SUSANNA CANDLIN – Artist

I’m feeling much more relaxed and in control today because, as you can see, one of the taproots has become vertical and I’m beginning to believe that the installation can work. The Courtyard Arts technician, Chris, came to help me in the morning; his experience, expertise and can-do attitude meant that within an hour, the three and a half metre horizontal was upright. It is only supported by the ground and by the fact that it is resting within the window cavity, but it’s fairly rigid and will stay firm (unless someone pushes it quite hard).

Luca came to visit again, and made another snakey tendril with his grandmother. I was also visited by Trevor Chamberlain, an eminent local painter who had been encouraged to introduce himself by Brian Bennett, a well-known landscape painter in Berkhamsted and my former painting tutor (and an old friend). Brian gave up teaching a few years ago at the age of 90 and is still painting and exhibiting at nearly 95. I didn’t have any special talent for painting, but I’m not sure that these two distinguished and venerable members of the Royal Institute of Oil Painters would appreciate these weird, hybrid creations any more than my indifferent landscapes.

I also finished off the second taproot, and started work on another. Chris will be here again tomorrow and there may well be two up before the end of tomorrow! I can do this!