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A missing link in the One Off story is that with the success of the creation of the stable annex, we decided to go all out and convert the whole stable. The decision was informed by the pressing need for extra exhibition space and simultaneously, all our equine family developed Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) to varying degrees. Our vets recommended that all the horses and donkeys immediately be moved to a very open environment and we quickly cobbled together new stables on our arena. Many people look shocked and worried about 'what happened to the horses' but as you see from the photographic evidence, they don't seem resentful about the downgrade in accommodation. Indeed, Cooper's Creek and Zweli are coming up for 28 years old and CariBlanco is keeping up with them. We pray daily for their continued well-being. The completed stable conversion with Lisa Milroy's beautiful exhibition 'Handmade'. Our opening exhibition on 7th April 2018, was 'Handmade' by super-star artist Lisa Milroy. Lisa hails from London and we were enormously fortunate to have her exhibit with us. At the time she was the graduate painting instructor at The Slade, one of Britain's most prestigious art schools. She has subsequently had her work accepted into the collection of the Tate Modern. We could hardly hope for a more eminent opening artist.
Got back from having coffee at the National Muesum with Yony Wai^te and James Muriuki - a follow-on from a magical visit to Yony's studio on the Athi Plains last week. I feel I've come full circle on this one.  With Yony in her Athi Plains studio When I first worked as a designer in Kenya 33 years ago, I was sent to commission Yony to do a 20 foot long mural for Samburu Lodge. Yony decided to paint the canvas whilst staying in a tiny apartment in California and so she never had a full impression of her output because the canvas had to wind round a few corners and through a couple of rooms. She then decided to transport it back to Kenya wrapped around her huge new desk-top computer. As project designers, we awaited the unveiling of our masterpiece with some trepidation but miraculously, it arrived in almost perfect shape and after a few touch ups the monumental painting was successfully installed in the dining room of the lodge.
I am truly honoured to be curating this major show for Yony which we plan to hold at the National Museum towards the end of this year. In her exhibition, Yony will showcase her tree series about which she is passionate and on which she has been working for many years. Many of the paintings were made in California at her Father's cabin before it was sold following his death.
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