I don’t paint people much, which is strange as I find people fascinating.  I don’t think I have any more planned exhibitions for 2024, so I could set myself a summer project. The few people I can pull out of the digital or even real-world portfolio are all thinking about something.

Maybe that is my thing, I hadn’t realised. Even a pair of dancers are not truly engaged with one another or the viewer. Lost in their individual worlds despite being physically dependent on one another.

Even my recent cold water swimmer is lost within the tiles of the shower.

The more I look the more pensive people I find. Storm Agnes, raging but full of thought.

There is even a portrait of me in our hallway , pondering.

Seems that pondering is a creative theme. I had no idea!

P s In the interests of research I went in search of a painting that has been stored here for many years.

My first portrait from my Foundation degree, hiding in lofts, attics and barns for 25 years or so.

In one of life’s uncanny twists, I discovered recently that my DNA is 10% Viking. But that is not particularly important to this ponder. I seem to have always liked people in my paintings to be deep in thought. A point worth pondering I think