It’s official. We’re out. The landlord has effectively given us ten days to come up with a ridiculous amount of money to buy the place or we’re out. Bye then house. Homelessnessness I can cope with but what I am going to do about a studio?! Numerous very kind offers of spare rooms and sheds have been coming in. Thanks everybody…
It’s not all bad. We’ve started looking at new houses and initial findings find initially that we may have been missing out. Turns out some houses have upstairs’ bathrooms, (as opposed to afterthoughts attached to the kitchen). Some have driveways that don’t involve 4×4’s! Alot have bedrooms that actively encourage cat-swinging, (we have been storing a few in a box and they need to be let out). Damp enters through the use of flannels; mold, only seen in the back of the fridge.
What modern times these are!!
Being an artist has major rewards. Working from home, picking the kids up from school, not owning a suit. All good. With the rewards comes obvious disadvantages, like rarely having money and having to put up with the landlord periodically coming round to say he’s selling the house. Again.
So as I type this I am waiting for an estate agent to come and value the house. Again. Same thing happened this time last year…
So to the appeals:
Anybody want to buy a three bed semi with sitting tenants?
Anyone know of studio space going really really cheap?
Anyone want to buy some paintings so there’s less to move?
I know it sounds a bit desperate but I still wouldn’t have it any other way. I’m not getting a job…
Getting up to London, checking a few galleries, being inspired by new and exciting artists, enjoying the cosmopolitan before embarking on the train home, head full of ideas and notions. Never happens. I’m far too scared to leave the studio.
On the rare occasions when it has, the best bit is always walking across Hungerford Bridge out of Waterloo and looking at the view. Problem is my SLR has always been too big to take to the big L, so this image comes from my mobile phone, as ever used on travels. Reason enough I think to purchase that lovely pocketable new camera with the tasty red badge.
I’m getting a bit twitchy just thinking about it. Wonder what’s on at the Serpentine…
In other news: There’s still time to go down to the Ashgate and vote for your favourite artist of Surrey. Warning: Neck pain may be experienced when looking for my work.
Happy New Year! Summer is over. The kids have all gone back to school and it always feels like resolutions should be made. So I’m giving up beer in favour of smoking, (better for the liver).
Text from Natalie on way to school reads ‘Just imagining u, a big sigh of relief, a cup of coffee n Frasier :-)’
Normally as my resolutions dramatically subside that would be the case, but this week I must be the professional artist. I am expecting a student for work experience at any minute so I have to pretend for three whole days that work can be experienced. Then at the end of the week it’s the private view at the Ashgate for the Surrey Artist of the year show, where I’ll have to pretend to know what I’m talking about…
This photo was taken in Barmouth about thirty years ago on the way to a two week holiday in a static caravan. Very posh holiday. My Uncle is seen in the car behind presumably marvelling at the splendour. I don’t get it. Yes the holiday goes down as a great one in my memory, but on a recent return, it goes fairly high on our list of ‘mouths’ to not want to visit again, (including Yarmouth, Portsmouth, Weymouth, Swanagemouth and Whitbymouth).
Having probably offended a few people, (sorry Uncle Pete), I should go and find some jobs for my student to do. I wonder if we won’t mind a spot of weeding…
