So, what have I been up to? I have been doing lots and lots, but of the sort of stuff that has hindered me from doing any creative things, let alone the creative things that are stopping me from writing a cookery book!
Let's whizz through the events of the past 6 months, and then hopefully I will move onto writing a weekly/fortnightly update of my hopefully increasingly creative life.
Christmas came and went, bringing with it a lot of 'stuff' such as shopping,cooking, hosting, cleaning, wrapping, the usual December madness. This year, me and Mr Cooper spent the actual day on our own with the only 'visitors' being presents and a roast turkey. A first for us both, but a surprisingly pleasant one.
Boxing day was spent with my sons and Molly, requiring another festive feast and also two deserts, one supplied by Molly, and one made by me from a 1930's recipe book. Molly's was delicious but had suffered a visual impact from a too close fitting lid to the box, and mine was curious to look at, as well as to taste. It was well worth the experiment, and tasted more or less as you would expect from a recipe whose list of ingredients included cocoa, two squares of chocolate, milk, and a packet of strawberry jelly.
Rachael, Ben and Henry arrived the next day for the 3rd festive feast and another round of crackers and presents, then when they departed, we settled back to eat and drink our way through the next few days until New Year's Eve. This is never my best night of the year, but it was very happily spent in the company of Nathan and Kerry, plus his parents. As Mr Cooper's New Year's resolution was to cut back on the drinking, he decided it would be a good idea to make up for the dry days to come.
Here is Mr Cooper looking decidedly thoughtful after midnight.
The next day we returned home and John went to bed for a couple of days as he had a skiing trip looming on the horizon, and was anxious to be recovered for that. I spent the next few days very much out of bed and armed with a spade and an axe. I did not take the axe into the bedroom, however, but used it to remove a huge tree root from the side of our drive.
This felt very therapeutic for me, as I was just gearing up to spending a week on my own, with painting the hallway as my objective.
Well I think we both became happier during that week. Mr Cooper seemed to be happy and relaxed, and I don't think all those glasses in front of him were his.
I spent every free hour I had painting the walls, ceiling and woodwork, then starting to add colour to the staircase, as can be seen below.
After another month, we repeated the process, with Mr Cooper going off to enjoy his second week on the slopes.....
......and I was left working to finish adding colour to the hallway. I won't say that I had a very enjoyable week, but I am now enjoying the results on a daily basis.
Looking back, that was a fairly creative part of the year, as our free time began to be eroded by other necessary activities. Also, I was still without a replacement shed, and it is hard to be creative at the dining table to a background noise of bargain hunt and chortling (well, it is for me, at any rate)
Mr Cooper was sympathetic to my plight, and once said 'I'll go out and leave you to it'. Forty minutes later he was surprised that I was surprised to see him back quite so soon.
One resumed activity was getting into longer and more frequent walks, as we are walking the South Downs Way again this year, from the 7th to the 15th June.
Here I am during one of our favourite walks, seated at the foot of what has become one of my most favourite trees. In fact, I have seen the tree twice in the past week, as we have less than three weeks now till the walk begins!
As the year progressed, things looked more hopeful for me, as we ordered a replacement shed and then booked Charlie to construct it, and Bradley to 'electrify' it. They were both confident that the job would be done by the start of the Art Trail in May. I had elected to be part of this in the previous November, and now it looked like I would actually have a venue for it!
The sky joined in with my celebrations!
Here is the shed being delivered one early spring day. It was placed at the front of the house, where it remained for three weeks, as we waited for Charlie to find a slot between his work commitments, and his second house in France.
I don't know whether you already knew, but Ali from Trinity, who runs the art groups there, got in touch and invited me to join them with a collaborative project between Trinity and The Winchester School of Art, which would culminate with us exhibiting at the Tate Modern. This was all very exciting, as you can imagine, and I began work on my 'Itinerant Object' for the exhibition.
As my shed was still flat-packed, most of my artwork was done during a very lovely Tuesday morning art group that I had joined in January, where you are free to develop your own creations in a friendly and supportive group.
Here it is, all proper and everything!
We had all travelled up that morning on the train from Winchester (thank you George, for my lift to the station, and thank you the Lucy from the Three Cups, Stockbridge, for the cut price room on Thursday night. This meant that after a day and night working at the sinks, I slept just over the road from my workplace, and was very kindly dropped off in Winchester the next morning, saving me from a night of very little sleep and a frightfully early start, if I had returned home.)
As well as providing our own objects for display, during the day we were create, amongst other things, wearable cardboard clothes which we went on the wear and display around The Tate, to highlight the importance of art in society, and in particular, how it helps people who experience homelessness, and mental health issues.
Here I am, creating-away,
And here I am again, as part of a very long hat creation, just before we were released upon the general public.
Mr Cooper came up to join me later, as we were stopping over, but missed the actual cardboard parade. We had decided to make the most of being at the Tate by going on to see two exhibitions there at six, and then going to the theatre the following day.
A word of warning here.....if you are ever involved in complicated group travel, then a creative workshop and then being part of a procession, coupled with the actual excitement of actually being part of an event at The Tate, do not ever think that then seeing a couple of excellent exhibitions later that same day is a good idea.
We first saw 'Pierre Bonnard : The Colour of Memory', which was absolutely exquisite, but also a very large exhibition. This was swiftly followed by an exhibition of the works of Dorothea Tanning, which was stunning. And we were pretty stunned by the end of all that. So out for a meal and then to bed, ready for the matinee performance 'Home, I'm Darling.', at the Duke of York's theatre.
As it was a play very much inspired by life in the fifties, I thought that I would dress to fit the part. When we got inside, it was to find that the only other people who had dressed to fit the part were actually on the stage. I had put lipstick on, and everything. (By everything, I mean seamed stockings and fifties underwear.) It was a very good play, and not at all how we thought it would be. There was an excellent twist, and a happy conclusion.
In no time at all, we had a completed shed, all ready for Bradley to add lights and heating to. Yes, actual, effective heating! I mean business this time!
Whilst Charlie was constructing and then Bradley wiring, I spent my time between providing drinks, and creating our first flower bed. Here it is, all planted and everything. It may not look much now, but the view will be very different in three years time. We might even have replace some more fence by then, too.
Then Charlie and Bradley left, and it was back to painting, but of the functional kind. Inside, three coats of Danish Oil, to the walls and ceiling, and five coats of satin varnish to the floor. Outside, two coats of wood preservative, Antique Pine, then two coats of primer followed by two coats of Satinwood exterior to the doors and windows.
This I finished the Wednesday before the Art Trail started, which left me with Wednesday evening and Friday to add all the furniture plus the artworks!
This is what it all looked like in the end, and when the South Downs walk is completed, this is where I will be found, unless at Trinity (Mondays afternoons) Art Group (Tuesday mornings) Yoga (Tuesday evenings), working for money (Thursdays, 7am - midnight.) Plus all those hours happily spent creating delicious meals for Mr Cooper.
The view inside from right to left,
And from left to right.
And from the doorway.
Anyway, I must leave you all now, as I have to finish planting out some Sweet Williams before going to a one-act play in East Wittering. I will be sadly on my own as Mr Cooper has a rehearsal with the Shanty Singers*, before their debut in East Wittering on Sunday. Hopefully not too late tonight, as we are joining in with the twelve mile Selsey Tramway walk tomorrow.
Now, why have I been moaning about my lack of time for creativity?
Just before I go, remember that although there are always things that need doing, there are also things that you need to do, just for yourself. So don't fill that glass too full, for a spillage and mess will certainly occur. Fill your glass carefully, mixing what needs to be done for those around you, and also just for you too. Create an exciting cocktail, making sure you are including all the different elements of your life. Add alcohol too, if you prefer.
I am looking forward very much to seeing you all again soon.
* My son John thinks that the action of Mr Cooper voluntarily joining a Sea Shanty singing group is enough to get him committed, and I would be able to visit him once a week. Tempting.
