SEPTEMBER 2016
Thursday 1.9.16
Working on Jose’s commission whilst images of Portuguese Vinyards and landscapes still in strong in my memory.
Friday 2.9.16
Last day of my Morohashi Museum of Modern Art exhibition!
Saturday 3.9.16
Was going to Roberts concert but seem to have picked up a bit of an irritating little cough so dare not risk it.
Sunday 4.9.16
R goes into the Police Station at Hesters Way to start painting the walls blue before coming back to collect me and my white gesso etc for painting the clouds.
Monday 5.9.16
Working very hard on the commission for Jose
Tuesday 6.9.16
On the way to Aston Project open letter form Eiji of the Morohashi Museum of Modern Art in Japan telling me that the exhibition had`3 million visitors and saying that he was pleased that my work had now been introduced to the young curators at the Museum who would follow through with his father Teizo’s vision. Also that they would like to buy the Hare and the Badger paintings for the Museum and that curators from other museums would also like to put on exhibitions of my work. Just one problem as I see it is that the Badger belongs to Ian and Maeve Richins who purchased it from the Brian Sinfield gallery.
Aston Project meeting where apart from the normal business of how this brilliant Police run scheme for children at risk. There were lots of generous comments from Nicky etc on the walls - blue sky, white clouds.
Wednesday 7.9.16
Still intensive painting on the Portuguese commission
Thursday 8.9.16
Attend a reception by LINC as a thank to all those who have helped. I was very touched to get a special mention from Dr Gill Rouse one of its founders as the Patron who was present she said I worked tirelessly and didn’t know what they would do without me. Its a lovely evening with delicious little canapes donated by ….. and wine from the Cheltenham Wine Festival. The most moving parts of the evening were perhaps when Dr Asha explains about the treatment of leukaemia and reads us a case study and then an ex patient, now fully recovered who tells us about how rapidly things happened after his diagnosis, only in his forties with young children and that he had foolishly brushed aside warning signals like lumps in his neck that would come and go and pain in his arm. Linc is a brilliant charity founded by Dr Robert Dalton who sadly died in 2003 of cancer and Dr Gill Rouse who against all the odds of suffering from MS and being in pain a lot of the time, has sustained it for eighteen year - thus this evening’s celebration
Friday 9.9.16
Up to Bristol in the evening, meeting in a restaurant in Clifton for the pre wedding party that Martin has organised for Nick. Richard drops me off while he goes to park and the waitress directs me to a table at the other end where I see Martin, Nick and Christine sitting. Nick’s very surprised and touched that we have driven up from Cheltenham to be here. Next to arrive is Luke, a very cool filmmaker who is also an Anglican priest and good friend of Nick and Martin who is going to be performing the ceremony next Friday in Trough of Bowland, Lancashire near Preston where both Mags and Nick come from. He’s filming in Ireland next week but will fly back on the Thursday specially. Maggie, Martin’s girlfriend and then Richard arrives. Christine has brought miniature bunting to hang up - long peacock cocktail sticks too to adorn the drinks. Its a delightful evening full of fun and laughter particularly due to a brilliantly witty quiz that Martin has written in which he asks Nick humorous, saucy questions and then presents him with a parcel which he has to feel and guess what is inside - we all have to guess too. You’ll never believe how rude and misleading a wrapped up crumpet can be. The food is really good and the waiter adapts each course to our particular requests so that I get my poached egg without the black pudding which is then divided between Maggie and Nick. My Breton stew is excellent and am able to have sorbet with my frozen berries rather than a white chocolate sauce. There’s some nice chatter about the film Nick has written and is working on and also the film Luke is working on plus some e mail interaction between Nick and Mags through the evening which usually included a photograph of us all and there was a joke or quasi threat that we would be sending her a photo of Nick tied to the suspension bridge in his underpants at the end of the evening which I think mildly concerned him but fortunately we were saved by the rain. And as Richard had managed to re-park the car close by he was able to drive us all past the turning to the suspension bridge as if by mistake, to drop Nick home - (he was going to be working in the morning), before turning the car around and dropping the other just 100 yards further on at Martin’s car.
Saturday 10.9.16
Working on the commission.
Sunday 11.9.16
Into the police station at Hesters Way again to finish off the skyscape and take it over a door.
Monday 12.9.16
Working on all fronts for Exhibition
Tuesday 13.9.16
Ditto
Wednesday 17.9.16
Ditto
Thursday 18.9.16
Drive up to the Trough of Bowland in Lancashire aiming to arrive for 7pm but there are huge hold-ups so phone the hotel on the way. They apologise for not being able to serve meals after 8pm. We arrive at 2 minutes to and are delighted to be told by the manager at Reception that they have waited for us as everyone had been held up. Those coming from Bristol even more so. So it was a lovely surprise to find the large party of two tables all having just settled into their seats. We sit on Martin’s table, I next to Peter Lord (who founded Aardman with David Sproxton and also invented Morph). A very warm hearted and entertaining man. Its a delightful evening and the food is good. At about 10 we all transfer to the bar where I meet Sue, David Sproxton’s partner who is curator at Bristol City Museum who tells me about the wonderful exhibition she has just curated at the Museum of the life-sized archeological drawings made by Adela Breton of ancient wall paintings in Mexico at the beginning of the 20th century. She left her extensive collection to Bristol City Museum. I also have a chat to Richard Williams the animator who created the Oscar winning Who Framed Roger Rabbit who Nick had told us Aardman had given a space to work and experiment in. Then David the camera man and photographer who is going to be doing the wedding photographs arrives with his wife so we’re up quite late chattering before we get our luggage out of the car to take to our apartment.
Friday 19.9.16
Its a lovely day and we all mingle outside in the sunshine with glasses of champagne. We meet Kate and Martin Rose Nick’s artist friends from Sheffield and members of their family. Joe, his brother and Esther who was at Bristol studying Fine Art at the same time as Nathan. We all go down the steps to the draped bandstand where the ceremony is going to take place. I sit next to Maggie and Martin at one of the sun shaded tables and the atmosphere is very exciting especially as we can see Nick already standing in the bandstand with his brother, who is his best man. The bride is traditionally late and looks breathtakingly beautiful and slender on the arm of Joe her handsome 18 year old son. First the registrar performs the civil ceremony then after she and her assistant have departed Luke, ordained priest and film producer, performs a very beautiful and witty service of blessing. Nick and Mags look so happy as they walk between the two ailes of friends and family on either side, all overjoyed by their very evident love for one another.
We are very touched to be sitting on the Bristol (mainly Aardmaan) table with Peter Lord, David Sproxton, Martin and Maggie and Christine and Duncan.
The dancing that follows the Spectacular firework display and the witty warm and touching speeches and videos goes on until 1am!
Saturday 17.9.16
At breakfast Nick’s friend and fellow student at the National Film & television who created Peppa Pig is also sitting at the table with Nick and Mags and his wife and daughter, Martim & Maggie who we join briefly before making our way home
Sunday 18.9.16
Working on Portuguese commission…….
Monday 19.9.16
... and Bon Vivants
Wednesday 21.9.16
R busy making cakes and fish pie in readiness for tomorrow work late on the big landscape painting with horse inspired by our trip to Italy started three years ago; add rider and boyso that Ihave something large and new in studio tomorrow
Thursday 22.9 16
Afternoon tea for the Friends with studio tour and talk goes really well lots of encouragement for my 6foot square painting of horse, rider, boy and Red Kites
with Sue, Peta & Jess amongst the guests as well as our wonderful friends & helpers Richard and Lesley who also returned in the evening to both assist and be dining companions amongst whom wonderful Anne Cadbury and daughter and the charming John Baker.
Friday 23.9.16
Resume work on the large canvas with horse which I call Red.
