Day Twelve London

(7:45am Monday, 6/2) OK, this will probably be the last post on the topic except maybe some reflections after I get back to my studio. Thank you all for taking the journey with us.

Heading out for breakfast with Brian and Joel. Maybe we’ll do a little something before calling it a wrap. Then time to pack up and get to the airport in the morning (Tuesday) and back home by about 10:00pm.

Be sure to check out Brian Biggs who is also writing about the week. He’ll be returning to Philadelphia.

And also Joel Lambeth on his way back to Australia.

(above) Me, Brian and Joel after breakfast and coffee where Brian showed us a fantastic small, long lost sketchbook from his college days that he had left in Paris returned to him by his dinner partner from the night before who had been keeping it for him all these years.

We decided to walk over to the newly opened V&A museum warehouse. A marvelous open archive on four floors where the public can walk around and look at misc. items in the collection.

Then Sasha came over from somewhere an hour and a half away to join us but by the time she got there we were worn out from our investigation of the Victoria and Albert Archives that opened for the first time the same day as our collage exhibition.

So, we went around the corner for a coffee. We are the same four who first arrived to London and met each other at the East Barge (or is it Barge East?). The Four Musketeers. First to arrive and last to leave.

Brian, a man with 75 published books under his belt, told us, over coffee, the very fascinating history of illustrated children’s books over the years in western culture when I asked him about it.

Then Brian went off to meet an illustrator friend and later bought some new shoes like the ones Les Jones had been wearing during the residency. Sharp. When asked how the shoes are working out he tells me ‘All of London is abuzz’ talking about his new shoes as he strolls about town. A kind of Beatle-mania I am sure.

Meanwhile Joel, Sasha and I walked back to the neighborhood where we have all been the last week. Joel said his good byes and left for the airport.

Sasha and I had lamb pizza and a beer for lunch and spent the afternoon talking about and planning out Sasha’s undoubted brilliant future as an artist. Then we said our goodbyes, hugged and Sasha left and I went back to the apartment, packed my bags for morning and took a nap. Frankly I am pretty worn out and sore from all the hubbub of the week and looking forward to getting back to my studio and routines.

And that is the story so far. Just the final preparations to leave in the morning. Now it is 8:00pm.