Tuesday 2 December 2008

Wine and Wellies




I truly adore having Hampshirites over to Tessa Towers for a post shoot-out drink. After a day of sloshing through mud executing chick….er…pheasants, they woosh in briskly, smelling of old Barbour and wet Labrador. When those strange rituals of Mitford-esque air-kissing and the nervous, high pitched shrieks of “how are you?” and “how simply marvellous” are over, I serve them long, frosty glasses of Banapo (Ugandan banana wine – best vintage, natch) along with pretty little bowls of very powerful chilli roast groundnuts. It does - to quote my wonderfully eccentric Australian mother - put a bit of lead in the pencil. As they become more Flushed and Excited they lose their inhibitions as rapidly as a stripper sheds her clothes.

“Frightfully good gin, dahling,” they shriek merrily, holding out their glasses for more of the velvety Banapo. Inevitably, they end up Morris Dancing to Paul Simon’s Diamonds On The Soles Of Her Shoes. During this particularly English display of verve and energy, I sneak off to unearth the excellent bottle of Merlot I hid behind the sofa. I settle back comfortably, cat on lap, the good grape in hand, and watch my happy guests cavort wildly. All the while thinking smugly to myself that it is no wonder they lost the colonies.

(Aside: The above is a wholly invented scenario. I promise. I'm just grumpy because I'm cold..............and it's all Guy's fault for taking me out of the hot house.)

10 comments:

Vanessa Brantley Newton said...

Everything you do is always so wonderful and beautiful and classic! This is just more of your FABULOUSNESS on display. You palette is so yummy and vibrant!!! I so enjoy the mood and textures on each of your pieces. A JOB WELL DONE! BRAVO!!!!

Unknown said...

OH, wonderful, colourful, exciting, excotic, funny:) Lovely!
Andrea

Eric Barclay said...

Beautiful colors. I love 'night flight' as well. Really like your work!

Debra Keirce said...

Very entertaining Tessa!!

The W.O.W. factor! said...

Oh drat it all! I had a perfect vision of that! I was comfortably sitting there enjoying every moment...and I was about to pop the cork on my Merlot and hold up a toast!!
Danged... you snuffed the light out of the party!LOL!
.....smiling..
Hope you are over your grumpies!
Barb
(thank you Tessa, for your kind words today!! coming from you, they mean a lot! Bless you!)

Renee said...

I love it.

Lori ann said...

Tessa, i would be most happy to share a little of your merlot with you, while watching the antics. Is Banapo real though?
Beautiful painting,wonderful!
xx

david mcmahon said...

G'day from Australia,

Great to hear about your Mum. All Aussies are wonderfully eccentric. Trust me. There is no other sort!!

So how about bringing your clan round for a good old Aussie BBQ this evening?

Sally Townsend said...

Aha an invented scenario, and jolly entertaining it was too !!

Irene said...

I am much amused and I like your painting too. I wished it had been a real scene and that I had been witness to it.