Otane Stuff

I've managed to become a little productive the past couple of weeks finishing six brooches for Katz Gallery, continuing work on two paintings for my course as well as going to portraiture. Our first attempt at having portraiture on a Wednesday wasn't terribly successful due to a storm but last week the weather was fine and sunny and we spent a pleasant morning sketching members of the group since we didn't have a proper sitter. Of the four drawings I completed my one of Gay was my favourite, mainly because it actually looked like her. I had the most difficulty drawing Glenys but later I realised why- she had taken her glasses off. That's my excuse anyway.

For morning tea one lady had supplied a cake as it was Tom's 80th birthday. We all went into the painting room and sang him "The Song" and in return he made a lovely speech about how we were the loveliest and most friendly group of ladies he'd every met. What he didn't know was that we were taking him to lunch at the newly opened "McCauley's Store/Cafe" in the old Otane Library. Inside the building had been redecorated in burgundy and cream and filled with lots of old furniture, tins, pictures, bottles and everything else antique you could think of. There were also locally made gifts available for sale. Looking at these helped pass the time while we waited for our food to be served as the place was packed out being the official opening day.

Preparations for the Otane Painters' Exhibition in Hastings are steaming ahead. I am helping hang on the Sunday apparently and Jacqueline has passed the article I wrote for her about the group onto the local newspapers. She also contacted a couple of radio stations and Radio Kidnappers asked if a member of the group would agree to be interviewed for their "Creative Women" programme. Jacqueline has suggested that I should do this as she thinks it would be good promotion for my work plus I could speak about the animals. I have agreed although my stomach is churning at the thought as I've never been on radio before and will probably make a complete and utter a**e of myself. Well nothing new there then!