When Lewis Carroll wrote the poem The Walrus and The Carpenter back in 1872 he might not have imagined in his wildest dreams that it would become such a timeless classic…
The time has come, the Walrus said,
To talk of many things:
Of shoes–and ships–and sealing-wax–
Of cabbages–and kings–
And why the sea is boiling hot–
And whether pigs have wings
There are many other verses of this poem just as wonderful but it has been my motto throughout life to say the first few lines of the above verse when I know the time has come to act. I never would have believed that I could be so excited about painting the interior of my house, which I had put off for far to long to answer the call of the studio and fulfill my various art commitments.
Why put off what we know has to be done? It’s an interesting phenomenon that we often do just this to avoid sometime that might cause pain even for a satisfactory result. If you are like me, to begin house painting you first have to remove a lot of clutter. It’s a bit like creating anew in the studio… and it is somewhat embarrassing to think we can gather so much. Letting go is always hard. There are memories and emotions attached to what we collect and there is a sense that this item will not only one day be needed but may make life easier for some reason.
A spring clean however is good for the soul and the spirit. When you combine this removal of clutter with renovating your living or working space it is very satisfying. With much more to do I am still enthused as I see the end result of each step. Why did I leave off doing this for so long?
Below are three new paintings completed just before downing the art gear to pick up the ‘work’ tools. It will be interesting to see how all the de-cluttering and energetic painting will affect any new artwork when I return to the studio.
Life imitates art far more than art imitates Life… Oscar Wilde