I only had a couple of hours to paint and worked again on THE ARTIST'S WIFE IN A GARDEN - painting and repainting.

I spent most of the day in my studio.  I completed the main stage of THE ARTIST'S WIFE IN A GARDEN.  There is little scope for additional imagery/information to be added.

No time to work:  I did ten minutes painting and ten minutes drawing!

Home all day but still a late start in my studio!  I spent most of my time detailing and redefining linear elements in THE ARTIST'S WIFE IN A GARDEN.  Still more work to do however.

Towards the latter part of the afternoon I turned to painting LANDSCAPE IN A TREE.  I completed all but the background and margin - however detailing and other additions will be needed over the painted area.

I was all over the place today.  However, I completed all but background and margin of LANDSCAPES WITHIN A LANDSCAPE.  Ideally, I will get the painting stage of this and it's sister work completed on Sunday.

A funny day!  Being a Sunday, I think I was unconsciously working slower than usual but I also had uncharacteristic problems with simple painting.  As planned I finished the background areas of LANDSCAPES WITHIN A LANDSCAPE - however, I could not reach a stage where I was happy with the colours used.  In the end I returned to my initial idea and left the painting for re-working in due course.

After this I completed the background of LANDSCAPE IN A TREE.  I was happy with this, but not happy with the alterations I made to other areas of the picture - I will return to this when I return to the above!

I continued to potter in my studio till quite late but did nothing of note.

Quite a productive day.  I added most of the figurative imagery to PORTRAIT OF REBECCA: ABSTRACTED VERSION.   I decided to finish these works before moving on.

I then started to add semi-figurative imagery (representing facets of the sitter) to PORTRAIT OF BECKY - AMBIVALENT PASTORAL VERSION!

Not quite a full day's painting but I managed to finish adding all the thematic material and other detailing to PORTRAIT OF BECKY - AMBIVALENT PASTORAL VERSION!

At the end of the day I returned again to THE ARTIST'S WIFE IN A GARDEN, adding a series of symbols based on the initiating material on June's coat.

A busy day in my studio.  I added all the figurative imagery to the character blocks in THE RETURN OF THE COUNTRY BOYS (This was originally called THE ADVENTURES OF THE COUNTRY BOYS - I swapped titles!).  I actually started adding imagery to the other, more complex work, but did not get very far.

I also finished THE ARTIST'S WIFE IN A GARDEN.

Not such a busy day.  I added further imagery to THE ADVENTURES OF THE COUNTRY BOYS (in a surreal style illustrating events derived from the character images in one of the BLUE SOCK LANDSCAPES completed last year) but I have more work to do.

I finished drawing in the images in THE ADVENTURES OF THE COUNTRY BOYS.  They will have to be painted simply when the paint is dried.

I then went over all the, originally acrylic, lines of LANDSCAPES HIDDEN WITHIN LANDSCAPES (original title) with thinned oil paint.

I went over the lines of LANDSCAPE IN A TREE in a similar way to the above.  I also repainted part of the work. 

I then started to add extra detailing to LANDSCAPES HIDDEN WITHIN LANDSCAPES but left off to give time for reflection

I painted in the imagery of INTRODUCING THE COUNTRY BOYS (this is a completely new title for a work which has changed it's name in the past!).
I later started to paint in the imagery of RETURN OF THE COUNTRY BOYS - this is the original title before it was swapped with the picture above.  A bit more work needs to be done on this painting but I should finish it tomorrow.

I fairly casually reinforced the lines of INTRODUCING THE COUNTRY BOYS.

I then turned to RETURN OF THE COUNTRY BOYS, completing the painting in.

At the end of the day I redefined some of the lines of LANDSCAPE REFLECTED IN A MIRROR.

I spent the first part of the morning tidying up the lines of THE RETURN OF THE COUNTRY BOYS - with the usual amount of interruptions this took quite a long time.

From late morning onwards I painted in the small images of PORTRAIT OF REBECCA - ABSTRACTED VERSION  I probably finished this but will need to touch up the lines on Thursday.  I am unlikely to have time tomorrow.

A day of extremely bad weather which saw me continously disappearing outside to check on one of my greenhouses as I had inadvertantly broken a pane of glass first thing in the morning.  Consequently I did not do as much painting as planned.  However, I completed PORTRAIT OF REBECCA - ABSTRACTED VERSION.  I actually had more to do than anticipated as I had previously forgotten to add all the text in the peripheral background blocks.

I also completed PORTRAIT OF BECKY - AMBIVALENT PASTORAL VERSION.  I painted in all the small images and refined the lines.  This is a slightly more satisfying work, although probably over fussy.

I was out during the first part of the morning and spent some time in the garden when I returned.  When I finally got into my studio I divided my time between preparing works for my next show and adding text and images to MOTHER AND CHILD.

I didn't do too much painting this Sunday.  I added the imagery to the prepared blocks in MOTHER AND CHILD then went out into the garden.  As it turned out I didn't do much gardening either!

No time to paint yesterday, no time to paint tomorrow.

After visiting the doctor (my blood pressure is far too high!) I worked again on MOTHER AND CHILD.  I filled in the images, altered the text blocks, repainted many of the lines and added other detailing.

Towards the end of the day I repainted many of the lines in VENUS AND MARS.  I hope to add the images tomorrow.

I didn't add the imagery to VENUS AND MARS, although I did do some work on the painting.  Instead I painted the rest of the background areas of both versions of CHRIS THE BARBER - then I went out!

I added the figurative imagery to VENUS AND MARS - which took all day.

I painted the imagery of VENUS AND MARS, plus a little additional detailing - again this took all day.  However, the work is now ready for showing.

I planned to spend all afternoon painting but spent the time on paperwork and devising new artistic strategies - more anon.

Unfortunately, I had no time to work yesterday.  I spent all day in my studio today but for some reason I wasn't very productive.  I added symbols to THE REAL THINKER.  These were based on the concept of man being a receptacle for ideas from outside rather than the generator of them.  I also lightly went over the lines to enhance them where appropriate.

Less time in my studio today although I did finish THE REAL THINKER (while working out the plot of a surreal sitcom).

I had to prepare work for my next show today which took up a lot of valuable painting time.  Although, I did add all the images to A LANDSCAPE VIEWED FROM A CRAFT CALLED POLYPHEMUS.  These took the form of abstracted scenery images derived from simple spiral motifs.

I completed A LANDSCAPE VIEWED FROM A CRAFT CALLED POLYPHEMUS but did very litte else as I am still preparing work for showing.

I have finished getting all the work ready for hanging tomorrow (including all the paperwork).  I didn't do any painting - went out into the garden!

I hung my exhibition fairly rapidly during the morning but then worked fairly slowly (for some reason) in the afternoon.  I added all the imagery to HOT LANDSCAPE ON A BLOCK OF ICE in an inspired but spontaneous way.  Some will need more paint applied.

A very cold morning!  I completed HOT LANDSCAPE ON A BLOCK OF ICE, more or less satisfactorily.

I then added all the imagery (similar in concept to the above) to LANDSCAPE ON A PEDESTAL.  If I am happy with these images some paint will need to be added on Thursday - I am probably too busy tomorrow.  The images were extremely improvisational but I feel confident in my level of invention at the moment.

I finished LANDSCAPE ON A PEDESTAL - filling in all the areas needing paint.  This may be one of those works I will never be entirely happy with.

On the spur of the moment I repainted part of A PAINTING WITH A SECRET (SCYLLA AND CHARYBDIS IN CURVED SPACE), making the hole in the board darker.

I started adding images to the character strands of THREE WOMEN but didn't get very far.

I completed THREE WOMEN - I added all the images and filled them in where necessary.

I then completed WOMEN IN A FIELD - again adding all the images and filling in.

I had to go unexpectedly in the evening but I was relatively pleased with what I had got done.

There was no painting done over the previous two days, although I did a reasonable amount of paperwork.  There wasn't a huge amount of time to dedicate to painting today; I did some extensive repainting and detailing of A PAINTING WITH A SECRET (SCYLLA AND CHARYBDIS IN CURVED SPACE) and will probably complete the background area tomorrow.  Then I have to work out the image sequence!

I finished the background detailing of A PAINTING WITH A SECRET (SCYLLA AND CHARYBDIS IN CURVED SPACE) in a fairly perfuntory way.  It looks OK however.

As I was not going to get on top of the thematic imagery of the above today I started some more series of small "Ionist" portraits/process (New Era) paintings.  I did the drawing stage of three very small portraits (JENNIE); three slightly larger portraits (BECKY) and two, larger still, works entitled PAINTING IN A LANDSCAPE - one and two respectively.  I planned to start painting the latter but because of various inconsequential things I didn't get round to it.

Unlike yesterday I managed to spend a fair amount of time in my studio today.  I added all the small images to A PAINTING WITH A SECRET (SCYLLA AND CHARYBDIS IN CURVED SPACE).  I will, hopefully, fill these in tomorrow.

I also made a tentative start on the drawing stage of two paintings entitled: THE BARBER SHOP.  I may try and get these completed straight away, along with the two versions of CHRIS THE BARBER.  The latter are on relatively small deep edge canvases, I may get another set of two even smaller canvases so that I produce two short series the same as last year - I like this sort of symmetry.

I completed  A PAINTING WITH A SECRET (SCYLLA AND CHARYBDIS IN CURVED SPACE), after giving Poppy a long walk.  I am reasonably satisified with it.

After this I added the figurative imagery to the window blocks in both versions CHRIS THE BARBER, first in pencil and then in paint.

As I had a bit of time left, I went over the pencil lines with black paint on all three small portraits.

A strange day which wasn't as productuve as it could have been.  I painted in one of the small portraits and started work on the other two.

I made notes for the two CHRIS THE BARBER paintings but didn't take anything further than this.

I finished painting the main layer of the three smallest portraits.

After completing these I went over the pencil lines in paint on the three larger works.

I made notes for a further batch of small "nudes" but didn't have time to commit anything to canvas.

Although I was home all day (unlike tomorrow and the day after) I had a"domestic" day and didn't do as much as potentially I could have done.

However I still did some!  I went over the pencil lines of both versions of PAINTING IN A LANSCAPE with oil paint.

I then did the pencil stage of four canvas board works and two canvases.  The former have the working titles of: NUDE IN AN ARMCHAIR, versions One and Two; NUDE BEFORE A WINDOW and RECLINING NUDE.  The latter have the titles: FIGURE ON A BEACH and FIGURE ON A CHAIR.

I intended to do a lot of paper work during the evening, but I put it off - as I did most of last year!

I spent most of the day in the garden.  So I only managed an hour of painting before having to go out.  I started to paint in one of the larger set of "Meditative" portraits.

A return to normality with a large part of the day spent in my studio.  I completed the main painting stage of two of the new bigger portraits (very provisionally called PORTRAIT OF REBECCA) and started the third.

I was out with my wife, June, all day.  When I got home I completed the main stage of the last of the larger ("Rebecca") portraits.  Nothing else was done - other than work on the computers - I have bought a new DTP program for my newsletters, promotional publications and websites.

No work yesterday, a lot of today was used up experimenting with the new software.  I have to produce the next FPS newsletter soon, plus new websites and promotional material for myself.

In terms of painting, I went over the pencils lines of both versions of THE BARBER SHOP with paint.

I then returned to painting both versions of PAINTING IN A LANDSCAPE but a lot remains to be done.

I went over the pencil lines (with paint) of FIGURE ON A BEACH and FIGURE ON A CHAIR.

After this I did bit more (not much) painting o f the two PAINTING IN A LANDSCAPE.

I started making progress on the new issue of the FPS newsletter.

It poured with rain all day and I felt unwell (flu?).  I completed the painting of the two PAINTING IN A LANDSCAPE pictures.  I will have to redefine some of the lines - probably tomorrow.

As I had some paint left over I painted the margins of the four "nude" works.

I felt extremely ill today.  In consequence, I did less than an hour's painting all day!  I started painting one of the small "nudes" - because it was easy!

I am still very ill.  I did about the same amount of painting as yesterday.  I am working on NUDE IN AN ARMCHAIR.

Apparently I haven't got flu, Iv'e got chicken pox.  I felt much worse today so no work at all!

I am beginning to feel better in myself but the itching is almost unbearable!  I completed the main stage of NUDE IN AN ARMCHAIR - however I am not happy with it so I will make changes.

I redefined the lines of the second NUDE IN AN ARMCHAIR and started painting the lines of NUDE BEFORE A WINDOW.  All this was done while trying (none too successfully) not to scratch.

I didn't feel so well as yesterday.  I will be glad when I have got through this!  As predicted, I repainted part of NUDE IN AN ARMCHAIR.

I completed painting the lines of NUDE BEFORE A WINDOW and also did the lines of RECLINING NUDE.  I watched TV all evening.

Still ill, still not doing much work.  I worked on FIGURE ON A BEACH but had hardly anything to show by the end of the day.

Still not well but I did spend most of today in my studio.  I finished both versions of PAINTING IN A LANDSCAPE.  I repainted (for the second time! most of the lines to clean up the pictures and bring out the colours.

I also completed the main painting stage of FIGURE ON A BEACH and FIGURE ON A CHAIR.

A better day.  I repainted (touched up) the lines on all three "Jennie" portraits and all three "Becky" portraits.

I then did the main painting stage of the second NUDE IN AN ARMCHAIR.

I had a rather lazy "domestic" sort of day.  Before and after a trip to the local lakes I worked on a new set of letters and promotional material for applications to galleries etc.

After this I did the painting stage of NUDE BEFORE A WINDOW.

I then partly repainted NUDE IN AN ARMCHAIR and amended part of CHRIS THE BARBER.

Another "domestic" day.  I added symbols to the three "Jennie" portraits.  Additional colour will have to be added tomorrow.

I started to e-mail galleries etc. about my recent work.  Probably a pointless task.

All of today was spent in my studio - in varying degrees of activity.  I started adding symbols and other imagery to the three "Becky" portraits.  However, I am not sure if they were added with sufficient intellectual rigour.

I then completed the main painting stage of RECLINING NUDE IN A LANDSCAPE.  I am wondering if I am happy with it.

I spent the entire weekend in the garden and I was a bit late getting into my studio today!  I completed PORTRAIT OF REBECCA (NIGHT FISHING AT ANTIBES) by adding the final diagrammatical symbols and painting in the ones added earlier.

I then painted in the symbols (and thus finished) in PORTRAIT OF JENNIE - DAWN, PORTRAIT OF JENNIE - NOON and PORTRAIT OF JENNIE - DUSK.

For a brief period at the end of the day I did some work on one of THE BARBER SHOP pictures.

An earlier start (just!) today.  I completed PORTRAIT OF REBECCA (LES DEMOISELLES D'AVIGNON) by adding the final sets of symbols.

After this I added all the symbols to PORTRAIT OF REBECCA (THE THREE DANCERS).  However, these will require painting in tomorrow.

I finally returned to working on both THE BARBER SHOP paintings.

I finished the last small portrait: PORTRAIT OF REBECCA (THE THREE DANCERS).

I then completed the main painting stage of THE BARBER SHOP 1 & 2.

The evening was spent on the forlorn task of approaching galleries.  However, I am currently working on three exhibitions for this year and next so things are going reasonably OK.

I spent most of the  day working on the two CHRIS THE BARBER paintings.  I completed the back ground landscape elements in both - although some repainting may be necessary.

I also did a little work on FIGURE ON A BEACH and FIGURE ON A CHAIR.

More paperwork in the evening.

I continued working on  FIGURE ON A BEACH and FIGURE ON A CHAIR - adding symbols and other detailing.

I also started adding symbols to NUDE IN AN ARMCHAIR.  Plus, I repainted the lines of this work, the other NUDE IN AN ARMCHAIR, NUDE BEFORE A WINDOW and RECLINING NUDE.

I repainted part of NUDE BEFORE A WINDOW and RECLINING NUDE in the late afternoon, having spent the earlier part of the day in the garden.

I haven't been able to work for a few days.  However, I was back in my studio for most of today.  I added the symbols to both versions of NUDE IN AN ARMCHAIR.

I then went over the charcoal lines of SELF PORTRAIT ON THE BEACH AT MUDEFORD (CAN WE BE IN TWO TIMES AT ONCE?) and PORTRAIT DUET - JUNE AND I TRANSFIXED BY THE TAIL LIGHTS OF TIME with graphite acrylic paint.  Apparently I had already gone over the lines of the other four works in the series with acrylic medium - quite possibly I had previously done these two as well!

At the end of the afternoon I started going over the pencil lines with acrlic paint on one of the (it appears untitled) new complex Ionist works I started towards the end of last year.

After a trip into the wilds visiting my father I added the symbols to RECLINING NUDE and NUDE BEFORE A WINDOW.

After this I went over some of the lines of THE CROSSROADS and INTERRUPTED SEQUENCE - THE FIRST VERSION PAINTED LAST with graphite acrylic.