Today was busy. Up at the crack for a weekend because the builders were on site to finish one of the small jobs on the list. Lovely to see them again, they are becoming friends as well as trusted craftsmen. I still exclaim at how lucky we were to find Lee.
I read Turps Banana mag and worked on my mailing list while I waited for Pete to surface - he didn't get in until gone midnight last night as he'd been in Germany near the Swiss border for a few days' business.
Then we went off to York; According to McGee's latest show, "Painting: Light of the North" opened today. http://www.accordingtomcgee.com/ Michael Bilton and Jo Brown's works were particularly appealing to me. It is lovely to be able to walk into a space that says it is a gallery and find just paintings; I am biased! So many galleries contain all sorts of things, I understand that this is for economic reasons and I also understand that the concept of a "white cube" gallery is under attack from some quarters, but I like them. I like having a white space, hung carefully with good paintings that I can look at in peace as often as I like. Call me old fashioned and all that. . . .
McGee must be doing something right, Greg was delighted to tell me that they had sold several paintings already. I had replied to his emailed invitation and he remembered me! We had a chat about the paintings and I told him I have an upcoming solo show and, I hope he wasn't just being polite, he asked me to send him an invitation. My mailing list is becoming longer! Networking, I think this is called.
We had an errand to do for Pete's mother and after this we went to Waterstones book shop; I had two tokens to spend! Hot foot to the art department and what was waiting on a shelf but the book that Sarah had told me about and that we had talked about many times recently: Sanctuary: Britain's Artists and their Studios, (Thames and Hudson). Needless to say, I had to persuade Pete to let me add some money to the tokens to buy it, well, it is Valentines day soon!
This book is one of the great art books. Really. The artists interviewed speak honestly from their hearts about their studios, what it means to be an artist and make work. It is really quite profound and there is not one word of International Art English wank anywhere! It will be one of my treasures for ever.
Last good thing of the day: Andy Dalton http://www.andrew-dalton.com/ has approved the changes I have made to "History Painting". I am happy.
Albums of paintings and their development can be seen here:
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