A Saviour Cometh

Continuing my quest to get my 1931 Morris Minor through it's MOT before the start of the new season of Ted Coney's Family Portraits, I met a new garage chap called Ian last week who has agreed to help me. I am driving the car to his place on Friday if it will start (it often does if I can catch it unawares!) and if it dosn't he will bring his low loader. He seemed confident that he can help me and I may not need a new exhaust system after all. A great relief!

An Exhaustive Search

Now that Ted Coney's Family Portraits has closed for the winter, there are certain jobs I must do before I reopen in April. One of them is getting the Morris Minor through the MOT before the end of January. To that end, I have been trying to track down a new exhaust system since before Christmas. The trouble is no one seems to know what an exhaust system for a 1931 Morris looks like. I had arranged to drive over to meet Ian who has a garage in Witchford (not to far away) and specialises in Morris Minors, but after an exhausting hour trying to get the car started, I had to give up. Hopefully, Ian will come over here on Thursday and we will see if he can help. As it's the cars 80th birthday this year, I want to get as much publicity as possible for the car and the gallery, and this involves driving in it to public places. Will keep you posted on this one!

New Year, New Painting

This morning , the last day of my holiday, I spent time removing all the achive material and sketchbooks connected with my last painting, from my easle and pinboard. I then put up new stuff to inspire me for my next work, artists references, photographs and the like.
After this was all done very slowly, I made some rather feeble little drawings and paintings of houses from the Hollywoodland era and also our current house in Ely. The painting is all about rediscovering estate agents material from the 1930s while simultaniestly looking for a house ourselves. The Morris (which will be 80 this year) will act as a time machine between the two periods. Happy New Year, by the way!!

To Cold To Care?

Yesterday, I worked on my painting 'Tea for 222' and I think I have finished it. I spent the time rubbing away bits I didn't like, so I never did any actual brushwork. However, inspite of putting my little heater on, several minutes before, it was still freezing in the studio and it was almost to cold to think straight. I couldn't decide if I had produced my best masterpiece ever, or complete rubbish. I think I shall now close the door on it until after Christmas (my studio becomes an extra fridge over the holiday period anyway, to take all the extra food while the family are at home) and then have another look at it, before sending it off to be framed.

Fancy a Print for Christmas?

My son Max (bless him) decided to buy a print of one of my works (I can't reveal for whom, incase they read this) from the on-line gallery which does the selling for me. This encouraged me to put out an Email to all my lovely family suggesting in a subtle way that they might like to do the same. No takers yet but there are still seven shopping days to go (and the weather is getting worse) so you never know, I might get luckey.
Ps prints of my work are for sale through http://www.ukphotogallery.co.uk

And It's Goodbye From Me

Yesterday, I did the last Ted Coney's Family Portraits tour of the season. No more doing a quick tidy up of the house on a sunday morning (Hazel's piles of stuff will surely grow) and no more staggering out with my A-board, first thing. I did have a nice group in today who seemed to enjoy the experience, so it made a good end to the year. I now need time to finish this year's painting and figure out how I can grow my client group without paying out a load of money. I've been in the papers and on the radio, so I have got to conquer the TV next. Wish me look (and ideas how to do it.
P.S. The blog will continue, when I've got something to say and the lecture about my work
'On The Edge' is still available for hire!

Wonderful News!

I should have known when I saw Kevin coming around the corner with a bottle of champaigne.
Our daughter Yve is pregnant again!!! Ofcourse, I want her to give up work immediately and stay sitting still until the baby arrives but I know no one will listen to me. Having a grandson has been wonderful, so it can only get better. Last time, in my painting Minglelands, I represented Barnaby with tiny shards of gold leaf, so not sure how I will show the new offspring in any new picture . Still, I've got plenty of time to think about it as the birth isn't until May and I have two other pictures in the pipeline to get on with now.