I don't exhibit much, just twice in the last decade. I am lazy I suspect, preferring to just get on with it: both exhibitions were invitations so I had only to see if there was something worth showing and then turn up. It is a risk, sticking one's neck out and part of me wants to and the other would rather not.
For a very long time I would not describe myself as painter; there is a historical reason for that and I won't bore anyone with it: suffice it to say that it was a step too far. Now I have been invited to show some self portraits in a show next year which means I have to get to it because like all that I do it will be a start/stop/redo/start again affair.
There are a lot of excellent portrait painters who have learnt their craft the hard way. I am interested in that slow accretion of expertise and I like very much to see a hard won image. I don't know my limitations yet so I am going to go into this with a degree of naivety and see if anything can be done. I have made a start. The months ahead will suggest a direction and if these tentative beginnings yield anything at all I'll put it here.
I found this today.
Jan Veth. 1888. Cornelia, Clara and Joanna Veth.
and these are my beginnings - long way to go then.
