Paparazzi left disappointed by Ron"s no-show in Slane

Like the Scarlett Pimpernel, it was Ron Wood that they were seeking here, seeking there and seeking everywhere this week. The tabloid media was on stakeout in Clane, where the Rolling Stone rocker and artist had allegedly gone to ground with a 19 year-old Russian waitress, Katia, whom he met in London. And while Ronnie was behind closed doors in Clane, he was on exhibition in Slane. Ann Lilly"s Slane Art and Print Gallery was hosting an exhibition of the rocker"s art, and once the news broke that Ronnie was AWOL with a waitress, Ann had to fend off calls from the paparazzi enquiring if Ron would be present. Apparently, he had been invited, but his agent had told Ann it would depend on his circumstances on the weekend in question whether he would turn up or not. It wasn"t too hard to figure out that Mr Wood wasn"t going to appear at the Slane gallery, even though he had declared himself a lover of the Royal County and supporter of the boys in green and gold while on stage in the same village last summer. If we are to believe the tabloids, Ronnie, 61 years-old and worth a tidy €140 million, is being preserved on two bottles of vodka a day. What wasn"t on display in Slane was a painting he is reported to have painted of Katia, a nude study. The Slane exhibition featured a collection of 22 signed prints, and had been in the planning for a couple of months. Images ranged from the Stones on stage, to Mick Jagger and Rod Stewart, Jimmy Hendrix, Bob Marley, and equestrian prints, 'Wild Horses" as well as prints of a Genghis Khan on horseback, which proved quite popular. A number of orders taken for limited editions have exhausted the editions. Prices ranged from €700 to €2,700 for the signed prints, with 16 orders taken over the weekend. The gallery reported a busy few days, even midweek when it would be quieter, and it will run until 26th July. Wood was also absent from an exhibition run by his son, Tyrone, in Mayfair in London last Thursday night, when the rest of his family went to the first night. The Stone is a father of four, the oldest being Jesse, at 30.