Louise Borguese made three monumental towers (and a lot of spiders). I Do, I Undo, I Redo.  She created an inclusive visual for what We do all the time… As mother’s, sculptors, painters, basket weavers, gardener, all things, but fundamentally female (I think). We make, we learn, we tear apart, we learn, we make again.

Those who ask – how?

Don’t get it.

We don’t ask, we try, we see and we work it out.

It’s what we do.

And we are lucky, because it drives us. We don’t need a leader or a boss or a god. We want to find out what happens and then work out what to do with it. And one thing leads to another.

A change is as good as a rest…

To go away so to appreciate what you have at home..

Compare and contrast and to enjoy the difference.

For a number of years my friend Sue has visited Athens as a representative for  Greenwich University.  The NYC (New York College) have campus in Central Athens and Thessolonica.  Previously she has respected the business and made no provision to see much of the country where she is briefly located.   This year I have tagged along and she has extended the trip to allow time for her meetings, some site seeing and for me sketching,

Ditching the normal anonymous and  predictable she found accomodation for us on booking dot com via Airbnb. Her time doing research was well spent.

With green space – Olive and Carob trees paths and rocks, just over the road and splendid views of the Acropylis – it is a dreamy location. The weather mild and comfortable for walking and sketching. The hill is also littered with wild flowers and plenty of butterflies. We are here until tomorrow when, as part of the tourist pleasure we are taking a 5 hour train ride to Thessolonica.

Onward tomorrow.

I drove south on the 2nd of February with two good reasons for travelling,  the first to tutor a three day course at West Dean and the other being the imminent arrival of my second grandchild.

The people in the  group at West Dean, all had such a positive attitude,  different charactors as always, but they melded together, were friendly and sharing with each other. A pleasure for me to work with.

We started with a gentle confidence building exersize,  looking at the subject and then mixing the colours as they saw them.  Painting the mixes into squares. Much less pressure than going straight to the subject.

Then to paint the subject using just the colours chosen from an edited palette.

They did it all so beautifully.

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Spring was starting to emerge as I was waiting for the baby’s arrival. Snowdrops, primroses and a few daffodils.

Baby Erica was born 16 days past due date. It was a relief and joy.  I have since returned home, but without my dear dog Maybelle who ran out of steam on Wednesday 6th March. A fine life, and gentle end aged 15.

I am still catching my breath from the February excitement, managing to get my mind to resolving painting conundrums.  Some to improve, some to ponder on, some to destroy.  When I make a mount for the work, it is the final test. I can truly see if they are right to be photographed and signed – or put back into the ‘work in progress’ pile, or torn up and on the floor disguarded.

Countryside, conservation, community…?

February 8th – 11th 2024

West Dean College offers such an inspiring setting for a huge variety and breadth of arts and craft. For the tutors and participants alike, it should be a really joyful experience.  It is certainly that for me when I get a group of kind, attentive, eager people to work with.

I introduced the group to my favorite sketching pen. One I have used since my foundation time at Canterbury in the 70’s

Chris Alexander and Eric Hurren led the year and gave me and all of us students, a most valuable grownding in drawing, painting, also many diciplins and possibilities for creativity.  With Chris, we made sketch books and he also demonstraed the use of this water soluble felt pen. I’m glad to say, Pentel still produce it in exactly the same form.

This group were collectively friendly and helpful to each other.  Fun and receptive.

Just two days of 2023 and then we are into a fresh January.  New projects to plan and prepare.  Italy – Quatro Archi De Barga in September. I am planning on going with good painting colleagues to share the experience of this medieval hill town.  The venue has studio work space and some printing equipment.

It will be the first year since the onset of Neos that I will not be doing the open studio event in Scotland. But other opportunities present themselves. I personally find that deadlines are an important focus for my work. Giving me the extra impetus to create more ambitious pieces if I know they will have an audience, however small. The incentive to create enough work, to then edit appropriately for the context of the exhibition.

And a second grandchild on the way… February already busy with a West Dean booking and the baby due. 

Its time to gather my wits, find my marbles sharpen my pencils, polish up my plans and paint.

I remember seeing a kingfisher flying back and forth as I painted this some years ago. I was in Cornwall near Wadebridge with Chris Forsey and chums. It has since languished in the, mmm… ‘Not sure’ pile. But it has caught my eye and I was in the mood to move it on.

Plenty more to ponder along with those just started or even still in my head.

Feeling under the cosh of a persistant cold and thawted by equally persistant rain, any desires to stroll out with my painters knapsack on my back have been quelled for the past few weeks.

For various reasons i have been driving a lot in the E. Sussex and Kent areas of England. Catching glimpses of sunshine and specks of brighter colour with some leaves hanging on gamely. Bracken becomes orange in contrast to the dark wet tree trunks. Grey clouds lilac hues, skies a multitude of greys from lightest breath to darkest indigo. It sets a seasonal 1940s palette.

I feel most confident in the direct response to landscape a plein aire. Responding more intuitively to the depth and tones, eye to hand, my mind almost removed from the process. Being stuck in doors… Frustrates me.

So I have been working in a less secure realm, painting from the memory of shapes and colours. Trying to sketch the detail in my head when I see it and then to spill it out on paper, in warmth and confort. In front of te fire.

One sure way to improve… To do it – again and again – and more. These images are some of the works I have done, driven by my blocked nose and the drear winter.

I have just delivered a short course at West Dean. Working with 12 really good ‘beginners’ in the orangery.   It lifts the level of play to work with such diverse and attentive folk.

I am now looking forward to the pre Christmas time with close family in the south.

It been the business of open studios that has given September wings.

We had a good number of visitors who kept our smiles in place. We managed to work and talk, the whole week of engagement with a great mix of audience response.  Oh – but I’m not the young thing that started this event 20 years ago. 

It’s taken me a week to recover.

I have some interesting classes prepared for my studio group and for Tarland Art Group. Some of which I can mix into the Beginners Watercolour Short Course that I hope to be delivering at West Dean toward the end of November. I always look to lift my teaching and with it my spirits for these – adding new, varied and fun ways to convey and practice the methods and techniques of water colour. From the essential basics to the more inventive and innovative.

Young visitor to Neos, Struen, created all the planets and more for us. The studio was a hive of activity.

My sister Sarah showed us a very simple but delightful upgrade to the basic pamphlet booklet. We were fired up and went into creative mass production! Using some of my back catalogue of printed cards and past demo watercolour sheets as decorative covers. Collaboration, skill sharing, fun.

All through the cool spring I made merit from necessity I concentrated on the slow emerging leaves.

Since then, the weather has improved and I had the opportunity to paint in Greece for a few days. How I love being warm, outside, painting with watercolours.

I have a booking at West Dean next month and really hope I can encourage the Watercour Improvers to draw and use colour outside in the lovely grownds.

I had a two day gig at West Dean at the weekend, glorious weather, gardens, and people. Unfortunetly having returned home with the expectation of a weeks painting with my fellows, I have spent two days very close to the water closet. A tenacious bug has gripped my tum.

West Dean is an evolving environment. Restoration and repair, trimming and affirming. Never guite the same, but a consistently high standard. It is good to work there, it helps keep me on my toes.

The weather remained chilly all week. Jeni, Sally and Sarah went to Rye and come back with no sketches, but some rescued items from the vast array of desirable booty that the shops there have to offer. They hope to go to Hastings Contemporary tomorrow. I will look forward to being with them when I feel recovered.