So the last four months? Where are the blogs? I don’t know what happened but here is a resume to get me up to date.

May 2007

I moved into the studio in Morningside with Kruti. It took me a while to equip it as it had previously been a ceramics workshop. I had it all planned out when I would go down after work and my days off. I had this show to paint for November so I had to get a move on. Things started well and I made a few studies, but really I was not believing in myself and was just going through the motions. The work was fairly poor and I kept making excuses not to go to the studio. Work at eca was pretty hectic as I was preparing the brochure for next years classes and getting ready for the Summer School onslaught.

Catharine visited one more time as she had a job interview for an art teacher at a local school in Edinburgh. The interview went well, but she did not get and actually her heart was not into it as she just wants to get on a paint.

I spent the end of May looking a new bigger place to live for when Catharine moves up so we have enough room for both of us and our stuff. I looked at quite a few before I found this wonderful huge flat off Leith Links.I had an ordeal trying to get the secured with the leasing agency but eventually did.

June 2007

With the new flat secured for an end of June move, and work hotting up for the summer school, my ability to make any art at all was virtually nil. I decided that I needed to just get through the next month and get moved and settled. I also decided that having the studio in Morningside was not working for me and it would be even more difficult to get there when I moved to Leith (other end of the city).

I had one brief sojourn down to Reading for Catharine’s School end of year ball which was also her last day in her job. It was good to get out of Edinburgh, but I must say that I do not miss Reading very much (apart from Catharine that is). The ball was good although the whole weekend was very tiring. Catharine was about to go out to Cyprus for the whole summer to work and paint so it was going to be a long time before we saw each other again.

This is the first time in my life that I was going into the summer without a break of any kind – and it took a bit of mental adjustment. However, once I had stopped worrying about how I was going to get the paintings done I was fine.

July 2007

The summer school started to rain and sun in equal measures and it was a full on 6 weeks of introductions, teaching, planning, hanging exhibitions, dealing with the odd complaint, and so on. My teaching weeks went well and it was nice to finally get back into it. It certainly got me in the mood for getting my own work done. On top of this, I moved into our new flat single handedly – yet another van with all my studio stuff and home stuff. The Edinburgh Festival had just begun so it was tricky parking and all my friends were either working or away (Apart from Donald who helped me one day thanks for that D). The flat is amazing and has lots of space and is very inspiring visually. It put in mind work I used to do back in the late 80s when I was student.

August 2007.

Finished off at the summer school, got the new brochure for term time classes published and finally got some time off in the middle of the month. I had done no festival events or any socialising as such. It was just a relief to get through it and have some time off. I have three weeks off and decided to make a load of drawings using the interior of my new flat as subject matter. This last week has been great as I have found my rhythm and hunger to make art and so far it is going well. See Facebook pages for pictures of the new work in progress.

However, I have just heard the sad news that the Queen Street Gallery in Emsworth, where I was due to show my work in November has closed down due to the owner, Michael Northey being seriously ill. While I am disappointed not to able to show my new work, I am devastated about the owner who had set up a very brave and ambitious venture. My thoughts go out to Michael and his family at this time.

So now I still have some time off to continue the painting without the pressure of a show. I just have to readjust my motivation. Catharine will be joining me here in a few weeks, so I should just get on with it and enjoy being a bachelor until then.