Money

The above painting hangs with several more of mine in an extensive residence in the Middle East. Admittedly its not a great photograph but as I say you get the picture.

The Pines are actually on the Downs and I saw them when taking Jac for a walk one day when visiting our daughter. I had nothing to jot down a sketch on and painted them from memory. I recall I omitted a bench.

I was paid a modest price for the paintings but its not all "about the money money" although it always helps. I like to think of myself as amongst other things a creative person.


To quote the late Linds Redding:

"Truly creative people tend not to be motivated by money. That’s why so few of us have any. The riches we crave are acknowledgement and appreciation of the ideas that we have and the things that we make. A simple but sincere “That’s quite good.” from someone who’s opinion we respect (usually a fellow artisan) is worth infinitely more than any pay-rise or bonus."

I am lucky in that I am by now quite secure and confident in my work. I enjoyed my Fine Arts Degree course some years ago but was confident enough to ignore the creative "advice" that would take me away from my natural direction. ("Be true to yourself and nature" Graham Sutherland).

All that being said we all need that acknowledgement and the real moments of pleasure are when I hand a painting over to a delighted recipient who occasionally may shed a little tear or a fellow artist gives it a,"That's quite good." I am also fortunate that I value my wife Alex's judgement. She has a good eye and always gives the final nod of approval before a painting is allowed to leave the studio. 

Link; plenty to choose form Jesse J, Beatles but I go for this one