NOVEMBER 2023

Wednesday 1.11.23

I had told Paul and Erick about Mark’s new gallery in Stratford and today they have called there where Mark has opened up for the first time, especially for them after getting my e mail. I’m so very touched as he heads his e mail with Bye bye Bottom as I’d told him the story of Oberon changing him, the workman by giving him an asses head so that when Titania opens her eyes,  into which he has also dropped some of the magic elixier that bewitch her into falling in love with the first creature she sees . So Richard sorts out my paperback copy of A Midsummer Night’s Dream which I inscribe to them and he posts it to the hotel.

Thursday 2.11.23

Lovely e mail from Caroline saying they are thinking of having a Christmas card made reproducing their new painting Ark. She would like the top of the card cut out to the pointed shape of the painting which is exciting.

Friday 3.11.23

Still working in the studio on Professor Masa’s two commissions, painting round the edges of the canvases and refining.

Saturday 4.11.23

ditto

Sunday 5.11.23

Long call from Nathan in the evening. He’s had such good reviews for the film The Kitchen, in Daily Telegraph, The Times who mention him by name  for production design and in the Indy it said that they would be worthy of an art installation or a VR game. He’s also been shortlisted for a award.

Monday 6.11.23

Interestingly the Chelsea Arts Club have again used an image of my Forest on Fire painting. A fascinating piece written by Geoffrey, secretary of the Club, about Monet’’s thank you letter to Whistler after the latter had invited him to the Club and the correspondence of the Club secretary to Whistler at that time when the French state had purchased his portrait of his mother and reminding him that his annual subscription was still outstanding.

Tuesday 7.11.23

Up early to go to the funeral of Michael Shinn, the dear man who taught me and countless other art students here in Cheltenham, eventually becoming head of the art school. Years later he came to many of my exhibitions  openings and was my guest when I received my honorary doctorate from the University. He was at Wimbledon art school before going to the Slade. He painted some beautiful local landscapes and touching paintings of Jenny his wife (who sadly died some years ago) in the collection of the Wilson and the Royal West of England Academy. He had come from a family of antique dealers which is something Jenny also had a talent for, so their house is full of exquisite treasures. The little church of the Ascension in Southam was totally full - even the standing room was fully occupied. One of the ushers, who is I think a churchwarden of St Michaels in the same parish, recognises me and doesn’t think he’s me since the dedication the altarpiece. He asks people in the second pew if they might squeeze up to fit me in, which they very kindly do. Richard stands throughout the service just to the side of one of Michael’s painting that is being temporarily displayed on the font to one side of the chancel arch, above which hangs the beautiful 15th century Flemish painting which I’d been asked if I might restore but recognising its age and value I had declined, not having the expertise to work on something that old and rare. But we had through our friend Dr Martin Bailey offered them advice on getting grants to do so. The chancel is full of Michael’s family seated round the coffin covered in a richly brocaded and tasseled cloth. The family includes Michael and Jenny’s children, grandchildren and even more great grandchildren. He was 89 years of age. Sitting in the row in front of me I exchange greeting with David and Jane Carpanini who were both at Cheltenham art school too.

Wednesday 8.11.23

Louise the new CEO of Linc arrives at 2.30 and we discuss her plans for sharpening up the branding. She’s full of enthusiasm and this evening will be discussing with the governors the opening of a second charity shop in Cheltenham.

Thursday 9.11.23

Today we went to Bob Sims’ funeral. He was such a good and dear man who gave me so much support and encouragement when I was painting the altarpiece fr St Michael & All Angels. We’ve known him for many years and often used to meet him walking his little dog on our midnight perambulations. It was on one of these, almost twenty years ago, that he commissioned me to do a painting for his and Sylvia’s fortieth wedding anniversary which the officiating priest mentioned during the service. They also supported my charity Open Studios adding many tiny paintings to their collection. It was a beautiful service and I am momentarily taken aback when I see both the Rood and the Altarpiece in the sunlit church. The choir are here singing too, particularly the Nunc Dimitis so very appropriate for a funeral service, but which Bob aways enjoyed so much when attending evensong.  His son Adrian gives a beautiful tribute and is at times overcome by emotion which makes it all the more moving as he and his brother and the grandsons clearly loved Bob so very much. Likewise when Sylvia had ‘phoned me to share the sad sad news she could hardly get the words out. Afterwards I talk to Anne Jessop, the churchwarden and I tell her I haven’t forgotten the last panel for the altarpiece which would be interchangeable with the Last Supper in the predella. As we’re leaving she shows me a national award for best kept church that they have won. It’s a circular metal disc and I suggest it would be nice in a frame. so that it could be hung in the church porch and say that we would be pleased to organise and pay for the frame and mount. The female priest comes and says it would be really good if I could come and give a talk about the Rood, my crucifixion painting as I did on the altarpiece.

Then we walk down to the King’s Head to join Sylvia and her family for Bob’s wake. It’s good to talk to her at length about Bob’s last weeks and she tells Richard how much they remembered the New Year’s parties we used to give. We also chat to Adrian their eldest son who was a teacher for a few years before going into financial services. He’s a handsome tall man who looks very well so it’s most surprising to hear that he’s waiting for a heart and lung transplant.

Friday 10.1123

I’ve now got seven miniatures in progress, two of them in the beautiful gold leave frames that Isabelle so kindly sent me.  Another four are those that John has generously made and donated. The remaining circular ones are made by Richard to his design.

Saturday 11.11.23

It’s heartbreaking to hear that today  the main hospital in Gaza has been hit and that they have run out of  fuel, food and water. I was pleased last night to hear President Macron saying in an interview with the BBC that he thinks there should be a humanitarian pause followed by a cease fire. The killing of thousands and thousands of Palestinians will not bring back the Israelis who were horrendously slaughtered by Hamas and those who have been so cruelly kidnapped could be harmed by this relentless bombing of civilians. Half the dead are children and babies. Sadly this will only make more enemies and terrorists. There’s only one way forward and it’s the two state solution. Only by living peacefully side by side will either country thrive. I’ve heard and read interviews with so many Jewish people who say that they do not want this war, that it only took one member of Hamas to kill one Jewish person and that recompense can never be by trying to eliminate another country as sadly the Jewish population will be well aware. It ricochets across the world and both in France and here there have been anti-Jewish and anti-Islamic attacks. It’s tragic when you think of how much each nation could help the other if they learned to live side by side.

Sunday 12.11.23

I was able to finish laying out the Christmas hamper that we raffle at the Open Studio as Waitrose delivered a nice bottle of red for me to include in it, the basket having arrived last week. It already had a tin of Christmas tea, a Christmas pudding, brandy butter, Boxing Day pickle a jar of honey and two jars of olives, a Christmas mug and some napkins. They also delivered ten bottles of red for the mulled wine and seventy two mince pies for the Charity Open Studio. Also beer for the boys here at Christmas.

It is Remembrance Sunday today so we remember all those who gave their lives so valiantly during two world wars and other conflicts. We put Other Mother’s Sons (collection Imperial War Museum) on social media.

Lovely call from Henrietta. All well there, she’s just about to cook the dinner.

Back up to the studio to recommence on the miniatures.

Monday 13.11.23

Richard receives a ‘phone call from the hospital in Gloucester offering him an appointment tomorrow, this time for his eye, as they discovered a few years ago that he has a mole on the back of one eye which gets slightly bigger each year so they want to check it. They have such advanced equipment there they can take a photograph of the back of the eye which is then magnified many times so that they can see in detail how much the mole has grown.

Just afterwards the shippers ‘phone to say they are coming to collect Professor Masa’s three paintings at just the same time so R manages to rearrange it for later in the day. As well as starting a couple more miniatures I find myself still working on Masa’s paintings at 2am.

Tuesday 14.11.23

Richard goes over to Gloucester at 9 for most of the morning. Luckily the increase in the mole was very small so it’s low on the concern list - we’re both very pleased.

When he gets back the sun comes out, giving the studio over the Lane a good light for him to take new photographs of Professor Masa’s commissions. At about 3.15 there is the man who has come to collect the paintings in a big turquoise van to drive them over to Simon Hall’s in Pershore where they will have a crate made for their journey to Japan.

I can now return to the miniatures, working into the ones started yesterday

Wednesday 15.11.23

Now have twelve miniatures in progress.

Thursday 16.11.23

Joseph Dryer comes to deliver After the 11th which I am buying back from him. It’s still beautifully wrapped by the carriers from when they moved about eighteen months ago when they downsized. A very amiable man, originally from Cuba.

Friday 17.11.23

We go to Gloucester Cathedral for the Higher Awards Ceremony for Gloucestershire College. It’s a nice sunny day so the Cathedral looks beautiful as we walk to it from a nearby car park. The catering academy students are serving food from the centre of the Chapter House. The students look so young and  have prepared a delicious array of finger food for the VIP luncheon.  We exchange greetings with Ian Mean who was a newspaper editor of the Citizen then managed south west media. As usual he’s looking very sharp in his wide pin stripe suit - he does a lot with the apprenticeship schemes in the county. Then Matt, principal of the college comes over and asks how my exhibition went saying he showed my catalogue to his father who had taken up watercolour painting, particularly after Matt lost his mother earlier this ear. He says all is well at the College then suddenly we are joined by Richard Graham, MP for Gloucester who has always been a great supporter of the college. When I ask how his lovely wife Althea is, he says he and she are anxiously waiting news  of the arrival of their first grandchild.  He then heads to the splendid buffet to talk to “My young constituents”. I’m then joined by a very nice woman who I later discover is one of the governors who tells me she has recently seen my altarpiece in St Michael & All Angels in Bishops Cleeve. She used to work for educational publishers such as Pearsons. We then chatter to John Howe and also the lecturer in photography we met early in the summer at the College’s arts festival; a very affable man who collects Alpha Romeos to restore. We then make our way into the Cathedral, sitting next to three of the other honorary vice Presidents. The speaker is David …….. who is a fashion stylist to the great and famous of the music and film industry who started out at Gloucestershire College. It’s always very moving to see the students come up to receive their awards after all their hard work, often supported by their families and partners and nurtured by the brilliant staff at Gloucestershire College.

In the evening about 5.30, Rowena comes with her lovely Mum (who has met me before when she had been to the Open Studio). They live in Woodmancote so not very far away, Rowena teaches at Prestbury Primary School, their Reception class and it was she who approached me about coming to the school to give them a talk on my work and life as an artist. She has already worked out a scheme of work with them and says they will be inspired so she is going to use Playground and get them all to draw or paint a child to go into the playground. She has three boys of her own, the older two correspond in age to Isaac and Samuel and the younger one is thirteen.

Saturday 18.11.23

Work intensely in the studio on a small painting that I started at the beginning of the week as I realise that I haven’t got anything really suitable for taking into the school along with my painting of Henrietta and Nathan.

Sunday 19.11.23

Call from Ian as he and Maeve are now back from the Adelaide region of Australia where they have been looking at wildlife sanctuaries etc. So are looking forward to seeing their painting Forest on Fire that they had purchased from my London exhibition. It is always great talking to them Ian says they particularly like the painting because of its interesting shape with the flames and that it is also topical and said there were still fires burning in Australia when they left. They are coming to collect it on Tuesday afternoon.

Monday 20.11.23

It’s over to Prestbury to St Mary’s Primary School in Bouncers Lane today. We’re met by Rowena who helps carry the paintings and easel in. She takes us through to the hall to set up. One of her colleagues then comes to connect our laptop to their overhead projector. The infants in the reception year come in and sit at the front with the two older years sitting in neat rows behind them. They are a such a sweet audience who are all keen to ask questions at the end. After they all go out in single file the children from the junior school start to arrive. Again they sit cross legged on the floor but there are far more of these and as they near their last year they have grown considerably. So the teachers have to edge the front row closer and closer to me. Again, they are a delightful audience. and ask very pertinant questions at the end of the session and their teachers add a few more. One of the teachers, Tristram,  tells me he knows John, who makes my frames and says that he used to play in a band with Andrew (John’s oldest child) when they lived in Bristol.

Rowena addresses them all at the end as she did the infants, saying that they are going to work on a large whole school project, each of them drawing a figure to be added to a playground painting. She very sweetly present me with  a plant as we are leaving. As we are arriving back home who should we see walking up the Lane but John so I invite him in for a cup of tea. John does indeed know Tristan and his family well and it was in the Salvation Army that Tristan and Andy learned their music.

Tuesday 21.11.23

Ian and Maeve, who have recently returned from Australia, come to collect their painting Forest on Fire. They have had another marvellous time in Australia visiting rescue wildlife parks and regale us with images of all sorts of Australia creatures that they encountered, including a wombat and with a bit of  chuckle commented that if one should happen to turn up at the charity open studio they would like it to already have a red spot on. so that nobody else could capture him.

Wednesday 22.11.23

Still busy working on miniatures; I’ve got about fifteen in progress to date.

Thursday 23.11.23

Today we went to the University’s graduation ceremony where I presented my award to Emily Goodchild. We also had the pleasure of watching and hearing Laurence L-B receiving his honorary doctorate and then giving his speech. He looked like a Shakespearian actor in the casual way he leant on the lectern on one elbow. It was beautifully laid back and seemingly off the cuff as like me he didn’t use notes but again like me had well prepared beforehand. It was inspirational so I think the students will have really enjoyed it and taken lessons from it The second honorary doctorate was awarded to Dr Ingrid Pollard, a professor of photography at Goldsmiths and Turner Prize nominee who was equally encouraging and eloquent. It was glorious to see so many students graduating from the University of Gloucestershire and I wish them all good luck and enjoyment with their futures.

We then go in to lunch and sit between Laurence and Lystra who had very kindly given us a reminder call . Laurence is accompanied by his p.a. who graduated in fashion from this university two years ago and introduced me to  one of his former lecturers on the way out. It had been interesting discussing exhibitions and galleries with Laurence as his had fallen only a couple of weeks before mine.

Friday 24.11.23

Richard’s been busy making a film of Professor Masa’s  second commission in progress, The Club or Queen of Spades whilst I continue on all fronts in the studio.

Saturday 25.11.23

ditto

Sunday 26.11.23

Receive a copy of the Eye on London newspaper which has a review in the Art & Antiques section to my exhibition  with a reproduction of Carpe Diem. They have also devoted the cover to a digitally altered version of it but of course got my name wrong.

Lovely call from Henrietta in the evening, who comments that I sound rather croaky.

Monday 27.11.23

Isaac hears that he has been offered a place by the University of Falmouth to study film

Tuesday 28.11.23

Feel sad not to be at the opening tonight of the Small Paintings Group exhibition at Panter & Hall but don’t feel that I could risk giving whatever the virus I picked up to the artists, gallery and guests

Wednesday 29 11 23

Delighted to see that my painting To A Greener Place has a red spot in the Small Paintings Group exhibition at P&H.

Thursday 30.11.123

Interesting e mail from a doctor who is writing a book on artists’ depictions of work from 5500 BCE until now. He would like to use my painting of the healthcare workers during the pandemic as the last (100th) chapter is on Covid. he asks me to write a piece about the painting, its internal frame etc for him to include. He’s very perceptive and noticed, apart from all the PPE they are wearing the teardrops on the eyelids on two of the nurses which I tell him also represent the many tears I shed whilst listening to the news whilst working in my studioat that time. The painting now lives in a collection in Perth, Western Australia. I tell him that the inner frame was to help heighten the important passage of the painting and to suggests the distancing and keeping apart that happened during Covid. Also that the frames are always an intrinsic part of my practice but that it was my humble comment on the courage, dedication and tender care that was given by the NHS.