AFTER France (3), and having been to the Lot Valley Friday 29th September 1995. The equinox gales seem to have blown themselves out at last, so a bright morning. No frost. I make an early start at the studio, as I accompany Sorrel on her way to school by bicycle. It will be warmer in the studio. A parishioner's daughter wants to come round the studio tomorrow afternoon as she is doing Art for 'A' Level. I'm not into this abstract stuff - it's just an escape. More study and the discipline of the life class would set up many students properly. One of the reasons for wanting to do this series of panels is to present people with figurative art so as to make them think, and identify with the subject. People don't want to be preached at verbally the whole time, or told what to do, they want to work it out. Something draws us to visit churches, but often our visits stop dead just there, so that we are in danger of living some sort of latent or dormant spirituality. Let the media of art speak more. The Diocese is slowly waking up to using art more. Let us see and feel spirituality as a present living force, not something of yesterday of centuries ago.

Our visits to churches in France were a mixture of stimulation and curiosity. Often the church is the only building to have survived the centuries and, when built, was far more robust than the average house. It was for the community and it was by the community for God. It maintains a great historical link and takes us beyond ourselves, just as it di hundreds of years ago. Yet today we still have these lovely medieval churches --four in this parish alone. Not perhaps quite as old as the ones we saw in the Auvergne, but older than some - and nothing contemporary is built to the glory of God. Much emphasis is put on good works and charity and aid to foreign parts, but does it get there? Do you ever see a thin terrorist, or a starving soldier in some civil struggle? Is not "Bosnia" prolonged by aid? At least there is a shift of power there, at long last, but I feel aid should be "withheld in the wings" until the hostilities cease. We need space as well to speak for God as artists and to speak for him as people. By and large we have more than enough churches, but so many are empty. They become a time warp or merely part of our heritage. They need to speak for today and stimulate people's spirituality.

So I start the sixth panel out of eight. I hope they do get displayed in the parish churches and are useful to people on their pilgrimage. As a series, perhaps they might stimulate folk to make a pilgrimage round them and enjoy the natural assets and the heritage of the area as part of the trip ……………