9.15 am. The turbulent sea. (All metaphor.):
9.30 pm. Second year painting tutorials today. Some principles and observations:
- One should paint through a problem to its solution. Answers aren’t usually found without a brush in one’s hand.
- Better to paint a dozen poor works than nothing at all. One must trust that something of quality will eventually emerge.
- 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.
- 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.
- When we runaway from a problem, where are we running to?
- 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:
1.10 pm. Lunch with the esteemed Mr Monaghan. The fellowship of other artists is fundamental to success as an artist:
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: