I know that the capacity to tackle more than one thing at once is often admired, and particularly by women, who claim that men can’t do this. Setting aside the perils of any kind of discussion about the differences between the sexes, I’ve discovered that artists should definitely be suspicious of it.
I’m reaching the conclusion of my latest image, and although fundamentally a work in pastel there are final details to be added in gold leaf. This is a medium I have used several times in the past, and enjoy doing so. It does have its perils. It is not possible to apply large areas of gold at any one time. The procedure involves covering the area to be gilded with an adhesive, which then has to be allowed to dry for fifteen minutes before the gold is actually laid on it. This sounds ultimately simple–and it is–but there is a catch. If you decide to do something else during that fifteen minutes there is a very strong chance indeed that you will become so absorbed in the second task that you forget to return to the gilding at the right moment. If the adhesive has dried too much, of course, the leaf will not stick to it, and it is necessary to start over again.
Let’s face it, however, how many of us are going to volunteer to (what is in effect) watch paint dry? I suppose I could set an alarm clock. I do hope that it will turn out to be worth the trouble when the job is done. So far, so good!