Cornwall - April 2014
An early start on Monday morning meant that we were at Praa Sands by lunchtime, staggering down to the beach with the Higman family, plus blankets, chairs, windbreaks, sandwiches and wine.
After dinner with Ian and Jane Winton (thanks you two!) I went back to my little wooden hut, lit the wood burner and slept like a narcoleptic log.
Wednesday morning dawned and I strolled along the coast path and across a couple of fields to Portscatho to buy some hot cross buns for breakfast whilst overlooking the harbour. At 10 I joined in the feeding of the livestock at the campsite (I think you were meant to be a child, but never mind.)
On Tuesday morning I left Julia (on the left) to spend the week in this ghastly place. You can see she was devastated.
And so it was off to Redruth for me, to drop off some paintings at the Whistlefish Galleries HQ. Lynn gave me a quick tour of the factory (lots of sneaky peeks at some lovely new work) and then there was a distressing photoshoot on the landing.
Next was Portscatho on the Roseland peninsular, where I parked as near as I could to The Hidden Hut overlooking Porthcurnick Beach and marched across the field with the first of two boxes of 220 cards. The lovely Simon (who was grappling with a huge pan of paella) sorted me out with a bit of lunch. It was wonderful.
Next I was off to find my accommodation for the night at Treloan campsite, just beyond Portscatho. Debs is keen to have a painting of her lovely place and showed me round - guinea pigs, sheep, hens and all. That little wooden snug was to be all mine for two night. I think I was in paradise.
Then I had an appointment with Mark at The Harbour Gallery in Portscatho, handing over various bits of work, including Robin Mason's wonderful painting (I was glad not to be responsible for THAT any more!) Portscatho was looking particularly fantastic and I can't wait for my spell in the little white Fisherman's Shelter on July 26th and 27th where I'll be attempting to flog some stuff as well as doing a bit of light painting.
A second trip to The Hidden Hut followed (this time for coffee and walnut cake and a cuppa) and then I had a little drive around - first to St Anthony in Roseland, and then back-tracking to St Mawes where things seemed to have recovered from the horrendous storms of the new year.
After dinner with Ian and Jane Winton (thanks you two!) I went back to my little wooden hut, lit the wood burner and slept like a narcoleptic log.
Wednesday morning dawned and I strolled along the coast path and across a couple of fields to Portscatho to buy some hot cross buns for breakfast whilst overlooking the harbour. At 10 I joined in the feeding of the livestock at the campsite (I think you were meant to be a child, but never mind.)
After that, it was off in the car to Padstow, to visit the brand new extended Whistlefish Gallery and to pay a little visit to Mr Stein's deli. Both did not disappoint.
Okay. I had a crab sandwich and a caramel crunch ice cream as well and it was definitely time for a lie down. And so I did - on the fabulous Porthcothan Beach, where I woke an hour later to find a small boy digging a space ship inches from my ear.
Back in work mode, I dropped some cards off with Michelle at the Bedruthan Hotel, Mawgan Porth, then made my way back to Treloan.
A further visit to The Harbour Gallery meant that I met the extremely talented photographer Hilary Stock, as well as a rather shell-shocked Mark Hatwood who had sold 11 paintings since I'd last seen him the day before. We walked with Totty the dog back over the fields to the Hatwood residence and got stuck into a bottle of champagne and some homemade pizzas. Thank you Mark and Susanne!
And so to this morning. I drove down to the harbour at 7am to say goodbye to the sea. It looked like this. Not bad, eh?
