Had a lovely surprise today, a parcel was delivered to me, and it wasn’t from Amazon so had no idea what it was, exciting! On opening it I found a book, Road Trip, which was written and illustrated by my pal Clare, an exceptionally gifted writer and artist who lives in Ireland. Clare went on a months road trip through the American South West, on her own, and the book is a recounting of her thoughts and adventures along the way. Clare took pictures along the way, and when she returned home, made a series of oil paintings based on those, and her own observations. I first saw the pictures and read about this journey on one of Clares blogs as it was serialised, and fell in love with the paintings and the commentary, so I am chuffed as a chuffed thing on a chuffed day as all the paintings are in the book, and it is just as funny and thought provoking as it was the first time. I know as I read it all this afternoon! 🙂

Clares blogs are worth following, for the wit, the art, the history and the intelligence.

https://mermaidspurse.wordpress.com/ An artist writing about life by the sea in South East Ireland and some other bits and pieces, beautiful art work.

https://monsterinthenextroom.wordpress.com/ Cartoons, sketches, operas (OK only one opera) on everything from dead rabbits, private investigative bread and pergolas to musical deep-sea creatures, contrary cowboy vegetables and barren bees. And funny as fek!

https://southrussiadiary.wordpress.com/ Anatomy of a Soldiers Journey a must read for anyone interested in the British Armys involvement in the civil war against the Bolsheviks between 1919 and 1920, as we follow Clares Grandad from Dublin to South Russia and home again..

https://cowboybuilding.wordpress.com/ where Clare talks about all things art!