Good morning, its a tad early but lots is happening today, so I must get started.

Above is a small water colour of the sea front at Budley Salterton on the South Devon coast. About twenty minuets whilst seated on a pile of stones, it was nice and sunny, with a rather sharp wind; that was OK, local natives were behaving well also, a reather pleasant interlude.

You all know how passionate I am about art, well maybe that should read, "About the arts". For me that includes opera, ballet, theatre, music, books, the list goes on.  As I said lots is happening today, not many of you will know that I write poetry, well I do and tonight is my first stage reading of a few of my pieces. I will be appearing at the "After Hours" club at St Andys, on the ground floor of St Andrews Church, Goldsworth Park. Works being read will include, "What is bad Poetry" and the famous "Christmas Cake and Sprout Curry". Entrance is free, but it would be a good idea to book (St Andrews web page) as it does get a little crowded.

Well if Liz does not get her Saturday morning Times, I am in trouble, so maybe I should get a move on.

Adventures in the West Country

 

 

We have just returned home after a week and a bit away. About fifteen years ago about thirty of us from SMOB (a church), went on holiday together to Normandy staying in a palatial ancient home having a splendid time. Apart from problems such as the covid infection we have holidayed together every other year since; now many of us are spread throughout the kingdom, so this year we all went to a disused hotel near Lyme Regis and spent a week talking, catching up, eating and going out together; at the weeks end we were happily exhausted.

I did a few pure water colours, several inks and a small number of mixed media paintings; above is one of the mixed media images of Lyme Regis; there is a very simple methodology behind it. First a few splashes of water colour, not to exact or presise in their aplication, the colour being kept to the central part of the work. Next using a fine pen, tightening the whole work up with very light and fine ink work; the whole work took just over and hour to complete. Notice small details, such as the couple on the extreme right chatting, that sort of thing helps an image to work; the sun shone, the wind blew and holiday makers were friendly; altogether a rather pleasant hour or so. 

The picture which is shared with you this morning is one of my all time special memories! About twelve years ago forty of us from St. Mary of Bethany's church went on holiday together. We stayed in a chateau  in Normandy, near to Contance. For a wonderful week we were all members of the artistocracy; or pretended to be as such. Apart from one day the weather was glorious; every body behaved reasonably well, the grounds ranged from a palatial lawn at the front, to rustic peasant farm steads out of sight towards the rear. Every other year we still go on holiday together.

The above image was so special because I wandered into the rustic area and just relaxed by this ancient barn; it was peacefull, quiet and so relaxing.

This morning I am thinking of art in a wider sence. artistic endevours are not just about painting, rather they are about the whole way life is approached; music, words or maybe even dance; the latter is certainly not my style. However words facinate me and I must own up and admit that I have pretensions to being a poet. So on April the 1st. and it is not an April fools scan as it is after 12 noon, I am reading some of my poetry in the "Out of Hours" club in Andy's coffee bar in the evening. This is my first coming out as a poet, so lets see what happens.

 

It will be the same for many of us, as you will probably have noticed that this morning we awoke to a lovely white blanket, covering all. My immediate response is,"I'm glad my plans for today are centered on the indoors.

I finnished drawing the above a few days ago, it is worked up from a photo taken at Polsden Lacey last summer. So now today a while will be spent on my computer, putting together the images for an illustrated talk which I am giving soon, called "Out and About". Its all about the people and cultures which are met during owr travels. A few adventures are included as are the  highlights of journeys; the inclusion of those are always essential. So that will be a pleasant hour or so.

When that is done there is an ink work about half done. So although being spent at home, if the snow clears maybe a coffee out would be nice. In the meantime I am nice, warm and snug; and wishing to remain as such.

I

Today has been a brilliant day, I say that because the day has been full; this morning leading a watercolour painting workshop at St. Columba's, it went excedingly well. The workshop was about the uncertainty of our British weather and also how to handle watercoulour paints when you do not have a lot of time for a large painting to be completed. The session with about 14 people present went very well indeed. They all worked so hard that they were all given a "Wagon wheel" sweet, my favorite from my childhood.

At the workshop were a couple of people who had been to the Isle of Iona in the Hebrides, I painted there some years ago so I agree to put one of my Iona watercolour sketches onto my blog. The place is called "The strand of the monks", which lies just north of the abbey. Sadly it is the site of a mass killing of so many monks by the Vikings in about the C9AD; A sad story, which happened in a beautiful bay. So, a good enjoyable morning. In the afternoon Liz and myself had a quietish time watching a film on the tv before, when the evening came round, us going out for a fish supper is a restraunt; now that is what I call a rather splendid day.

I am now tired, satisfied and going to bed.

s 

Above is one of the high lights of my travel art life; it is of a tiny Nubian Village, right in the south of Egypt, not far from the Sudan border. With a small group we managed to reach to this very remote village; the rest of the group wandered of with our guide and had a lecture somewhere ot other: letting them wander of; I strolled to the village street, sat in the dust and started painting. Very quickly gathered round me were three men and a woman, the men squated by my side, the woman, who incidentally was carrying an earthernware water (almost straight out of the Bible) bottle stood close by. Verbal comunication was difficuly, as my Egyptian/arabic was very limited, whilst one of the guys had a little pidgin English. It was sufficient for us all to become good friends. We managed to agree thast we had all done very badly at school; as a result we laughed and laughed. A treasured meeting between cultures, I will never forget that majical hour I spent with those four.

Painting is the international launguage; the same open friendliness works when painting outside in this country. People are almost (I repeat the word "almost") never rude, it is a marvelous way of making friends. try it when on holiday this year.

Now the "almost" word, I must include a couple of exceptions to the nice and friendly side of people. I have been chased by a military type with a rifle, also threatened by a polieman with a pistol; but those are good yarns and to be honest you hav'nt lived, if you have never been a little on the scared side . I also met an Italian woman in Venice who was so fluent in foul anglo saxon swear words, that I had to laugh; she didnt think that my reaction was funny, but never mind, you win some, you loose some. But that is a part of travel and makes it more exciting and a much fuller experience.

I repeat that the unpleasant side of people is so rare, but the do make good conversation stories.