under another sun

Pots and pottering Up to make final amends to Defenders of Guernsey . I find the business of making these amends very stressful. The aim is perfection, but I cannot attain it in the timescale I inflicted on myself. I worked at the Architect's Journal as a sub-editor for a month, and even when copy has been seen by a writer, a team of sub-editors, and the magazine's Editor howlers still snuck through. Then off to the Diva show again where in a Frazieresque way I bought two small but exquisite pots by Jutka Fisher. Lorraine buying pots too. I blame my recent enthusiasm for pots and ceramics on Janet (who has long had one of Jutka's jugs on her fireplace which I have long admired). For years I have preferred paintings and photography and flat images. These days I find myself equally drawn to pots. Anyhow, Janet cheerily said that over 200 people went to her open house last year, and they were on course for doing better today. A low key afternoon. A bout of Sainsbury's shop...

Divas Much needed rain last night, enjoyed hearing it falling on Lorraine's velux windows. Beth and Lorraine off to London for Beth's audition at The Drama Centre in London. Beth somewhat stressed as they departed. I returned home and quietly set about working on Betty the Spacegirl and prevented people being lascerated as they walk past my front garden by exuberant roses which have flowered and doubled in size in about a week. A vase of cut roses in my front room. Nice chat with my neighbour Alex and his mother. Later, while I was working I had my window open and could hear Calliope getting huge attention, and saw her rolling on her back while people cooed over her and tickled her tummy. Fresh from this, the atrocious weasel ran into my house, jumped onto my desk and bit my hand quite hard. Cats have two faces. At lunchtime to Janet's house to check all was well as she opened Diva, her first open house. Everything immaculately organised, and looking good. Two of the artis...

A spot of hanging Business and admin to do this morning, amazing how things mount up after I've been in monomaniac mode. In the afternoon off to Janet's house to help with a bit of hanging, and general milling about before her Open House exhibition 'Diva' kicks off tomorrow. Good chat with Ken's son in law Huss who is exhibiting some rather fine mosaic, fused glass and light combinations. Hung up one or two of Mum's paintings too. Off then to meet Betty and Mark to discuss our latest Marlborough Theatre wheezes on 17th and 19th June. We are going to do Wrong again, plus Betty the Spacegirl , which I am now starting, plus a promising idea Mark is putting together about a Pirate. Should be lots of fun. Naturally had this meeting in the Basketmakers, where by law most artistic conversations must be conducted. Beth also twitching slightly over her audition tomorrow for the Drama Centre, a prestigious thesp school in London. Lorraine off to the funeral of her friend ...

Wrapper's delight Up at 7.00am to work on Defenders of Guernsey . Some time later Lorraine and Mum surfaced. We went down Trafalgar Street to Nia where we had a rather nice breakfast. Slightly pompously I told them afterwards how much the service and food had improved since I was last there. Then a lengthy period of wrapping and pricing Mum's framed watercolours, unframed watercolours,and her Giclée prints. This process rendered slightly more problematic by the fact that Mum is on heavy duty tranquillisers which appears to be the standard treatment for shingles. Although it is understandably making her a bit vague, it has eliminated the pain, which is great. Moments of realisation that prints that had been laboriously wrapped hadn't been signed and so on. Eventually, after splendid help from Lorraine, and a trip to Rymans from me, everything was wrapped and priced and packed into Lorraine's car and driven off to Janet and Ken's house. There Janet is presenting her ...