I will do no more to Pierrot until we get back to Ireland.  I am doing some drawings for my new piece 'The Bureaucrat' and continuing my oil painting of Venice.

We have been to Valencia this week.  It is not bad as big cities go, but is really a carbon copy of most cities today.  There are some fine old buildings in the old town, but I cannot really see what justifies its position as a World Heritage Site compared to others I have seen.  The modern buildings at the museum complex are very impressive but somehow artificial, as if they had been built just to be impressive.  They do not seem to have evolved naturally - but then I don't suppose the Colosseum in Rome looked very natural when it was first built.

Also in Valencia there is a very dramatic sculpture in marble or maybe alabaster on a church doorway.  Some of the anatomy is so inaccurate and bizarre that one wonders if it was deliberate for some reason.

I have had a young Spanish artist working here for a couple of days learning the rudiments of woodcarving - I envy him his boundless energy and enthusiasm, just chipping away at a horrible slab of oak.
We have received a lot of e-mails about the proposed trip to Canada and the Northern States, Betty is working on it - please get in touch if you are interested in either attending or hosting a class.
James has now put 'Carving Venus' as a downloadable DVD - this of course makes it cheaper and instant - no more wondering about the vagaries of the post.
Best wishes
Ian

I have carved a head for 'Pierrot' this week.  This may seem an extravagance, to carve a trial head for a figure, but when fitting it into a socket I think it is worth it.  Also, I think it looks too small - although it is exactly the right size - I may make the final head slightly larger.
It rained this week for a day and a half - the first in 6 weeks - and they call this winter??

We went to Xativa yesterday with some friends where there is a fantastic castle on a mountain ridge, built by the Moors and the Romans; we also saw an aqueduct built by the Moors, all of the pipes bored through the rocks, maybe 1,000 years ago and still in working order - And yet our motorway bridges are falling to bits - We seem to have lost something somewhere!!
Already I am planning our trip home - how time has flown - the work I had so much time to do now seems pressing.  I hope the almond orchards will flower before we go.
I am thinking of doing a teaching tour of Canada and the Northern States in 2013.  If anyone is interested please let me know.
Best wishes
Ian

We're back from our trip to Andalusia - just 1,000 miles.  Fabulous scenery in the Sierra Nevada.  The hotels here are quite beautiful although the breakfasts leave much to be desired.  Driving through the old town of Granada and Cordoba was a bit tricky!

 The Alhambra beggars description - What a wonderful civilization the Moorish culture must have been.

The Great Mosque in Cordoba is absolutely staggering.  One can only be appalled at the total desecration of this beautiful building by the Catholic Church, who have built a cathedral and heavily barred chapels within the mosque, with their paintings of bleeding martyrs and lashings of gold leaf - it is so tawdry in contrast to the sublime quiet space of the mosque.

Some nice carving in the Cathedral but the wood is so uniformly dark brown it looks like a miraculous creation in chocolate.  Sad to think a great craftsman should do anything so vulgar.

The drive back was quite astonishing - I could not believe there were so many olive trees in the world let alone one part of one country.  Millions as far as the eye could see in every direction.

I certainly recommend a visit to anyone interested - I can even suggest accommodation if you are on a budget.

Best wishes
Ian

A good weeks work - Pierrot is finished except for his head and hands which I cannot do because I do not have any steamed pear with me - but I may make trial ones in limewood.  I've answered a question in FAQs about bleaching him.  I will not doing much this coming week because we're off down country to the Sierra Nevada, then to Granada to see the Alhambra, then to Cordoba to see the Great Mosque and back through Acazar.  This will also mean that the blog will probably be on Sunday next week.

Yesterday was the day of The Three Kings here in Spain - their Christmas day and it has been very quiet.
It is strange the differences in different cultures.  For example I parked the car in the local small town last week and the ticket machine would not take my money - none of the other cars had a ticket so I left it.  When   we came back it had been towed away.  After an hour and a half of chasing around, 125 euros lighter and thanks to two good friends Matthew and Joanne - I got the car back - not a good way to treat guests - but I guess the government needs the money - I'll be more careful in Granada!!
Best wishes
Ian

We've been getting around the local area a bit - up into the mountains.  The scenery is superb but what I find most striking is the roads - even the most remote mountain areas where we never see another car, the roads are like new, smooth and quiet.  The potholes and grass growing down the centre are entirely absent.  Zig-zagging  roads up mountains, bridges over gorges and rivers - all in perfect condition.  And all the villages look as if they have had a make-over - perhaps that is where the moneys all gone?

Well it is nearly the new year and I guess everyone will be drowning their sorrows or celebrating - I'll be working as usual (bah humbug!!) Pierrot is coming on well, but my fingertips are getting sore from the sanding so I might get on with my painting.  I also have to do some drawings for a couple of new pieces.

To all my readers all over the world, Betty James and I wish you all the very best for the New Year - We live in interesting times!

Good carving

Ian

It really is quite pleasant living here; I was working in shirt sleeves yesterday- I would say it was about 23 degrees.  From my work station I overlook the orange groves and the distant sea, on the other side a very pretty set of balconies with bougainvillea.

A stiff walk over the hill brings you to a beautiful village, Forna, with a good restaurant.  The near town of Oliva is well supplied and in Gandia there is a Carrefour the size of a small town.  Gandia is where the Borgias  originated and their statues stand in the square as if they were heroes.
There are also 2 little British supermarkets in the area selling all things English - even frozen sliced bread - as if our bread was so great!

Pierrot has a page on the website now and is coming along quite nicely and as I predicted it really is an exercise in carving fabric - I must say I find it a bit odd working outside - but I guess I'll get used to it.
I'm going to start a painting of Venice to do in the evenings.  Up to now I've been watching ancient videos.  It would be easy to get very sloppy here with booze so cheap!
Anyway, Christmas is upon us and James, Betty and I send our best wishes to you all for Christmas and a healthy and prosperous New Year.  Thank you for your support and interest
Best wishes
Ian

Here we are in sunny Spain.  The journey was very pleasant.

The Cathedral at Chartres is being cleaned - the part they have completed inside - maybe a third of it is absolutely amazing; the stonework on the vaulted roof quite unbelievable.  We have made a date to return in 2014 when it is supposed to be completed.

Montresor near Tours is as beautiful as the guide book says - as is Rocamadour.  Strangely, although the weather was fine these places were totally deserted.

The stunning city of Carcasonne was quite busy and we located a hotel there for the return journey.
My friends house, in the hills above Oliva, is quite delightful, surrounded by orange groves, as is everything here.
I have set up my carving bench on the second floor balcony looking over the orange groves to the sea and tomorrow I should start work.  I've a pile of e-mails to answer, but we have only just sorted out the connection to the internet - what a performance!  The man in the Vodafone shop seemed to think Betty's computer was a reject from Bletchley Park - almost as antiquated as my video camera!!  I think serious investment is in the air.
While Betty and I have been travelling, not only has James finished the 'Venus' DVD he has also made the 'Venus' e-book available to download,  put video clips up of all the finished pieces (except 'Another cabinet Reshuffle) and put two of Betty's books up for downloading 'Furniture for the 21st Century' and 'British Craftsmanship in Wood' - someone has to do the work!!

Best wishes

Ian