Monday

Monday was another day of juggling for Tony. Yvonne was ill, so he stayed at home and sketched some new ideas for his latest collection while looking after her. This, by far, has been the hardest week of Yvonne’s treatment. Her courage and fortitude is at this point beyond question.

Tuesday

Tuesday marked a slight improvement in Yvonne’s health, which afforded Tony some sensible painting time in the morning. Tony’s latest collection is a very personal reflection on his childhood: it contains painted memories of impromptu football games and the freedom of childhood. Thirty five years later, says Tony, it seems that life has flown by. His message to children and especially teenagers is this: cherish this period of your life, because it is the last time you will have such a great amount of control and time in your life.

Wednesday

Wednesday was spent in the Gallery. After ensuring that Yvonne had everything she might need, Tony busied himself with meetings, interaction with up-and-coming artists, and a rare three-hour stretch of uninterrupted painting.

Thursday

On Thursday, Tony was involved in a rescue attempt on behalf of an artist and friend of his. She’s exhibiting in London. Unable to pick up her artwork from the Royal Society of Portrait Painters, she was faced with an obvious problem. Tony was able to arrange a solution with local haulage controllers Park, who were able to have her paintings transferred to the Art House for temporary safekeeping. His good deed for the day done, Tony moved on to a morning of paintings and later a well-deserved afternoon of painting.

Friday

Friday was a good day. At 13:00 John Burton, a good friend of Tony’s, arrived to take away the paintings that Tony kindly donated to the memorial effort on behalf of Lily Burton, John’s wife. The Mary Magdalene Church in Trimdon plans to implement a custom stained glass window in memory of Lill, a veteran fundraiser. Usually the charitable causes Tony donates to concern ill or young people, but Tony was very close to Lily and so thought it only right to contribute to the fundraising efforts of this wonderful project. Lily’s husband, John, is one of the most humble and hard-working people Tony knows. Tony says that he always looks forward to catching up with John, once ex-Prime Minister Tony Blair’s constituency manager.

After John left, Tony returned to work on his new paintings. He’s really trying to put serious time and effort into his new body of work. Tony is enjoying, he reports, the escapism and the reminiscence that this series of paintings allow him.

Saturday

Saturday is one of Tony’s favourite days of the week. It is certainly one of the most sociable days of the week, with the highest number of visitors—tourists, locals, and friends—in the Gallery. Moreover, he also has the chance to work with two dynamic young people, both of whom make him laugh. Saturday was also an uncharacteristically sunny day. In Scotland, who could be unhappy on such a rare sunny day?