Every week I visit a local wine merchants here in Prague (Bacchus) and some weeks ago I was alone, my buddies usually join me. I had a notebook and was sketching my plans for the coming year and began thinking about what I would do for the show that I am going to have at Bacchus. It was then that it occurred to me that wine could be the answer, I had been cursing its staying power on a very nice white shirt all summer. This atleast, I realised, showed it had a certain permanency.

I quickly made a mark on my pad and as it settled was delighted to see it become the very colour of line I prefer when I sketch in oils. I must say I have, over the years, used wine and other things to create certain effects...but always in under painting - to be painted over. I had not drawn with wine...or tried to paint forms.

I've now done about 15 pictures on a variety of surfaces. As far as I can tell it darkens but remains permanent. OIl paint darkens too over time...and becomes translucent. The title 'Wine Ink' was an apt if accidental choice, suggestive of an ink so permanent that it was used on papal documents through the ages. The term 'Wine Ink' comes from a boiled down wine, so reduced that it is famous for deep vibrancy. I am boiling wine to achieve this richness now. In essence boiling eliminates the water, something that time does anyway for me. They did that to deepen the wine. But If I produce 'Vin Cotto' - I will probably only add water again to lighten the colour.

I bought a lovely wee A5 notebook last week, it has a black cover and it opens to reveal two A5 pads of slightly off-white paper. It reminds me of Japanese handmade paper. It has tiny flecks of white all through it (see the detail below 'If Cities Were Paper') and this may even be visible on your monitor. I was immediately compelled to buy this book. But typically there was nothing anywhere on the notebook to tell me who manufactured it or what kind of paper was used. Yet another Prague mystery.