Creating Community (and Creating In General)

is what we did on Friday. Eighteen artists came together, got to know each other a bit, and planned for the future as a group. We set our own agenda, designed our own organisation, agreed, disagreed, resolved the disagreements and generally got on like a house on fire! Everyone there seemed to have similar ideas about the purpose and function of a group like ours. And next time we meet, we'll even have a name!

When the workshop closed, I said I'd probably spend Saturday asleep. Wrong. I woke up reasonably early, with a desire to paint, and paint I did, as you can see from the photo. I have been looking for a way of working with paint that met the drawings I make, and the fascination I have with language, messages, the way the eye reads marks as lettering whether or not the intention was there... and I think I've finally got my mind, and my brush, round what's required. So...the picture shows the beginnings of a series called 'In More Than One Language'. There's a bit more to it than that, perhaps, but that's between me and the paint for a while...

And then I was taken off to a football match. What? I hear you holler...you? Sport? Well, yes, that would not be my preferred way of spending a Saturday afternoon...but I had got roped in to take team photos of Longham Football Club in all their glory, as they played a testimonial match for one of their number who, after twenty years with the club, had decided to emigrate to Australia... I don't think it was to get away from the team, Simon, was it? And I'm told the photo may well appear in the local paper next week...ah, fame at last! But I don't think I'll be swapping paint for lenses...I like making messes far too much for that!

And now it's Sunday...and I'm really, really tired. Robin is outside in the garden, working away but me, I think it's nap time...