Really Good Book

I really enjoyed Zoe Heller's 'The Believers' which I've almost finished. It's about a dysfunctional New York family. Not a lot happens, but the characters are very engaging. Her previous book was 'Notes On a Scandal' which was also fabulous and was made into an excellent film (Cate Blanchett and Judy Dench). I'm sure I remember Zoe Heller writing for the Sunday Times magazine? She's obviously a real talent.

Next Sketchmob

The next sketchmob will take place on Sunday 11 October at 11.00 at Tate Modern. Bring some drawing stuff.

Christmas is Here

I'm sure I saw Christmas cards for sale in Paperchase....on September 21st.

Borough Market Breakfast

Yesterday I had a cappuccino and a croissant in a small cafe just by Borough Market. It cost £4-95. I know that there's supposed to be a food revolution in the UK, with Borough Market the epicentre, but this was a bit steep.

Post Workshop Depression

Have just finished a 2 day training workshop for a big new client - the first in a series of sessions. I always find that I go through a range of emotions when undertaking these sessions.
Anxiety - in advance of the workshop: will it go well? am I prepared for it? will the delegates be nice?
Relief - the evening its all over: thank goodness it wasn't a disaster, glad the client / delegates are happy
Depression - the day after, I always feel incredibly flat, even if its gone well. It may be a combination of fatigue, stress, or simply feeling low after the high of an intense group experience.

The day after ie today, I always find it hard to move onto the next thing and end up doing menial, distracting stuff. Hence - this blog post in the middle of the afternoon, when I should be doing something more meaningful instead. Must resist the temptation of playing on the Wii.

Trevor Flynn's Sketchmob

Last night I went to my first ever Sketchmob event, organised by Trevor Flynn of Drawing at Work. About 15 of us gathered at the steps of British Musuem with our pencils and sketchpads and went to draw whatever we found interesting in one of the galleries. We all shared our sketches afterwards and Trevor gave us guidance and feedback. We all went for a drink afterwards. A lovely way to spend a Thursday evening.

Trevor's got a number of sessions lined up for the rest of the year - at the Tate, in Soho, where we'll work on different skills. I'm by no means an artist, but it certainly ignited an enthusiasm for the subject and I'm looking forward to future events.

I'm sure Sketchmobs are going to take off big time. Remember - you heard it here first!

Big School

Mae started at her senior school last week. New uniform, new classmates, new books, her own locker. All very exciting and feels incredibly grown up.

She even gets up early (never been know before) and looks forward to walking to school.

Summer Books

Didn't do that much reading over the Summer. However the book I really enjoyed was Stieg Larsson's the Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. Virtually everyone I know has read it. Nicely drawn characters as well as great plot

I also read books based in Italy. Really loved The Talented Mr Ripley. Can't remember the film very well, but the book is a real period piece. Very stylish. Want to watch the film again. I also liked Somerset Maugham's Up At the Villa, set in Florence. Short, pithy. Can be read in a couple of hours. Perfect escapism for a quiet evening in.