under another sun

A normal Thursday, Lorraine zooming off to collect the baby boy. He was saying 'yeah' this morning to questions, along with his perennial favourite ca! said with a pointed finger, often when pointing at cars.  I went to life drawing this morning, and enjoyed it apart from the moment about half an hour in when I felt suddenly like I was going to throw up. I went outside for some air. This passed and apart from feeling a bit rattled, I continued. Lovely model called Carys. I always feel sad I can't draw better when she poses. Then I was picked up by Lorraine, with Enzo in the back, and we drove off to Brighton, where we went to the Sealife Centre which was great fun. Enzo liked seeing the fish and so on, although flinched once when we were in the tunnel underneath the big tank when a shark swam over us. While there we bumped into Jane and Ollie, who are Beth's bestie Laura's mum and dad. They were with little Layla and we sat by the big tank watching the turtles be fe...

Enzo here today, and the little chap with us for breakfast, playing with three new trucks.  I made off to life drawing. The model a man with SEX tattooed on his thigh. I mostly drew his feet, had a laugh with my life drawing pals though. Home rapidly, and Anton came around at lunchtime to talk to Lorraine and I about how he's going to manage the aftermath of his surgery, and take care of his mum, who is not well. He needed to talk, he has so much to manage when he really just needs to be taken care of himself.  Then I did the Understory Conversation. Charlotte mortified by a glitch in the contents page of some of the printed versions of Orange Cats. A horrid thing to happen to a writer.  As a reader I breezed past this and simply loved the poems. Linda delivered a fabulous four line poem that blew us away. A bit of a rushing about day. Below a snoozing Enzo.

Enzo first thing, little lad has a cold but otherwise cheery as ever. He climbs stairs now. Lorraine had found a big yellow plastic tipping truck which she gave him this morning. At first he was a bit afraid of it. I sawing it eyeing it nervously as it rolled on the kitchen floor. By the end of the day he was playing with it happily. Lorraine cunningly used the small phase of Enzo being scared of it to good use, putting the truck on our stairs to stop the bairn climbing up them.   I made off to drawing class, where the model was a folk singing woman, fully clothed in a long dress, and a staff with a deer horn crook. Her having clothes on threw me somewhat, and I had to abandon my long drawing after twenty minutes as I had got all the proportions completely wrong. Very bad at drawing today, but I enjoyed it, and chatting to my fellow 'articipants' as Melissa calls us. After class chatting with Debbie and Melissa about the zine fair, which they are both participating in. Melissa ...

Up early, but not exactly with a spring in my step. Lorraine off and collecting the baby boy for the day. He has a cough and is a bit under the weather, but still scooting about the place and learning how to climb stairs and so on.   Off to drawing class early, so that I could bag my rightful place. My rival for that spot didn't turn up today. Had fun drawing but I just couldn't seem to get in the right position without my shoulder hurting. I had brought my desk easel but the heights were all wrong. I am still rusty, only having had one session before this since June. Keeping the bodies in proportion seems to be my main challenge at the moment. Nice chats with Debbie, and Melissa and Kate, and the other man that goes occasionally called Mike.  Home and lurking about with Enzo and Lorraine. I had a sleep mid afternoon which helped everything.  Innis and Rosie arrived at about half four, and I made off with Innis to Splash Point. We bumped into Adrian and Laura en route, wh...

An Enzo for breakfast. Lorraine zooming off to the get the little lad first thing. I had a busy day, but enjoyed spending time with him in between going to my Life Drawing Class. A decent session this morning, I used coloured pencils and a pleasant woman model. Adele not there this morning as she was laying out her show at Gallery Uno. Sat next between a new bloke John, whose work I think is good, and Kate, who is always very accomplished and free and brilliant. Nice session.  Hurried home to see the wee boy, who has a new tooth and is full of beans generally. In the afternoon off to see Cóilín. When I got there I said I was sorry for her loss and gave her a kiss, and she went very quiet for a bit while the nurse settled me into the seat. But we had a lovely conversation about her dad for ten minutes after the scraping was done. Home and a bit of bouncing Enzo on my knee and then off to Brighton, where I went to the Walrus to see Robin, SJB, Stephen and Antony Mair. We went upstair...

Up early, I did the blurb for the new podcast episode, and then sorted breakfast while Lorraine collected Enzo, who was our smiley little breakfast guest sitting between us on a high chair.  I left Lorraine holding the baby, while I zoomed off to drawing class and we all drew a nice model. She said she'd been modelling over several weeks for sculptors. I asked her in the tea break if she felt she was in any way a co-creator of the sculptures  produced. She said she felt responsible for the atmosphere, and tried to put everyone at their ease, which I thought was interesting. Adele back and feeling quite well, I sat in my usual place in the circle between Debbie and Kate. Melissa cheery and positive as ever. Then home, and found something to read and discuss in the Understory Conversation this afternoon. I enjoyed the session as usual. As often happened Emma seemed to say around what I'd been thinking. She'd gone to the Tracy Emin art show, and loved the energy, and was talki...

Tried to get on with something like normal life. Dipped my toe into the water, by going to life drawing, just around the corner. Nice to chat with Melissa and Debbie and a new man called John. A male model I've drawn before. I was struggling to get any likeness today,  and after a couple of hours I felt extremely tired.   Baby Enzo with us when I got home, as Beth has restarted work today.  Enzo sleeping after a disrupted night, and I sparked out on the gold sofa too after the rigours of drawing. He was a bit alarmed when Lorraine gave him to me, as he hasn't seen me for a few weeks.  The afternoon I joined join the understory group from my study. I was able to vent a little in a supportive space with Charlotte, Emma, Marilyn and Linda, felt better for it, and also understood. Also interested by other people's interesting work and thoughts.   Exhausted after this, I did not go to the needle writers reading in Lewes, where I was hoping to see Robin and other pals...

Up early. Got a bean jar into the oven on low heat, and the house full of beany goodness all day. Then after breakfast I made off to my drawing class, the last one of the term. A model called Lorraine Yu  who I've drawn before. Again I simply enjoyed the session, with no self recriminations about not drawing well enough.. Nice to see Adele back from Ireland. Melissa going back to the States. Kate, who I often sit next to, doing some excellent work. Back home, and Beth and Enzo there having a rest before popping around to the Nursery for another familiarisation day. Enzo relaxed about being left there for a few minutes already. Lorraine and I went to the garden centre at Paradise Park, home of the dinosaurs, and bought sacks of compost, a pink camellia, and some pansies.  Then home as big splashy cold rain began.  Home and as we were carrying stuff into the garden, Lorraine reported some free swimming tadpoles in our wildlife pond.  Robin in touch, and hopefully will ...

Speedy Gonzales style, Lorraine and I got up at seven and immediately began hauling things around the house before the carpet layers came. Meanwhile Lorraine also dropped her car off to be serviced. When they arrived the men were moaning about the weight of the carpets, and the layout of the rooms,  the piano etc. but once Lorraine returned from the garage she employed her special powers and made everything smooth. She is brilliant. Especially with people who are doing jobs for us, which for some reason makes me feel cringey.  Carpets were laid in the living room (grey blue), the stairs and landing (green) and our big bedroom (a slightly reddish dark blue). We're pleased with the results, but now have to move everything back to place.   Otherwise a day at the aesthetic coalface. Life drawing for a couple of hours, a woman at last although athletic and slim, which is, the consensus among my predominantly female classmates, less interesting than curves. I agree. Home again....

My best night sleep in days. Woke up feeling chipper, made breakfast for Lorraine and I then slid off to Life Drawing class. A nice model called Sadie, it was her first time modelling so was a bit nervous. She was a history of art graduate, who was feeling her way back into work after having children. My drawings weren't as good as I hoped, but switching to coloured pencils again helped. I was drawing next to Adele, which was fun. Helped Melissa tidy up afterwards. She's a good egg and rather a kind person I think. In the late afternoon, Steve, Adele and Patrick arrived for a Shakespeare session. Today's play, All's Well That Ends Well . A pretty unpleasant play all round. With a little bit of comedy in it. Helena is in love with Bertram, who is high born and noble and barely knows she's alive. However, by managing to cure the King of France of his anal fistula, she is rewarded by her choice of men. She chooses Bertram who marries her, does not consummate the relati...

Nothing but the wild rain this morning.  Off to my drawing class, which I enjoyed more this week, with a graceful female sitter called Caris. Melissa on good form, and I chatted with Debbie, who'd just had a back operation, and Adele, and several of the regulars.   Lorraine was waiting outside in the rain, and we went to Flowers to finalise carpet choices. Luckily I found the golfing umbrella I'd left at the Women's institute about two months ago, while leaving the building.   Home again, still rather tired and underpowered. Beth and Enzo, and Rosie all around this afternoon. Rosie excitable because she and Innis are getting married at the end of May. She said she had been looking at wedding dresses and getting overwhelmed by emotions of all sorts. Lovely to see her though. Phoned Mum, as I'm going to see her tomorrow. In the evening I made off to Lewes where Robin was reading at The Needlewriters. Good to see Robin again, and have nice chats with Robert Hamberger and J...

Shocked to have tea brought to me in bed by Lorraine, who is using the two hour time difference to Greece to her advantage. She had found the purse she had hidden before we had gone away on holiday. It had taken two days of intermittent searching.  I made off to life drawing. We were drawing an older man. I found myself a bit more relaxed about drawing. I realise I've been through a patch of expecting myself to be better, and feeling a bit disappointed. I found I forgot about that, and just got on with it more today, and so I enjoyed it much more. Mellisa says I need to be more fearless in my drawing. She is right. Feeling extremely tired this afternoon. But made off to Brighton, using my free bus pass, to get a haircut. Still outbreaks of flags in Newhaven, and central Seaford. Denton Roundabout which was a nest of flags, now free of them thankfully. They go up, they get taken down.   Stacy in Gandalf mode today, long hair and beard. But did his usual perfectionists job on mi...

Off to my drawing class this morning. I was told off by Melissa for saying thank you every time she makes a helpful comment to me. She said I was obviously a polite young man. I said I still was. A lovely model we'd had before who was lovely to draw.  Melissa is encouraging folks to use easels, and I enjoyed the sight of people struggling with the deckchair/octopus hybrids at the end of the lesson. Adele there, and I'm chatting to a few of the reg'lars now. It's a fun thing to be doing, I working disengaging my perfectionism and tutting at my own avoidable mistakes.  Home to find Lorraine with Enzo, while Beth at the dentist. The little lad was perfectly happy and relaxed and occasionally smiley. I went for a quick walk, then Beth arrived with shopping.  Lorraine collected Maureen and Pat, then drove Maureen off to a knee specialist in Eastbourne. I sat with Pat, who promptly locked a cup of tea over the carpet, Beth and young Enzo Patrick. Nice to be hanging out with B...

Off to drawing class this morning, trying to be early. Lorraine phoned me shortly before I arrived to say I'd left my paper at home. So had to double back, Lorraine handed it to me in the street. Late again, which made me feel irritable. The model was Tommy, who we have had before. A slim young guy, who I find a bit difficult to draw. Melissa stopping me after a few pencil strokes, and saying that the foot would be off the page. Tommy and I spoke afterwards and he wanted to connect with me as he is writing a play which needs a bit of background about advertising in it. Nice chat with Melissa afterwards too. Adele, Patrick and I had bumped into her in the Boot last Friday too, and she apologised for not introducing her husband. She locked up an we left. Sauntered home, realising that I'd left my umbrella in the women's Institute Hall. Then home to find Lorraine hard at work tidying. In the afternoon she made off to take Maureen, with Patrick in tow, to see the doctor.  I att...

A call at 6:30 from Steve in the Waggon and Horses sounding a bit shaken and telling me that Paul had died in the night, and if I could let mum know as he thought she'd find the news upsetting. Steve and Paul had come to Mason's funeral and both are regulars and friends of Mum's at the Waggon. Too early to call Mum, so I waited till 9ish to tell her the news, then called Steve back. He'd received a call early this morning from Paul, and had rushed around to see him, but found him. He gave him CPR for 15 minutes, till the ambulance turned up, but poor Paul was already dead. Mum was obviously saddened by it, and said she was going to the pub this afternoon.   I found the whole thing somewhat triggering. Something about a sudden death, involving Mum, the day after Mason's birthday and I felt very stressed over breakfast. Lorraine gave me a hug, but it was a shadow over the day, and I only felt happier when I talked again to Mum in the evening. She'd been to the pub...

Another busy seeming day. Up and off to drawing class in the morning. Our model today was a woman from Mumbai. Adele and I were chatting in the break about how much more fun it felt to draw people who aren't skinny and perfect looking. My own drawings all curates eggs, but I did do one in the two minute poses at the beginning that I quite liked. We always start with these quick poses and I inevitably make a hash of them. Then home, a bit of faffing about, then it was time for the Understory. However as Robin sent me the podcast at exactly the same moment as the Understory session started. My manners were terrible for my fellow poets, I was eating noodles, had prepared nothing and had to make my excuses after an hour. To do some editing and blurb writing. We managed to get the podcast, featuring Robin's interview with Erica McAlpine. The second I'd finished this, a quick change and into the car with Robin. We drove to Crawley where there was a presentation and a bit of a par...

Up and a bit of preparation for recording with Robin. Then off to attend my life drawing class. Adele was there, having had to walk to class today. Patrick had kindly taken Chris off in the car to A&E with chest pains. Soon found out that he was okay, luckily.   Having wondered if they would ever feature a male model, I got what I'd wished for. Men, it turns out, are different shapes. My first few efforts were hopeless, but it slowly improved. Toby called me while I was drawing in the hushed room so had ask him to call back. Lorraine meanwhile off to Eastbourne to do more pottery. This class not so tilted at beginners and they just had to get on with their projects, which she found a little daunting. Home just after noon, and soon was recording with Robin. Then I immediately joined the Understory Conversation. Good news about one of the group's health which had been a cause for concern. Otherwise a cheery meeting. Cooked, and didn't fancy doing any editing this evening....