When I went to Art College, it became clear on day one that you just did not paint pretty pictures. Everything had to be exploratory, and the more abstract in deed and thought, then the better chance you had of good grades. It did not seem to occur to the lecturers, that most of us hadn’t a clue about life, let alone express it in relevant abstract forms. None the less I had three years enjoying myself painting 12 foot long weird things, and welding giant sculptures out of scrap iron.

I am not slagging off abstract art, it had a very relevant period breaking down accepted tired and stagnating norms, and I am sure most practitioners are serious about their approach , it’s just not for me. Having said that you will see a couple of abstracted pictures on this site, but I have to admit they were more for fun than contain any serious content.

So how does someone settle on a way of expressing themselves? It’s not such an easy thing, most of us stare at our work with a mixture of desperation and frustration, wondering if we are doing the right thing, using the right style or medium. If an artist tells you that they are happy with their work, don’t believe them. That is unless they have a big ego. Having a direction is very important, otherwise you wander aimlessly. All I can do is look constantly at pictures by not only artists I like, but also those I am not fond of. Watching you tube commentaries on the thoughts and lives of some of these people is very enlightening. The same paintings always appear when a name is researched, but often the less known work is far more interesting. I hated L.S.Lowery, and his stick people, till I saw some of his desperate ruined street scenes, and war art. Early Picasso was an exceptional painter, before he turned to abstraction.

All you can do is try and be true to yourself. Experiment and if you find your voice, you are lucky, I think I am still looking