Good evening peeps,

It is that time once more for me to inform you of what I have or have not been up to this week.

Mmmmm....shall we say that it has been a slightly more creative week than the last one. I have managed to complete the figures of "Romulus and Remus" and am half way through the painting of the birds. It all appears to be going swimmingly well and the crows are shaping up nicely. I do admit to a certain amount of satisfaction as it has been a long while since I have painted any form of wild life apart from homo sapian.... I remember saying in a previous blog that I was trying to create an ambiguity about who's who in this painting, dare I say that I think I have succeeded. I am not even sure myself which one is Romulus and which one is Remus....ooooer is that a cop out...???
I will have produced two paintings for this series when "R & R" are completed...the thing is I have yet to frame them up. This in its self is a crucial part of the finished piece and is going to be a very "learn as you go and hope for the best" time. I have a very clear and distinct vision in my head of how they will look...however....it involves cutting away and distressing, which only allows a fraction of error. Do I look scared...??? Absolutely! Blimey, it takes me forever to get going when I know what I'm doing, lordy lordy only knows how long it'll take me to crack on with the frames. Hey ho...

I have also been asked to do a private portrait and am about to begin the preliminary drawings. It has been a wee while since I was commissioned to do a portrait and am dead excited about it. The thing is when you don't know the sitter very well...in this case hardly at all, you need to bring a whole new way of looking to the table. I've decided to try not and deliberate for too long over how I am going to "do it"....think it will cloud my judgement and fog up my thinking.
The sitter will have his own perception of how he looks, I will see something else...the hope is that the final painting will marry these two up and all will be well. I defy any painter not to admit to wanting so much to please the sitter...

Can I say that when a person is subjected to constant and prolonged abuse they have a tendacy to become extremely knackered and weary. I mention this because it is happening to me at the moment and I am knackered and weary. It has not been a good time on the ward. Please emit waves of sympathy toward me in the vain hope that I will once again become motivated and committed.

I thank you.

Ivor x