The Satchel and the Cozzie

David; oil on canvas; March 2017.

Here's my latest oil painting, scanned directly from the canvas which didn't quite fit on the screen. The actual painting is about half an inch bigger all round, and the scanner made it look more grainy than it really is, but you can still get a good idea of how it looks.

I bought an over-the-shoulder canvas satchel with all kinds of practical pockets designed into it, which seems just the thing for carrying a couple of sketch pads, pens, brushes and a watercolour set around. Until now I've been limited to what will fit in a jacket pocket. So I'd been itching to give this satchel its debut run at the weekend, and of course the rain hasn't ceased to pour in torrents.

I have been writing, of course, doing a bit more to the fifth novel in the Artisan-Sorcerer Series which will be called Morgan. Isn't it funny when characters misbehave? Rowan seems to have independently decided he's to have a more prominent role that I'd intended in the loose plot outline.

I'm not the kind of writer who plans out every detail of every chapter before they start writing. That approach would bore me totally. I usually have a few sheets of rough notes to link events, and these are subject to change as the first draft takes shape. This offers me enough of the story to work on without imposing much detail, so I've plenty of space left for creativity and impromptu extra plot twists.

Landscape; watercolour; March 2017.

The daffodils in our garden are all finished now but tulips are about to open. I'm not over keen on tulips; we inherited them when we bought this house but as this garden is quite underdeveloped as yet they might as well stay.

I must buy a new swimming costume. Mine's a sight. I nearly lost the wretched thing yesterday but then a helpful attendant came trotting past with it clutched in hand. I'd been so busy reminding myself to collect my shampoo and conditioner bottles from the floor of the shower cubicle that I'd left my cozzie draped over the handrail. I recognised it as mine immediately....

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