A sort of impossible amount of life over the last month. A whirlwind. A blizzard. Flowers, paintings, prizes. Loss and new life. Spring awakening in London and New York. And now there is a whole new continent falling in love with @1jackholden 🇺🇸
Another big jumble of festive pics, starting with Thanksgiving in New York last month with pals Matt and Georgie hosting a glorious potluck at their place. The theme was, improbably, Girlsgiving (iykyk) hence the quantity of black mesh in my outfit 😂 I regret nothing other than not buying that T-shirt as well in the East Village thrift store that sorted me out with the rest.
Funny to be back in the concrete jungle again, but nice to dive into a few art shows. Was more impressed than I expected to be at a show of Renoir’s drawings at the Carnegie Library and just loved all the Milton Avery’s at Karma. Inspired by it all I had a hungover day painting with my friend Melinda before flying home.
Back in London my lovely life drawing group had a show of our work at the Prince Regent pub in Herne Hill. I’ve very excitingly taken up a studio space in Brixton to have bit more space to make mess and have been doing a few commissions for friend’s Christmas presents.
I’ve had a quiet run up to Christmas this time, spending the past week up @theotherrowancottageskye so we could get a log burner installed. But honestly, is there a better way of spending these long winter evenings than just staring into a fire?
A big jumble of pics from the last month or so. I’ve been up and down to @theotherrowancottageskye a couple of times, firstly with @leoniestrak for an especially wet trip but with the bonus of spotting some otters on the beach. Then secondly with @1jackholden , @blakesmith1955 and @carosmith1957 for a colder but drier trip during which Blake made us a fantastic window seat. See pic of me rather gormlessly staring out entranced by that view 😲
Also got out to North Wales with pals for more hiking and a fantastic sea-facing sauna in Criccieth I highly recommend. And a bit of nice crisp Autumn pub time in Greenwich too for good measure. I think the Painted Hall is a little bit overrated but Jack and I got to watch a baroque choir rehearse for half an hour in the chapel of the Naval College which was quite magical.
A few bits of life since I’ve been back. A beautiful sunlit weekend in Norfolk with pals. Donning gladrags for the UK Theatre awards in London—where Jack won a prize!! And some painting experiments I’ve been doing to while away some of the mornings of my sabbatical. Can’t get enough of Naples Yellow Hue at the moment, mix it with any colour and it seems to make it heaps more interesting.
I’ve spent the last week up on the beautiful Isle of Skye on the west coast of Scotland where @1jackholden and I are renovating a (hilariously) raspberry pink former crofting cottage in the beautiful hamlet of Kylerhea. Apparently the former owner painted it this colour to spite the neighbours!
I spent about half the week coated in dust from all the sanding 😅 but the upstairs floors have come up looking pretty good if I do say so myself.
And it was such good weather on Wednesday I took myself on a little solo hike in the Red Cuillin mountains. Hopefully will be just as sunny when we come up next in October!
If you’re curious about progress with the cottage you can follow the DIY at @theotherrowancottageskye 🩷
THANK YOU AMERICA IT HAS BEEN EXTREMELY FUN. After two mad and wonderful years out here it’s time for me to return to @1jackholden in London. Am going to miss this crazy country, and especially New York, the craziest and most wonderful part of all of it. Now part of me I think. Too many friends now out here not to be back soon, see you all for Thanksgiving 😘
Always a fun weekend when @leoniestrak is in town. 😜 Saw some art. Went dancing with pals. Lost my phone. Found my phone. Made new pals. And the Lionesses brought it home! ⚽️
