February 2010 the latest adventures…

Hello everyone,

How are you doing?  cold?  sick of the snow and rain?  Of course you are.  Chin up though, it’s a good excuse to stay indoors,  make another pot of  tea,  have some buttery and jammy toast.   Or wrap up really warm and get out there.  Breathe the fresh air,  let the weather do its worst and get some exercise -  stopping short of making local headlines and getting saved by the mountain rescue services.

Only last night I was extremely brave and faced the freezing, driving rain -  jaw clenched tight with the effort, finally making it, exhausted, to the pub.   This was a consolation prize as I was supposed to be in Paris for the weekend,  but striking  French air traffic controllers had other ideas.  GRRRRRR.

North Shields, with it’s biting wind off the North sea may not have the Eiffel tower, but it has other charms, including a rather good book shop, and I’m going to be in there later to research my latest project,  Ahem –   I now need to make a small announcement.  I’ve decided to press ‘pause’ on the love of my life, to become …….. a writer!

Now,  I don’t claim to be any good at this creative medium but something is calling me,  and if Jordan can do it, anyone can.

I am in my attic studio, the nerve centre of everything I do,  typing away furiously at my keyboard.   I need to wear fingerless gloves because of my terrible circulation, the pots are piling up into a mountain of shame……the old electric fire casts an orange glow across the room,  it’s really quite authentic except  I don’t have the inky quills, unrequited love,  or tuberculosis.

I have been longing to write my own account of this life,  through my own squinty, lopsided eyes.  A  warts and all account of my time so far, and in case no-one wants to read that bit,  I will also be wearing my investigative journalist hat (a fetching velvet trilby) to uncover the nastier aspects of the art business,  an industry you might think would be lovely, but can sometimes shock the pants off you.

Who knows when this masterpiece of daftness will be available.  The editor may have a heart attack at the amount of work needing to be done after my efforts,  but I’m working like the clappers in the attic and ideally would like it to be finished before I get to the menopause.

Incidentally – if you have any interesting, unusual or downright outrageous experiences of being an artist or an art collector, please feel free to let me know,  I will of course respect your privacy at all times.

I’ve not mothballed my brushes totally and this month I have agreed to create artwork for a charity very close to my heart – The Alzheimer’s Society – The art will be reproduced for 2010 charity Christmas cards – I will let you know later in the year, how you can buy these and donate to a very good cause.

One of my favourite things to remember at this time of year is that  “March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb” so fingers crossed that the roaring stops soon.  In the meantime,  wrap up warm, take very good care and see you again when the lambs are springing.

love,  SJ