Sunday 1.3.09

Perhaps because it’s the 1st of March or more likely because it’s a glorious sunny day I dally longer than I had intended, cutting back and tidying plants and pots in the garden before I return to the studio to work on the ‘cello. R’s gone to deliver Caroline and Simon’s painting to their new home. I’m brushing in ideas and wiping them off with wet paper when to my horror the gesso starts to peel away from the primer. Richard has arrived back before this occurs so is there to witness the dilemma. He’d very kindly offered to add a coat of gesso to the instruments for me as I felt the surface of the primer was rather smooth so he now takes the ‘cello and cleans off the gesso ( and the skyscape I have applied so far  ) and has to do likewise with the two violins and viola.

Monday 2.3.09

As I sit in front of my easel I try to think how Haydn might have thought when composing. It seemed to me that at that time during the late eighteenth century he and other creators like writers and artists were preoccupied with the profound. As I sit there, contemplating the beautiful shape that the ‘cello makes on the easel, the man who walked with beasts makes his way across my mind. Voyages through the imagination are an essential part of the creative process. The man’s head is in profile as are the first beasts that I begin to make images of. The profile always feels like the most primitive of inscriptions, e.g. the Ancient Greeks or the Egyptians when decorating vessels etc. and further back the Assyrians. There is something more mysterious about seeing only one side of the face, not knowing what the viewer is gazing at or upon or where his thoughts are focused. Today with sophisticated electronic media images on screens we make direct eye contact and the speaker appears to be directing his thoughts and words at the viewer in person. Haydn (who died 200 years ago this May) is being celebrated this year and this exhibition will form part of Cheltenham Music Festival’s own celebration of the composer  who invented the string quartet as we know it.

Tuesday 3.3.09

Wednesday 4.3.09

Phone call from Meurig to see how my ‘cello is progressing.

Thursday 5.3.09

Richard calls me on my mobile whilst I’m working in my studio in the house - he’s over the Lane in my bigger studio with John who has just built me four small supports for the enormous triptych. Richard is still in the process of covering the three big constructions with canvas.

Friday 6.3.09

R photographs the ‘cello hanging on the studio wall to send to Meurig. later in the evening an e mail from him generously saying ‘...magnificent...bewitching...’ I feel so relieved and pleased as I do so want to make the very best of it both for the music festival exhibition and use and also because it will end up being auctioned for the National Star College at the end of what Meurig hopes will be a tour, so presumably next year.

Saturday 7.3.09

Edward Gillespie has generously dropped in tickets for the Gold Cup Day the highlight of the Cheltenham Festival.

E mail from Margus saying he’s still hoping to make the lecture and sending us three most compelling and atmospheric photographs, the first an amazing shot of the north Baltic Sea with blocks of ice on the beach and a distant cityscape across the water, a minute industrial scene with tall smoking chimneys.

Sunday 8.3.09

I’ve spent the last couple of days working on Woman.

Monday 9.3.09

Phone call from Meurig who’s in London, re collection of the ‘cello on which the oil paint has still not dried on the neck of the instrument ! and of course I’m still working on the sides at 3 am and hope in the warmth of my studio the oil paint  will go off in time to be handled.

Tuesday 10.3.09

Joyce and Sue arrive a bit before 2 to look at Sue’s commission.

E mail from Jenny Storey head of the Arts Academy  with alternative dates for a student studio visit and for me to go there to give a talk.

Wednesday 11.3.09

One of Meurig Bowen’s colleagues, Robin, has come to collect the ‘cello to take it to Bristol to be photographed by the designers of the programmes for the Music Festival. The oil paint is now just about dry.

I’m making a start on two or three small works in preparation for my exhibition later in the year.

Thursday 12.3.09

Receive statement from the Bridgeman Art Library for American reproduction fees. I’m quite surprised as there are more of these than usual (several are educational books). Whether this is just chance or whether it’s bucking the trend of the recession, it’s hard to tell.

Friday 13.3.09

We’re off to the Cheltenham Festival’s Gold Cup today at the generous invitation of Edward Gillespie for lunch and to spend the day in the Directors Chalet - he has said we will see some familiar faces and so we do. Mark and Julia Hurrell are the first we meet; I’m really delighted as they have been into the Museum especially to look at the collections they are particularly interested in the Arts & Crafts furniture and live in an Arts & Crafts house themselves. Then Andrew North, Patricia Broadfoot and David Rockey, Peter and Mrs Bungard. And some new ones too. I’m sat next to Sir Geoff Hurst, such an honour as this man is a legend in his own lifetime. The footballer who scored the only hat trick to have ever happened in a world cup - he scored the three goals in the 1966 world cup when we played against Germany at Wembley. He played for England and West ham. This amazing man also played professional cricket for Essex making him the only first-class cricketer to have won a world cup medal for football. A lovely man, with a mischievous sense of humour. On my other hand, giving me good advice  on on how best to place bets Rupert Croft a solicitor whose practice is in Cheltenham where his wife is also a partner who specialises in licensing law and does a lot of work for the Racecourse; she is sitting next to Richard. On Rupert’s other side is Gill Rouse, a wonderful  doctor and haematologist, who has since ‘99 has run the charity Linc (which she co founded ) raising £1m pounds to build a new department at the hospital for leukaemia patients. She saw the needs of her patients for whom this centre was built and Linc also helps them with personal funding. She’s worked tirelessly organising huge events - concerts by the likes of Josae Carreras & Bryn Terfel (2003) Dame Kiri Te Kanawa (2005) and Lesley Garrett (2007) it is  truly humbling  to meet this most magnanimous woman  and her now retired GP husband.

Mark Coote the prospective Conservative party candidate for Cheltenham  and his wife were also on our table - he hales from Cheltenham which will probably bode well for him, he seems a very nice man but then so does Martin Horwood Cheltenham’s current MP (a Liberal ) . Guy of Montpellier Marketing  is our  (as he describes it ) mini host, his company also does a lot of work for the Racecourse.

Saturday 14.3.09

Back in the studio, working on all fronts.

Sunday 15.3.09

It’s a glorious sunny day. We set off to London at noon to visit the National Portrait Gallery. We look at the broad collection from Tudor through to Michael Craig Martin’s brightly coloured neon portrait of Zara Hadad, where the colours change electronically. And then into the Constable portraits exhibition which seems particularly relevant as I’ve just  heard a serialisation of Martin Gayford’s ‘Constable in Love’ on Radio 4’s Book at Bedtime. We then drive over to Greenwich to visit Henrietta, Kev, Isaac and Samuel; particularly to give Isaac a haircut ready for his induction morning at nursery school. We have a good game going where I always sit him and Richard in chairs next to one another with tea cloths around their shoulders and we all sing a little song that I made up for the purpose “At the Barber’s Shop”(not always quite so successful as we’d lost £20 on Barber’s Shop, the Queen’s horse, in the Gold Cup). The barbers shop has to move to several different positions in different rooms and includes story telling and finally a video of Dumbo. Samuel, who is now walking, joins in and keeps trying to take the bowl that I have collected Isaac’s golden locks in; he’s a delightful little fellow with an enormous grin. Isaac is reluctant to go to bed so stays up and has supper with us. We stay on for another hour or so after he’s gone to bed, chatting.

Arriving home at about 3 am things don’t seem quite right as the kitchen doors are open and the top cupboards. When Richard goes upstairs he sees that drawers have been pulled out and tipped out onto the floor. We’ve been burgled!! but I suspect they’ve been disappointed as although the house is quite big we don’t own things of great monetary value our belongings are more sentimental or interesting curiosities that obviously of no appeal to them. I’ve never wanted or worn much jewellery or needed expensive equipment - we do have a rather old small green portable television that only ever gets used if the children are back. However I was sad that two rings I had been looking after for my mother, one being the only thing she had from her mother and which I had had repaired for her, the other her engagement ring that my sister had had repaired for her - not hugely valuable but she had wanted to leave one to each of us as likewise she doesn’t have expensive baubles. The police are prompt to come - charmingly soothing and efficient, they tell us that burglars are usually looking for cash and since we have to raid our small change jars for charity collections, there wasn’t anything here for them in that line.

Monday 16.309

Two other policemen arrive today, to look for fingerprints and other evidence. They are highly efficient and again very kind and entertaining in their approach but extremely well trained and expertly skilful. I have to comment that their response has been very impressive and they have all been such nice considerate professionals.

Tuesday 17.3.09

It’s another glorious day so I take advantage of the sun’s warmth to plant out a tray of brightly coloured primulas and do a bit of tidying up in the garden. I meet Beryl, one of our neighbours, at the gate and she points out to me that we have a clump of bright pink violets growing on our bank; they must have planted themselves - neither she nor I have ever seen pink violets before. She wonders if she might take a tiny part of the clump to see if she can get them to grow. I say I think it would be a good idea to try and nurture this beautiful variety.

Wednesday 18.3.09

I work on preparing my speech of introduction for Sandy Nairne, director of the National Portrait Gallery, who is coming to give the 10th de Ferrieres lecture organised by the Friends of Cheltenham Art Gallery and Museum at the Bacon Theatre in Cheltenham tonight. We arrive at about 7pm. Val takes me up to meet Sandy Nairne who has completed his technical rehearsal but is still working quietly on the end of the mezzanine with his laptop and several sheets of paper. He’s very nice and charmingly enquires about what I’m working on and forthcoming exhibitions etc. But I can see he is very focused on the preparations for his talk. When I go back downstairs I chat to John Reid who has come  for the lecture but is waiting for Anne and a friend to join him. Margus arrives shortly after; it’s so wonderful that he has been driven down from London especially for this event. We then go into the theatre where Alec the Chairman has reserved seats for us at the front, with Margus. The theatre has filled up, it’s a very good turnout. Then Val asks if I would like to start the proceedings. I make my way onto the stage and stand and smile until the audience has hushed. Alec had wanted me to introduce myself and talk a little about the Patrons scheme I have been working on. When I get to the part where I welcome Margus - he graciously stands up and everyone applauds; it’s really nice as now everyone knows who he is. I then talk a little about two or three of the other Patrons and their connections to the National Portrait Gallery, such as when I’d heard Toyah in discussion with Sandy Nairne on Radio 4, talking about her favourite portrait in the NPG; as she’d fairly recently played the role of Dora Carrington it was perhaps not surprising that she’d chosen Carrington’s beautiful portrait of Lytton Strachey. But of course she might have selected a photograph of her own great love, Robert Fripp, who is also in the collection. I mention the thrill of exhibiting a double portrait at the NPG man years ago, in what is now the BP annual portrait award exhibition. I then start to introduce Sandy Nairne; Sandy has been Director of the NPG since 2002; prior to this he was Director of programmes at Tate, where he worked on the development of Tate Modern and the redevelopment of Tate Britain, he also expanded their digital and international programmes; he’s also worked at the Museum of Modern Art in Oxford; for the Arts Council of Great Britain and the Institute of Contemporary Arts. He’s a writer and freelance curator, his book State of the Art was published in 1987 to coincide with his Channel 4 programme; in 1996 it was followed up with the publication of Thinking about Exhibitions and in 2006 Portrait Now with Sarah Howgate. A man of huge talent he fulfils both categories of Worthy and Celebrity, the subjects of his lecture being “Worthy or Celebrity - who gets into the National Portrait Gallery?” It’s a fascinating and in depth lecture and starts with an illustration of a portrait of William Shakespeare and travels through history including Joseph Arkwright, recently purchased with the Harris Art Gallery, Preston to the sleeping David Beckham video by Sam Taylor Wood. After this excellent lecture we make our way up to the mezzanine for drinks and refreshments. Sir Michael Angus introduces himself to me - a very affable man, he tells me about two portraits he commissioned ( probably for Boards that he Chaired ), one of our Queen the other the Queen of the Netherlands. Sir Michael was President of the Friends for eight years until last September, when he stepped down and I had the honour of taking over. I had an interesting conversation with Helen from the Museum about the evening for Patrons in June. She seemed very pleased to discuss it and wondered if I might go in to walk around with her and plan what we might look at. I tell her how wonderful I thought her talk in one of the objects stores was at the evening for new Friends. Shortly after Sandy Nairne leaves with Alec who is driving him back to the station, we leave with Margus for a one course risotto at a local restaurant. He’s such a charming and intelligent man it’s always fascinating talking to him about his experiences. He was ambassador at the Vatican whilst Pope John Paul 11 was still alive and says that even though he was frail and often in pain,he was always able to speak and his mind remained as sharp as ever. He often saw the  current Pope, Benedict, on flights to and from Germany whilst he was still Cardinal Ratzinger and says there was always something compelling about his eyes. We don’t dally for too long as Dr Margus has to deliver a lecture at 9 in the morning and still has to be driven back to London.

Thursday 19.3.09

The weather’s been good for most of this week and today is no exception, so spend some time cutting back, collecting debris and enjoying the bursting buds offering of exquisite colour and new life, the blue Periwinkle and grape Hyacinth that return year after year untended and of their own volition.  Return to the studio replenished .

Friday 20.3.09

Another glorious sunny day. I sit out in its warmth to eat my breakfast and linger to absorb some vitamin D.

I don’t do as much in the studio as Henrietta, Kev, Isaac and Samuel are arriving in the evening for a few days.

Saturday 21.3.09

Nice e mail from Meurig, Director of the Music Festival, saying they “...have now signed off on the brochure and my ‘cello looks fantastic on the cover...”and an invitation is on its way for the Festival launch early in April. I’m so pleased he is pleased with it as it was quite difficult to decide in which direction to take it. I’m also delighted as he tells me one of the Festival’s vice-Presidents has written a short book about the Music Festival to mark its 65th birthday. This personal history will be printed in time for sale at the Festival. Meurig showed him my ‘cello and “..he was so taken with it, he wonders whether you would grant him permission for it to be the cover image for this book...”What a lovely added bonus.

We take Isaac to the village to have his feet measured and buy him some canvas shoes with a different pirate on each foot.

Sunday 22.3.09

E mail from Margus with details of a small commission he would like me to make for him. He’d broached the subject over dinner on Wednesday evening; I was touched and he was pleased.

It’s Mothers Day. My sister’s coming down from Bedford to do a surprise visit for my Mum, so we are eight for our afternoon lunch. Lots of exchanging of beautiful plants, particularly pink azaleas and hyacinths. Its a lovely tradition. Isaac comes back with Kev and Samuel bearing bunches of sweet smelling freesias for Henrietta and me.

Monday 23.3.09

A trip into Cheltenham which includes visiting Pittville Park for the rabbits, peacocks, chickens, doves etc. with Henrietta, Samuel and Isaac. The peacocks are looking particularly splendid, their tail feathers appearing much brighter now than  they did during the winter months, the brilliant green and turquoise feathers gleaming in the sunshine. I seem to spend most of my time running from there over the lawn to the playground, chasing Isaac whose favourite game seems to be to out run me. He loves the train and always insists on climbing up the highest most difficult climbing frame and slide, the platform of which I can only just reach. He’s determined that we shall look at the lake and ducks before leaving - it’s fascinating to observe how small children love to stick to the normal routine. We haven’t brought any bread with us so I manage to find an emergency cereal bar in my bag which we break into tiny pieces to feed the ducks and moor hens. Pittville is a particularly beautiful park with the Pump Rooms as its focal point, framed by magnificent mature trees especially in the late afternoon sun. When I was an art student I was photographed with my then boyfriend sitting on the grass in front of the Pump rooms by the Gloucestershire Echo as their first coloured photograph.

Tuesday 24.3.09

We take Henrietta and the boys back home to Greenwich (Kev had driven back on Sunday night ) before attending the 50th birthday party of the Portal Gallery in London, where both Richard and I used to exhibit and through whom we met. We were delighted to see Lionel Levy who along with Eric Lister (who died in 1988 ) introduced us. Lionel is looking a little fragile as he’s only just come out of hospital having spent a month there after a stroke but seems to have made a good recovery, seeing him again made the evening particularly special. We also see Karen his wife. Lionel and Eric set up the Portal Gallery in 1959 and have shown all sorts of artists; in the sixties they exhibited people like Peter Blake, Jo Tilson and Patrick Hughes; later artists have included Kit Williams, Beryl Cook, Mick Rooney and Anthony Green.

Wednesday 25.3.09

I had been going to the Committee meeting of the Friends at the Museum this afternoon but as I’d hurt my ankle in the car door yesterday, Richard persuaded me it would be better to rest it    for the day. There are quite a few letters I need to write and it gives me the opportunity to catch up on them. Coincidentally I get a phone call in the afternoon from Sophia at the Museum asking if I would give permission for my painting Portrait of the Artist watching her Children grow to be used in a film that they have just had funding for, to be made by a local artist.

Thursday 26.3.0

E mail from Natalia at ACS who are in the process of completing their new web site and are incorporating a page of “key people”; this will include small profiles of our employees and directors. So after I’ve finished answering questions for student Martha, who is doing a study on my work for her art A level, we write a paragraph or so about me. I do spend lot of time  writing each day.

Invitation from Meurig to the Music Festival  Programme launch next week - Richard spots, under what looks like the corner of a page peeling back, a tiny image of part of my painted ‘cello.

Back in the studio I’m working on all fronts.

Friday 27.3.09

Phone the RWA to see if I’m too late to pay for the lunch tomorrow as it’s the AGM and this year is very important as a vote is being taken on two new special resolutions. A charming young woman called Alison answers and say “not at all” so books me a place. Busy in studio.

Saturday 28.3.09

Up early to travel down to Bristol to the Royal West of England Academy for the AGM. Looking first at the Crimes of Passion street art exhibition in the main galleries; it’s an amazing show and there seem to be lots of people viewing it already. Then down to the Friends meeting room for the AGM; quite a few familiar faces and some new, several of whom had been very generous in supporting the Star Art exhibition; Lucy Willis came up and asked what the final total I’d raised was and seemed to be very impressed that it had reached £42,000. It’s also wonderful to see Leonard Mannasseh the architect, past president of the RWA and an RA who is now in his 90s; such a dear man. Whilst we are waiting for the results to the ballot, Peter Stoppard (brother of Tom) who has been the honorary treasurer for twelve years, walks up to the back row where I am sitting to tell me that he had bought the tiger painting I had donated to the 150@150 exhibition . I’m most touched - I first met him when I was on Council about eleven years ago. He is retiring from this position today so everyone has signed a card for him and he’s presented with a special bottle. The vote comes through and the resolutions have been passed overwhelmingly. After the lunch I have a quick look at Peter Swan’s beautiful exhibition in the New Gallery and decide I’d better not stay for the Artists’ Forum this afternoon as I’m getting rather behind with imminent deadlines; I ring Richard who’s been drawing in pen ink and water-colour in a little Georgian square and had achieved some interesting effects on the rain soaked paper. It’s wonderful to get home with some afternoon still left giving a good light in my studio.

Sunday 29.3.09

It’s even brighter today so my sun-filled  Erie is warm and light. R’s planting peas and beans in the vegetable garden.

Monday 30.3.09

Today I make the journey back over the Lane to my newly adapted studio which houses the three large canvassed panels for the big Gloucestershire College commission. Richard has moved it into the forward position where it look big and impressive in its scale. It takes me some time to walk its length! it looks wonderfully inviting although as always the white pristine surface feels so perfect that it will take courage to start to make marks upon it. Richard’s adapted a new trolley for me which is a bit higher so that I won’t have as far to reach down when I’m on my special perch for painting the higher extremities. He films me mixing paints in preparation as he’s going to make podcasts of its progress; also of me making a beginning which I do.

Tuesday 31.3.09

ditto