I never thought it would come to this, but I realised this afternoon that I am actually attempting to develop strategies for holding art at bay …. for deferring any future engagement with it. These vary, and can be deployed severally or in concert. There is always the garden, of course, but new diversions are coming into view.
Our grandson came to stay with us recently, and we discovered that he plays chess. My wife has cottoned onto this, and we have developed the habit of playing chess after dinner. (She believes, I reckon, that she has a better chance of beating me at chess than at Scrabble!) I little charitable DIY over at the neighbouring church comes in useful. The back-log of work in the garden should stand me in good stead for some time. Having injured my shoulder last week, falling on the cellar steps, the physiotherapist has given me as sheet of remedial exercises which I am supposed to do three times a day.
Probably the most effective medium-term diversion from art I expect to be the job of getting rid of the accumulation of things which we no longer need. I’ve started on the books. My art racks should keep me going for a while. (Let’s face it: I have been bit of a hoarder!) There must be a good week’s work in the cellar. At the moment this is all very refreshing, and I expect that there will be a moment when I cannot pretend any longer that I’m not actually interested in art. Surely I’ll know that moment when it comes.