The Second Layer

Over Half Term, Hazel and I did a slow progress North, visiting some of our lovely family. I also worked on my painting TEA FOR 222. I was determined to get the layer of encaustic wax on the second painting and with the help of the trough and a hot knife, I suceeded. I then began the second, transparent layer, painting images of afternoon tea. At the moment I seem to be rubbing off more paint than I actually put on, but I guess I shall get ther in the end. I must finish by Christmas, so the painting can be framed while Ted Coney's Family Portraits is closed for the winter.

Maybe, NO, But Maybe?

It all seemed to be going so well. First, the conservation officer had made encouraging signs about opening up the loft to the public. Then I saw a nice planning officer lady at the Council who sounded very enthusiastic about my ideas and said she could see no problems with it. My next stop was to ring the buildings regulations guy who had been so lovely when I set set up
Ted Coney's Family Portraits two years ago. Anyway, this is were the dream of turning our loft space into a gallery, ended!! It seems, for it to be allowed, I would, among other things have to fit a corridor into our living room (the best room in the house!) so visitors could get to the front door in case of a fire. This would be madness and make an 'only just big enough room', smaller.
I felt quite depressed for about an hour.And then I got to thinking, what if we eventually made the family of the front house an offer on the bottom flat? (it;s already divided into two flats anyway) It would stretch us financially (not another bloody morgage) but we could let out the part we didn't want, at least to start with. Anyway with those pleasant thoughts I went to sleep.

No! No! But Maybe?

I've been trying to think of ways of extending the property, so Ted Coney's Family Portraits can grow as I do more paintings (hopefully, I've got at least another 30 years of painting to go!).
My plans have been thwarted this week by the news the Lavendar family have turned down my request to buy some extra land (to put my new studio) and the room under our flying freehold .
However, I have now started to explore the idea of using our loft space as an extra gallery.
The first news is encouraging. The Conservation Officer (the cottage is a listed building) has paid a visit and she had no problem with the idea. The next stage is from the Planning Officer and then see a structural engineer. I've always dreamt of having a spiral staircase, so maybe this is my chance?!

Suffering Over a Hot Stove - For Art

I've just spent three hours trying to skim encaustic wax over one of my canvases for my painting
'Tea for 222'. I used my new metal trough specially bought for the job and felt really prepared as I had experimented on a small canvas first. However, doing one of the real canvases proved much more difficult. It wasn't so much that I ran out of wax, as it set in the trough before I had time to complete the run. In the end I tried about ten times and as I had to keep reheating the wax, I got rather hot. I had almost given up when I had a brainwave. I had managed to cover most of the canvas but it looked an uneven mess, so I used a heated knife to smooth out the wrinkles. I had to clean it well afterwards because it belonged to Jasper, and he wanted his dinner.

Remember 'Duel'?

Do you remember the film 'Duel' where an unseen driver in a rusty old truck terrorised a person in a small car? Well, I thought I was experiencing something similar, albeit in different circumstances. Where I put my A-board every Sunday to advertise
Ted Coney's Family Portraits, there is a large, rather wonderful but menacing motorbike parked. I never saw the owner but he always parked very close to where I had to padlock my board to a bollard. A couple of times my board had been moved around and once a dent appeared in it. That could have been the windy weather ofcourse, but I dreaded getting into a confrontation with someone alot bigger and younger than me.
However, this week I spotted him and went over for a chat. Although he was very big, a nicer chap you couldn't hope to meet! We had a talk about Durer's prints and renovating victorian chapels and he has very kindly agreed to park slightly away from my A-board. What a relief!

No, I Didn't Win

I heard officially the other day, that my application to East of England Tourism to enter
Ted Coney's Family Portraits for the Small Visitor Attraction Award had been turned down. I didn't even make the short list! Still, it was only based on the paperwork I sent, as noboby visited, so if I can get that right next year, maybe I will make it to the next stage. I take comfort from the fact, that when I was at Hills Road, we didn't win The Queen's Anniversary Prize the first time. In the end we did, went to Buckingham Palace and I ended up telling Princess Anne that it must be like living in the British Museum. On reflection, maybe thats why we didn't win this time!?

On the Hertage Trail

Inspite of all the publicity, I did not get that many on Sunday for my Quiz/Trail for Heritage Weekend. Perhaps it was too close to the last time I did it. You live and learn! However, it was good to try it again and tweak the questions. I also made more money for Teenage Cancer Trust than last time by not charging an admission fee but asking them to make a donation. I had this Sunday off from opening Ted Coney's Family Portraits and enjoyed my family visiting, instead. Hope I'll get some bookings next week.