A Change Of Scene

I've been slightly taken aback at the speed with which the season is turning.

Just a moment ago, the evenings were golden and balmy. And now, barely a blink later, I am reaching for a wool pullover.

And it's not just the seasons that have been galloping past – at least, in the United Kingdom. I saw a post on social media the other day that said, 'I've got a carton of milk in the fridge that's seen two prime ministers and two monarchs. Mad!' Hot on the heals of the pandemic, it seems, change is all around us.

It was Professor John Allen Paulos who famously said in 1945, 'Uncertainty is the only certainty there is, and knowing how to live with insecurity is the only security.'

Wise words indeed, but the question is, how do we live with it?

For me, creativity is the answer to so many of my questions. Working with my paints and brushes is like having a conversation with a crew of tried and trusted friends. My Chinese brushes are challenging but insightful. My inks are fun but opinionated. My acrylics are extrovert but not well-read. Although my tools and I don't always agree, we can count on each other to always be there (except when I've left a paint tube cap unscrewed), and we usually come up with a result that we are all happy with. Teasing through a certain quality of magenta, diving into the luscious depths of Prussian Blue, or refining the angle of a nose are all things that help me to align my thoughts and feelings, and come back to a place of everything's going to be ok.

And if these results can then go out into the world and help other people to feel such things as inspiration, reassurance, joy, or connection – then that makes me very happy.

A Chandelier I Can Swing From'. Prints available, sized 30cm x 42cm (11.7inches x 16.5inches)