25 11 2017

Was rather pleased at the amount of pages Ive done; ha! Dreamed I was talking them through with a prospective designer and realised all I've done wrong. Will re-do (Type written words, no crappy handwriting, silhouette images on the notes pages...)
-But academic at the moment. Taking the Toulouse bus to Victoria tonight, 23 hours ugh feel stiff thinking of it - though I can use a long rest :)
Back in a week. Awash with culture, hopefully.

23 11 2017

Have actually started work on the book, which is to say on the 'family note' insertions. Have a clearer head about the whole thing.
Wasps diminished.
Bob back from England last night and was stung...

19 11 2017

Getting used to this idleness. Phillipe came round yesterday and suggests that the wasps are something else, who knows what. That they are hatching individually and from a wooden beam is not wasp-like, he says. Further info is that solitary wasps would attack one another but this lot are rather charmingly collaborative; that's my reading of their behavoir, based on one finding a route out and going back for the others.
This is Sunday and this afternoon I clean out the parrot cages so no work will get done.Have thought of a way to make the scan-and-store trick easier though - high stool, basically. My expectations seem to be plummeting.

18 11 2017

Did one page and binned it. Remembered that last year the target was one page a day and if I overstepped, much rejoicing. Will reinstate. Got someone coming to look at the beam where the wasps are hatching from - they have colonized a whole beam, do hope the roof won't fall in.

15 11 2017

laid low with cold. Bed for the last two days. Its annoying because though fuzzy my mind has got notions. The body refuses to participate.

12 11 2017

 I know I said I wasn't taking anything personally, but look - a series of dots on graph paper might make for interesting developments.... 

This is the little skylight used in the past to access the roof -  never been able to open it so the wasps that head there get stuck.
I think there are less beasties. I keep the big skylight open and one window and leave off the heating. Bloody long haul though.

Am established in the almost wasp-free second studio where work has recommenced on the cartoon book.

11 11 2017

The unknown wasp....handsome chap.  yesterday talked with Toby Churton on Skype, who said call the exterminator (??) and proceeded to argue about insect life in the Bible; then Philippe Serpault - who dropped in and had previously worked with bees in Nicaragua - who recommended getting a 'bomb', the toxic thing the french let off in their houses to kill all insect life before going away for a fortnight.
I quite like them.... perhaps the fact I've been wearing black trousers and an ochre jumper since I got back makes them think I'm one of  them, because (so far) I've not been stung. I see no reason to kill them all.
On the other hand, doing no work. Very nearly organised to recommence the cartoon book in studio 2, but cold (open windows studio 1). Better just knuckle down, I guess.

10 11 2017 Friday

Remembered this embroidery of wasps which I liked at the time - meant to sew more - but perhaps this is acting as a wasp magnet??
Windows open (rain yesterday meant I couldn't open the sky lights) got the hoover upstairs and am preparing to sweep up the corpses. Maybe find the nest. They are still flocking, dammit. Lucky I've trained myself not to take anything personally.

08 11 2017

In the morning left the velux open and went to Quillan market; thought that might do the trick and closed up in the face of threatened rain. But then more appeared.... there is a mighty hatching going on  somewhere inside the studio. Floor crunchy with the dead and dying. Diligent search on google suggests my best bet is to spray the popular areas with WD40 and since its such a great smell and I happen to have some, will do that tonight and see if that improves things.
The second studio has humming bird moths darting about and making their mighty racket. I can get used to that if I have to.
My fresh ideas are fading, needless to say.

07 10 2017

Back home, phew. Asthma terrible in Liverpool (good weather, much dust, no wind, pollution) No fun. London better, some fun. I was too long away though.

Had lots of good ideas, distance always useful, expected to be painting away today.

But the studio is full of wasps. Some sort of hatching in my absence. The settle in my hair and fizz about my face. Despite cold (its cold here) opened windows and shifted a bunch but there are more and not conducive to work.
Given up for the day.