Interpretation

There is a theory that art should have meaning and should say something to the viewer. It should represent the artist's thoughts and emotions and they should translate into colour, light and shape. And sometimes it does do that, but more often than not, an image is simply that. It is a play of light and shadow that captures the artist's imagination or interest or it is a subject that becomes interesting once the drawing or painting process begins and it moves forward to completion. However, the Pareto Principle applies in most cases of art and 80% of art ends up relgated to the back of a storage drawer or is trashed.

In the last week, I have been the exception to Pareto's Principle and most things that I have produced I have liked. Not liked to the extent that I would put them up for sale or frame them all, but like to the extent that I don't want to hide them from others view or to tear them into a thousand pieces in frustration.

One bad drawing or painting by the artist's own standards can be soul destroying and even stifle creativity. Art and fear raise their heads again and seed the artist with self doubt of ability, self esteem and the future.

I believe that having spent the last two weeks sketching from life has helped my drawing ability and from there my confidence to put down strokes and make decisions on colour and form that were a bit rusty previously. Either that or its simply luck. I preer to believe the former scientific priniciple.

I started a watercolour of my husband the other night. He never understands the art process or why I do it and critiques what he doesn't understand. I'm about half way through this painting and have more layers to add to deepen tone and bring it to life. Its at the point where it will become a lot better or I will screw it up entirely. I'm building my portfolio of portrats so that I can start marketing them and look for some commissions.

I wandered in the greenhouse and field this morning, taking some photos of the growth stages of various vegetables. Here is what I call the 'salad bar'. There are about 8 varieties of lettuces and greens growing. I go out each day and cut a few for use in salads and top it up with cucumbers and tomotoes from the greenhouse as well as some fresh basil leaves that is growing especially well this year. They are grown in cut down chicken crates and put in a fenced in area away from marauding geese,ducks, rabbits and horses!

There will also be a bumper crop of grapes by the look of the bunches swelling in size now. There are white seedless grapes for eating and a lovely purple Pinot Noir grape for wine making. They too have really spread on both ends of the greenhouse and I anticipate in excess of 60lbs of fruit + from each of the three vines this year.

Everything is grown organically which is harder work but pays off in the end with taste and quality.

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