Monday, January 16, 2023

Monday Already

So it's the second week of my residency as a community portrait artist. I spent part of today drawing a woman smallholder selling fruit from a stall at North End Road, and the rest of it walking around seeing who was about. Two women were chatting, one in a basement front garden and another at pavement level. They seemed friendly, looked amazing and I asked them if I could photograph them. 

NO YOU CAN NOT. 

Okay, that's okay. I always ask because some people do not like the idea; but some people really do like it. 

At Earl's Court Tube, a gentleman was sheltering from the rain. I'd heard his steel pan drum in the distance, and I asked him if I could photograph him for a portrait. He was delighted, and went back to his pan to play. I put some money in his collection. 'I'm divorced', he said, maybe hoping for a double helping of cash. 'So am I' I said, and we laughed.

By now, it was pouring with rain and I went for a cup of tea. On my way back to the studio, the two women were still chatting, rain or no rain. Now that's friendship for you.



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