Actually, I’m not of a paranoid disposition, but unusually I’ve begun to have suspicions over the past few days. Just as I am hitting my stride, and painting regularly and effectively, I’m interrupted by other things which cannot be deferred. There have been relatively minor intrusions, such as demands that I go to have a medical check-up, and the request from my Italian language teacher that we change the date of our lesson. Far more serious, however, has been The Tree!
We have quite a large garden, with several mature trees. The weather recently has been rough, and a wind coming from an unusual direction (East) blew over one of them. At first I thought that this was a problem I could defer, as it didn’t fall all the way, remaining propped up against its neighbour. Then, another assault from the other direction put paid to it, and it fell into our neighbours’ garden. Yesterday I had to seize the opportunity of a break in the rain to get out the electric saw and remove as much of it as I could. It is, I have to admit, a relatively puny tool, and the task of removing the main trunk will have to await the assistance of my step-son, who has a far more serious item of equipment. Today, as my mind turned towards a new composition, I had to take advantage of a dry spell in order to begin the task of cutting up and bagging the wood. Some of it will dry eventually for firewood, but the greater part of it is brushwood which will have to be carted to the tip. I managed to get about half of the job done. I was planning to have a clear run at the easel tomorrow, but (depending on the weather) I might not manage that.
The loss of the tree is a pity because it was a laburnum, which flowers cheerfully in the spring. We lost a rowan earlier in the year as well …. to old age.
What an ironic situation at a time when my creative impulses are directed towards pictures of trees! I wonder if this is a critical comment by the arboreal kingdom on the quality of my work.