Artist With Much To Do, None Of It Art

How can an Artist have so little art to do and so much Family? It's OK I am not complaining, I am taking a quizzical look from a safe distance and making an observation. I am in my studio, my paints are ready, at any moment I could - I could - paint a masterpiece. But 15 year old son is now 16 and is going to Detroit and Chicargo the day after tomorrow. He is still in bed and when he wakes up will be too tired to pack, or sort out his spending money, or talk to me. Then he will have to go out with friends and be back late and tomorrow is his last day to get ready. Are your clothes clean? I say. What's your problem, he replies, I am Invincible, I am the Great Teenager, everything will fall into place behind my back as I do absolutely Sweet Fanny Adams.

So this morning I will get his travel insurance. I will see if he has any clean clothes. I will find a suitcase. I will check him in online for his flight. On Thursday we leave at 4.30am as I drive him to the airport and leave him at security. No, not at the airport police with their cells and handcuffs and sniffer dogs, at the bit where they will check his little cabin bag and ask if he has any semtex in his shoes.

As for me, 19 year old daughter is taking me to Verona for the weekend. Can you beat that? We are doing a cooking course. So I need to get myself ready, get the 12 year old sorted for the weekend here with his Grandma coming to stay, and off to Verona with Daughter at dawn on Saturday. I am exhausted now, thinking about it all.

Art? Art! That elusive thing. I have a painting to do, another to start next week and the whole Steve exhibition to start. I am doing Office Stuff at the moment, I am doing a course on my own PR and part of that means reading loads of glossy mags (fab) and learning to cold call (not fab). I am dragging out the glossy mag bit for the moment.

Oh look, it is time to go to the post office to get 16 year old son's travel insurance. Wouldn't want him to be inconvenienced in any way, I will creep out of the house in case the poor child wakes too early and isn't ready for Facebook.