It’ s May now and as usual I have been going to write on this blog for the last month. Today I am planning to move to the countryside for a week, or a month, or all summer so I thought I should really write up these last few months.

It has been difficult, frightening, sad , happy, exciting and creative.

I have been remembering james in clay and stone….and am really excited about working more in this way . Modelling ordinary clay I bought in a little shop is so much fun and am planning to do more with clay in the country . And battering away at a tufa block with some tools ( don’t actually know what they are called) outside in the sunshine trying make a face appear is sort of magical…..and very satisfying…and cheaper than using canvas.!

I have completed several commissions both for portraits in acrylic and 2 small drawings in my new style with pen and crayons. And I have at least one large seascape to do and possibly a second large painting .

Then I went to Rome for a short holiday and took lots of photos and have a plan for a small series of paintings on a theme. Friends may be appearing in them.

And I watched a street artist draw two children one after the other using only a pencil and completing each drawing in under 15 minutes….and they were good likenesses….. so now I want to do that. Have been practising from photos so far and has taken me 2 hours each. Am pleased with the result but got a long way to go so may be getting some volunteer friends to model for me next.

I love how there are always new things to learn in art.

Last night I found some old portraits I did of james over the last 15 years and as well as being a sort of history of our time together they are also a record of my changing skills in painting.

Now better go find some art to illustrate my life…..

( must learn how to organise photos on this blog…..sigh…. next time ! )