Pickman’s Student: part 1

Selected extracts from the Personal Diary of Adrian Stimson

Friday 28^th January 2005: Met Tarquin and Jocasta for coffee at the Java House in the High Street. They introduced me to a friend of theirs called Nelson Blake who is a budding artist. He seems a nice enough sort of chap – a little quiet, but earnest. I have agreed to visit his studio to view some of his work.

Monday 31^st January 2005: A quiet day at the gallery so I called Nelson Blake after lunch and asked if I could visit his studio. He was very keen and as soon as I arrived could not wait to show me a selection of his works. His style is underdeveloped, as is to be expected of one so inexperienced, but he definitely shows promise. I have encouraged him to study the works of some esoteric artists such as Bosch and Chadbourne. We will meet again soon I have no doubt – I shall be watching this one’s progress with interest!

Friday 4^th March 2005: I have been so busy recently that I have not had time to see Nelson Blake again, but I spent the whole day with him today and what a day it was. It turns out that Nelson is a fan of the bizarre in art and considers the likes of Sime and Angarola to be his heroes. I must say that he is much more forthcoming when he speaks of his artistic ambitions and we had a very interesting and lengthy chat. When I spoke of Lovecraft and his fondness for the work of Angarola, Sime and Ashton-Smith, Nelson was intrigued. I have agreed to lend him my Lovecraft collection in order to further his education, which I am afraid to say shows distinct gaps, despite his attendance of one of our more celebrated institutions (Harrow if I remember correctly). The sketches which he has produced in the last few weeks are already showing more maturity. We may have a star in the making!

Friday 11^th March 2005: I met Nelson for lunch today and delivered my Lovecraft collection for him to read. I am sure that this will provide him with suitable inspiration.

Sunday 1^st May 2005: I hadn’t heard from Nelson for some time until today. He asked me to join him for lunch again and told me how much he enjoyed the Lovecraft which I had lent him, particularly “Pickman’s Model”. He has obviously been busy reading and working on his style with sketches and small scale works which show real promise and development.

Wednesday 11^th May 2005: Nelson came to the gallery today to return some of the Lovecraft and asked me about some of the books to which HP refers in his tales. He wanted to know whether such works as the Necronomicon and the Book of Eibon really exist. I assured him that there were such texts in existence and I could prove it. Exacting from him solemn promises of secrecy and care I entrusted to him my copy of “Eibon Saith on Dreams” which samples the Liber Ivonis and which I believe he is educated enough to appreciate.

Saturday 28^th May 2005: I met Nelson again today outside the Royal Observatory for a light picnic and a walk in the park! He was fascinated by the contents of Eibon Saith and asked me at length about dreams and their influence on the arts. I knew that he was ready to take the next step in his development so I have arranged for him to visit tomorrow evening. The pretext will present the opportunity to introduce him to the Dream Dust – then I will see if he has the determination to fulfil his potential.

Sunday 29^th May 2005: Nelson came to see me and I have purchased ‘A Walk in the Park’ from him for a modest sum – if he develops as I hope it will increase in value greatly. Nelson was thrilled when I suggested that he try dreaming with me – I have never seen him so excited. It was only a short trip, but he left in a daze clutching the sample of dust which I provided him. Let’s see if this inspires him to reach the next level!

Friday 8^th July 2005: Nelson came to see me out of the blue today asking for more dust. I hadn’t heard from him in weeks and he has not answered his phone when I have called him. I asked him what he had been doing and why he hadn’t been in touch, but he wouldn’t say anything except that he needed more dust for inspiration and that he had so much work going on that he has had time for nothing else. He has promised to contact me when he is ready and that he will have something special to show me!

Sunday 11^th September 2005: Nelson called me in the early hours to ask me over to his studio flat. He said he was finally ready to show me his latest works so I was there as dawn broke! The transformation in his style is quite spectacular. Again he has been unreachable recently, but this was well worth the wait. His latest works are very reminiscent of Pickman and leapt out from the canvas to seize my attention. It would not be too much to say that I was entranced and I purchased two more of his works on the spot. ‘A Walk in the Park’ and ‘The Outsider’ are proof that his style has matured greatly, and what can one say of the hauntingly beautiful ‘Elder Yuggoth’? Obviously a product of a dream vision, it is a true masterpiece of the surreal genre. If he continues in this vein, all these works will become highly prized, but I believe ‘Elder Yuggoth’ to be the pick of the bunch so far!

Thursday 29^th September 2005: I have become completely fascinated with ‘Elder Yuggoth’. It hung on my office wall for a week until I decided to move it into the bedroom. As soon as I did so I could not resist the temptation to dream within its precincts. This is a disturbing place – I feel sure I shall visit it again, but I must exercise caution.

Tuesday 4^th October 2005: I met Nelson again today and he has asked me to visit the studio. He has such drive and energy these days and is obsessed with expanding his portfolio. I am excited to see what he has produced lately.

Saturday 8^th October 2005: I visited Nelson’s studio today and he has been most prolific in his output lately. One of the most intriguing of his works is ‘Karl Marx lies in Highgate Cemetery’. He tells me this work is also dream-inspired and on the face of it is an almost commonplace scene of the philosopher’s resting place, but there is an atmosphere to it which belies its mundane subject matter. This one has mainstream commercial potential! My protégé is showing true development now and in so short a time too! Thank you HPL.

Wednesday 12^th October 2005: I dreamt in Yuggoth again today and went further than ever before. There is a tower in the distance which is fascinating, but forbidding. Perhaps I will explore there some time in the future, but I fear what may lie within and I must refrain from further visits to this strange land until my mind has had time to comprehend what I have seen so far.

Thursday 10^th November 2005: Nelson called to the gallery today. He told me he wants to sell some of his work so I have agreed to show some of his sketches at first to see whether there is any interest in them.

Friday 6^th January 2006: I returned today from a Christmas break to several messages from Nelson so I called him and arranged to meet for Sunday lunch.

Sunday 8^th January 2006: I met Nelson today and we discussed his works which have been on display at the gallery. Unfortunately none have sold yet, which news he received with great disappointment. He told me he has been hard at work since I last saw him and he hopes that his latest works will be commercially viable. I have agreed to let him bring some samples to the gallery and I hope for his sake that they will sell. He seems despondent and I do not want him to lose confidence as I still believe in his potential.

Wednesday 1^st February 2006: Nelson turned up at the gallery today and told me that he was now desperate as his inheritance has run out. He is an orphan and has been living off his inheritance for some time now, since long before I met him. I am concerned that his financial problems may prevent him from continuing his work so I have lent him some money to see him through the month. I have also agreed to host a full exhibition of his work. The exhibition will be held next month to allow time for proper arrangements and promotion of the event.

Friday 3^rd March 2006: Today was the opening of Nelson’s exhibition at the gallery and what an event it turned out to be! I am amazed at the response from the paying public, but not nearly as amazed as Nelson seemed to be!

Friday 24^th March 2006: All the works on display have sold and I’ve had several enquiries about commissions from Nelson for the future. It would seem that his money worries are over and that his career is about to take off. I couldn’t be happier for him and for myself also given the returns from the exhibition. My own financial future should be secure if I continue to develop the relationship with Nelson. Happy days!

Tuesday 28^th March 2006: Some unfortunate news today – two of the sales which were agreed at Nelson’s exhibition failed to go through due to the death of the buyers. However, when I contacted Nelson with the news he did not seem too concerned. He still cannot believe his overnight success. He confided in me that he didn’t expect to sell anything at all. He also seemed to be a little sad that his commercial success meant parting with his creations. This is the price of success!

Friday 7^th July 2006: I saw Nelson in town today for the first time in a while. Apparently he has been very busy with private commissions. I told him we should arrange to meet again soon but I will be busy myself for a while with TV work. He seems very content and full of confidence which is good to see.

Thursday 31^st August 2006: There was a party today at the Channel 4 studios to celebrate the end of shooting and I was very pleased to see Nelson there. We chatted for a while and he has a couple of new works for me to show at the gallery. Also at the party was a rather attractive young lady called Penny something – a model I believe. Nelson spent some time talking to her and they seemed to hit it off. When I looked for Nelson later in the evening I heard that he and Penny had left together – perhaps a budding romance? I must contact Nelson soon and find out all the juicy details!

Saturday 16^th September 2006: Nelson came to the gallery today to drop off the canvasses he wants me to show. He brought Penny with him and we all went out for lunch and then a matinee. Penny is a lovely girl and the two seem very much in love. I am very happy for them, especially for Nelson, but I suspect that I will not be seeing very much of Nelson for a while now!

Tuesday 10^th October 2006: I saw Nelson today on his way to meet Penny from a shoot. He told me he has another piece for me to show at the gallery. I informed him that the last two have sold and I will send him a cheque. He didn’t seem as happy as I expected, but I guess it’s becoming the norm for him now as I hear that his commissions are very popular these days.

Friday 27^th October 2006: I braved another dream in Elder Yuggoth today. Though I approached the tower I could not bring myself to enter. It is so terrifying to me and I cannot truly explain why. The more time I spend in this strange place the more it disturbs me and I dread what might be found within the tower. I confess that I do not have the stomach to return to this place.

Sunday 7^th January 2007: Nelson and Penny held a party today at the Savoy to announce their engagement! Hello magazine sent a photographer and there were plenty of opportunities to snap celebrities. I am very happy for both of them and they both seem very happy too. I expect I won’t see very much of Nelson for a while.

Wednesday 4^th April 2007: Hello ran a bio of Nelson last week to follow up on the photos of the engagement party. Nelson and Penny are quite the flavour of the month at the moment and I couldn’t be happier for them. I hope Nelson can find time to put some more of his works my way soon.

Monday 14^th May 2007: Nelson sent a couple of canvasses by courier to the gallery today. There was a short note attached asking me to display them.

Thursday 5^th July 2007: There was a message for me from Nelson today asking me to get in touch, but when I called there was no answer. I tried several times but got no response. I called Penny and she sounded concerned. I will visit Penny on Saturday – she says Nelson will be there and she wants me to talk to him.

Saturday 7^th July 2007: I saw Nelson at Penny’s today. He seemed down and I thought I would cheer him up when I told him that the two canvasses he had sent me had sold. This news seemed to have the opposite effect. I got the impression that he was disappointed that he wouldn’t see the works again, but when I tried to talk about it he didn’t want to know. At least he and Penny seem happy together – they both cheered up when I changed the subject to wedding plans. They haven’t set a date yet, but they are going away to Italy in two weeks for a long break. Hopefully the break will lift Nelson’s mood.

Thursday 6^th September 2007: I had lunch with Nelson today – he had just got back from six weeks touring Italy with Penny. He was very happy to talk about the holiday but when I asked him if he would have any new works for me he became quite morose. He said that he missed the works he had been forced to sell, his “lost works” he called them. I tried to console him by telling him that selling his work made his name and so led to him hooking up with Penny. This seemed to help a little, but I am still worried about him.

Friday 21^st September 2007: Nelson came to the gallery today and he was very down. He started talking about some of his early work, specifically four of his paintings: “Elder Yuggoth”, “Fate”, “R’Lyeh Rises” and “Karl Marx lies in Highgate Cemetery”. He referred to them as the ‘Ghadamon Cycle’, whatever that means, and was very distressed at the thought of having let them go. I took him into the office where I have Elder Yuggoth on display, but the sight of it seemed to depress him even more. I had never considered these works to be particularly connected, except in that they are amongst his best, but he gave the impression that they are a series. After he left I called Penny and left a message – I am increasingly concerned about Nelson and I hope Penny can shed some light on what is troubling him.

Thursday 27^th September 2007: I saw Nelson again today and he was again very depressed about the so-called Ghadamon Cycle. He complained that they should never have been sold and certainly not as separate entities – they should have been kept together as a set. I am increasingly concerned about his state of mind; will Penny be able to calm him down? I am less convinced than I was.

Tuesday 23^rd October 2007: I hadn’t heard from Nelson for a while, but he came to the gallery today still brooding about the Ghadamon Cycle. He now claims that the cycle is incomplete and that he never gave permission for them to be sold (which is clearly untrue). I have resolved to attempt to humour him so I did not disagree with him, but I have offered to make enquiries in an attempt to buy them back for him. This seemed to mollify him. After he left I called Penny and told her I was very concerned about Nelson. Penny is also concerned and we will all meet up for dinner next month.

Saturday 17^th November 2007: Nelson, Penny and I all met up for dinner in town today. Nelson seemed in a relatively good mood and I deliberately kept the conversation away from work. I took Penny aside at one point and asked her how Nelson had been recently. She said that he had been quite upbeat and she was hopeful that he was improving. When the conversation touched on the subject of work I told Nelson that I was in the process of tracking down the Ghadamon Cycle works in order to recover them. This seemed to please him greatly.

Thursday 3^rd January 2008: I met Nelson and Penny for drinks this evening. I haven’t seen them in a couple of months as they have been away over Christmas and the New Year. I was able to inform Nelson that I have made contact with the owners of the Ghadamon works and I am negotiating for their purchase. He told me that he is working on the next part of the cycle. The new work has no title as yet, but he seemed almost relieved to hear that he may soon have the whole set in his possession again. His obsession with these works concerns me and I am fearful of what may happen to him if I cannot recover all the paintings.

Wednesday 23^rd July 2008: Nelson has been out of contact for some time now working on his latest piece, but he called me today and we met for lunch. He was not in a good way – he has obviously not been sleeping at all well and he seemed completely absorbed in his latest work which is still untitled. He was very enthusiastic about the new piece and assured me that it is going very well, but when I suggested that he might want to sell it he flew into a rage. Not only was he enraged at the possibility of selling this latest work, but he demanded to know when the rest of the Ghadamon Cycle would be returned, claiming that he could not finished the new piece without the presence of the others. He is contradicting himself and is very disturbed. I am very concerned about his mental health and I did not have the heart to tell him that I have been unable to acquire the other works in the cycle. I will have to break the news to him soon, but I am worried what effect this will have on him.

Monday 18^th August 2008: Nelson called me to come to his studio today. When I arrived he demanded to know what was happening with the Ghadamon Cycle. I was forced to confess to him that the owners of the various works had refused, for various reasons, to sell. His reaction to this news was predictably angry, but when I offered to sell him ‘Elder Yuggoth’ he became even more enraged telling me that one of the works alone was useless. He flew into a tantrum and started throwing things at me so I left. I will leave it a month or so before I contact him again.

Tuesday 26^th August 2008: I heard on the radio this morning that Nelson had been admitted to the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading. I rushed to the hospital as quickly as possible and was introduced to Dr. Jamieson from A&E who had treated Nelson on his admission. Dr. Jamieson informed me that Nelson had been admitted with symptoms consistent with drowning, though he had been found on the couch in his apartment. The police have apparently decided that this is a case of attempted suicide and do not intend to investigate! Dr. Jamieson tried to reassure me that Nelson will have the best of care and should recover in time and then she took me to Nelson’s room where I found Penny in attendance. Nelson appeared to be in a terrible state – he was covered in bruises and looked as though he had been in a serious fight. Dr. Jamieson also seemed shocked by his condition and said that he appeared to be deteriorating.

At this point another doctor, Dr. Jones, entered the room and there followed an argument between the two medicos over Nelson’s condition and treatment. Apparently Dr. Jones will be treating Nelson and he was not happy about Dr. Jamieson involving herself with the case since she was on A&E duty. Dr. Jamieson left at this point and I spoke with Dr. Jones who asked me about Nelson’s lifestyle and behaviour. He was particularly interested in whether Nelson drank heavily or used any medication or drugs. I gave some evasive answers, telling the doctor that I had not seen Nelson in some time, and promised to look into it. I will try to speak with Dr. Jamieson again soon since she seems to have suspicions about Nelson’s condition and may be more helpful than Dr. Jones. Dr. Jones appears to buy the attempted suicide line, which I do not.

Penny is beside herself and I am highly suspicious of the circumstances of his condition. Despite his recent behaviour I do not believe that he would contemplate suicide (nor does Penny) and there is definitely something odd going on here. I got Nelson’s keys from Penny and I went to his apartment to investigate for myself.

Nelson’s apartment seemed to be perfectly normal – there was no sign of a struggle or forced entry. Everything seemed to be in place. There was a half-finished work on the easel which I photographed with my phone and a note from Thames Valley police listing items which they had removed from the apartment as part of their investigation. I opened Nelson’s secret stash (which the police had not found) where I found some marijuana, some doses of dream dust and some other pills which I could not name. I took one of the pills for identification and a dose of dream dust for my own use. I then telephoned Nelson’s cleaner who had discovered him on the couch that morning. She was shocked by what had happened and I questioned her briefly to assure myself that she had not moved or taken anything from the apartment. She had been present when the police searched the apartment and I checked with her that the list they had left was complete. She could provide me with no further information so I thanked her and headed home. I have put the three works by Nelson which I own (‘Elder Yuggoth’,’ A Walk in the Park’ and ‘The Outsider’) in the gallery safe. Call me mercenary, but if the worst should happen then they are likely to become very valuable.

Wednesday 27^th August 2008: I returned to the Royal Berkshire first thing and asked to speak to Dr. Jamieson, but I was informed that she was not on duty today. I left a message for her to contact me as soon as possible – I am sure that she will be able to help me investigate what has happened to Nelson. I then headed for Nelson’s room where I found Penny – she had not left his side since yesterday. Nelson’s condition has definitely worsened considerably since yesterday. His skin has blackened all over as though he has been beaten up again! He has remained unconscious throughout his time in the hospital – is he in a dream trance? If so, what is happening to him in his dreams? I have not spoken to Penny about this; she does not need to worry about it. She seems to be putting a brave face on this, but I think it is a façade.

Dr. Jones came into the room while I was there and I gave him half of the unidentified pill from Nelson’s stash. I have kept the other half for myself – I may get it analysed myself to satisfy my own curiosity. Dr. Jones does not appear to see anything suspicious in the circumstances of Nelson’s condition. I do not know if this is actually the case or if he is merely covering up his own bafflement. If something is happening to Nelson in his dreams then this will likely be beyond the understanding of an ordinary doctor. I wonder again whether Dr. Jamieson will be more open-minded should I have the opportunity to discuss the situation with her. I certainly hope so!

I spoke to Penny whilst at the hospital and tried to reassure her that I would do everything I can to find out what has happened to Nelson. She will stay at the hospital and I told her to call me if there is anything she needs and then I headed back home in the hopes of receiving a call from Dr. Jamieson.

However, an unusual development occurred when a policeman arrived at the gallery asking to speak to me. Detective Alex Douglas, accompanied by another gentleman, Mr Adam Walters, wanted to ask some questions about Nelson. Det. Douglas told me he was not affiliated with Thames Valley police, but had been made aware of the case and wanted to know about Nelson. I don’t know why, but I felt quite comfortable talking to this man and I was quite forthcoming with information about my relationship with Nelson.

I told these visitors about my association with Nelson and showed them the works which I had in my possession, including the phone picture of the unfinished work in his studio. They then asked me about some of Nelson’s specific works - those which he had designated the ‘Ghadamon Cycle’. As soon as I mentioned the Ghadamon Cycle this elicited a reaction from both men – a reaction of both interest and surprise. Obviously the Ghadamon Cycle means something to them and I will have to ask them about its significance when we meet again which I am sure we will.

The gentlemen departed and Det. Douglas left me his card. I will contact him tomorrow when I have completed the next stage of my own investigation. My next move will be to use the dose of dream dust which I took from Nelson’s apartment to cast Dream of Revelation and observe what happened in Nelson’s apartment on Monday night. I hope that this will shed some light on the situation and I can then contact Det. Douglas and Dr. Jamieson and hope that they can help Nelson before his condition deteriorates further.