My Dad's Diary : Wed 30th April 1947

"Took up duties as P/Kr 1 yr ago.

Very cold.

Garden at night."

P/Kr = Paper Keeper, his first job in the Civil Service on return from the War.

My Dad's Diary : Tues 29th April 1947

"Rained heavy all day."

My Dad's Diary : Mon 28th April 1947

"Very windy but fine.

Bad getting back at night."

He was now travelling by bike, of course.

My Dad's Diary : Sun 27th April 1947

"Still windy, but fine.

Spent morning in garden.

Went out with Ronnie at night."

My Art on Walls

It's always good to see how my paintings look when they've been hung on the walls of those nice people who thought enough of them to buy them. Here are two of those walls.

My Dad's Diary : Sat 26th April 1947

"Sunny day.

Cup Final. Charlton v. Burnley.

Baby - 12 lbs 5 oz."

From Wikipedia: The 1947 FA Cup Final was contested by Charlton Athletic and Burnley at Wembley, England on 26 April 1947. Charlton, losing finalists the previous year, won by a single goal, scored in extra time by Chris Duffy. History repeated itself this year as the ball again burst during the game. Later, the reason for these problems in 1946 and 1947 was put down to the poor quality of leather available after the Second World War.



This week's motto:

"Well begun is half done."

My Dad's Diary : Fri 25th April 1947

"Light rain in morning.

Looked at garden at night.

Turnip showing."

My Dad's Diary : Thur 24th April 1947

"Very windy but fine.

Took Doris to Gateshead Odeon to see Bob Hope in My Favourite Brunette."

My Favourite Brunette is a 1947 romantic comedy and film noir parody starring Bob Hope and Dorothy Lamour.

Sketch Crawl : Jesmond Old Cemetery, Newcastle

Jesmond Old Cemetery
(0.8 marker in A4 sketchbook)

Despite heavy rain the previous day, the ground of Jesmond Old Cemetery was not at all muddy as I'd feared it might be. There were some unexpected absences, but Michael, Richard and Allan turned up at 1 o'clock at the South Lodge to be welcomed by Sally, one of the Friends of Jesmond Old Cemetery who is also a friend of mine. 

Pat had come along to keep Sally company, as well as Mike's friend Nicola, and after welcome coffee and biscuits we all went off for a short walk around the Cemetery, with Sally pointing out graves of interest. And there are very many of those - most of the famous and wealthy families of Newcastle, such as Grainger, Fenwick, Bainbridge, and John Dobson, who designed the whole Cemetery, have family plots there.

At the end of the tour, Sally and Pat went off to pick up litter (not much of that, luckily) and the three artists wandered off in search of subject matter. Or should I say, wandered off to single out particular views because I reckon we were spoilt for choice of subject matter. I could spend a week there and not run out of things to draw (provided those things were gravestones, memorials ,and trees, of course).

The drawing above took me until 3 o'clock to complete and by then it was naturally time to return to the South Lodge for more coffee and biscuits. 

Deciding to spend another hour drawing again, we said goodbye to Sally and Pat who had to leave (Nicola had left earlier) and found more things to draw. I knew I couldn't do what I wanted in marker because it takes me much longer to draw that way, so I opted for a 2B mechanical pencil in my A4 sketchbook and made this drawing. I'd intended to ink it in later, but have now decided I'll leave it as it is.

My Dad's Diary : Wed 23rd April 1947

"Very windy.

Heavy rain afternoon and night."

My Dad's Diary : Tues 22nd April 1947

"Very windy."

My Dad's Diary : Mon 21st April 1947

"Very windy - turned to rain.

Fair at night - garden."

And it's very windy today, 70 years later, though I'm not expecting rain.

Painting the Caps

Six Italian Caps WIP
(Acrylic on canvas, 8x8 in)

This is how the Italian Caps painting ended up yesterday. I'm quite pleased with the way it's going and am looking forward to seeing the logos and trimmings bringing the whole thing to life.

Bird Table

Bird Table 
(Acrylic on canvas, 8 x 8 in)

I completed this little painting a couple of weeks ago, but forgot to post it here. I know it's a bit sentimental, but sentimentality is nice now and again, and I like it. If you like it, it's available - just email me.

Here's the sketch it was based on:

My Dad's Diary : Sun 20th April 1947

"Fine day. Garden in morning.

Put in turnip, beet, onion, radish seeds.

Out with Ronnie at night."

My Dad's Diary : Sat 19th April 1947

"Light rain, but fine in p.m.

Garden. 

Baby 11 lbs 9 ozs."

Evening, Hanover Street

Evening, Hanover Street
(Oil on canvas, 12 x 12 in)

This painting has now gone to its new home in Hitchin, Hertfordshire

My Dad's Diary : Fri 18th April 1947

"Sunny but cold.

Garden at night. Clearing up."

My Dad's Diary : Thur 17th April 1947

"Sunny day.

Went to garden. Put in turnip seed and strawberries."

Six Italian Caps

Six Italian Caps 
(Markers in A5 sketchbook)

Although I haven't finished the small paintings I began last week, I've been thinking about ideas for some new ones. This is a drawing I did today of some baseball caps I photographed in Bari last year. 

I think it has potential, but, as always, I'd be interested to hear your opinions. This is a colour try-out in Photoshop:

My Dad's Diary : Wed 16th April 1947

"Fine sunny day.

Took Doris to Gateshead Odeon."

My Dad's Diary : Tues 15th April 1947

"Sunny day.

Put potatoes in (1/2 st. lates) also lettuce & turnip seed."

My Dad's Diary : Mon 14th April 1947

"WEDDING ANNIVERSARY.

FORGOT PRESENT.

Sunny day.

Dug garden up - put in cabbage."

That would be their 7th wedding anniversary. Traditionally, the gifts are copper and wool. Not cabbage.

My Dad's Diary : Sun 13th April 1947

"Gardening all morning. 

Split chrysanthemums.

To Mother's in afternoon."

My Dad's Diary : Sat 12th April 1947

"Sunny morning.

Dug top of garden in afternoon."

My Dad's Diary : Fri 11th April 1947

"Grand day / sunshine.

Took Doris to Gateshead Odeon to see 'Calcutta'."

Calcutta is a 1947 American film noir crime drama, directed by John Farrow, and starring Alan Ladd and William Bendix.

My Dad's Diary : Thurs 10th April 1947

"Light rain in morning.

Cleared up.

Garden at night."

My Dad's Diary : Wed 9th April 1947

"Sunny day.

Committee meeting.

Garden at night. Paid year's fees. Put in two rows potatoes."

I recently discovered this plan of the allotment at the very front of the Diary.

My Dad's Diary : Tues 8th April 1947

"Started using bike for work. 

Raining.

Snow in afternoon."

My Dad's Diary : Mon 7th April 1947

[Easter Monday]

"Gale blowing. Has done a lot of damage."

My Dad's Diary : Sun 6th April 1947

[Easter Sunday]

"This is a bad Easter, not fit to go anywhere."

Poor weather continues.

My Dad's Diary : Sat 5th April 1947

"Windy. Didn't go anywhere."

Sketchbook Circle : My Second Additions

These pages show additions I made to two pages from Partner A, Gwen, in my own sketchbook. The next are original pages by me, before I sent the book back to Gwen.

I was a bit pushed for time towards the end of the month, so the four of these were made from cut up and reassembled Mail Art envelopes that I've posted here before. I'm still happy with them, despite that.

My Dad's Diary : Friday 4th April 1947

 [Good Friday]

"Went for walk with Doris in afternoon, called at Mother's."

My Dad's Diary : Thurs 3rd April 1947

"Had an easy day. Got work up to date."

My Dad' Diary : Wed 2nd April 1947

"Slept in this morning.

Johnson now at Stationery.  Handed in his resignation as Chairman."

The brief appearance of Chairman Johnson.

My Dad's Diary : Tues 1st April 1947

"Coal arrived.

Went to S/E re Hospital fees.

Went a run on bike at night , then called at Mother's.

Doris a little better."

I haven't figured out what "S/E" means but this entry brought home to me something I'd never considered before - I was born before the introduction of the National Health Service which didn't start until 5 July 1948. So that extra time Mam spent in hospital must have been quite an additional worry for Dad who really wasn't earning a great deal.