Friday 7th October 2005

12.35 I got up at 9.00am today (did the usual coffee duty at 6.10) as the kids have today and Monday off from School. Had a coffee and watched the first half of 'Ellen; and then I went on the computer to browsed my usual websites and then I transcribed my notes from yesterday to my blog. By then it was 11 - 11.15 but I really wasn't in the mood to do any housework.



I then went onto the Bath Academy of Art website to check on something. Ended up looking up Nick Garrett. I met Nick at the Saturday Morning classes at Camberwell, he was a year younger than most of us. He was and is a very talented artist who hasn't reached his true potential yet. His latest paintings remind me of a top selling painter called Jack Vettriano, who is an OK painter- self taught- recently revealed to have taken his earlier images from a DIY art book. I really don't have a quibble with that to be honest, artists have been using mutliple sources for images throughout history. As I say his work is OK (actually have one of his prints in our dining room) but if you look at his work carefully you realise that he doesn't or didn't understand the body completely. I don't know about his recent work as I think he uses actual models these days. However, his work is very formulaic and lack substance. But there is no doubt he managed to hit a cord with his work and hell at least he is painting as is Nick. Just wish Nick would stop playing the part and come up with his true potential.

Anyway now off to do the washing I was going to do yesterday. then the usual dishwasher crap! Today is bloody cold - last week we had temp in the high 90's, even yesterday it was 80f but today is currently 56f. Thankfully this being TX it will be back to normal mid 80's by Sunday. I like cool weather (would much prefer to be back in the UK), but its hard to take a 40 degree drop in less than a couple of days! Not something that would happen in the UK

6.15 Well I manage to do a load of washing and drying and the dishwasher. I also watched an episode of 'ER' which I tivo'd last night. I went upstairs and was about to do some drawing when Alan came home. Went to HEB with Emily. On the way I almost had an accident-a decidedly hairy moment. I was waiting at the the lights, saw a reasonable gap and made a left turn. Must have put my foot on the accrelator too hard because it seemed the car was about to tip over (we have a Mitsubishi Montero). I really don't know what I did after that, all I know is that I was swerving into the oncoming traffic on my left. After several hair raising swerving moments, I managed to get control of the car, managed to stop the car but ended up facing the wrong way.

Made me very nervous getting home I can tell you. Weather conditions at the time - slight rain after weeks of no rain so the roads were slippy. Still it was my bad driving that caused the problem.

Since I have been back, browsed throught the 'Art Calendar , watched an episode of 'Arrested development'.