Monday 1.12.08

Up early to travel up to London taking my Mum to spend a week with Henrietta, Kev and the little boys. Isaac comes to the door to meet us pretending to be a small panting dog. Later we play circus games when R became the elephant with Isaac riding on his back with little Samuel crawling behind as a baby elephant. I had to be both the clown and the trapeze artist - not having a tight rope or a swing the only thing I could do for the latter role was to leap up into Richard's arms. Isaac thought it was very funny and kept asking for more!!! I'm really pleased as he also remembers a little song I had made up when they visited two or three weeks ago, a rhyme that incorporates the spelling of his name. After Kev has returned and the boys have gone to bed we enjoy a supper chatting about projects etc. We leave about 10.15 and arrive back at 2 am.

Tuesday 2.12.08

Work on the Stack's commission.

E mail from Alec Hamilton, Chairman of the Friends, asking whether as well as chairing the AGM in June, would I also be the guest speaker, to which I agree.

Wednesday 3.12.08

Letter from the Royal West of England Academy saying that my painting Cat, Fish and Fruits has sold.

Whilst working on the Stack's commission during the evening I receive a call from Karl Goodman who asks if I would be interested in creating a large angel painting for an old hotel of the same name that he has just bought and is developing; I said I thought it would be a lovely project to work on. They have a large racing painting - both he and Debbie had seen and liked The Angel, the Dove and the Tiger.

Thursday 4.12.08

I add more to the Stack's canvas, particularly increasing the contrast.

in the evening we attend the University/Honourable Company of Gloucestershire inaugural lecture by Lord Carey who is the Chancellor. The lecture's title is 'Living with differences: Islam, Christianity and Judaism in a Darwinian world'. It's thought provoking and delivered to encourage discussion.

Friday 5.12.08

Rob and Sandra Whittle come for lunch and to choose a work to take to the Fine Art Fair in January. They get very excited when they see the musicians, which has three dimensional elements reaching out of the flat plane into real space and ask about taking it to one of the Art fairs in London next year. They end up with the pair of dancers for the NEC. They also bring a cheque for a recent sale they have made.

Working on the Stack's commission.

Saturday 6.12.08

R drives up to London to collect my Mum from Henrietta's; unfortunately she's caught a cold but then so has Richard. Meanwhile I'm painting the Stack's commission. Rob rings for a price for the Dancers and also asks if Richard can take photographs of the Musicians. Wallace rings. R arrives back at 10 pm having delivered my Mother to her home first and settling her in; after making him a cup of tea she fell asleep in the armchair.

Sunday 7.12.08

Working on the Stack's commission whilst listening to Radio 4's Hunchback of Notre Dame collaboration with the Graeae Theatre Company; Quasi modo is played by deaf actor David Bower who was also in Four Weddings and a Funeral. I find his portrayal of Quasi modo moving and more convincing than that of Charles Laughton in the 1939 film he seemed older than Victor Hugo's 22 year old protagonist. I Very much enjoyed this 2 part serialisation and would like to see or hear a lot more of this company. Quasi modo lost his hearing by ringing the huge bells of Notre Dame from a young age and however good a hearing actor Charles Laughton was he would not have been able to play the role with as much sincerity and empathy as David Bower.

John my lovely carpenter friend called during the evening to deliver a frame and discuss the large mural-type painting for Gloucestershire College. How its frame work is to be constructed. He's been so busy working on the sets for the Everyman pantomime and those of Lark Rise to Candelford for the television that it's allowed little time for anything else but now he is ready to start.

Monday 8.12.08

Painting on the Stack's commission and also doing a little more to the piece for Brian Sinfield.

Tuesday 9.12.08

Phone call from Brian Sinfield asking if I'd like to have an exhibition with him next year.

E mails with Alec Hamilton re. the Friends Silver Dinner to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of their formation.

Richard goes to the chemist to get my Mum's prescription of antibiotics as her cold has developed into a chest infection. She thinks she may not be well enough to go to the Christmas Dinner organised for the management committee of the Senior Residents Club. She told her doctor that Richard had made some of his soup especially for her and how it also contained garlic at which he smiled and said as he left "it's time for more of your soup" (being lunchtime) probably thinking it sounded like a folk remedy! She loves her doctor - he is excellent and and had responded very quickly to her call.

Wednesday 10.12.08

Richard Medway arrives at 11 to collect Bags and Shoes, the painting that they have purchased from the Paris exhibition. We sit and chat over coffee and mince pies; a very knowledgeable man he has some very interesting, pertinent ideas on art and dealers.