Specialists In Lockdown | John Black

How are you keeping busy in lockdown?

Not difficult with three boys running amok at home, but more sedate when home schooling started after Easter. The planning behind the scenes for the next six months has been a great team effort (cripes we’re nearly half way through the year..) and with sales to think about it was good to clear the decks and think about the future.

Do you have a favourite self-isolation recipe you can share with us? 

My son Max announced at the beginning of April that he wanted to make nettle soup, we found this recipe and collected nettles from a wood behind the house - one has got to try it! 

1 tbsp olive oil , plus extra for drizzling

1 onion, chopped

1 carrot, diced

1 leek,finely sliced

1 large potato, thinly sliced

1l vegetable stock

400g stinging or dead nettles, washed, leaves picked     

50g butter, diced

50ml double cream

What is saving your sanity during lockdown?

I’ve destroyed an old tree house and built ‘Hut-19’, bunk beds (for the children) desk (for home working) and a chill out area to get away from it all. I still have ten fingers and ten toes…lockdown with the family has been a steep learning curve and we have all our little projects on the go - and looking after our chickens - Sonic, Trump, Heinz and….Covid

Which online exhibition/gallery viewing room or other Internet offering has caught your eye?

I have to admit that I just love a good book -  there’s nothing like reading before you turn out the lights at night - Andy Friend’s ‘Ravilious and Co’ has been great read - getting to know Ravilious and his circle fellow artists and designers with whom he was educated, worked and socialised.  The best art documentary that I have seen was Lee Miller ‘A Life on the Front Line’ BBC Two - watch it - an amazing artist, model, lover and photographer. 

You can contact John on johnblack@sworder.co.uk | 01279 817778