Yellow the colour

Found myself standing in a gallery today with two of my paintings resting up on the wall under some amazing Peter Howson's. Reminded me of one of my favourite anecdotes about Picasso (how true, who knows) in which he sneaked a couple of pictures into a gallery ahead of an invite to exhibit there to see if they 'stood up' to the other works. I suppose I love the idea of him having the same frailties as the rest of us and doubting the genius that everyone else spoke of. Pretty sure he was pleased with what he saw.

What was amazing today was that, notwithstanding the fact that mine were two of my favourite pieces to date, I did not have the feeling of inadequacy that I would have expected. Indeed, I felt pretty confident that what was leaning on the wall was actually a couple of pieces of work that I was proud to have created; I felt they would fit in. Luckily so did the gallery owner and so another little milestone passed before my eyes; alas I couldn't share it with anyone else and the impact it had on me will not translate to many.

Talked about colour and threw about the usual comparisons with other artists work, all of which it has to be said was extremely flattering and gave me a renewed eagerness to carry on the path I am walking. Straight to Greyfriars art shop and away humming in the spring sun on Cumberland street with a wad of canvas rolled under my arm. It is interesting looking back on the work of the past year to note other little milestones in my work, one of which takes place only a couple of months ago when I finally threw away one of my own misjudged constraints and started working on canvas instead of board; it seems to have liberated something in my work that has given it a new depth of colour, tone, vigour. Suggests to me very clearly that I must continue to experiment more with my media as it is so easy to become stuck in a groove and miss out on new ways of working and expressing.

Colour is back to the forefront of my mind yet again; I think there is still so much more I could do with it, and want to push into uncharted territory and get into some serious yellow. I keep wanting to use it and pulling back from it or overpainting what I do use, but now the spring is here I seem to see it everywhere, and in my minds eye. Mustard, Turners, Naples, Cadmium, Lemon... I shall see how many I can squeeze on this new canvas.

Sun and butter; the

Colour of optimism

Just must be yellow