Someone told me once that life is what you make it. I couldn't agree more.

           

            Tied up my shoes and went for a run through “the” motions yesterday. Came across a startling discovery. Not quite clear on what else I would do with the rest of my life without painting. It is truly the most amazing thing in the entire world (that’s obviously a biased statement).

            The last 6 weeks were spent without a functioning studio in which to produce work. I found myself spiraling through an abyss of random activity, always returning to the thought that I hadn’t really made anything for however long. You can really notice when you are active in everything but making art. I know the conceptualists out there will beg to differ, in that life is art and art life. Granted, however the 'art' I refer to is of the physical kind. The sort of thing one can be found smearing around some coloured goo. An action I gush so much over. Seriously.

           

           

            Not many things compare to holding a tube of oil paint in your hand. Infinite potential mingled with the smell of history, wafting about as you proceed to squeeze goo. Beauty and innocence extruded. “Squish Squish” enter the brush. You are now about to embark on a journey through tangibility and insurmountable fear. Get over it. Somehow goo smears across the stubble of gesso. The worst is over.

           

            Something I wrote 10 years ago.

5 Steps to Surviving a Blank Canvas:

Step 1: Appreciate what you have when you start with nothing.

Step 2: It is not always you.

Step 3: Rome was not built in a day, but they must have begun somewhere. MAKE A MARK!!!!!

Step 4: Do you play chess? React to what you do.

Step 5: You can always leave it blank, but that’s been done.