The view from here

It was my painting day today, interrupted by meetings and those pesky lessons I have to keep teaching, nevertheless despite an initial setback I worked through the pain. The ones below are from last week, they are the one I feel look very claustrophobic, very closed in, like I am endlessly trapped in a dark Grimm fairytale trying to find a way out. What you can also see is a mountain of marking which I have neglected for too long and will need to tackle tomorrow. But today I tried to lightened the mood.

With these landscapes that are far less closed in. I tend to paint in my mind a lot whilst walking, life rarely delivers the results I have in mind but it does help me nevertheless.

I am currently engrossed in Hilary Spurling's biography on Matisse, an astonishing tour de force on an astonishing artist. I had no idea that what looks to me, effortless actually took so much out of him. The book is brilliant and a must read.

I had yet another late night last night at work on top of not only completing lesson observations on a a colleague, but then having an observation of my own lesson. The pace of change and constant monitoring in this place is exhausting.

On the way home I was reminded yet again of my age. I used to work in a huge school a few stops on the train closer to home, last night some young teachers that work at that school boarded the train and proceed to discuss their plans for the night. As my day ends theirs was still going. I really miss the camaraderie you get in a big school, and most of all I miss the impulse to go out on a weekday, now it's all I can do to feed Leyla and walk the dog!