29 05 2020

Ploughing on... rather out of it, its just paint application. 

27 05 2020

Builders gone!! Didn't get anything done yesterday - though day before mapped out next painting ('waiting for Chemo') - wrongly. Got ALL of today! Not due for anything until 5.00pm.
The american client has allegedly put dosh in bank though no sign of it yet - sold several books - and glory, got a pay pal notification which I didn't understand and turned out to be payment for 2 catalogues, P M and V. Normally delete pay pal stuff unread... oh dear.
Off to studio

24 05 2020

Painting around the ladders left by builders who will be back tomorrow... tweaking away. Decided that a pair on this topic is enough. Bugger Salome, its all too mis. Will probably paint flowers. Got to Limoux yesterday and found some needful paint - burnt umber and phylocyanide,(which comes up on the spell check as streptococci)  both of which I've run out of.

23 05 2020

Here's why the studio's been unusable.... its weird, it seems there is a skylight there but the square of light in the photo is in fact a reflection from another (real) skylight. The team are letting it dry out. Then we decide if it must be plastered etc. At least its safe to use the stairs now - and the dears have re-routed the guttering to cope with subsequent floods.

Apart from that - I cycled intending to watercolour and didn't; I mean, why??

But did some prelims for Salome and think I'm not going to bother with that one either (see above)

22 05 2020

Not quite as bad as it looks...

builders back today, don't know if I'II be able to carry on. Worrying instead about Salome who is next in line for the abuse of children series and a useful one, because of the mothers complicity.
Not sure if I have the stomach for it though.

21 05 2020

Men off roof and did a few hours yesterday - painting coming together, by which I mean major changes needed. Later.
Delivery came, now have 9 expensive canvases but want to finish the ones I've made - which have led me down strange paths, in order to deal with my inadequacies. May develop that.
Secretary of client has got all the info to hopefully conclude the commission... client talking about 'tweaks', me not actually mentioning suicide.

19 05 2020

Skylight open and men on roof - today, tomorrow, who knows for how long. Impossible to work.
Another request for CD cover PLUS a request for a logo. Sent sections of images for the CD and about to deal with the logo though actually I think its hot bath and relax time - oh, one third of the expected delivery came, tiny tubes, hugely expensive. Canvases?  No sign. Delivery man knew nothing.

18 05 2020

Pressing on with Hades, Persephone and Demeter. Its all so obvious and I'm rather bored with it, except (perversely) its quite nice :)
Had to re-read Hymn to Demeter to get the right flowers.
---What is it with Narcissus?? (Narcissi?) The myths often give it a disproportionate importance. What came first, the indulgent vanity or the flower?
Hey ho. I'm dawdling somewhat as the lads are coming to look at the holes in the roof and the water ingress after the rains, not worth starting work till they've gone.
OOH more praise for the book has come it! Its is SOOO cheering, as my painting gets less and less notice.Sales continue to trickle too, weird.

16 05 2020

Here's little Iphigenia needing to change the winds and knowing whats going to happen - that's the theory, the practice is Hockney meets Disney. Going to leave it alone for a while and move onto Persephone's abuse by Hades.
Really like the horns on the deer which is unfortunate as it should be a doe. Lala. Leave it alone.

15 05 2020

Iphegenia trotting along nicely, as a metaphor for child abuse... like it but its so chalky. Daresay that'll change.

###########################################

Later; changed a lot, just haven't snapped it yet. Got too heart-sick to think of further child abuse stuff (the Greeks seem to formlise to safety; not so the Hebrew myths where Id intended to go next)

And, and - no word from Annette and its seems that the CD cover for Norway I thought was ok'd has been judged by the production company to be inappropriate on account of nothing to do with Lizt. Fair enough. Sigh.

Seem to be putting a lot of time into projects that are not me-friendly.

And fear I've discovered in the Iphengenia painting an inner Hockney that I hadn't noticed before.

.

12 05 2020

Found hands can no longer use a staplegun, bah, BUT can handle carpet tacks and a hammer - alors, that's three done. Gesso'd, thinly... todays problem is primer. Rather nice though, its many years since I've prepared my own canvas and a great many more since I've used tacks. It's a contemplative process, for sure. Always used to think that the painting got spun from that point.
Collected my drawing of La Franqui from the framers. Its certainly challenging, which is why I wanted it framed. Hope I'm receptive to whatever its going to teach... la la what a game this is.

11 05 2020

Took the bull by the horns and actually stretched a  canvas (=100x80) Only have a fine cotton to use so used it - fearful of the effect on my arthriticy hands - but seem to have got away with it so will do a couple more today. Running out of gesso so have to melt some rabbit-skin glue. Sigh. Also have to re-stretch some of the canvas I've done cos its buckled slightly.
Not a squeak from client. Am I to be left with 10 paintings that no-one wants??
Roland unable to do the photography so will call Yahnn. Thinking about this figured I'd better get the unphotographed ones done and discovered he's not been here since Oct 2018. Which means going through the stock looking at dates and I can feel a pit opening.... another day. Bringing them all back to the studio a problem too. Wonder if he'll use the garage where they are all stored? Once its stopped raining.

09 05 2020

Apart from hoovering the studio - and Bob emptying the hooverbag - nothing to report.
Except frustration etc etc
Have ordered - possibly - some canvases and paint from a french company that claim they will deliver. En attrendre.

06 05 2020

Lackluster day yesterday... fiddling with lettering, looking for drawings, no goodness in it. Except I signed and dated the two little deer pix which in the face of the other horrors now seem quite sweet.

04 05 2020

Drawing en plien air yesterday - Maxs garden. Results simply dreadful. Haven't looked, maybe I'm wrong, ha! Can't help thinking that its just my use of crayons watercolour and black ink that's wrong and that I could manage in oil. But not knowing what I'm after... except to uncover the function of landscape. And I'm only doing it because I'm out of canvases. So that's no good then.
Philip  wants better reproductions of the drawings I sent him. God. What were they? He sent some descriptions. I've found three and will scan. The other two? Ferk knows.

o1 o5 2020

... the year dribbles thorough our fingers, sigh.
But pleasant painting. Lettering and changing some of the work that didn't please. Heard from Annette but no clear instructions, poor woman is tending at a  distance to her dying son so can't expect her to be focused on this. Will finish as far as I can and close up shop until further developments.
Some shops may be open next week. Really need canvases.