It seems the thing to do now, writing blogs that is. I am not convinced of any potential interest but being one of those people who feel they have to keep up in some sort of half-hearted way, with social networking I have decided to take a stab at writing this blog which may or may not be read!
I am a painter, put a paint brush in my hand and anything close by could be reduced to an inspired surge of creativity, or not.
Happy to repaint a wall, a chair, a plate anything that is shouting out for a new look.
What I paint is subject to an intense dialogue inside my head that it is not good enough, I could do better and do I really think I should be painting, given that there are so many talented people out there.
I do not ask for compliments, although it is always so humbling to receive them and I often wonder if people can see what I see!
Being co-owner of a gallery and a curator of exhibitions, I come across so many talented people and feel so privileged to know them and to gain an insight into how they work and what inspires them. That is probably the most treasured aspect of my life - I pick up a paint brush again. It is a need,something I have to do, even if I am frustrated and uninspired.
Cows have been in my life forever, they have worked to provide for my family, they have been loved, admired, groomed, showed, milked, talked about endlessly.
I just remember the passion my father had for genetics and improving milk yield, the cow must also look good too.
This all seems rather alien to some, I know, but it is just what was very much part of my life. I suppose I was never really involved with the daily routine on the farm, other than feeding the calves occasionally which was obviously the best thing for a young girl and as I grew up chatting up any young men that happened to helping out on the farm!
When I eventually had to help out, it was only then, that the real hard work became apparent, and all sorts of new thoughts were going through my head, but it was the characters of the cows that warmed to me most, they were really individual - some annoying, some feisty, some loveable, some inquisitive.
I could go on. That was when I thought I wanted to paint their portraits, knowing that they responded to humans but at the same time they were working hard to provide food for us. What animal gives so much?
It has been a long time of painting cows, people have responded to these characterful portraits much more than I would ever have imagined.
I had no idea that so many people actually liked cows, despite the fact they are very large animals and very strong. One has to respect their hugeness; they do not know their own strength on many occasions I often found myself trapped between the barriers and a herd of cows coming into the milking parlour, having to leap onto the gates to avoid injury!
It is time for me to end this now; I shall return to some more blogging soon! If you have read this - thank you