Realized that it's been a long time since I updated my other blog, at www.wightpaint.blogspot.com, but for anyone interested I've shown a stage by stage demonstration of one of the recent paintings I've put in my Gallery here. Do take a look, and leave comments, sign up as a follower - not a stalker, if you don't mind - and pay return visits: because it's these that remind me to keep it updated. You will see that I've painted over the Fawley chimney painting - it just didn't work, and although I fiddled with it, nothing would make it work any better. So at least I've got a fresh canvas board to use. I've had one or two family and friends commissions to do over the past couple of months - I'm not selling much (as in, anything!) but I seem to be doing OK via the old principle of barter. My most recent exchange was a painting for a 2nd hand, but rather good, vacuum cleaner. I'm hoping for a small villa in the South of France next time .. I say small; I really mean substantial, and luxuriously appointed. Don't hesitate to get in touch - I'm an acquisitive sort at root, and will happily paint your grandmother doing cartwheels in return for a little je ne sais quoi... I'm particularly partial to a bottle of cognac, incidentally, if that helps at all. I left a question on the Forum page, asking about people's habits when beginning a painting - i.e. do you draw, with pencil or charcoal or whatever, or just go in with the brush? Snag with the Forum is that new threads can disappear quite quickly as old ones are resuscitated; rather a lengthy exchange on Bockingford paper has, I think, relegated my question to second place. Still, if you're interested in satisfying my curiosity, it's there somewhere. I find that I'm more and more not bothering with any drawing on the actual painting surface - although I'll usually have done a small study in a sketchbook first - but just going in with the brush, whatever medium I'm using. I don't, however, plan pictures particularly carefully - if I were seeking to show geometric shapes and intricate designs, I'd be sloshing around with the brush all day in order to make up for the lack of a structured drawing. For buildings, trees, people however, I think you get more freedom with just the brush (or knife) - the danger of doing a careful drawing is that you end up by colouring it in, like painting by numbers. I shall probably change my mind entirely about this eventually - but it would be interesting to know what others' thoughts are. Meltemi has added his two penn'orth on the Forum, maybe others will too. Oh, and don't forget to go and have a look and comment on www.wightpaint.blogspot.com! Off to my brother's this weekend: it would be nice to find a whole slew of comments when I get back home - I don't have a laptop, so can't check while I'm away. I don't understand people who take their laptops with them everywhere, keep their mobiles or Blackberries on all the time etc .... it's like being tied to your desk or workstation and having to take it with you wherever you go. Facebook, Twitter ..... Bah! And, indeed, Humbug...