Letters To The Editor

My news stories so far for 2019 , are now on my NEWS AND REVIEWS page.
 As well as articles about reopening Ted Coney's Family Portraits and my Artist in Residence stint in Ely Courthouse, there were two letters to the local newspaper.
I am always very keen to promote tourism in Ely, so anything I see to obstruct that, usually makes me put pen to paper
The recent petty regulations to stop the Babylon Gallery putting out their A board was one such incident. 

The Show Must Go On

How I hate technology!
 I've just done my art lecture 'On The Edge'   to a group and always feel nervous when getting it ready.
I put the digital projector on and minutes later it had stopped working . I kept calm, switched  everything off and started again.
I then plugged in the sound system and to my horror it didn't work. I turned all four dials every way I could and continued doing this for some time. I then realised I had plugged the other end into the wrong socket on the laptop and changed it over without thinking.
The four ladies standing close bye were nearly blasting out of the room, the volume was so intense. Luckily, I was ready by the time the audience  arrived and all went smoothly.
If you want to book my lecture for your group (you can see details on the ART LECTURES webpage) just understand I need to arrive an hour before it starts.

Farewell, Mr. Taxman

I've just filed my tax form and as I always do, showed it to a member of the tax department before posting. This is a little know service by which I visit the local jobcentre and meet with a tax expert there. They are always unfailingly helpful and often point out ways of saving money.
 No need to employ an accountant!
This years form showed only the last of my teaching salary and my earnings from
 Ted Coney's Family Portraits.
It was pointed out to me that I no longer need to file a return from next year as the earnings from my pop-up gallery are under £1,000.
It's certainly true that what I make from gallery admissions, talks and sales from cards, prints, tour guides and preliminary canvases don't make nearly that amount.
Maybe I should start selling the final paintings one day?!

Foot Sore

Although we've been away for two weeks, I'm afraid I only did one drawing. I packed a haversack full of sketchbooks and art materials but we had such a good time seeing friends and family that I just didn't have time.
However, I did make one watercolour sketch of Malham rocks. I had to sit on a rock to make the picture and was there for over an hour. When I got up, my foot had gone dead and it took several hours to get it working properly.
The things was does for art!
 

Princess Margaret Says No

I was recently asked to proof read an interview I had given about my contribution to
 Cambridge Open Studios thirty five years ago, for a book that is being written about it's history.
I was horrified to see that I  mentioned  I had invited Princess Margaret to open my first exhibition. Understandably, she turned me down owning to a 'prior engagement'.
What was missing from the text was why I had invited her. I  was collecting for Save The Children Fund and the Princess was the charity's patron.
When you know that, it doesn't sound quite so bad.

Good News And Bad News

There's good news and bad news.
 The bad news is, I wasn't picked to display my work in the Kettles Yard Open exhibition . I guess I could have predicted the outcome as there were only 22 lucky artists out of 500 applicants. Without  sounding  like sour grapes, I probably  would have been more successful with the archive material rather than my paintings. The labyrinth of  mirrors (David's Journey) and the dolls with pins in (No More Trist) are more like installations and might have appeared more contemporary.
And the good news? I am a step closer to getting more space to show my work with  plans for our garden gallery going out to tender.

The French Connection

For the fourth year running, I had three groups of French students yesterday, making a tour of
Ted Coney's Family Portraits.
I think it went OK (they wrote some lovely comments in my visitors book) but over the years I've learnt to have some useful aids to help me explain the paintings. For instance, I always have a set of 'Happy Families' playing cards when showing my picture of the same name. There are a few puzzled faces until the students understand that I am playing something similar, but with members of the family.
For this year, I  obtained an advent calendar to help them  understand the inspiration for my painting 'Limners' and it's format of tiny  images behind closed doors.
(you can see it on the PRINTS FOR SALE page)