Thursday 1.5.08

Three hour meeting of the Star College Appeals Board. As an artist who usually works in the solitude of my studio I felt rather alien as they had a 'facilitator' in, who got the members of the board to do things like walking around rubbing shoulders, looking into each others eyes, making groups according to eye colour, months of birth etc. It seemed to work for others but not for me for me - there was a lot of writing down of the aims and hoped for achievements of the Board etc. I felt that the three hours would have been better employed sitting around the table proffering ideas. I did have two or three that I had hoped to mention but they were ways of raising or making money rather than big donations.

Friday 2.5.08

Rob rang from the art fair in Harrogate to say he'd just sold The Supper Party painting which has gone to a new collector.

Saturday 3.5.08

R comes back after going to the post looking very pleased with himself as he's looked in Weekend Magazine and found a photograph of me under one of Eddie the Eagle and alongside Steve Winnowed, Willie Carson, Mollie Dent-Brockelhurst co-owner of Sudely Castle etc. we all just missed out on being in Gloucestershire's Top 100 names. But apparently we made the top 200 !!

Sunday 4.5.08

John, my framer, comes with two beautiful new frames. After his week of art appreciation in Paris and extra to his set building for the Everyman Theatre, he's been busy this week making window frames for the BBC production of Lark Rise to Candelford.

I've heard two writers on Radio 4 this whose foreign editions have used my paintings on their covers, John le Carré and David Lodge.

Just heard news of devastating cyclone in Burma. Thousands feared dead and even more rendered homeless

Monday 5.5.08

R had prepared a new canvas for me and today feels like the right day to start it.

Tuesday 6.5.08

Call from Michelle at the Blondel gallery in Paris asking for photographs to use in the press. She's hoping that some of the works will be inspired by the Saudi Arabian trip and research as they liked the look of the commissioned works so I was very pleased I had started the new piece yesterday, on that theme.

Wednesday 7.5.08

We had to go to Cheltenham in the afternoon for an appointment so thought I'd also look for a few new tops. Having covered the Promenade and House of Fraser ; though not normally a Marks and Spencer shopper I thought I'd pop into this store which has fluctuated in reputation and changing fortune over the past few years and was amazed to find a range of Fairtrade cotton T shirts retailing at £5, others at £4 and shirts in cotton between £9 and £12. Is this an indication of high street prices falling. The T shirts will be very useful for me especially in the studio but are good enough to wear elsewhere.

Though lacking a designer label! I would think some are not very different in shape and they will all be made in the Far East. It does also beg the question as to whether the cheap shirt manufacturers pay lower wages than the more expensive ones or whether it's the profit margin that makes the difference in the price. For the price I was going to pay for one top in Whistles, I bought half a dozen at M&S with the added advantage of knowing that the cheapest ones were using Fairtrade cotton. Of course at one time all the M & S garments were made here in the UK when we were a country of makers and manufacturers and many people will have had to redeploy as a result. When I try on the small black T shirt in the evening Richard's reaction is to say that Jackson Pollock used to wear one of a similar style so you can't have a much better tag than that.

Rarely out shopping, I'm surprised to bump into two separate people who own my works when perambulating with the trolly through Waitrose but even more astounded when a very glamorous woman also pushing a trolly exclaims "it's PJ Crook, isn't it?" although she hadn't seen my paintings in reality she's a great admirer of the works she has seen reproduced in the papers. She's hugely generous in her enthusiasm and tells me that she has a business Liz.... opposite the Town Hall in Cheltenham where she seems to specialise in eye lashes, a technique and formula she acquired in the States where she adheres long lasting extra lashes(each one separately), like the film stars she says. She kindly offers to do mine for free if I was going for a photo shoot. Hers certainly look stunning. Apparently they are long lasting and just fall out with your own - with the bonus of not needing to wear mascara.

Thursday 8.5.08

It's a beautiful sunny day for our trip up to London where I am having lunch with Harriet (Lady Bridgeman) and the other members of the ACS board. As the weather's so good the luncheon is alfresco in her garden, a beautifully informal occasion, which I'm sure helped discussion of the points on the agenda. Conducive to lots of positive ideas and suggestions The discussions covered many things including collection of Driote de suite internationally - auction houses- artists and increasing membership of. Harriet was very enthusiastic about trying to write in some small element of commission towards the National Star College's New Creative Arts Centre.

Friday 9.5.08

Call from Gaynor at the Museum shop asking if we have any of my 1996 retrospective catalogues by Jon Bennington, as they have an order from a book distributor. I tell her we have and she says that they will have an order made out for Cheltenham Art Gallery & Museum.

Visit from Revd Ian Calder as he is leaving his position as Rector of the parish. I feel very guilty that we stand looking at the still unfinished altar piece triptych as it has been very much with his encouragement that it has come into being. But he says he will come back for its installation - it's only the time I need.

Saturday 10.5.08

The numbers who have died in the Cyclone Nargis in the Irrawaddy Delta measuring about 2,000 square miles in Burma is now in the tens of thousands with a million left homeless. The new threat to them is waterborne diseases as it is all still under water. Very little aid is getting through and they are in desperate need of even the simplest materials like plastic sheeting and of course water, food and medicines. The military junta who rule the country are not proving helpful sadly they have declined the offers of expertise from around the world.

Sunday 11.5.08

My Mum comes with us when we go to Revd Ian's last service at St Michael's on this Whit Sunday which celebrates the feast of Pentecost when the gift of tongues and understanding came to the disciples.

Monday 12.5.08

A powerful earthquake has struck SE China; even buildings in far away Beijing swayed. 8,700 people have so far been killed and children in several schools have been buried in the debris but China's response has been extremely fast - the Prime Minister was already on his way there, unlike the cyclone in Burma, where aid agencies and foreign governments are still waiting to get their contributions distributed amongst the people.

David Cameron, leader of the UK's opposition party, has suggested we should drop aid supplies from aircraft into the disaster area. But aid agencies feel that this won't help the weak and ailing as it will be the fastest and strongest who benefit. But perhaps it would be better to save some than none and maybe the strong will be more humane and compassionate than they think.

Tuesday 13.5.08

The weather and light are still glorious. In between stints in the studio, I go out and put a few little plant in or cut a little back. It would be very tempting to spend the whole time out working in the garden as there really is tremendous amount to do. But with the Paris exhibition looming and commissions to finish, I don't take too much time out, though I do open my studio french windows to let the sun come in.

Wednesday 14.5.08

ditto

Thursday 15.5.08

It's overcast today with some rain so have to resort to putting my studio lights on earlier in the evening.

R had been busy painting bargeboards and the outside of the workshop during the good weather ( it was the hottest first half of May since records began in the 1770's) but has moved back indoors to continue his work on painting the hallways and bannisters. Everything white this time not red like Mr Pooter!!

Friday 16.5.08

I'm up at 5.30 this morning in readiness for the Bishop's Breakfast in the Parliament Room at Gloucester Cathedral. It feels a wonderfully historic venue in which to have our meeting. I sit next to Greg Smith and we discuss briefly the mural project. Ruth Fitzjohn tells us about all the big improvements that are happening in Gloucestershire's NHS; people will be fitted with hearing aids after a wait of only two weeks, a new hospital being built,and many other marvellous improvements, she and her team must be wonderfully efficient. This morning there's a presentation introduced by Andrew North (CEO of Cheltenham BC) by Common Cause, an organisation that he has worked with in his previous position. They run short courses for people in leadership positions with the objective of seeing things from others points of view. I am most impressed that the short film they show us has been made by Ridley Scott, the director of the ground breaking film Blade Runner (on which Nathan wrote his dissertation). Over breakfast Ruth asks if I had a strategy in my career, whether I see it as achieving a certain body of work and I explain that actually it usually happens of its own volition, that it's a matter of trust and that sometimes I haven't known at the beginning of the year for instance that I would be in Japan gathering inspiration and observing the culture for a series of commissions by the and of it or going to Saudi Arabia the following year to do the same or meeting the students from the National Star College at my exhibition in 1986 or the connection with the new Gloucestershire College and being commissioned to paint the mural for it and the involvement with the students and staff that will also take place.

We've been home a few hours during which I work on the commission for Brian May for the CD he will take to the Edinburgh Festival. Then suddenly it's time to leave for Gloucester Cathedral again where there will be a reception followed by a service to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of the National Star College. I am delighted as almost the first person we see is Allen Field the Principal when we first got to know the College, with his lovely wife - we reminisce. Amongst the other people we see is Colin Crossley-White's widow, a very sweet lady who has been driven here by her son. Colin was a tremendous supporter of the College - they had been involved since its foundation. Then we bump into Henry Elwes, the Lord Lieutenant of Gloucestershire and apologise to him for not having attended the inaugural dinner in the of the Honourable Company of Gloucestershire in the nave of the Cathedral; he says it was a wonderful occasion but perhaps a little cold. I tell him we are looking forward to his garden party in June and he jokes that it's not so much a 'garden' party as a 'lawn' party and that they just have some snowdrops in the winter. In fact Colesbourne Manor has the finest snowdrop collection in the country with 160 varieties; his grandfather started the collection and study writing books on the species and collecting from as far afield as Turkey and Russia. These snowdrop gardens are open to the public on weekends during the month of February; there are also study days for furthering the knowledge.

The service is moving. Students and staff have formed a choir and perform a medley of spirituals like 'Swing low sweet chariot'. http://www.glosdioc.org.uk/ministry/bishop/ gives the address which is beautifully worded and thought out and very pertinent to the wonderful students of the College and staff. Helen (Principal) reads the Beatitudes which again perfectly suits. The Dean had given the introduction but most of the service was performed by the College Chaplain Canon Ian. When I turn at the end of the service I am amazed to see how full the Cathedral is and surprised to be greeted by our friends Richard and Lesley Chatham who were amongst the congregation. We enjoy looking at the exhibition of students' work in the South transept before making our way to speak to some of the students. Amy, who had written and read the first poem, is almost tearful when I tell her how moving her poem was and how beautifully she read it - as it was the first during the service it must have taken her a huge amount of courage. I compliment Bishop Michael on his sermon and how pertinent the words he used - perfect for this occasion. He says that he doesn't usually find it difficult to stand in the Cathedral pulpit and give a sermon but that he was particularly concerned that he should get this absolutely right.

Saturday 17.5.08

Very distressing news from both Burma and China. the Burmese authorities are saying that the death toll there has now reached 78,000 but aid agencies think there could be 40,000 more. A few agencies like "Save The Children" have been allowed in but there are American ships moored waiting since Tuesday with a water purification machine amongst other things which has the capacity to purify a huge volume of water in a very short time. they could be in the disaster area within 30 minutes if the Burmese military junta would give them permission. All the suppliers of aid that has been sent in are desperate to help as they know the death toll will be increasing each day and that on humanitarian grounds they should be there. The Chinese on the other hand are, against very difficult odds, working tirelessly and have asked for foreign experts to help with the recovery. Sadly very few people are found alive under the debris of collapsed buildings.

Sunday 18.5.08

On Radio 4's 'Last Word' there's an obituary of Robert Rauschenberg who must have died earlier in the week. Rauschenberg has probably had a profound influence on lots of artists particularly the young Brits like Damien Hirst as he used to collect junk for the creating of his works. One of the earlier pieces was a stuffed goat with a tyre round his neck; another was a quilt that he tried to paint but it still looked like a quilt so he decided to exhibit it as a bed hanging on the wall which is perhaps not that far removed from Tracey Emin's unmade bed. He studied at Black Mountain College under Joseph Albers. Although he had been married and had a son he lived for some time with Jasper Johns and Adrian Henri wrote a little poem

Rauschenberg and Jasper Johns

bless the bed we lie upons.

When Richard was a student at Winchester School of Art he was taught by Ed Meneely one of Rauschenberg's ex lovers; they fell out because Rauschenberg said that the walls around Meneely's painting (with all the paint splashes) were more interesting than the paintings themselves .

Last week a triptych painted in the 70s by Francis Bacon sold for £47m and the Lucien Freud 'Benefits Officer' which sold for £17m were both purchased by the owner of Chelsea FC Roaman Abramovich .
Monday 19.5.08

Good day in the studio.

Tuesday 20.5.08

News from Save the Children that six helicopters have been allowed to fly aid into the disaster area in Burma. Save the Children have been able to be there because they have so many Burmese working for them but this is perhaps a sign of hope; yesterday they had said in talks. The death toll in China is now about 40,000; one can but only imagine the agony of those parents who have lost their children or loved ones.

E mail from James Leith (of Wentworth Wooden Jigsaws) asking if we could have a new scan of the Adoration of the Magi painting as they seem to have lost their scan. They are currently working on two puzzles for the Museum of 'Portrait of the artist watching her children grow' which is in the new area of the Art Gallery & Museum that is designed to attract small children and keep them amused and involved. Tomorrow I have the privilege of opening it.

Wednesday 21.5.08

We set off before 10 with a box containing Nathan's Punch & Judy puppets and three or four hats as worn by my children in the painting at different stages of their childhood. The small children are already in the Museum and being read a story; they are delightful little people who at first aren't quite sure about what is happening but they very soon don the hats and pose for photographs, some with me and others where they are interacting with all the exciting toys, games and costumes that often relate to objects in the Art Gallery & Museum. There's an especially fascinating little hole in a skirting board into which they can shine a pen torch and see a mouse tableaux in which there are going to be replicas of paintings and exhibits around the Museum. It's a lovely experience to be involved in. For the cutting of the ribbon I have and enormous pair of scissors and the children hold the ribbon for me. Afterwards Jane Lillystone, the Manager of Arts and Museums in Cheltenham shows us the plans and model of the new AG&M for which they are soon to be fund-raising, which looks to be a very exciting design. They then take us for coffee in the museum cafe.

Thursday 22.5.08

We travel back up to London to help Henrietta and Kev with the big move. We are rather late setting out but just as we're crossing the lane to do so Richard notices Tom coming down the lane in his beautiful cherry red wheel chair, bearing a rolled up piece of paper which R is sure he's bringing to show me as I hadn't seen it yesterday evening when he visited Richard to show it to him; he had just finished it. The pencil marks are amazingly strong and controlled; it's quite surreal, a head with animal ears and horns and two more eyes on the torso where the nipples would be. Apparently it's an image that he sees in his dreams. He thinks his dreams are affected by the medications he has to take and I mention the artists, writers and musicians who took LSD in the hope of seeing such imagery, during the 60s and 70s. It was created by Hoffman Roche who died very recently aged over 100.

Friday 23.5.08

Richard goes to collect Henrietta, Isaac and Samuel to bring them here to the London house where we are staying, whilst he goes back to help Kev with the mammoth task of first cleaning the old house (the new owners move in at 12) then he helps do some unpacking at the new flat and then goes to IKEA for more shelving and storage units. Isaac has a bath to play with the new boat before lunch, then we go off through the Park to their new flat. Isaac isn't at all sure about it at the moment because as I see when entering the door, it is absolutely full of boxes and i can't imagine it all ever being unpacked. I get his wooden bike out for him to show how much space he has to ride around in now - this he does enjoy.

Saturday 24.5.08

We stick to a similar pattern today but we visit the flat late morning, bearing gifts and flowers as it is Henrietta and Kev's 5th anniversary. We go to the Park; Isaac and I stop for a game of football whilst Henrietta and Samuel lie on the rug. We are suddenly startled to see three ducks, making a lot of noise, land quite near us. I take Isaac's hand so we can walk closer to get a better look, when two very nice slightly older children join us - one of the two white bodied ducks with dark head and wings flies away. The boy tells us that this is because both males were vying for the brown female's affection but the remaining duck had charmed her. Being female she was not as sleek or beautifully marked, brown and rather more dishevelled looking. She and the male sat side by side he preening himself. The boy tells us that he's now in year 5 but last year he went to the Wetland Park and learned all this about ducks' behaviour. After a trip to the pavilion for a cup of tea and a mini milk ice-cream on a stick for Isaac,we come back to the house and whilst the two little boys and Henrietta had a sleep I started a new little painting on the table probably for the Friends of Cheltenham Art Gallery & Museum, whilst watching over the two babies. Isaac again has a bath and into pyjamas ready for R to pick us all up. I'm amazed to see how much Kev and Richard have achieved since yesterday; as well as unpacking they've both been assembling storage - Kev shelves and units and R a chest of drawers and some stools and a trip to the tip to dispose of all the cardboard packaging.

Sunday 25.5.08

Today we spend the day at the flat where R makes all the drawers for the chest he assembled yesterday then later he goes to collect Nathan but not Rebecca as she has a deadline to complete a chapter of her PhD thesis to be handed in on Tuesday. Nathan's very good value and plays football with Isaac and me in the garden, doing wonderful jumping trick with the ball between his ankles then kicking it backwards with the bottom of his foot. Isaac immediately tries to imitate but at 2 isn't quite up to it yet although kicks the ball beautifully. Before supper Nathan shows us images on his laptop of an amazing mirrored donkey's head he's making for the video for the singer in the Brazilian band that he is currently working with as art director. He's been asked to work on one for Coldplay but turned it down as this one for the Brazilians was more challenging.

Monday 26.5.08

I go to meet Henrietta, Isaac and Samuel at Isaac's little friend Frank's flat. His Mum Juliet is a fashion designer and his Dad Johnnie plays in a band. The flat is wonderfully bohemian and full of unusual antique pieces of furniture - a hug old portrait graces the hall and there's a beautiful little table and chair in Frank's bedroom which was probably juliet's when she was an infant. Richard meanwhile takes more things to the tip.

After having lunch back at Henrietta and Kev's new flat and playing with Isaac and Samuel, we set out for home at 2.30 arriving back at 6.

There are messages from ACS and Lee in New York although it does sound a bit like a radio phone so possibly Peurto Rico. I have time to do a little work in the studio.

Tuesday 27.5.08

Catalogue from the Calgary gallery showing Nocturne which is in the exhibition that has just opened there.

Wednesday 28.5.08

The Storyteller is beginning to feel more solid as I continue working into areas strengthening tonally.

Thursday 29.5.08

ditto.

Friday 30.5.08

Late afternoon Becca (Henrietta's friend from student days) her husband Richard their baby daughter Eva arrive ; they are going to a wedding in Worcester tomorrow. Eva is a delightful little girl who smiles most of the time. We haven't seen them since Henrietta got married so it's good to catch up over supper.

Saturday 31.5.08

They depart about 10.30 am. Then it's back to the studio

A catalogue arrives form the Toronto gallery which is showing The Quest in it's current exhibition.