February 19, 2015

9.15 am. The turbulent sea. (All metaphor.):

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9.30 pm. Second year painting tutorials today. Some principles and observations:

  1. One should paint through a problem to its solution. Answers aren’t usually found without a brush in one’s hand.
  2. Better to paint a dozen poor works than nothing at all. One must trust that something of quality will eventually emerge.
  3. The following conditions are fundamental to success as an art student: sufficient sleep, at least moderate exercise, a balanced and healthy diet, periodic rest and distraction, a comfortable work and life environment, and meaningful and supportive relationships.
  4. I endeavour to suppress my consternation when a student — having been a cold, austere Minimalist last semester — now wants to paint portraits of their friends’ pets.
  5. When we runaway from a problem, where are we running to?
  6. The worst of what we were and have done (in either art or life) in the past shapes significantly what we are and do, presently — and sometimes for the good, mercifully.

An unintentional Trompe l’oeil painting in the West Classroom:

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1.10 pm. Lunch with the esteemed Mr Monaghan. The fellowship of other artists is fundamental to success as an artist:

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2.00 pm. I undertook one further second year and a ‘residual’ third year painting tutorial, before moving back to the School for my last tutorial on the day, MA admin, and a bit of cupboard ‘turfing-out’. Live light, where one can.

6.20 pm. Practice session 1. 7.30 pm. I began the evening with teaching admin, then a review of two undergraduate dissertation drafts, then more teaching admin, followed by a compilation of the ‘Graven Image II’ sound files to test the ‘Graven Image III’ sound equipment tomorrow evening and Saturday. (Oh, joy!) 9.40 Practise session 2:

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