Hawt.....

.......that's the yard at the studio.

Great day today, lots of odds and ends done, drank beer outdoors with the fabulous two at lunchtime, (my landlady's), also my man Beachfreak nipped in to say hello.

The smells of hot sand and the sea, warm concrete and that odd 'green' odor that is as rare as the true early British summer day.

Under normal circumstances it's easy to let days like today pass by unremarked upon. Today I feel happy and content to be alive where I live, and lucky to be able to share it with my nearest and dearest.

this one..........

.........sold almost as soon as it was hung.........

................I wonder why.........?!!

Birthdays-n-stuff......

Sunday evening, on the beach, Bank Holiday Monday to follow........what's not to like ?

Some of you may be familiar with the Gingerwitch.....(pictured above paddling in the balmy North Sea).....but even if you 'aint, there is no doubting her skills.
The weather she ordered for her birthday was bright blue from dawn till dusk.
I think it would be foolish to let her keep any of your hair or nail clippings.

In other news, Open Studios has been going well. Two weeks of frantic activity to get it all ready, a fantastic opening do on Saturday the 16th, and lots of visitors since. Can't complain really, which brings me neatly to the end of this.

Love to all. xxx

My dog don't get enough.....

walks that is.

I need to motivate the brats to help out. Cash might help I suppose, but they did promise to help out if we got a new puppy..................I allowed myself to be deceived, 'cos I wanted another dog.
Another task for today's list then !

Dad jobs.....

We all know that Dad's bare the crushing weight of responsibility for their offspring with quiet dignity.
None more so than the figure in the painting above. I was watching and daubing away as he and his two small boys started the sandcastle.
Within ten minutes the famous North Sea 'fret' had crept up behind them, cold damp and visually disturbing.
After a further quarter of an hour, Mum whisked the youngsters off to the Beach Cafe for warming Tea and Bacon Sarnies.
He and I stuck at our tasks. Him, because he knew the sandcastle had to be complete before the tide got to it........I, in solidarity for his unflinching application to the task, finished my daub.
Twenty minutes passed, we exchanged a brief nod of shared recognition, and went our separate ways.

Nose to the grindstone........

I was lucky enough to be in London yesterday. I was even luckier to have four hours to kill before my train back to dear old Norfolk. A swift five stops and one change tube ride later, I was at the National Gallery.
An even swifter twelve quid later, I was feeling somewhat inadequate standing with my mouth open in front of 'Large Bather', by a certain Pablo Picasso.
The current show; Picasso Challenging the Past, is a stunning whistle stop tour of Picasso's work. Just in terms of chronological spread, you get bodily propelled from the late 1800's to the early1970's. In terms of style and content, you are by turns assaulted and caressed from flayed sheep's heads to minotaurs via self portraits and harem's of nudes. I loved it.
As a student I found the man's work aloof and confusing. Yesterday, with a few more miles on the clock, I found myself beguiled, bewitched and breathless.
These four pieces are mine, not Pablo's, but in his own words;
"Like all artist's, first I am a painter of women".

it's all good........

Been frantic for a couple of weeks, but all positive stuff.

This piece was the one I was struggling over for a couple of days last month. I'm happy with it now.
I have had a run of working fairly small, but it was nice to let go on this one as it is much larger. (3ftx2ftish).

Lots more to say/show, but tight for time. I'll be back later.Out.