31 05 2024

 

horrible and an enormous labour. Two reasons; one, the little spiders on the bridge are worth noting and two, it'll fit well in the set. Which now numbers 60.

Sleeplessness, arthritis and angst dog me. New oven being fitted by non-professionals. Hoping and not-hoping it'll finish me off.

28 05 2024

Still - god, how long now? - been fiddling with Peters 'portrait. With luck the sudden red will resolve. Should invite him back for a last, really, sitting.

Heres the old studio, crumbling away. Will have to take it down, the nostalgia too ridiculous.

Caterpillar, baby bird and cat from Rennes-le-bains. Cut the bird from the failed drawing and glued it. 

And here a hoopoe from Belpeche. Stumbled into the entire town mourning the death of an infant, a child, driven into a plane tree by her grandmothers loss of car control. Never been around communal grief before, silent and profound. The hoopoe flew into that. Then we scattered the ashes of Diane at Pech-Luna, where the hare appeared.

 

27 05 2024

 Montpellier a blast - though lost a day en route attending another death ceremony, for Diana at Pech Luna.

Spent a day in Musee Fabre. Recharged, back at the easel now. Drawing too. Useful break.

22 05 2024

 Made such a pigs' ear of the cat and blue tit that I'm actually going to have to junk it - and that took all day. Such precious paper! Will turn it over and have another go.

BUT I'm away now - bus to Limoux, collection by old mates, night in Belpeche; tomorrow train to Montpelier for 2 days questing art.  

Will carry totemic drawing book.

20 05 2024

 

 Finished - the river in spate - which has taken a  couple of weeks, adding tiny strokes as and when. Looks like it was bashed off in moments. At least, I hope so! Spate is a sudden and dramatic thing. Pleased with it.

These are in process, both occasioned by being in Rennes les Bains. Bloody cat and tiny tit, hopefully it survived; and sad caterpillar, picked up off a cement path. Carried it to greenery so hopefully that survived too. No doubt both will serve as lunch for something later, sigh.

Shaking from suppressed ideas. Or more probably from a pain au raison and strong coffee (bad night)

19 05 2024

 Extraordinary coming together of packing materials, painting and transport. I asked for help via Facebook, and got it! Two nice big packages, nice fit for the pic,;  and Cen and Annette are going north Wales-ward tomorrow, through Shrewsbury which the buyer lives. Did I say?? Can't remember... sold The Dragon Killing St George , 100 x 100 so a challenge to pack and move.

Completely delighted, a welcome hug of encouragement.

17 05 2024

 Day off yesterday!! Cabin fever been an issue, despite the space and light. Bunked off to Perpignan, 7.50 bus to Quillan, 8.20 bus to Perpignan. Two hours through the mountains, across the plane... worth it for the trip. Stumbled into the Centre d'art contemporain, (from now till the end of the month open Tues to Sun, 11.00 - 17.30) and the work of Sylvie Dubal , 1937 - 2021. Felt an immediate affinity. 

She draws with fine pencil, carefully, lots of birds; she incorporates herself, reminding me of the cybernetic dictum that the observer is part of the picture.

Plan to introduce myself into the nature diary drawings. Of course the artist is implicit but I want me to be explicit.

should have taken better snaps... but her old self, white-haired and bunned, hand held out to heron, will remain with me. Though since its been so very long since anyone else's work excited me, I might go back and photograph it properly.

We have classic themes in common too, the three fates, the christ(ine) lots of words. 

09 05 2024

 Expo up and, as they say, mixed. 

Turns out there was no actual physical space for me or Catherine to show or work. Not especially bovvered, I prepared to exit. Then I was given some tables, a sort of cube of them, 4 standing back to back. Quite intriguing - also impossible to use for hanging my stuff on.

Went to my stock and found a load of framed drawings left over from another show (Quillan), plus an accompanying catalogue left over from another show (Deptford); flattened the tables and bunged out the frames. Ditto for Katherines small paintings - she was away and I was in loco p for the work.

The poor and desperate woman who has instigated and is organising the thing found two spaces for two paintings either side of the stage, looks OK, and Katherine has made it back (Florida to Esperaza by public transport) and likes it all.

Only got to do the guest bedrooms for the funeral mourners, ETA Sunday,  and do the work undone for Cybersoc now... Oh and attend the mayors opening at 4.00 today. 

07 05 2024

 Been resting, I suppose; not doing much anyway. What I was working on was boring me.

Got a couple of notions and was about to resume, when Phil, bother-in-law, died. Feel obscurely guilty since I'd been working on death; did the webinar about the afterlife (rather well, I thought, though no one else seemed to like it -) and was considering the Kiss of Death as a motif. 

Now tied up with the funeral and arrival of family.

And today starts the Artists a reconotrer - just about to start the hanging, for me and Katherine who is not back from Florida yet. Actually appreciate the distraction and Ive been given someone to help me -