So I retired from work some seven years ago, took up pro portrait photography and started looking at painting. I had studied a little fine art as an intermediate NDD student in my youth and had some instruction in adult ed from a painter called Ken Bates. I am now painting as much as I can, having given up on the portrait photography (but continue to take landscapes et al). I am using a variety of media including interactive acrylics, oils, pastels and watercolour, I have started to go to some local life classes. These remind me of my short time at art school in the 50's. I have produced a few works (see my website richardwaldron-art.com) but when I put these up in exhibitions, they have not yet sold. I may be asking too much for a newbie, but I feel that people should and will pay for something they really want. In my seventy third year, I have the ambition of a teenager. It makes life exciting and me youthful. I love it. My conundrum is that 'modern' art is not like what I do. If I have an ambition, it is to paint scenes that people cannot see in their everyday humdrum lives, but will love to have on their walls at home. My gallery history suggests that I have not yet got that right. I do not understand or like the current abstractions, especially the British art by Damien Hurst and that school. By contrast, Hooper in the US gets my vote with his superb realism and drawing skill. Whatever happened to drawing? I shall press on with learning, inspired by little comments like "to paint light, you must first paint dark". Whoever said that? I want to resist the commercialisation of my painting. Local art buyers seem to love pictures of sheep, chickens etcetera. I have learned the 'rules' of composition, of colour, of tone etc. I think maybe I need to tell a story rather than just showing the beauty of landscape. Monet, Van Gogh, Picasso, they all have their influences on me, but I also need to be true to my own style and handwriting. I feel that I have been born with a stronger 'right' brain, but am not as creative as I would want to be. These are the ponderings of an artist late in the making.