Matt in watercolour

The mouse is fixed!

Argh it has been a terrible mouse time with it freezing constantly. Then Matt changed the USB port it was plugged into and now it works smoothly. Oh he is so clever.

Matt, no filter

Blanaid imagined Matt in a pair of her flowery shorts

She asked me to draw him so I did

Matt's back!

Hurray! He's been in the studio with Bill Fay working on the new album, and now he's back for a day. Hurrah!

Matt in the garage

with a beer

Matt's enormous painting

Matt keeps disappearing into the garage to add another piece to his enormous painting! I like him working in there. I can go and admire it every now and then.

Now I'm going to plant out the coriander and basil seedlings.

Girls and Boys Come Out to Play

Have just done the score for a little animated film - final tweaks with Matt adding an extra bass line from the guitar.

We're going to be credited as Jude Cowan and Matthew Armstong.

We're so happy because the filmmaker really likes it - well he is very enthusiastic and it's so great. He seems a really nice fellow and he's a pleasure to work with. Hope to see the film at a decent screening soon. How exciting! Matt and I found it a great thing to do and we'd like to do some more!

Filming trip - in Higham

Just got back from Higham / Cliffe where Matt and I have made a little film for the call for artist movies by Sarah Sparkes, subject 'Haunted Sea'. Have to view it now and see how it came out. We found a beautiful little spot in a very strange, spooky part of the estuary and I wore my black crinoline in a 'Piano' homage to Holly Hunter and Jane Campion.

Matt doesn't read my blog

as a matter of principle. I think that's just as well.

Dangerous breakfast

Matt made a nice omelette with ginger. We went to sit on the taxi bench by the duck pond to eat it. Sharikov, our Muscovy drake looked a bit posey, doing his neck bob and opening his gob right in front of us. We ignored it as best we could. Then Matt got up and walked to have a look at the lettuce in our homemade greenhouse. Sharikov attacked and got his trouser leg. Matt ran through the gate back into the other half of the lawn, jettisoned his coffee, trapped Sharikov in the gate by the neck, shouted 'Help!' But I needed help, having climbed onto the bench and wanted Matt to lift me back into the garden over the picket fence. I didn't want to be bitten by that beak on my bare legs. Meantime Solly is launching himself at the wood and chicken wire like a self-propelled battering ram.

Breakfast was still nice, the sun was shining all the while, and the dew is shining in the light. Going to be a hot day. Will have to go and rescue the plates later from the back of the garden, when Shari's calmed down.

Matt walks the dog in Joyden's Wood

Well, it's the bit of Dartford Heath just by Joydens Wood.

Foulkestone rehearsal and recording

Another quick rehearsal squeezed in on a Sunday evening. With Matt's help we recorded two songs - 'Talisman Crew' and 'One Cold Morning in December'. Good work!

Autobiographical sketches 32 - Matt's duck fence, or Solly fence

Matt is alright

He's back home, safe and sound, leg held together with staples

Etching press

Got my eye on a new etching press on ebay - nobody else buy it please! It's in Oldbury so it would mean driving up to Birmingham which is a darn long way. And who knows whether Matt will be able to go once he gets out of hospital after his operation. Waiting to hear from him. Please ring Matt, I want to know you're all right!

Autobiographical sketches 26 - the winter of love

Autobiographical sketches 25 - making stuff

Autobiographical sketches 23 - the summer of love

Autobiographical sketches 22 - the early winter of love