What I had drawn in my new moleskine the night my father died.

The day I bought my moleskine, Idrew a sketch of an angel, an image that had just popped into my head.Later that night I heard my father had died.

Today I told my brother, we had a lovely morning together talking, I am glad I had waited to see him to tell him rather than calling him. He was fine, had expected it too I think,so was prepared. We decided he should not fly to Scotland with me for the funeral as it would be too much for him ,( he is not too well himself) Isuggested he could go to his church and have a quiet time on the day, and he agreed he would be happier to do that.

Tomorrow I intend to just have a very quiet day, maybe go for a bit of a walk locallyif the weather is good.Back to work on Monday.

I don't get to see my father.

My father died last night, I only found out this evening because my stepmother was waiting for me to get back from work in order to call me, and , bless her, it would have been a difficult day. Great sadness, but also relief that he would not suffer any further. He was ready to die, he didn't want the life he had any more, he was tired, and unhappy about the burden he was becoming to his loving wife, though she would never complain. A great, brilliant man, he has made his mark on this world, and I am sure will be remembered by many. Yes, often absent as a father, though as I grew older I understood more his incredible commitment to work, and the hours he spent there, rather than with us as children. I think I managed to make him proud of me, which was no mean feat with my father believe me! But I did and he was, and I'm glad. It was always important to me, and I think to him too, old school and all that!
Needless to say, although I only saw him rarely, it has been a year since I saw him last, I will miss him, because he is my father and he was always there, and I love him. Here I must stop can't write more just now.

A day of appointments and art supply buying.

Met up today with two clients of mine from previous years to talk about work they would like doing. One, simple, start on Monday, probably only one days work. The other, will hopefully know in a couple of days as she needs to talk with husband first. But if all ok I will start on Thursday( going up to Scotland on Tuesday and Wednesday to see my father, who is not too well) and it will probably take me till it's time for me to fly back to Corfu.
I then went to the art supply shop on Kensington High Steet, ohh how I love this shop, but it's not just the expense of things, it's how I get them home! Anyway I bought the acrylics I needed for the job, new paint brushes, a lovely set of sable ones too which had been reduced. A new Moleskine notebook ( haven't had one since college years), a selection of pencils, and a little sketchers' pocket book of watercolours, all of which I can use in my moleskine. I did quite well really as everything had been reduced in price by a considerable amount.
So now to do some sketching and stuff, get those pages in that little book filled.

A good evening!!

Well,I am a bit dissapointed that I didn't get to meet Johnathon Ross, but I did stand outside the studio while he was recording!!. I did get to see the news casters as they were reading the news, and even got so close for the make up girl to think we were the next guests, and she was ready to make us up!!! Anyway it was an interesting evening, went into a recording studio as well, yeah, ok empty at the time, but interesting to see.
Afterwards we went for a delicious Thai meal just down the road from Mellita and Stathis house, where I'm staying. Right, off to sleep now. G night all.

All finished today.

Finished the pool mural today, that makes it three weeks exactly since I started it, and I haven't worked every day either! Not bad going. Anyway I am pleased with it, but more importantly the client is thrilled, and can't wait to have it filled with water. Once it is, hopefully at the weekend, I will go back to take more photographs.
So an easy day today, went in early to work, finished the painting, then sorted all my paints ready for the next job. The pool guys were there cleaning up, and they are very pleased too. We are hoping that the house next door will be the next one to be done.
So time to catch up with my blog, and then off to the BBC this evening! Meeting with my friend Stathis, who works there, he is going to give me and a couple of other friends a guided tour. It's also Johnathon Ross night tonight, so I may even meet him! Probably go out for a bite after,to celebrate completion of my job. Better take my camera with me in case I do meet any 'stars', so I have proof !!!!!

Back to work again.

Back to work again, needless to say the electricians had not finished yesterday, so I had them for company today, but the lights are all ready in the pool at least. I spent the day filling holes in the wall, sanding, re painting, re filling, sanding.....you get my drift?!! Basically a bit frustrating, but managed to get a couple of sections of the entrance area finished, and had a bit of a clear up in the pool area, organising my paints, and taking up some of the floor covering. The pool guys are coming to take the scaffold down tomorrow and clean a bit , the pool is supposed to be filled by next week I think!! We'll see!!Well, that's about it for today, oh yes, the weather, not what was forecast exactly, still strong winds but not nearly as bad as yesterday, managed to stay dry once more today.

Picasso. Girl in a chemise c.1905

Spent a long time in front of this painting, ( this picture I took from a postcard, no cameras in the gallery) it really is so beautifull, he has used layer upon layer of thin washes of oil paint, giving the flesh an almost translucent feel, the colours are exquisite.I always liked this period in Picasso's painting, but seeing this so close up I think it makes it a true favourite for me. I had such a lovely day, the gallery was not too crowded, and I wandered round at my own pace. Other favourites are Mark Rothko, sat in his exhibition space for quite a while just absorbing his work.. New work I had not seen before, Gerhard Richter, huge canvases of layers and layers of paint, extraordinary work.
Old favourites of course, Klimt, Braque, Monet and the disturbing Bacon. The retrospective of Juan Munoz was pretty extraordinary, with dramatic sculptural installations placing the human figure in specific environments.
Anyway, I thoroughly enjoyed my day off, regardless of the weather. Back to work tomorrow!!!

Doris Salcedo. Shibboleth.

With Shibboleth, Doris Salcedo has openeda long, snaking crack across the vast length of the Turbine Hall . Fracturing the concrete floor, this, her newest work stikes to the very foundations of the gallery. In some places it is as much as 30cm wide, could not obviously photograph it well because of it's great length, it is quite an extraordinary and slightly unsettling sight as one walks into the hall.

The Jubilee bridge. London

Well, even though there were gales of up to 70mph, with rain this morning, I was blessed with a blue sky and sunshine as I walked accross the Jubilee Bridge on my way to the Tate Modern. I think almost as soon as I entered the Tate, after a lovely walk along the Southbank, the heavens opened once more!

Portrait of Andrew

This painting is in the next Saatchi Gallery showdown. Voting starting 10th March.

Link to my painting in the Saatchi Gallery showdown.

http://www.saatchi-gallery.co.uk/showdown/index.php?showpic=124857

Last years pool mural. Link to Flickr.

http://www.flickr.com/gp/13412580@N06/76533Q

My work in London

Well, hi all. Thanks to my good friend Stathis in London, I now have my own blog. So welcome all friends and visitors. It may take me a while to sort out how all this works ( not really computer literate yet,but learning!) so excuse any glitches please.
So, here I am in the big smoke, working on my third basement swimming pool mural. I have just about finished, after two weeks of pretty intensive work, I now just have the entrance area to complete, to hopefully blend it in with the rest of the pool area, and I will be done.
I will be flying back to Kerkyra on 31st March, so any other work here needs to be done before then.
I think I am going back to a fairly hectic work schedule there too. as my list of work to be done seems to be getting longer by the day, sorry everyone who is waiting, I will get to you.
So, I will be downloading lots of photos of my work, plus some of my paintings, and I hope you all enjoy what you see, and even comment if you feel that way inclined, and have the time.

The Pool mural I am currently working on