I started this picture after a long break from doing painting about 2006 say , it was make or break. I had a bit of a stockpile of oil paint bought years ago so it didn't seem to hurt so much to squeeze copious amounts of paint on to the canvas in a "lust for life" Kirk Douglas manner . Then I went a bit too far so out came the pallet knife/scraper and I erased all those expressionistic lozenges [not to mention expensive] paint. I left it sitting as a disappointing failure , better hide this from the world i thought . A few months later , Mum saw it through the open door , she said " I like that " , what ? that reminder of my human imperfection and ability to waste tons of oil paint . I said "thanks Mum you can have it " , I was not convinced it was any good but lets face it beauty is in the eye, not mine . I put a frame on it and hung it in the lounge . A year later my cousin Max ,a man of culture a real raconteur of a bloke , came to visit . The first thing he said when he entered the room was " I like that painting " , I said thanks . Then I began to think maybe its not a bad picture after all . The bottom line is I'm pretty ignorant when it comes to judging whats good or bad , I do like the praise and I should learn to trust what Mum says..........................................................well that gave me a bit to think about , there is no "good" or "bad" art its up to what you like . I think my eagerness to get a pleasing result gave tunnel vision , I should have put it aside and give my brain the time to comprehend what was there, rather than what I had envisaged .Lets face it no one picture can deliver complete satisfaction, thats why we keep carving rock , one work leads to more ideas .
