Art on the Side

I am not a full time artist. I work five hours each weekday at a care home here in Bedford, UK. Afternoons are for art (evenings are for saxophone practice and watching films). Weekends are for everything else - a swim, a run, shops, walks, photography, drinking, eating and so on.

And now this, the blog.

I have learned one or two important things about producing art, and I suppose they apply to most other creative practices. One is that even if you are not 'in the mood', if you've made yourself the time, you should still get on with it - the work will usually pick you up and carry you along.

To help with this, always finish your session on a 'high note', when things are going well. It makes things so much easier to restart work if there are no huge problems to surmount first thing.

Finally, if you can't think what to do next, get on with it anyway. The ideas will usually come.

Here is a batch of paintings that have just been started. My wife had just completed the 'Coast to Coast' long distance walk, so I think I had pathways on my mind. The colours and lines give me something to work with - to get the dialogue going.