cohort

This is some of my cohort, lined up in front of the Art dept. before we went for our trip.  Fortunately I was late and missed it.

visiting Nessie

I didn't think I would even get on the trip as we got wedged in the morning traffic down at Ipswich docks, I had to get out and run.  First mistake.

As luck would have it, I panted up just as my cohort was about to climb into the coach, so I dived into the front seat.  A routine move for those who know me as a travelling companion, I get travel sick.

The 2 tutors looked somewhat surprised to be ousted, but let me be.

Then it is a short ride to the Ness on the ferry boat.

Like much of Suffolk, it seems, lots of the paths were closed and diverted, so we walked MILES to get round to the evil pagodas, which were fenced off anyway!  The shingle is out of bounds as they try to grow stabilising cabbages on it, or something.

The Ness has a dark and troubled war time history, so is now dotted with crumbling concrete buildings which were used for radar, atomic and other secret experiments. It felt like I was walking thru the end of the world, wild, desolate but sunny!!

Being arty our tutors insisted we should go onto forbidden areas, and then be harassed off by the wardens, which added an element of tension as we crouched and tried to time the wardens sweeps round the area.

We were each given [well in our party, the other half of the cohort disappeared and wasn't found till we got back to the coach] ancient cameras, mine was a little plastic Brownie from the 60s I should think.  We each had to take a wibbly wobbly picture, and then sketch 5 times on different textures of paper, the same scene.

Challenging, I must take a little old ladies folding chair next time

A student again

My day [first of Induction Week into the Fine Arts Course] was very tiring for a poor old lady like me.  Much poorer now I have to pay the exorbitant fees, but if not now, when.

There are 20 in my "cohort," young things, barely fully formed, there are three older persons like me, but they are going full time. VERY expensive, unless this is their first degree.

I am just doing part time, as I want time to see my husband, puppy and friends.  Puppy has the squits so am not so keen on her at the mo [rice is the answer, we hope].

After this week of being talked at [repetitiously] and shown round the college [as if I am going to remember what is where] I start the arty farty bit, Monday and Tuesday all day [gulp] and Drawing on a Wednesday morning.

Painting, Sculpture, Printing and Photography.

On Thursday this week we are off on a coach daytrip [joy] to Orford Ness to take photos and sketch, ["water" colours?]

It is all very strange, and I have to concentrate and bear down so as not to run away.  It helps to write it all down, so I hope you find some of it of interest.

home

Now I have a son who is 40!  celebrated with candles in cup cakes, very successful, very American

 Callie is home, and grown [and wet she helped me water the house plants].

 We had a very happy time in Nevada.  However it was very hot between 80s and 90s every day, so I spent a lot of time sitting in the swing chair in the garden, in the shade, watching the Glorious Grandson cavort in the paddling pool.

away daze

Callie is at her Kennels, cats are asleep with servants arranged, bags are packed and we are off to the U.S. of A.  Back in two weeks