Following what has become my usual practice, here are selected contents from my September Mailchimp newsletter about Jago Stone, featuring new images and stories, updates on my biography of the artist (published in March 2020 in the UK and in June 2020 in the USA), and news of my latest literary venture: 'Dying to Know':
'SEPTEMBER 2020 - UPDATES ON MY LATEST LITERARY VENTURE: 'DYING TO KNOW' - AND THE LATEST JAGO STORIES AND IMAGES FROM CYBERSPACE
Let me start by expressing my thanks to Pat Michas from the USA who has played a significant part in all the Jago news that follows.
On August 16, a couple of weeks ago, I shared a post about the importance of bees. Pat Michas - who features in my biography of Jago with her partner, Jim, and children, Alex, Nick and Chris - posted this comment:
'Make sure to plant flowers that attract the bees, Rob.
I’ve spoken with my friend and he has allowed me to give you his email. His name is Alfred Scaraglino. He was stationed in the U.K. at the same time we were there. He is the owner of one of Jago's pallet knife oil paintings. I believe he has a few Watercolors as well. He was at the US base in Cambridge. We used to visit back and forth on the weekends and holidays. Our children were about the same age. The four of us socialized many times with Rowland and Jago. At first we thought they were a couple. Then he brought over Sioned and her boy and then later Mary from Australia. I believe he lived with both of them for a while. We have some pictures of a party that Rowland and Jago gave at Leam House. A Masquerade party. I may have one or two of Jago. Anyway I regress.
BTW loved the watercolor you just posted ['Garden Cottage, Turweston' - Jago Stone (1982)]. He really did improve in the later years, more detail and color.'
How exciting was that message! To cut to the quick, Alfred did make contact with me and I am very grateful to him that I can now reveal this palette-knife painting, dated 1977 (the latest date of a Jago palette-knife I know):
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The Gate - Jago Stone (1977)
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Here is close-up of the title and signing and date:
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Detail from the Jago Stone palette-knife
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Here is another work from Alfred's collection (again many thanks for permission to reproduce this image) Jago's watercolour of the house in which Alfred and his partner, Ethna, lived whilst stationed in the UK. The main focal point is the Inn where Alfred and Ethna, Pat and Jim, and Jago celebrated New Year's Eve in 1973. Ethna had Jago include the Christmas tree in the downstairs window of the house on the right where she and Al lived - as you can see in the detail from the main picture:
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| The Victoria Inn, Huntingdon, England - specially painted for AL & Ethna - Jago Stone (January 1 1974) |
Here is the Christmas tree!
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| Detail from 'The Victoria Inn' - Jago Stone (1974) |
One more picture from Alfred Scaraglino - 'The Crossroads Sundial, Ashton Under Hill, Worcestershire - Jago Stone (1975) - to enjoy:
What a treat from cyberspace! And then Pat has crowned it all by sending me other images featuring Jago. Thank you, Pat! The Jago archive is all the richer for your generosity.
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Jago and Pat Michas in early/mid1970s
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Jago with Michas children
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Finally, another gem from Pat - a Jago drawing of The Rectory:
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Edgcote Rectory - Jago Stone (Undated)
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Now for more news of my latest literary venture.
As February turned to March this year, the Covid-19 pandemic appeared. My inspiration had arrived. 'Dying To Know' began to take shape. My first five chapters have been drafted and now I am working on chapter 6. Seventeen and a half thousand words written.
As I have explained, I have two critical readers to help me, one in the States and one in the Netherlands - both friends made in the course of the writing and publication of the Jago story. They remain supportive.
Whatever I write has to satisfy two criteria: Is it readable? And is it worth the reading - will the reader be enlightened? 'Dying to Know' is passing those tests.
My aim is to have the book complete by the summer of next year to coincide with the arrival of a vaccination schedule.
More news on the publication path for 'Dying to Know' will follow in next month's Newsletter.
If you would like to read in advance the first chapter in order to get a taste of the book and its direction, I'm happy to send you a personal copy if you contact me using my email address: robdonovan@waitrose.com.
As for Jago's biography, please, please - add your own reviews on line on Amazon or Waterstone's or send to me by personal email when you finish reading. This is hardly the best time to have a book published and sales will, to some extent, depend on word-of-mouth recommendation. If you can help publicize the virtues of a cracking good read, Unicorn and I will be very grateful.
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Jago Stone in the Notley Arms, Exmouth in 1969
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Here are the links for ordering copies of the biography of Jago Stone:
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