Top Secret Santa

I'v always tried to get as much free publicity for Ted Coney's Family Portraits as I could as I knew it was the only way to get visitors coming.  Even when I write to the newspapers, although I care passionately about the issues I am promoting, I also have half an eye on the image of my name as I know it helps to keep it in the public domain (even if its only. 'not that Ted Coney again')

Well,  all that went out of the window when I was asked to play Father Christmas yesterday at a concert in the Maltings! The children took it all so seriously (as did I) that I couldn't possibly use the experience to promote me or the gallery in anyway.
Was I any good? Well, I was just recovering from a nasty cold which has left me a bit deaf. What with the noise from the concert, the heat of the costume and the shy voices of the children, I had to play an old befuddled Father Christmas just to get through it. Someone did say I was the best Santa the'd had, though.

Regrets - I've Got A Few

Readers of my blog may remember that I was invited to be Artist In Residence way back last summer by Jeremy at Primavera and was due to start about now. Well, after changing his mind
 several times, it's  off again. I was a bit cross the first time, but I guess I've got used to it by now. Am I disappointed? I did see it as a way of promoting Ted Coney's Family Portraits over the winter and I was rather looking forward to meeting the Archbishop of Canterbury who was reputedly living next door. On the other hand, did I really want to trudge into Cambridge every Friday , even if I didn't feel like painting, when I could be working in my nice warm studio here? Jeremy did do me one big favour though. I worked alot harder over the summer planning my new painting, 'Love That Dares',
knowing that I would have to paint it in full public view when I started at the gallery.
However, You will still be able to see it's progress from the comfort of YOUR home, as I will be posting photos , as it develops, on my NEWS AND REVIEWS page, after Christmas.

An Early Christmas

This weekend we had Christmas with all the family. On Saturday we prepared the vegatables and put up the tree. In the evening, ten of us ate roast turkey with all the trimmings and opened presents. afterwards.On Sunday we had more relatives for a buffet lunch. This was because Leo and his partner Paul went off to Thailand and New Zealand today, probably for a year. I did feel a bit sad but I stoically got on with my painting about them -  'Love That Dares', after they had gone. At present I am preparing the canvases with various textures using old rags and sponges. This is because I want to create a camerflague background on which to paint the figures. Life goes on. Tomorrow I am going to another turkey dinner.

Farewell Tour

Yesterday, I did my last Ted Coney's Family Portraits tour of the season. I am finishing slightly early this year because next weekend we are cooking Christmas Dinner for all the children and grandchildren before Leo and Paul go off to New Zealand for a year. Obviously they all need somewhere to stay while they are with us, so everything has to be moved to get the beds out. The thought of moving  all the plinths and showcases back the week after just for one or two more tours was too much to think about!
One of my visitors yesterday was Linda and this was her fourth tour so I had to pick my subject quite carefully. For the last two weeks I have done the 'Journeys' tour and  hope  visitors found it interesting.
 The day started badly however, as it was very windy and I attempted to put one of my signs out, chained to my bicycle (the bike is an important element in this tour because of my 800  mile cycle ride to Scotland and subsequent painting 'Diamond Sutra'). Anyway, the sign soon came crashing down so I had to abanden that and hoped it wasn't a bad omen for the day.

To Long - Even For Me

To my surprise there was an article about Ted Coney's Family Portraits in the local paper this week. I had thought about contacting the Weekly News to publisise the last few weeks before I close for the winter but as I am nearly fully booked, I didn't bother. However, it was nice to get the extra publicity, even though there were three mistakes in the text. The quick sketch I was holding in the accompanying photo was referred to as 'the painting', and it said that the price of admission for under eights was £2.It should have read 'students' as normally I don't encourage children to come, being  too boring for them. The third error was the news that each tour lasts TWO hours - can you imagine!? Hazel told me not to worry though, as she reckoned that most people only look at the pictures.

A Grand Tour, Lad ?

 I did my 'Journey's' tour when I had visitors to Ted Coney's Family Portraits, last weekend. One of the paintings I talked about was 'Grand Tours', a work involving four journeys I made with four members of the family, each one with a different mode of transport. I also explained where the title of the painting came from, and in this case there are two reasons. Firstly, because in the 18th and 19th centuries, artists would go on a 'Grand Tour', usually abroad and this was my own grand tour. Secondly, because I am origionally from Yorkshire we use 'grand' as a way of explaining that we like something. Immediately, it brought a smile to two of my visitors, who knew exactly  what I meant. It turned out they were from Leeds! 

Do It Yourself

I had ordered two 'Fine Detail' canvases for my next painting 'Love That Dares'. However, after waiting three weeks for them to arrive, I went to see what the matter was. I was told by Windsor and Newton that they might be available in two weeks time but they could not be certain. I had hoped to get them free on my Tindalls (local art shop) reward card as I had built up £75 but had to change my plans. However, I still spent the money on more primer, the largest tube of white oil paint I could find - and one or two interesting looking brushes.
Anyway, I ordered canvas and stretchers direct from a supplier I have been using for years and they arrived the next day. I've put the stretchers together, stretched the canvas and given then the first coat - using rabbitskin size. When this is dry I will give them two layers of primer and then I shall be ready to paint. I plan to stain the canvas with oil paint and begin the first of several sponged textures to build up the background.
It's actually very satisfying, making the canvases yourself - and certainly quicker!