Saturday, May 29, 2010

Trudi Alice Westall


Sadly I lost my dear Mum today after a short illness. My sister, brother & myself had prepared ourselves for the worst and have been at her bedside over the last week.

Mum was born in Wickford, Essex on 1st August 1928 - the youngest of four children. During the 2nd World War she worked as a Land Girl on a local farm. It was after the war when she was working for Bata Shoe Company in Laindon, Essex where she met my father Eddie who, back then, was her manager.

They married in 1949 and had four children of which I was the youngest born in 1970. We tragically lost my brother David in 1974 and three years later we lost our father. Mum had to carry on - I was only seven years old and we also had a family business with two shoe shops in Wickford & Maldon Essex named 'Paul David Shoes' (named in memory of my brother David).
Mum never re-married but did have a long-term partner, Fred, who sadly passed away a few years ago.

In 1994 mum suffered a severe brain hemorrhage and had to undergo a life saving operation. She was unresponsive for weeks afterwards and had to slowly learn to walk and speak again. But she did amaze us by her miraculous recovery and one year later she was able to attend my wedding.

Mum has five grandchildren in all, two of them supplied by my wife & myself, and this month her first great grandchild was born, a little girl called Madison (this also makes me a great uncle). Ironically the day she was to see Madison for the first time was the day she was admitted to hospital just over a week ago.

Mum was an intensely loving person, sometimes very demanding and stubborn (as older people can be) but above all she was very loving and that is how we will remember her.

We miss you mum & will always love you.

xx




Thursday, May 20, 2010

Moroccan Mural


I have finished my Moroccan style mural and just in time as the weather is beginning to really hot up and a south-facing conservatory is the last place I want to be working in : )

It also feels as if I have painted miles and miles of the mosaic effect - I am delighted with the finished effect of the aged mosaic but I am in no great rush to paint another right now - I don't even want to estimate how many little blue squares I have painted : )

The finished mural has been protected with two coats of a flat acrylic varnish. This process is always unnerving for me even though I have been doing it for years. The varnish takes on a milky appearance when it is applied and slightly obscures the mural - it then dries completely clear and with a fantastic matt surface which has little or no light reflection.








Sunday, May 16, 2010

Moroccan Theme


Here is another photo of the mural I am currently working on. This shows the aged mosaic effect which I am painting around the entire room.



Thursday, May 13, 2010

Moroccan theme


I am working on a Moroccan theme mural for a conservatory at the moment. Luckily the sun is mainly behind the clouds at the moment as the conservatory is south facing. It should feel authentically Moroccan in the height of the summer.

I am having fun doing my trademark crumbling effects.