JournalLondonPainting

London

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Monday 23. 05. 11 Just back from our fast trip to London. Managed to see the Watercolour and Joan Miro show at both Tates with a boat trip in between and also took in the Tracey Emin show at the Hayward. All shows very worth while and all for completely different reasons. Visited the London Museum and the London Docklands Museum – both excellent. Shot some photos of the tube and also the Thames Barrier as possible sources of new monoprint series. Friday evening had dinner with Laurie and Erich who just happened to be in town.

JournalTravel

Montpellier

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Wednesday 18. 05. 11 Started the day with an early coffee with George and Laurene at Les Negociants. After this, reluctantly, we drove to the airport to drop off the car and say au revoir to Suzette the voice of the GPS! We had lunch in Montpellier and wandered around discovering a good photo exhibit at the pavillon populaire. We took the bus back to Clermont and had our first pastis of the summer at Les Necociants en route home.

JournalTravel

Guédelon and Avignon

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Tuesday 17. 05. 11 I picked Jason up at the airport on Saturday along with a rented car and we have been driving ever since! We drove north of Nevers over the Millau Viaduct on Sunday to Guédelon a site where they are building a 13th century castle using 13th century tehnology. An interesting site that has a lot of integrity and authenticity. Yesterday we drove back home via le Puy en Velay. Today we have been to Avignon, le Pont du Gard and Aigues Mortes. There was a brilliant expo using the bridge as a theme at le Palais des Papes with the best multimedia show I have ever seen. Tomorrow Montpellier.

JournalPainting

More stations

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Monday 09. 05. 11 Another busy week in the atelier working on monoprints. Thursday rode over to Les Matelles which is just north of Montpellier near the Pic St Loup. Met David Abse who besides being a painter runs a gallery and a printer. I was there to get some gilclées done. Yesterday, besides having a wonderful French lunch chez les Valettes with Claire, managed to get over to an expo at the Mas Violettes in Valflaunes and saw interesting work by Elisabeth Keh and Christian Cayssiols.

JournalTravel

Cousins encore

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Thursday 28. 04 11 I have been working on this drawing of all the cousins that Rob and I visited on our trip. I think it is finished. Today have aso been working on the working drawings for a series of monoprints of London stations. Drew Paddington, Euston, St Pancras and King’s Cross today and yesterday did Waterloo. Still got Liverpool Street and Victoria to go.

JournalPaintingShows

Le Parc Meric

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Monday 25. 04. 11 Today I met Claire and we went for a stroll in the Parc Meric the home of the 19th century painter Frédéric Bazille which is near where she lives. This weekend there was an open air art show put on by ZAT. The show was throughout the parc with various installations including full size figures made of chicken wire stuffed with laurel leaves, young women wrapped in seranwrap attached to tree branches like cocoons, a tree with transitor radios hanging from it playing strange insect-like buzzing sounds, two dancers stripping in front of a huge tableau, a woman living with a horse. All manner of different things creating an atmosphere of exuberance and joy. It was quite wonderful.

Journal

Maher Bros tour of cousins

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Wednesday 20. 04 .11 Just back from tour of my cousins. Met up with Rob last Tuesday at Luton airport courtesy of Ryanair. Drove to Chris and Viv’s house in Hemingstone in Suffolk Tuesday. From there across country on Wednesday to John and Julie’s in Porthmadog. Thursday across Wales to Gerald and Chris at South Cerney and then on to Margaret and Martyn in Fovant near Salisbury on Friday. Richard and Lesley were also at Margaret’s so we connected with them too. On Saturday we met Bill in Bournemouth and then back to Margaret and Martyn Saturday night. Sunday we visited Maureen in Sandhurst and then I went on to London and Rob went back to Andrew’s. Quite a tour but brilliant!  Everybody was wonderful, very hospitable and we ate magnificently. Rob flew back to Nova Scotia on Tuesday and I flew back here. Lots of good food, drink and conversation. Family is important and we must all stay in touch.

JournalPainting

Trains

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Monday 11. 04. 11 A very productive week at the atelier. I got all my Cross Canada monoprints done and 3 London stations. Off to the UK tomorrow to meet Rob. Whilst I’m there will try and photograph the stations again.

JournalPainting

Cross Canada monoprints

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Thursday 07. 04. 11 It just gets better and better. Another good stint this morning and I produced another four monoprints in this series – only one left to go! I will have another week in the atelier at the beginning of May when I hope to do a series on London stations.

JournalPainting

Another productive day

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Wednesday 06. 04. 11 Another beautiful morning ride to the studio and I managed to print another five monoprints so I now have a total of 15 ready for painting. George dropped by on his bicycle this morning to see what I was up to. The photo above gives an idea of the Village des arts and metiers and each studio is the size of the triangular segment of the roof. Lac du Salagou is sparkling in the distance.