And just like that Summer is over! The schools are back, the roads busy and as I write this I'm wrapped in a heated blanket as my house temperature plummets - tbf it is warmer outside my old house than it is inside!
The French have a word for reentering life after the summer holidays, "bonne rentrée" - good comeback or welcome back.
And with the excitement of a new term, I'm thinking of all the new stuff ahead and potential new directions.
Much of my work recalls the Welsh coastline, wild seas and crazy weather I grew up with. For some years now however, I have lived in beautiful, but landlocked Worcestershire (I can't help but say this in a Shrek & Donkey kind of way - check it out 😂).
So! I'm thinking about painting more of the life I have - document my days as it were.
It's what artists do all the time, but it takes courage to put your life out into the world for all to see. Look at Tracey Emin's bed! (I won't be sharing my lack of domestic godessness btw!). Or Paula Rego's harrowing life experiences challenging us from the canvas.
But with my life and talent in a different league to these artistic icons, is it interesting enough to make good art?
Hell yes (I think so)! Lots of artists record the mundanity of their daily lives, but the more important question is, will it be a source of inspiration that keeps me going back into my studio, like a dog with a bone? Because that's, in my opinion what it takes to get good at this painting game - exploration, iteration, repetition?
So time will tell if I'll be sharing the details of my lovely life with all and sundry. Open studios may look very different next year 😂. I'll keep you posted.
Do you have any 'new term' thoughts and aspirations? I'd love to hear from you so I'm not Billy-no-mates, sitting on the school bus all alone, not sure where it's going!
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