I have decided to stop beating myself up about the fact that I am not painting anything at the moment. To do so would be quite unreasonable in the context of all the things that have happened since the autumn, and the things which engage me at the moment.
When I look back on the past year I have, in fact, been unusually productive, and my head needs a rest. The practical projects on which I am engaged at the moment, especially in the garden, are a very refreshing change, and I ought simply to accept them gratefully as a very positive way of using time while I am waiting for the next art activity to come along. (The woodwork is great as a means of involving me completely, shutting out all other concerns.) Added to which there is a small writing task I have taken on, and that absorbs a couple of hours each day. It is not as though I am kicking my heels!
Wasn’t it Cleo Laine who sang “I’m biding my time”? Well: I’m taking a leaf out of her book. (By the way: I do think she has a great voice, with a truly distinctive tone.) So: that’s me, for the time being. I expect that by the end of the year I will be wishing that I could find time to do something else other than paint!