Melanie and Me Swimming

Michael Andrews

The lesser known member of the School of London that included Francis Bacon, Lucian Freud and Frank Auerbach, Michael Andrews’ work is gentler than his contemporaries. The process of painting, as for all of them, was central to his work and he was notoriously fastidious, producing very few finished works in his lifetime. While the era was concerned with abstract representations, Andrews and his cohort were rebels for figurative work. Perhaps more than any other members of the School of London, Andrews was fascinated by the depiction of human relationships. Painted from a photograph, this self portrait sees Andrews holding his young daughter afloat in a rock pool. He is mostly obscured, his purpose purely functional as she beams through the canvas. It is a depiction of a transitional moment of parenthood. Soon his service will be obsolete when she no longer needs him to float. In its quiet, gentle beauty, Andrews is dealing with human concepts as difficult and painful as any of his contemporaries.

Monday 5th October

The Moon moves deeper into Cancer, appearing close to the reddish light of Mars before sunrise. In far northern regions, observers can see an occultation, as the Moon briefly passes in front of Mars and hides it from view. In biodynamic tradition, watery Cancer is associated with forces that support leafy growth, drawing our attention to the greens that bring freshness to our tables. The Moon is also descending, following a lower path across the sky each day—a rhythm traditionally associated with rooting and settling into the earth, and a favourable time for transplanting established seedlings. Where autumn conditions remain mild, there is still time to sow winter lettuce under cover, allowing it to establish slowly for later harvests. Give young salads plenty of light and space, and ventilate their covers on warmer days. Leaf days are also traditionally chosen for mowing to encourage fresh growth; where the grass still needs cutting, wait until it is dry and leave a little extra height as growth slows.