I hope Emma-Jane & Hanne appreciate their birthday gifts- bespoke royal masks:

August/ September

Forthcoming things:

Saturday 1st August- CRAFTWERK- Euston- I'm exhibiting on the HANDMADE & BOUND stall.

1st/2nd & 6th-9th August (including FIRST THURSDAY) Hastings HOT Houses open studios

Saturday 15th August- Book Arts Fayre at Ffotogallery, Cardiff.

Saturday 29th August- opening of OMIYAGE: AN ARTISTS EXCHANGE BETWEEN THE UK & JAPAN. A collaborative exhibition between Rachel Carvosso & I.

Sunday 30th August- Street Art @ The Street, Hastings

Thursday 3rd September- ART CAR BOOT SALE at the Work Ship (5-8pm) followed by TIG INAUGURAL EXHIBITION (ORANGE) at the Dragon (8pm onwards).

5th/ 6th & 12th/13th September Coastal Currents OPEN STUDIOS.

** Butter contains milk shock **

Thanks to the National Trust for the warning

Camping. Yes. Burnt sausages. Yes.

Last year's pigeon family

My parents' lists

Somewhere... somewhere in a field in Robertsbridge..

Crabbe Palace

Eric loves meat

New camera works..... though doesn't quite capture Eric's exceptional dry wit...

Things happening in Crabbe Palace and round abouts..

Very soon I should have a shiny new camera, to make up for the one I dropped about a week after I'd just taken out a new insurance policy, and felt too guilty to claim back until about five months later. This has rendered me camera-less for most of 2009, which is perhaps a good thing, as i-photo quivers uncontrollably every time I try to open it. Perhaps I might delete some of the 2,000 or so pigeon photos?

Anyway, in the meantime here's a shot from the Crabbe archives of Palais de Pantalon; surely one of the best named buildings in Western Europe?

Updates of STufF....

The Illustration Group (TIG) has been officially inaugurated. It was a great first meeting. One lady quite literally fell out of her chair; one or two members arrived steaming drunk; another allegedly there because of the women. It was decided there would be no agendas, no minutes and absolutely no- in any circumstances- evaluation reports. In essence we will meet every three weeks, and work towards a common theme. Then discuss, compare, and go for a well-earned drink. The first exhibition is in the Dragon Bar. PV Thursday 3rd September.

Coastal Currents. I won't go into the finer details, but some of the fun things include:

Hastings does Watercolour Challenge- presented by Sarah Evans.

Remember the much-loved BBC daytime TV series?

Bring your easels/ boards, fold up chairs/ blankets/ paper and watercolours, to our encampment on the West Hill, for an afternoon of watercolour frenzy. The emphasis is on fun- no skill or previous experience required. We’ll gather some spare materials for novices. If you don’t fancy wetting your brush, then join us for a picnic, and be part of the adoring audience.

£2 entry/ £1 children. First Prize = a bottle of sherry/ fizzy pop.

If it’s a disgusting day, we’ll probably go for a sherry somewhere else. Call Lorna if in any doubt.

Also an ART CAR BOOT SALE at The Work Ship 5pm-8pm on Thursday 3rd September. Glorious toot and nonsense.

And I'm working on a UK/ Japanese artists' exchange with my old pal Rachel Carvosso and will be showing the work of 10 contemporary Japanese artists at Crabbe Palace in September, then doing the return journey to Tokyo with UK work in 2010.

The Work Ship is also taking part in Hastings Hot Houses in August, and Open Studios in September.

But first there's the small matter of the brochure to prepare. I'll be a hermit until 17th July.

p.s. I'm also making porcelain swan boats !!