Monday

Monday was a day of electronic wizardry. Tony was dragged, after more than twenty years of experience with Microsoft software, into the new, frightening world of Apple products with the acquisition of a shiny Macbook Pro from John Lewis’ Edinburgh branch. He has been playing with his new toy in the days since.

Tuesday

Tony was in the studio from the start of the day, working frantically to finish some urgent commissions. The afternoon was spent helping Yvonne in her fight with the “big C”. The fight continues, but it seems to be getting harder all the time. Thankfully, Yvonne is an extremely strong woman—physically and mentally—with an indomitable spirit.

Wednesday

Throughout a normal day in the Gallery, Tony sometimes has to sift through more than 500 emails—most of them junk, sadly. On Wednesday, however, Tony received a touching email from Jim Evans and his family, recent owners of Tony’s painting All the Fun of the Snow. They originally planned to hang the painting in their bedroom, but loved it so much that upon getting home they decided to hang it in the living room instead. It’s very humbling, Tony says, when his art touches people. He would like to thank Jim Evans and his family for their lovely email.

Thursday

Thursday began with a morning of meetings for Tony, unfortunately. He does envy his contemporaries, most of whom are able to paint uninterrupted. Tony, conversely, has to juggle his art and his responsibilities in the Gallery. This can be very frustrating sometimes, particularly when all Tony wants to do is paint. However, Tony nonetheless managed to round off some hasty sketches in the evening.

Friday

Friday was a day of two halves. The day began with the usual dreary admin: catching up on emails, answering queries and responding to requests. Later, in the afternoon, Tony returned to his studio in Duns to paint and look after Yvonne. Sometimes the immensity—the difficulty—of trying to run a Gallery and look after Yvonne can be slightly frustrating, but Tony is confident that this difficult period will soon be over. The couple have planned an American road trip in the summer, so Tony has that to look forward to.

Saturday

Saturday was similar to Friday in many respects. In the studio at 08:00, Tony was able to work on his paintings in the quiet dawn hours, until the usual meetings caught up with him at 11:00. Later—again in the afternoon—Tony returned home to paint and look after Yvonne, leaving the Gallery to look after itself for once.