We have spent a huge effort and enormous sums of money bidding and preparing for the olympics so people can come to London from all around the world but then we put signs across London on the weeks leading up to it on our roads and our public transport systems saying for God's sake don't think of travelling to or in London when the olympics are on. Strange really.
Messums are doing a 'Best of British' group show and I have put some new pictures on my website that feature - sketches that I did on pageant day and a couple of the Gloriana when it was at Richmond having more gold put on it.
I finished the Cardiff show a couple of weeks ago and have handed over all the information and pictures. I really enjoyed painting Cardiff and its surroundings. It is a wonderful city with lovely Victorian houses.
I spent last weekend in London with Caroline, Ant and their son Oliver alias APV films. They filmed me painting Broadway Market in London Fields, Shad Thames and Lambeth Bridge. It was fairly rainy. We dodged most of the showers spending long periods under brollies but it was all great fun. We are going down to Bantham to do some more on Tuesday and Wednesdy and are praying for sun. When we were in Lambeth we saw this amazing Victorian building on the west end of Lambeth High Street a bit like Keble Oxford and St Pancras. Lambeth High street incidentally is remarkable for being the least High street high street there can be. There are no shops - just one pub in the middle. Apparently Lambeth was once famous for it's tiles and the building at the end is decorated in the most incredibly detailed ceramics.
The Day of the Pageant, 10am, Spectators Settling, Lambeth
oil on board 6 x 8
Bute Street from The South, Cardiff
oil on board 8 x 10
