cats and capybaras

I popped down to the studio tonight, thinking to just clean out the car ready for the MOT later in the week. With the amount of accumulated rubbish I am sure my petrol consumption is now much more efficient. I removed a bag of stuff to be recycled and found enough rubbish to fill another bag. I also took out the tent poles, a library book, Polly's bone, she was delighted to see that again,  3 camping mats, a book about making walking sticks, a tennis ball, umpteen cassette tapes……I could go on but you get the idea. There is never a time when I just 'pop in' to the studio, I always find something to do, so I set to on sanding a block of carved cedar and puzzling over what looked distinctly like a puddle of pee in the middle of the floor. I have a ground floor studio, so the likelihood of having mice is rather high, this was far too much for a mouse even if they were having a co ordinated pee party, even rats don't piddle that much. Radio 4 was on in the background and I found it quite strange that the police officer being interviewed operated a 'take your cat to work day'; I could clearly hear it and began to think there was a cat in the yard outside, distressed by fireworks perhaps. Once I finally decided to come home and the radio went off I realised that the miaowing was in the building but there was no sign. Polly was being rather too friendly for a cat to appear so she went into the car. At that point a beautiful tortoiseshell make herself known at the top of my shelves, precariously winding her way past boxes of small sculptures. How she came to be there I have no idea, she quite happily allowed a cuddle and then followed me out, seeming none the worse for wear, strolling off down the road. I feel she would have been quite affectionate to the capybara I met on a path by the Thames at Henley yesterday. Coming across an enormous 'guinea pig' sitting on the bank taking no notice of anything and quite unpeturbed by passing dogs was entirely unexpected. Living in small herds in south America, he must somewhat lonely.

cheering

I went to the award ceremony for the East West exhibition feeling chuffed to be showing and absolutely under no pressure since I had won the sculpture prize last year. I was there tonight to cheer my fellow artists and enjoy the moment. I forgot my camera so there are no photos of the event but I went to the gallery yesterday and took these photos and my sculpture 'Fraindre' is in pride of place in the centre of the room! That is a result, so is being a prize winner again! Completely unexpected, totally delighted.

East west

Fraindre is safely delivered to La galleria, Pall Mall, not far from the National Gallery. Driving over  the sleeping policemen in London is scary with a delicate sculpture in the back of the car and I had it propped on all the pillows and bubble wrap that I have. I also had to make an emergency stop to avoid tourists stepping out into the road without looking, or rather being more concerned with taking photos, so I was amazed to get to the gallery with Fraindre unscathed. It is on show until Sunday as part of the East West Award exhibition, hurrah. Open from Tuesday 22nd until Saturday 26th October, 11am till 6pm daily but Saturday closes at 1pm. The award ceremony is on Thursday .....I won the sculpture award last year and I am delighted to be back again

View from my studio

 Apprentice Polly tackling her own carving

Postcard show at Acme Project Space  "View from my studio", my yellow paper piece alongside a Kendra Haste drawing. She makes the most remarkable wire animals and is responsible for the 'zoo' at the Tower of London, we were studio neighbours years ago, it is nice to be  showing next to her.

All Acme tenants were given an A5 postcard and asked to create a work with reference to the studio, all those returned were displayed and will then go into the Acme archive. The variety of work was superb, drawings, paintings, stitched, photo.... everything and since I have been an Acme tenant for much of time since I left art school it was great to catch up with old friends from other studios at the private view. My current studio is the best yet, Polly and I are getting some good work done. This is aided by using the brilliant facilities back at Chelmsford College. 

Snoozing apprentice

I planned a fine day in the studio but was thwarted by traffic, I have spent 7 hours in London hold ups when I should have been working. This is a lot of radio 4 even for me.  I just cannot carry some sculpture on the bus and a simple car trip back from Battersea took 4 hours for a 15 mile journey and I thought the smoke I could see from my studio before I set out for home was an early bonfire party but actually turned out to be a car on fire. So even the trip home, normally straightforward was again frustratingly slow. So not much progress on 3 small - and for once I really do mean small - sculptures. Polly the apprentice, below, was raring to go before we had to undertake the mammoth trek across  the metropolis, she slept all the way and is asleep again at my feet now, power napping to be ready for tomorrow.

Kyoto beckons

Not sure whether I shall be able to get there or not yet but I shall have three small sculptures in Kyoto, Japan next March. This is all through the East West Award happening later this year in Pall Mall. Small is requested so the one below at just 5'' might be winging its way.

All good

I have been taking the air in Broadstairs and Whitby, taking a much needed break after a busy year. I am feeling invigorated, though I am not sure how long that will last! I spent my time listening to some amazing music, singing Christmas carols (indeed, even in August with everyone sweltering in a heat wave), watching porpoise and walking. In Whitby it seems that anywhere you go is always 'up'. I return to London

to start a new term in my now permanent position as sculpture co-ordinator at the City Lit and an email informing me that once again I am shortlisted for the East West Award - YES!!!!