Point Taken....

You have been working for hours and then suddenly you place that mark that has been eluding you. It’s like you have finally found the key that fits the door from the huge chain of skeleton keys that has been hanging heavy on your neck and it opens to reveal the magic kingdom. ‘I’m there!’ you exclaim to yourself: the painting suddenly seems almost complete. You place the next mark and the door shuts tight again. You didn’t even have time to hang up your coat. ‘Bugger.’

You persevere and muscle through. You seem to finally get there through countless deliberation, placing mark after mark, and taking them away again. You’re at a crucial stage. ‘Mustn’t overdo it,’ you think to yourself. ‘That’s it! Let’s stop there, and head out the studio while the going is good.’ You down brushes in the jar of dirty turps, wipe your hands on the dirty, paint covered rag, and then make the mistake of turning round for one last look as you reach the door…’Bugger! I have overdone it!’.  You turn back and carry on…

After painting all day, I pick my four year old son, Isaac, up from school.’ What’s that smell?’ he sniffs as I zip up his jacket.’ It smells like paint?’. ‘It’s me’, I explain, ‘I’ve been painting all day.’ ‘But no, no, Daddy…Daddy, Why do you do all that painting? I don’t want you to do all that painting. I just want you to do ONE painting.’ I think a lot of people I know probably would. He might have a point….