27 08 2021

 One eye done, hideously scarily but recovering - and its true, the colours are amazing. Now waiting till the 8th of Sept for the next one to be done. Some of the anxiety gone since I now know the worst. New anxieties replacing them as I realise the opportunities for possible disasters.

Pluses: took a look at some of my paintings and they are far better than I thought :) I'd not been able to reach the colours I wanted and had fought to get to them - turns out I had, just didn't know it. That's a big plus. Delighted, actually. The other plus was that having been forced to sit alone in silence, slightly tranquilised, in hospital gave me several hours - five- for reflection. 

Have worked out what to do with the Covid survivors watercolours and am implementing that  - having managed to repair broken computer (you tube instructions, bless em), downloaded images to stick, transferred to working machine and now wetransfering to Pauline to print on fabric. Not complete yet, perhaps this is alerting hubris.

Also had a vision of the co-mission.... next trick is to assemble the images and find a goose feather supplier to make quill pens.  

Slightly weepy at the love and support that has been coming my way.

20 08 2021

 Having to face up to the fact that the next few weeks will be unproductive. Just being in the hospital yesterday to do the pre op checks sent me into a spin that made it impossible to think, even. May try sorting a couple of things today but not holding my breath, time to go with the flow and submit to the vagaries of fate. 

19 08 2021

delighted with these photos - my shadow on boulders at the salt works in Gruisson. Was trying the get the crystals that had formed around holes and failed.

 

17 08 2021

 Bit more fiddling on the prophet bird but so scared really can't work. About to leave for the first stage of my eye ops (eco something) which is none interventional and doesn't hurt but is, gulp, the first stage of my eye ops...

16 08 2021 b

Done fiddling. Dunnit.
 

16 08 2021

 Had wretched weekend fiddling with computers. This one is an old one of Bobs which I'm gradually coming to grips with.  Can import photos, can print, can access email and now it seems I'm back blogging. Heat v high so studio orrible, today much cooler and so that's where I'm off to...

13 08 2021

 Glazed himself back, brought the prophet bird forward... now don't like the emerging negative shape. Has to dry again, and hopefully wont need too much more because the amount of  resin and stand oil is getting OTT. Still not sure what all this is about.

12 08 2021

 It's at that stage where there is just painting to do and its a pleasure... way to go and heaven knows where that'll lead. Think the old boy must be knocked back - glaze - or maybe big up the prophet bird to match. Whatever. It has to dry and since its roasting in the studio I'm off to swim :)

(looking at the photo - often makes it clearer than looking at the painting - it's the prophet bird that needs the emphasis)

11 08 2021

 Day off yesterday, taking the brother-in-law to the prefecture to straighten his legals. To my astonishment all went well so the day was justified and I was content to laze...

waiting now for a sound check for an Italian company who are doing a podcast (??) Baffled by this age, just grateful they let me play. Rest of the day on trying to pull Nostradamus together.

09 08 2021

Funny how these things work. I'd been listening to Schumann's Prophet Bird and got interested.... which lead to prophecy and of course Nostradamus. And the love of his son for him and his (alleged) sojourn at Alet-les- Bains and my drawings of that and the accidents that befell. Curiously, the very subject is the last to be factored in. 

Mind you, it aint over yet. By a long chalk. (What the hell is a long chalk????)

 It seems that the actual prophet bird is a cuckoo which is amazingly unappealing visually. Had one hatch in the garden once, killing the blackbirds in the process. So my prophetic friend may well be a parrot.... 

08 08 2021

 Got charmed by a painting of Nostradamus - who allegedly lived (briefly) in Alet-les-Bains - painted by his son. Also allegedly. Was smitten by the evident love and started to make a painting, following the idea of the RDV at Alet. An otter has appeared. Bizarre. 

06 08 2021

In progress..
 

04 08 2021

Here's St Luke painting the virgin - that's the tradition anyway - never seen it depicted before. It's in a high bit of stained glass in the church next to the abbey at Alet-les-Bains, old stronghold of the Cathars. (Not the stained glass, that's comparatively recent.) 

 Got many photos of the ruined/destroyed abbey but feature this one because of the enigmatic face.

01 08 2021

Bernard Heslins painting has arrived. Stunning; makes all my work look effete. Carries its own problems for me, since he is so ill and the picture can't be viewed without that knowledge hitting viscerally. Sniff.

Here's the last of the three 'Immortality Suit' watercolours. Going to have to cut back on ideas, far too much fiddling.

 

Friends arriving tomorrow from Switzerland to collect a painting they've bought. Really need to clean up. They'll stay till Weds so  will have the happy job of touring them around :)