I finished yesterday's post by saying I would begin to tell how Christeve the Cat became the centre of my work. However, I have decided to wait for a couple of days before I get into what was to become a highly significant part of my career and life.
I spent the new years with my Mother, who is still brighter but definitely struggling. Anyway, when I arrived my Mother showed me a letter from my cousin, John Weight.
The letter was in response to the fact that my Mother had sent John's parents, (my fathers brother and wife) her annual Christmas card. John's letter was to tell my Mother that both my Uncle Pelham and Aunt Jean died in 2007! Baring in mind that they only lived about 15 miles from my Mother, it came as quite a surprise.
This situation gave me the opportunity to connect with John, something I have wanted to do for some time.
On Saturday, I returned to London by train. There were engineering works that day, and so the journey was more eventful than usual. When I got on the second train the woman I sat next to chatted in a friendly way about the business of travel, and that she went to London each week to go to the theatre.
One thing lead to another, and it turned out that this woman had been my Uncle and Aunt's very good friend and neighbour. Another of her friends was the mother of someone I went to the Camp School with in 1950! She also knew a girl I had gone to art school with....and the coincidences went on and on.
I tell this story to point out just how connected we all are. It's that six degrees of separation thing. I have no idea how this will unfold - I will keep you posted.
Back to 1997, the year that Diana Princess of Wales died. Shortly after that tragic incident I flew to New York to attend Nancy Flynn's 90th birthday. Remember it is Nancy who came up with the name 'Crickadoon'
Nancy Flynn at her 90th in New York
It was at this party that I met Fern Speiler and Cyma Horowitz, who have both become such dear friends. More about them in future posts.
1997 was also the year I began giving workshops at the Quinlan Arts Centre in Georgia. It was also the beginning of painting many water colour portraits on these workshop trips.
More about this tomorrow, and my working with the managers from Deutche Telecom!
A Bientot
