After what feels like a long absence from work I managed to get back to my small space last week for a few sessions. I brought a saw to trim some loose branches around the 'studio' which I've carved out of the mess left from the cyclone three months ago. Trees died and needed to be cut away from this little perch of mine now on a small cliff above the beach. It's only about three metres but feels higher. It will take a few years for the sand dunes to recover so until then I'll look like Gandalf to the beach walkers below.
I was happy with what I managed to come away last week. A few lovely blooms appeared and gave me something to easily work with. I think the top one came second as dusk began to settle in. I'm heartened that after a long hiatus I still see something worth painting. I'm glad I still find it an interesting investigation. It's not drudgery or boring for me as I was afraid that it might feel. In the end, it's still a great therapy session for me because I find that I have an uneasy truce with the world in this time. I know I'm not the only one.
But hey! We're all stuck in this together. Some with deeper despair than others.
Time to get back to Tolstoy, a great writer and a marvel of humanism. I picked up one of my favourite novellas by him, his very last book entitled The Forged Coupon. I've read it dozens of times over the years and it amazes me each time. The only difficulty is remembering all the various character's long Russian names.
I marvel at the sobriety of the prose. Its clear-cut narrative moves smoothly through the story like an elite marathon runner. There is nothing redundant nor out of place, it's about as perfect a story as can be. If only painting could be that simple.
Whether one builds an automobile, a laptop, a home, or an etching, merit in art always comes from a maximum number of relationships. When everything works together seamlessly there is the possibility for excellence. My paintings may not be excellent or great, but in them there is an aspiration for it. That is enough for any artist I think, because an artistic life is a long one full of possibilities.
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