Wouldn't you just love a little studio in there?! My henshed/studio to be is surrounded by tall cherry trees and a bay tree but isn't actually in one. Never mind... It really looks as if the studios will happen now, we have found a builder and he can start in April. Very, very exciting!

Yoshiko Nakano's tapestries.

w.i.p.

Warb's current work in progress. (180 x 150 cm) I wish I'd taken pictures of it right from the start, it has changed so much already. He is much more productive than me at the moment. What am I saying he's always more productive than me.

For mind bogglingly labour intensive and both funny and touching work have a read/look at Confessions of a trichophile.

happy new year!

My favourite mountain the Matterhorn seen from St Luc in Switzerland.

Have done some Christmas shopping at Conakry Refugee School. Such a small amount of money can do so much. £5 buys exercise books, pens and pencils for 5 children for a year. £10 pays for 50 school lunches, the only hot meal many of the children have each day. The charity is run by a family we know back in Shropshire and their promise is that every £ given goes directly to the school.

light

After the success of Warb's exhibition at the tour we had planned to have a couple of 'open house' weekends at the end of November/beginning of December. The light here in Autumn/early Winter can be so beautiful. Then I got to thinking about the leaden, rainy days where the lights are on from the time we get up.... What if we were unlucky? Our lighting is fine for living with art but not for the scrutiny of a potential buyer. I chickened out but next year the new studios will be up and running with adequate lighting for the exhibiting as well as the making of art.

'Follow a Thread' exhibition at the Dovecot Studios in Edinburgh - includes work by Jo Barker and Sara Brennan. Until 31st December.

update

An almost edible display of pencils. I want them all!

The last few months in this house have included sciatica (ongoing), flu, an unspecific chest infection and specific bronchitis! Also a dead ibook and camera...

BUT the sciatica is improving, I've finally got antibiotics for the bronchitis, a gorgeous MacBook Pro was delivered yesterday ( all set up and ready to go thanks to Katy and Paul at PC Net Solutions), a Panasonic Lumix has been purchased (the nearest I'll ever get to a Leica!) and project henshed is back on (only nearly 3 years later....things happen slowly around here) as is project 'convert the small barn into a studio for Warb'.

If that weren't all exciting enough we had 6 cubic metres of firewood delivered this morning. Firewood really, really makes me happy!

ps. I've lost everyone's email address with the old Mac. Any friends/family reading this please email me so that I have them on the new one. Thanks!

One of Warb's self portraits on show at Galerie La Tour Montsalès. The show is going well - lots of appreciative visitors coming and good sales. It' s now going to run until the 13th of September instead of the 7th.
My apple laptop has died now ( in addition to the camera) - my fingers are well and truly crossed for the washing machine...! Fortunately the tour has a laptop and I can borrow it until I get a new computer sorted out.

BTW... we produced a small catalogue for the show. 20 pages, full colour with essays by Daniel Lefranc and Ian Warburton (in French). We've sold out for the moment but are going to reprint this week. If you are interested please email me. Cost is 5 euro plus postage.