Almost there

The response is good, the feedback positive. But it's not quite complete yet. A few more changes, and hopefully it will be finished then.

I always have mixed feelings about my art - I put as much as I can into it, of myself, invariably have positive feedback (actually, I can't remember when I last had negative feedback, other than someone being upset by their feelings over my Enigma painting because they didn't like the faces in it because of what it reminded them of - so, that doesn't count, as such..!). And then, when artist and client are happy, the painting goes to live with them. I always feel a little sad when it goes, but also am happy that it will give others happiness through viewing it, so it has to leave me, for that to happen. But then, I can look towards the next idea, the next painting, the next commission. And I am always excited at the prospect of that! 

But sometimes I see some of my paintings when I go to visit friends, and that is always nice for me too - like visiting old friends of my own! Twice this week, that has happened, and I like to see my art, and to hear from my friends how other people in their lives have looked at the paintings and been affected by them in a positive way. But art does speak to people, and I am always astounded when I hear someone say that they have never thought of art, or paintings, and don't have an interest in it. Surely, all of us have ONE painting that we want depicted, one thing that is the most special thing of all, to us, for us to look at daily, and get mental sustenance, inspiration, hope, happiness, pleasure, and a feeling of loving fulfillment from. It doesn't matter if that painting is a special place (whether its Naples, New England, Nagasaki or Nuneaton), thing (motorbikes, mangoes, military mustard pots or Ming vases), person (lover, lovers, loved, lost, or liked), or action (sky diving, skiiing, sailing the Seven Seas, sewing sequins, shampooing the cat), we all want something. I just want the opportunity to paint it for them.

I am pleased my contact in New Zealand is still interested in my career and where it is going. We spoke briefly this week on the phone, early morning for him, late night for me, catching up on each others lives. His affected stupendously recently by the earthquake there, and listening to his voice as he described it brought the enormity of it all into my life.  

Friends visiting last night were eager to see how the Royal Crescent at Bath painting had progressed since their last visit a fortnight ago. And I was more than happy to show them, although I explained it wasn't fully completed yet...

People come into my life, and some are affected hugely by my art. My life is my art. If I can affect them, through what I paint, I feel I have achieved part of my lifes plan. And, that's got to be a good thing, surely?

Getting back in the swing

It all seems so sweetly natural...to have the internet back, to be able to blog again, to read and reply to emails. And yet I've waited almost two whole tedious months for this.

Its dragged, and yet, it's gone quickly too. As is the way with the passing of time.....

Only two months left of the year and its been such a massive year for me, the B I G G E S T and most challenging ever. Sorting out my life, saying goodbye to the past and moving on, to the future. A future that may be partly uncertain, but hopefully full of all sorts of interesting mentally and physically stimulating things, and fascinating people and new experiences, too.

It is a future with good friendships from the past, some old, some newer. There is a strength within those friendships that feeds various facets of my persona. Some vanilla, some less so. The Guild of Erotic Artists continues to be a good base for me, and I value the help and support I get from the members. It has been with deep regret that I have been unable to exhibit at Erotica at Olympia this year, partly through constraints of time, partly through my personal circumstances, partly because I need to fully concentrate on doing it and can't at the moment, and partly due to the large financial outlay it involves. But, as in all things, maybe when one door can't be opened, another opens in its place, and I am always happy to peek through other doorways to see where they might lead me.

Infact, I did just that, on Thursday.

It was a new doorway, a big one, one full of promises of exciting things to an Erotic Artist........

...and through that doorway I met someone...... a woman...... a beautiful dark haired woman.....who inspires me to want to paint again. She may even be my next muse. But we need to talk further about that subject, and I don't know if our paths will cross again, but it they do, I shall draw her, with the greatest of pleasure........

Beginnings

If Samuel hadn't had a daughter called Sophia in 1793 whose sons were blacksmiths

If Mary (born 1796), and a widow at 26, hadn't gone on to marry James and had a son called Eli

If James and Mary hadn't had an 8th child, a daughter called Sarah, born in 1798

If Samuel and Elizabeth hadn't had a son John in 1799

If Stephen hadn't married Hannah (born 1785) in 1805 and had six children

If William and Ann hadn't had a son called John in 1806

If John hadn't married Kitty (born 1814) who worked in a cotton mill from the age of 7, and had a daughter called Ann

If John and Sarah hadn't had a daughter Rebecca in 1824

If Jemima (born 1801) hadn't married John in 1825 and had a daughter called Elizabeth

If Joseph (born 1805) hadn't married Mary, a cotton spinner, (born 1801) and had a son Ralph in 1835

If John hadn't married Sarah in 1826 and had a daughter called Sarah

If Sarah hadn't married William in 1847

If Eli hadn't married Rebecca in 1848 and had 7 children, the 4th a son, John

If Frederick and Elizabeth hadn't had a daughter called Rosa in 1859

If Rosa hadn't married John and had a son Alfred who fought in the Boer War

If Sarah Jane hadn't run a pub and had a daughter called Millicent who was a dressmaker

If Alfred and Millicent hadn't married and had 13 children
 
 
 
I wouldn't have been born.

That's awesome............................ isn't it?

I'm only on this planet because of all these people and what they did in their lives. Without any one of them, I wouldn't exist.

And neither would my art.

I find that somehow very humbling............................