Monday 30. 04. 12 This is a scene that has not changed since my childhood. Oddly altho there are beach huts, there is a notice declaring the beach is closed due to erosion and dangerous objects near the surface!!!
Travel
Wet UK
Friday 27. 04. 12 Just back from a quick trip to the UK. Left on Sunday after visiting an expo at the Musée Fabre in Montpellier with George and Laurene. An interesting show on Alexandre Hollan a Hungarian artist living in the Hérault. Flew to UK Sunday afternoon, picked up a car and then went to some old childhood holiday haunts en route to Chris and Viv in Hemingstone, Tuesday went to Cambridge to see Sebastian who I hadn’t seen for 50 years! On then to Lawrence and Diane in Stevenage for dinner and on Wednesday to Maureen in Sandhurst and Rob and Heather who were visiting Andrew in Ottershaw en route back from Oslo to Halifax. Thursday back here. Weather was wet and cool but it was good to see everybody.
Cayo Coco
Monday 15. 01. 12 Julia and I have just got back from a week at Cayo Coco in Cuba. We had a great time swimming, reading, lots of very circuitous conversations and eating and drinking. Besides all this I managed to do a few watercolours and we went on a couple of trips, snorkelling and a visit to the town of Trinidad which was where the original sugar plantation owners lived. Their mansions have now all been turned into museums.
Merrickville
Friday 06. 01 12 Just back from a few days visiting Martin and Beryl. Had a wonderful visit as usual full of good food, laughs and good conversation. Had my annual visit to Costco and felt the bite of winter again.
London
Saturday 26. 11. 11 Just got back from 4 days in London. Had a great time catching with various friends and going to galleries. Highlights were the Grayson Perry show at the British Museum, Royal Manuscripts at the British Library and the Richter show at the Tate Modern. Also re connected with my old friend from a previous sojourn in France, Peter Spens.
A grand day out
Sunday 12. 11. 11 Finally a day without rain or grey skies. Rode down to Marseillan and Sète this afternoon. Wonderful ride, just swooped down the empty roads enjoying the freedom and the journey. Went for a walk along the beach besides the foaming sea stirred up by the wind. A grand day out!
Les Vendémiaires 2
Friday 07. 10. 11 It has been a busy week. I brought David and Carla with Joan’s sister Mary-Ann to Clermont on Tuesday. David, Carla and I had lunch with Carol and then we had a tour round the lake and a tour of Joan’s studio before I took them back to St Mathieu. Wednesday went with the group to Avignon for the day and we saw an excellent expo at the Collection Lambert there. Yesterday evening I went with Kevin and Emma to St Mathieu where we heard all the artist’s presentations and Kevin and Emma interviewed Jacques and David.
Picnic sur l’herbe
Monday 26. 09. 11 Just got back from a weekend chez Marie-Pierre and Olivier at St Médard en Jalles near Bordeaux. Rode the scooter over to see how it and I performed on long journeys. We both did well and I was surprised at how unstressed I was after 9 hours in the saddle!! I just took the RN roads so didn’t have much traffic to deal with and just enjoyed the changing landscapes, architecture and crops. Of course it helped that the weather was perfect. Fished with Olivier and Marie-Pierre in the Bassin d’Arcachon together with Laurens and Didier, successfully for the first time, had the usual sumptious meals and even managed to get up to Rochefort to the Marine Museum and Pierre Loti’s house, both well worth a visit.
Last drawing
Tuesday 13. 09. 11 Finally finished the drawings of the trip down east that I did with Daisy this summer. Now on to the monoprints!
London
Tuesday 13. 09. 11 Just back from a long weekend in London where I met Julia and stayed at Maryann’s. We had a great time and managed to get to some galleries. Saw a disturbing installation in Hoxton by Ryan Gander called Locked Room Scenario set in an old disused factory, the Poussin/ Twombly show at the Dulwich which was a disappointment – too cramped to really work. On Saturday we went to an interesting installation by Michelangelo Pistoletto at the Serpentine plus the Pavillion had a wonderful wildlife garden designed by Piet Oudolf. On Monday just managed to catch the Lautrec with Jane Avril show at the Courtauld before flying back here