Miscellanea and New Beginnings…

In 1988 I started to study to be a paintings conservator. It was the discovery of a new and different passion, one that fortunately has become my career.

I continued to draw and paint over the next decade or so but not as regularly. Nonetheless, I find it interesting to look back over the work from those years. Museum objects appear, and different places and people, and often the places are inextricably linked with the people and the moment. Some of the principal players appear in People

Russia

Russian Church, 1989

Russian Village, 1989

Russian Church, 1989

Johann Liss, “The Punishment of Marsyas” (detail), The Pushkin Museum, Moscow, 1989

Rubens, “Ecce Homo” (detail), Hermitage Museum, St Petersburg, 1989

Luca Giordano, “Vulcan’s Forge” (detail), Hermitage Museum, St Petersburg, 1989

El Greco, “Saints Peter and Paul” (detail), Hermitage Museum, St Petersburg, 1989

Germany

Skeleton, Bayerisches Nationalmuseum (?), Munich, 1990

St. Michael, Bayerisches Nationalmuseum (?), Munich, 1990

St. Michael (detail), Bayerisches Nationalmuseum (?), Munich, 1990

Death, Bayerisches Nationalmuseum (?), Munich, 1990

Male Saint, Bayerisches Nationalmuseum (?), Munich, 1990

Female Saint, Bayerisches Nationalmuseum (?), Munich, 1990

Fountain, Munich, 1991

Church Portico, Munich, 1992

Buildings, Munich (?), 1992

Street, Würzburg (?), Bavaria, 1993

Towers, Würzburg (?), Bavaria, 1993

Town Square, Würzburg (?), Bavaria, 1993

Town Square – late afternoon, Würzburg (?), Bavaria, 1993

USA

Santa Monica, Los Angeles, 1991

Fort Worth, Texas, 1993

Crete

Crete, 1995 (?)

Crete, 1995 (?),

Crete, 1995 (?)

Knossos, Crete, 1995 (?),

Crete, 1995 (?)

Italy

Interior, Ischia, 1997

Alleyway, Moonlight, Ischia, 1997

The House, Ischia, 1997

Terraces, Ischia, 1997

Tree, Ischia, 1997

Landscape, Ischia, 1997

Storm, Ischia, 1997

Sant’Angelo, Ischia, 1997

Florence from Piazzale Michelangelo, 2000

San Miniato al Monte, 2000

Volterra, 2000

Isola Maggiore, 2000

Piazza del Popolo, Todi, 2000

Isola Maggiore, 2000

Lake Trasimeno, 2000

Church Interior, Umbria, 2000

Statue, Church Interior, Umbria, 2000

Bridge, Umbria, 2000

Archway, Umbria, 2000

Lake Garda, 1996 (?)

Sun Behind Cloud, Ischia, 1997

Sant’Angelo, Ischia, 1997

Harbor, Sant’Angelo, Ischia, 1997

Landscape, Ischia, 1997

Sant’Angelo, Ischia, 1997

Umbrian Church, 2000

I wish I had made a habit of recording location and date but unfortunately I only started that very recently. Specifics of where and when – the geographical and chronological coordinates, are fuzzy, but the emotional ones are not. They are, no doubt, impacted by the knowledge of all that has happened since, but the images are still very immediate reminders of how I felt at a particular moment.

I met Mark in 2001. We had a great first holiday together in Corfu. It felt like a curious choice for me – the location that is! I took along materials to paint not sure how it would work out. I discovered an infinitely patient and encouraging companion.

Corfu