After a tough time look at a crapola jazz score and having to learn it’s rhythmns I painting this abstract to show that my contempt for jazz is not that I cannot see it’s patterns, it’s based on visceral hatred for the shit sound and feeling it evokes.

What I sacrificed in visual accuracy of the scene I gained in technique, understanding and lightness of the overall effect. Clouds are crap!

Taking over 4 months to complete (don’t ask why, it just did) I am very pleased with the wildness of the greenery etc and the stillness of the man.

I plan to do another of these, hence the (1).

I had planned to head out and take photos of a few places and greeny bits before any crowds went out. Was thinking of going to the new shopping monstrosity that is Westfield, Stratford, East London…I’m sure the security guys will not want me taking photos at all, so a plan B hadn’t materialised yet.

It didn’t need too – clouds were fully covering the once bright, blue sky by 3pm and the photo plan was pushed back to Saturday, or even Sunday… oh dear.

Equally thrilling is handing in days – a chance to gawp at what else is being submitted for the dreaded committee. It’s one of the few things that goes too quick – seriously, you are in and out of Burlington House too fast. Almost wish I was doddery in an old-person type way.

My choice for this year? I’m giving The Train Journey up for a (dis)approval. I don’t think it’s good but then it’s more personal than previous entries.

Fingers crossed… and eyes well open at the other entrants.

The basic thrill of eating toast is a dream and the feeling that my mouth is my mouth again is a fantasy at this point. This point, is almost 48 hours after a tooth extraction.

Valium and loud iPod music got me through it. And that was the easy bit (I hate dentists so believe me when I say that was easy). The trial begins as first I get over the pain of the acutal injections (yes plural).

And now that fades and the fucking agony of an agitated sinus on top of disturbed gums hits home. No chewing for me. Ha! Violin? Don’t even go there.

The server was upgraded/messed with by the higher powers and as a result the code in htaccess to block wicked people from stealing my bandwidth meant no images were served up!

It’s all fixed now, or should be.

I’m giving serious thought to entering this one for the Royal Academy Summer exhibition this year…

It occupys most of Josephine Avenue and is a very street feel to it (it’s outside after all).

• Saturday 14th and Sunday 15th July 2012.
• 10am-6pm
• Josephine Avenue, Brixton, London SW2.
• I’m on stand 48J on both days.
• Free to attend, browse, work on your tan!

Nevertheless I have begun work on the necessary (and boring) scales and arps. I’ll come to shifting position soon enough, weeks more than months. But until then I’m onto the easier of the Grade 3 pieces.

Starting with Puttin’ on the Ritz – which has some expected wanky pizzicato from the arranger (this is typical RSM: take a good tune and dump in some pointless pitz so the candidate can’t enjoy themselves too much).

I’m doing to dump the pitz in favour of bowing because (a) it sounds better and (b) bowing is my strong point. For now, I’m skipping the shifting position in the middle and focusing on the chorus bits. Loving every minute of it. That’s the section C tune covered.

However Joshi’s Dance is a fun piece too – like a kiddy tune from Learn to Play Violin or something like that, but on acid (metronome mark is crochet at 240), and more adventurous. It’s plan B in case Putting on the Ritz goes tits up.

The final section C is the Hungarian Dance – a fast repeated rhythm challenge. I’ll go through it soon, but it’s not for me, too stuck record in which I actually wish the composer had done something, even pitz!