Sunday, June 25, 2006

New Horizons

June is really blooming! I worked through the morning on a piece of commercial work - a wine label. I then reviewed my current bookplates and planned what to do next for each of them. Finally, I made some mental notes about my forthcoming exhibition in Ely during July. I really need to finalise the engravings I will show and organise frames.

This was followed by lunch in the garden with J, finishing up the last of the goodies she brought back from France. The garden looks lovely at the moment; we ate close to this rose:


Some of you will already know of my news but I will also announce it here. After 26 years, I will be leaving teaching to concentrate on engraving and illustrating full-time. The story behind this is lengthy and complex but, essentially, financial problems in my college allowed me to volunteer for redundancy. In a few weeks, I will be building each day around engraving. Unfortunately, the arrangements are taking an awful lot of my time and I am making very slow progress with my various projects. Things will really speed up after the end of term. I will keep you posted with developments through this blog. A new life beckons.

1 comment:

Jim Westergard said...

Andy,
When you told me in an e-mail about being forced out of teaching by the college you had given so many years of your life to I felt the deepest empathy for you then. Having read your BLOG and having gained more information about what happened, as well as more insight to your feelings, I now feel your pain!

I wish there was something I could do to help from over here in Canada. My pension and the sale of the odd wood engravings and my book keeps me a few steps ahead of the wolf who's always at the door (that's my excuse for not plunging in a buying the press for you) but I shudder to think of the panic which must set in without a dependable "safety net".

Here's hoping the opportunities pour in for you!
Jim