Origins

I'm going to update where some of these paintings have come from later today, time permitting. It's not too arty and pretentious, I think, to say that there is inspiration all around; in the sheen of the feathers on a starling's wing, the shapes made by the corner of a building, the colours of a cloud. One thing painting does, amongst many, is to make you look at things around you more closely, and so I suppose the whole process just opens your eyes to your surroundings a little more. I'm probably not putting this very well, but sleep deprivation doesn't do very much for eloquence!

Really I should carry a sketchbook with me all the time to capture these scenes and ideas for pictures, but of course I hardly ever do - and my life is too busy to stop and sketch whenever the fancy takes me anyway. I do occasionally remember to carry a small camera though, and so most of what I paint usually comes from photographic references.

Strangely, even though there seems to inspiration to paint almost everywhere (I suppose that dreaded essay subject 'the inside of a ping pong ball' might pose a few problems), it can still be difficult for me to sit down and face a blank canvas, to actually make those first marks and begin to put down some colour and form. I've tried some creative writing courses in the past and felt just the same sort of mental blankness (a mode I excel at!) when trying to find something pithy to jot down on that pristine sheet of paper. Not easy, that creativity stuff...

I should also mention that I don't in fact paint on canvas any more. But saying that I have difficulties sitting down and facing a blank sheet of gessoed hardboard doesn't have the same ring to it somehow! That stuff is a great surface to paint on by the way, it's easily cut to size (and comes in 8 x 4 foot sheets, which should be big enough for most painters), and it's as cheap as chips - more money to spend on those expensive cadmiums!