>> It's often quite difficult to argue my case when I insist that I'm actually "hard at work", earning an honest living (debatable, right?) and contributing to the good of society. Especially on days like this, when I'm in New York, sitting in a quaint apartment in Chelsea with a wonderful ninety-two year old character named Ilona Royce Smithkin and having a good old natter about Impressionism, life drawing and colour co-ordination. I can't say why it is that I'm here but you'll find out in due course. You'll recognise Ilona of course from Ari Cohen's Advanced Style blog, where she captured the attention of the world with a bat of her carefully crafted eyelashes. She's been making them out of her own hair for the last thirty years and she says she'd feel naked without them. Watching Ilona tilt her head back, flutter her lashes and chuckle with laughter is a joy, proving that there's life beyond whatever age we perceive to be an obstacle. A veteran artist, Ilona was kind enough to sit down and quickly sketch one of my eyes, which she said were soft and warm, much like how I felt when she handed the finished piece to me wrapped up in plastic. I'm not likely to convince anyone around here that such encounters could possibly constitute as "work".
