I had quite a shock this morning when I weighted myself, as usual, in the bathroom. To my horror I discovered that I had acquired around 2kg. of extra weight! It didn’t take me long to work out what has been happening. The past week has featured the snooker Masters’ Trophy, and as a fan of the sport I have spent around four hours every day seated in front of the TV! I like to look on the bright side of life, and make no apology for my enjoyment of snooker. As it happens also, the piece on which I have been working reached that stage at which it was best left on the easel, untouched, while I was allowed to assimilate the situation without constantly poking at it. Passing it several times a day I was able to form a leisurely impression of what really needed to be done. Today, the snooker behind me, I allowed myself to engage with the picture again with a fairly clear idea of what needed to be rectified.
The other relevant factor contributing to my weight problem, of course, has been my wife’s baking …. particularly her Christmas cake, of which I am very fond, and an extremely delicious chocolate confection. I believe that the Christmas cake is now (mercifully) exhausted. Regarding the chocolate stuff I will just be compelled to exercise some self-control. I do know, on the basis of past experience, that painting is actually a very effective means of controlling weight, as I spend all day on my feet, and also expend an un-known, but appreciable, number of calories in mental and emotional activity. It will be interesting to see how long it takes me to return to my normal weight. I have found it an interesting experience to be faced with a quantifiable measure of the cost of not doing art.