SEPTEMBER 2023

FRIDAY 1.9.23

Stay up into the early hours, skipping tea and just have dinner so that I can make enough progress on the commission to be able to send Masa a photograph of it at supper time. Am delighted that at 3.30am a reply comes  saying “It is what we want and absolutely ours. Words cannot express how lovely this painting is. I appreciate it PJ”.  So I am happy when I turn in.

SATURDAY 2.9.23

I am now working on the edges of all the canvases for the exhibition after Richard removes them from the frames, which always obscure a small white border which I now continue the painting over.

SUNDAY 3.9.23

Visit from Jane in the afternoon who comes laden with vegetables that she has grown in her garden in Naunton - kale, courgettes, beetroot and tomatoes. As we placed the bags on the kitchen table an earwig scurried out making its way to freedom,

MONDAY 4.9.23

Drive again to the Willow Chapel at the crematorium, this time for my older cousin Doug’s funeral. His father, Herbert, was the older half brother of my father, Jack. I am surprised when his youngest brother Robin, tells me he is the last one left. Robin is currently writing his second novel about the Greek gods and the island of Rhodes. His son introduces himself; he did his PhD in film and is now lecturing at the University of the Creative Arts. Unfortunately we have to rush off after the service (which was very personal and touching) Doug’s four boys all wearing Hawaian shirts carrying the coffin) as Richard has a hospital appointment in the Oncology department where they make a mask both to protect and direct his forthcoming radiotherapy treatment. Meanwhie I am in the studio painting around the edges of the canvases that are normlly obscured by the frame.  so that if they move with time, the painting continues rather than seeing a white gessoed edge.

FRIDAY 8.9.23

The catalogues and invitation cards arrive from the printers. Luckily I have been addressing envelopes in readiness for the past few days so it’s now writing little notes on the invitations and Richard who had the postage calculated in readiness, sticks the stamps and air mail stickers on and puts everything in. Then cycles down to the post office with his panniers full.

SATURDAY

send out more.

SUNDAY

and write more.

MONDAY

Still beavering away on the sides & bottoms of the frames and edges of canvases so that Richard can fix them back together befor wrapping them and packing them into the Land Rover for his trip to London tomorrow.

TUESDAY

It’s 7.30am when I turn off my bedroom light but I don’t hear Richard get up a quarter of an hour later to set off for London to deliver the exhibition to Panter & Hall in Pal Mall as they are going to hang them this afternoon.

I get up at 3pm and receive a call from R shortly after as he is on his way back after Tiffany and Matthew have made him a cup of tea and had a chat. A little later I receive a call from Caroline giving very generous comments on the paintings in the catalogue, particularly the Street Party and the Little Shepherd. They would like to buy Ark for her birthday which is wonderful appropriate as they are shortly going on a safari-type holiday with a couple of friends who also have a birthday.

WEDNESDAY

Working on the commissions

THURSDAY

ditto

FRIDAY

So sad to hear on the BBC News of the death of Fernando Botero the wonderful Columbian painter. His figures were larger than life though as he said, he did not see his beautiful plump rounded people as fat but monumental.

SATURDAY 16 .9. 23

We attend Laurences Private view in Burford such a joy to see Robert & Toyah there too. LLB has been working very hard  to produce this gorgeous  exhibition of Baroque gardens. He is now wanting to paint full time having originally studied fine art at Camberwell.

SUNDAY 17

Continue on the commissions

MONDAY 18.9.23

Richard attends the Oncology department in Cheltenham for his first of twelve consecutive days of radiotherapy (excluding weekends). A little later he collects Professor Masa and Keiko from the station. They have travelled down from London. One of the main things is to show him his second commission which I have entitled The Club. They are touchingly generous, always bringing presents, including the most beautiful cake with raspberries and cream on top and little touches of gold, which is to celebrate my forthcoming exhibition also a selection of Japanese buns including date, curry, sesame and sugared all from a Japanese patisserie in Ealing. And a beautifully coloured and patterned trivet from Bilbao. They have been to a vast number of European museum and galleries during their year here and his exciting news is that he has developed a course that will be run from SOAS< University of London in conjunction with the Morohashi Museum, the first course of its kind between an English university and a Japanese Museum. I will be a lecturer on the course talking about my work in the Morohashi Museum’s collection etc. It is going to be launched next March but will run in the summer.

I’m also pleased that they are pleased with their second commission and they also brought the first painting he bought for Keiko’s birthday last year so that they can all be shipped together.

TUESDAY19.9.23

Richards second treatment

WEDNESDAY 20.9.23

Lovely e mail from Tom and Linda Fowler headed “I want this!!” with a picture of The Little Shepherd. So very touched and delighted as they have a most beautiful collection of exquisite religious art and icons, particularly Mexican at their home in California and a large octagonal commission I painted especially for them. Richard’s third treatment.

THURSDAY 21.9.23

Reply from Rowena Morrish suggesting dates for my visit and talk to the children of Prestbury Primary School.

Richard’s fourth treatment.

FRIDAY 22.9.23

Richard’s fifth treatment .

Cotswold Life have done a very nice page showing High Stake.

SATURDAY 23.9.23

Now working on another version of the Edge of the World

with two of my lovely collectors in mind who were disappointed

to be pipped to the post.

SUNDAY 24.9.23

continue on small painting.

MONDAY 25.9.23

Richard’s sixth treatment today takes him to half way through

TUESDAY 26.9.23

Richard’s seventh treatment

WEDNESDAY 27.9.23

Richards eighth treatment

and I’m still working on the small paintings for the show.

THURSDAY 28.9.23

I’ve just Richard off for his ninth radiotherapy treatment and my ‘phone is ringing. I missed it but call back as it is Helen at the Brian Sinfield Gallery which she now owns and runs. She asks how Richard is responding to his treatment as they’d had quite a chat comparing notes when he’d last called there. She then tells me the very sad news that Brian died this morning in the hospice. He was an extraordinary man who as a teenager crossed Australia with two horses but ended up with just one saddle at the end of the journey. Later back in the UK he set up and designed the Cotswold Wildlife Park after which he became a art dealer specialising in Victorian watercolours as his father in law was a watercolourist. Gradually he expanded into contemporary  and modern paintings. He first saw my work in book form on the desk of the photographers we both used in Cheltenham, The Darkroom and then came to visit for lunch with Anne. Thereafter he staged  several exhibitions of my work and also came to Canada when I showed at the Nancy Poole gallery.  One of my fondest memories is of a dinner party we went to in their garden with the artist Jackie Williams and her husband. I remember at one point of the evening I leant over to him meaning to say “you dealers are so tough and ruthless” but instead heard my voice commenting “oh you dealers, you’re so rough and toothless”.

During his gradual retirement from the gallery e started to paint watercolours  so came full circle

FRIDAY 29.9.23

Today received my royalty statement from the Bridgeman Art Library which incudes an interesting sale to the international card company Hallmark who are using my painting Reading in Bed created twenty eight years ago! Great how they still keep working for me

Richard is on his tenth treatment-only two to go he has been such a good patient.

Saturday 30.9.23

painting the small ex catalogue pieces.