I thought I would tell you all about the not so good stuff about being an artist....all in good fun.
1. THE REVEAL...
The thing I get the most nervous about is revealing a commission to a customer. Generally people are absolutely great even if the painting isn't what they are looking for, however sometimes they don't like what I have done! Plus I get some impossible requests I have been asked to increase the size of some children ( as they have grown since the photo was taken ).Or to add the third dog ....( but there are only 2 on the photo ) yes he has run off but he was there on the day !!! I can laugh about it now.....and I do enjoy commissions. The best thing about them is when I hear they are a treasured memory of a much loved pet or a reminder of an lovely family day.
2. GETTING FAT
Painting is quite a sedentary pursuit so I am very aware that I am probably getting bigger.I try to go a walk everyday but the lure of the biscuit jar downstairs can sometimes be too much....
3. WASTING TIME.
Discipline, much as I love to paint getting started can be tricky some days. I can waste far too much time surfing the internet, looking at weird videos on Facebook, checking out art pages on twitter. It's that feeling of a blank page in front of me and no ideas in my head.I can tidy my desk, make a cup of tea , eat another biscuit.!!!
4. NEGLECTING THE FAMILY
So as well as sometimes not being able to start working sometimes I am not able to stop working, If I am stuck into a painting I can lose hours and hours . And when I am supposed to be cooking the tea/ cleaning the house/ etc etc I am instead concentrating of the curve of a birds' wing or the eye on a hare.Painting full time has not led to a tidier house.Thankfully I haven't forgotten to pick the children up...yet!
5. COVERING MOST OF MY HOUSE IN PAINT SPLATTERS!
Already having established I am not the world's best house wife I have now realized that many many surfaces including my mobile phone cover are now covered in little paint splashes. I have spilt masking fluid on my clothes and always have paint in my nails, glamorous I am not !.
But all in all I think I probably have one of the best jobs in the world x
2 comments
I just saw your gorgeous swan painting on FB simply watercolors which led me down this rabbit hole to here. Got a good giggle and high five to you. I’m relieved to know I’m not the only one to piss away a day in my artistic pursuits. I’ve just moved to London from Oakland CA. My husband is an animator and is working on a new Wes Anderson film. Sometimes I work on the sets but at the moment I’m getting my bearings and hoping to use this new clean slate to improve on my art. Thank you for sharing.
Holly Tanner Strauss
Just love your work,introduced to it by sister Sue Giles. Keep painting,the house won’t fall down if you don,t Hoover! Love to order your Puffin,(happy Thursday) tell me how.xx