Not Asleep, But Resting

I've been working on my current painting,  'Another Year' today. Not on the canvas to begin with, but making colour sketches on paper, to try and work out how I am going to do the background. I tried two ideas, to help me decide how the colours could fade one into another and how they could match up with the images in the main circle. I then came indoors to look at my books on Turner and Monet and they had all the answers. Although I had fallen asleep infront of the T.V. last night while watching a programme on Turner,(annoying presenter) something must have sunk in, in a subliminal way. To try and convey light falling on different surfaces what better artists to study?

Two Wheels On My Wagon

Yes, I really did go out on two wheels in my 1931 Morris Minor, when I left Ely Cathedral last week after attending the Business Exhibition there, to advertise my gallery, Ted Coney's Family Portraits. They decided after doing a bit more measuring, that rather than going out through the back entrance,  there was a real chance I could go out of the front doors! However, it was decided to put a plank over one of the pillars so that I had two wheels on the ground and two much higher up. This meant that I was steering at a 45 degree angle with about an inch clearence on either side. To add to my embarrisment, the car wouldn't start and although I would have rather enjoyed ringing the AA ('I've broken down in Ely Cathedral') the staff seemed very keen to get rid of me. In the end they bump started the car along the pavement. I think my exhibition was a great success, although, understandably, people were more interested in the Morris rather than my paintings - I had two prints showing two paintings involving my Morris and a series of pictures to show my current work in progress 'Another Year' - which shows images of Ely Cathedral (which you can see on my website, News and Reviews page). You can also see one photo of the car in the Cathedral on my Facebook page - more to follow

A Jubilee Blog

Yes, I really did have tea with the Queen last week - but along with 8,000 other people. Hazel , Max and I had a great day, eating cucumber sandwiches and drinking iced coffee. We managed to see most of the Royal Family close up thanks to Max acting as our human periscope. He could see over the heads of everyone else and direct his tiny parents to the best places to stand. It made me think of the paintings I have done over the years, involving the Royals. ' Family Funeral' was a tryptich painted as a responce to Churchill's funeral, with the Royal Family on one side of the coffin and my family on the other. 'Prince, King, Exile' didn't involve my family at all but showed what happend to Edward VIII once he married Mrs. Simpson. 'The Puppets Dream' is a painting about a dream I had many years ago, showing Princess Anne reviewing the navy. She fell into the water but emerged moments later, still waiving and hat still intact. She is real while Hazel and I appear as puppets. You can still see that one today, when you visit Ted Coney's Family Portraits.  

Drive- In Hell !

It was just as well that Look East or Anglia News didn't take up the offer of filming my Morris Minor arriving at Ely Cathedral this morning to promote Ted Coney's Family Portraits. I had enough stress just trying to drive the car inside the building to worry about anything else. There was about an inch on either side of the doorway of the Cathedral, which was scarry enough, but then I had to negotiate down a ramp which consisted of two narrow bits of wood. Max was brilliant at keeping me calm , helping me navigate this hazardous journey and making sure the car (and me) came to no harm. The best bit was then driving down the centre isle and taking my place at the entrance of the West door. The exhibition is on until next Thursday(although I may have to leave the car there for ever) so do drop by, if you are in Ely

Drive- In Heaven

I've just heard that I am going to be allowed to drive my Morris Minor inside Ely Cathedral after all!
Ted Coney's Family Portraits is taking part in a business fair in Ely Cathedral next week and I requested to take the car as part of my display. However, I was origionally told that this was very unlikely, so I have been planning a more conventional table- top display ever since. Ofcourse, I want to include photographs of the different stages of my latest painting 'Another Year' since it features Ely Cathedral at different times of day (you can see this growing on the NEWS AND REVIEWS page of my website) but feel I must also show some of the paintings which include the Morris as well. I'm just off to measure the car, so they can decide which entrance to open for me. I rather fancy the great west door which they usually only open for the Queen, but musn't get too carried away.

Jasper

Jasper (my mother's old cat who has lived with us for the last nine years) always delighted visitors to
Ted Coney's Family Portraits, even when they had to step over him to get into my studio.  He died this week and will be greatly missed. We think he was about 20 years old and was demanding and grumpy to the end. There was nothing he liked better, in his twilight years, than tottering over to the studio to soak up the midday sun.
The only good thing, is that we can now get the carpets cleaned, as I was begining to feel a bit ashamed of them. Jasper would have hated all the noise and the desruption ofcourse, so at least I am spared the telling off he would have given me afterwards. 

BOGOF

BOGOF - buy one, get one free incase you didn't know! I've become part of the Greater Anglia trains offer and Ted Coney's Family Portraits is officially in the booklet. This means when you pick up a voucher and show you have made a rail journey to get here, I have to give two of you, a tour for the price of one person. Or should I give one person two tours for the price of one? Hopefully they won't demand it consecutively. We shall have to see how it goes.........