28 11 2024

 Still not finished the last Nature diary drawing. Clearly unwilling to let go. Or possibly just too obsessed with the writing. It's as if a voice has arrived in my head demanding an outlet and it's clamouring to be attended to. Great fun anyway and I'm onto just short of 20 thou words. At which point there be twice as much to do again; then I can back to the studio.

It's far easier to write than to paint. My body isn't continually hammered, its quite comfy in the study and apart from intermittent back ache it takes far less of a toll of my energy. 

And the subject is fascinating :)

17 11 2024

 Screwed up the last drawing, will try washing it... as and when, curiously busy with this and that. Domestic stuff mostly; and the book, of course, which expands and contracts like an iron lung as I come up with a new direction, cut a lot of the old.

Dreaming of painting, did a rather good one last night based on Japanese ghosts and medieval skeletons I think.

14 11 2024

 Been fiddling with the last two drawings but otherwise, easily distracted. New book soooo slow; every day the word count shrinks as I re-read and edit. 

07 11 2024

 I really didn't mean to carry on with this project; but who can resist a kingfisher inspecting two dippers, and a redstart at the front door?? Neither of these quite finished. Putting off everything, uneasy...

02 11 2024

 Donkeys by the river - which brings the Nature Diary to 50 pictures and covers a full year.

It's become something of a chore. Will perhaps reflect a little about what to do with 50 large drawings and whether anything has been learned.