) cake she has made; also the beautiful Christmas cake iced with Isaac’s help. Samuel finds it hard to contain himself until after the birthday cake lighting of candles and singing, before opening his presents. He seems very pleased with his Buzz Lightyear laptop which is supposedly educational, though takes me a little time to work out how to operate it properly. It also includes Spanish, counting and phonics etc. We’ve also decided to give Isaac his main present even though his birthday is next month and I’m amazed that as a five year old he recognises it as soon as he begins to unwrap and says with excitement ‘an InnoPad!’ and does a very good job once the batteries are in, of showing us various programmes, including one called Art Studio which after having seen reproductions of David Hockney’s new landscapes created on his iPad, I look more favourably upon. He explains that this is going to be very good for him to use as its educational. His knowingness makes me smile as Henrietta has been trying to limit his use of her iPad and I explained before giving him the InnoPad, that Mummy and Daddy have to look after it and let him use it after he has done his reading or homework. It can be problem, we want children to be computer literate but not at the expense of more important communication and creative skills etc. It has been a good day for Isaac as when Kev took him to football this morning, for the first time he was awarded the football trophy to bring home for this week. Its a lovely evening. We leave at about 10.30, continuing the conversation until we drop Nathan off in Stoke Newington shortly after. Arrive home at about 2.am.

Sunday 15.1.12

Good day in studio as bright sunshine gives good light.

Monday 16.1.12

Catch up with correspondence before continuing in studio.

Answer questions and send image of Playground for student at Loughborough who would like to use it in her dissertation.

Tuesday 17.1.12

Lovely thank you postcard from Robert and Toyah in Seattle where Bill Rifflin, the guitarist in her group The Humans (and drummer with REM until they disbanded last year), lives.

E mail from another student in Bath writing her dissertation on whether you can be a good mother and a good artist. She has already read my chapter in The Fruits of Labour - Motherhood and Creativity and has attached quite a long well researched questionnaire.

Still working intensely on the big painting for Rob.

Wednesday 18.1.12

Call from Rob wanting to know if I have a title for the new painting yet. Sometime a title become very apparent during the creative process, at other it can be more elusive; especially if I don’t want it to be too descriptive.

E mail from the Art Bronze Foundry to say that the new horse has been cast and that Philip is now working on the patina.

Thursday 19.1.12

Mike Westgate sends me a copy of the Friends Newsletter before it goes to print. I’m most touched as apart from Rosemary’s article on it there are three other mentions and thank yous for the Mince Pies, Mulled Wine Open Studio event and moneys raised from the sale of the miniatures.

Friday 20.1.12

Still working on the painting

Saturday 21.1.12

Stay up late finishing the painting for Rob.......

Sunday 22.1.12

...which Richard drives up to London to deliver to the Fair.

Make very preliminary marks on large canvas before Daphne and Michael arrive for supper. I sit on the sofa with Daphne whilst she shows me photographs of the representations she’s made on behalf of carers both at 10 Downing Street and to the Princess Royal’s Carers Trust. Daphne is an eloquent speaker and takes the role very seriously, having been a carer for over thirty years herself. She also showed me photographs of a four day carers holiday in Yorkshire which was free of charge in a very nice hotel generously donated by the owner who made money out of cars before buying hotels and through his connection with the Princess Royal gives these breaks to carers annually. A little later Richard and Lesley Chatham arrive. Its lovely to see them too. I’m really pleased to hear that Lesley’s twin sister Pauline is making good progress as she has been very unwell and is still in hospital. Its a really enjoyable evening and the conversation covers a wide range of topics including Richard’s schooldays at Wycliffe College where he tells us they used to build and make all sorts of things; every boy made a chair for the chapel as well as doing things like making and laying parquet flooring. They also kept animals and his father used to sell them calves from his farm. But now as chair of the parish council, he’s involved in decision making on new housing projects and spoke very sensibly about the importance of views from windows of the surrounding countryside and how he’d pointed out to the planning department that one of their more recent estates didn’t allow any of the houses the view of the Tewkesbury Abbey’s magnificent Norman tower, one of the finest in Europe; and how the grassed play area was on the wrong side so it didn't get sunshine and the grass doesn’t grow and the children don't play there; also that the roads were too narrow to allow access or exit when the refuse truck is collecting or anywhere for visitors to put their cars.

Monday 23.1.12

Get small canvas out for Chelsea Arts Club exhibition The Body Clothed in Art which has an artist’s lay figure outlined lightly with spots central to the canvas. But continue to work on the new large canvas towards my London show [Cork Street] in November.

Tuesday 24.1.12

Still contemplating the Chelsea Arts Club canvas but continue with the large canvas as this has the greatest pull at the moment.

Wednesday 25.1.12

Statement comes from Bridgeman Art Library for reproduction of some of the paintings including Money Matters on the cover of the new Wordsworth Worlds Classics edition of Adam Smith’s ‘Wealth of Nations’.

Its not until having spent the day on the big piece which is still in its elementary stages, that at about midnight, I sit in front of the small ‘Body Clothed in Art’ canvas, partly because I’ve been standing to work on the big work. Somehow having the lay figure there has stopped me making a move , perhaps because it feels like somebody else has made a mark on it. But then paint a frame around it through which it is stepping to force myself into action and it is the catalyst needed. By the time Richard comes in to the studio at about 3 am, I’ve more or less worked it out.

Thursday 26.1.12

Lovely New Year photograph from Olivier Gerard, (writer and film maker) in Paris who owns a couple of my works, which shows him filming from a seat on top of an elephant!

Friday 27.1.12

Call from Andrew Fox at Gloucester City Museum to discuss the opening date and hanging arrangement for my exhibition there in May, shortly followed by a call from Louise, the exhibition organiser.

I’m working in the upstairs studio when an e mail arrives from Zviad asking to join me on Facebook. I later discover that he’s a friend of Levan and organiser of the art-house film festival in Georgia. Levan of Art Wave in Batumi tells me that they will be working together on organising an exhibition of my work there. He needs some more information regarding approaching bodies for sponsorship.

Saturday 28.1.12

Beautiful sunny day, thus good light. Get Richard to take photographs of my painted donation to the Chelsea Arts Club charity exhibition and auction in aid of the Artists General Benevolent Fund and student bursaries. Then back to work on the big canvas.

Sunday 29.1.12

R goes up to London to deliver the painting to the Chelsea Arts Club.

Monday 30.1.12

Rs gone up to London again to collect the horse from the foundry....

Tuesday 31.1.12

.. He stays over so that he can go to the Hay Hill Gallery and collect materials from Cornelissen’s. Lots of exciting thing happening at the Gallery.

Meanwhile I am working intensely on the new canvas.