Trevor Chamberlain

John, I must say, in the strongest terms, I feel you don't owe anyone an apology in this instance. You certainly shouldn't be made to feel you have said something wrong when you haven't. Lots of us on here suffer intolerable pain or disability or both. We don't aim our frustration at other people. Everyone is welcome here Susan and very empathetic towards any problems people may have. I do think you owe John an apology.

I certainly agree that this is a most supportive community, with many lovely people, something that we certainly need these days. And the communication among ourselves plays a very big part in this. Heather and others have pointed out the value to an artist in (genuine) encouraging comments. Personally I try to comment on as many of the paintings that I like, realise that sometimes I just can't get to them all. It is also helpful to know what has appealed to the poster. I try to say what has appealed to me, don't always manage it. Always make a point of responding, but do wait until a few comments, then acknowledge any that are left later.  I especially respect those artists who have pain or disability problems and still produce their wonderful paintings (makes me realise how fortunate I am). So those of you who do contribute to the full, hopefully you can keep making this site what it is for a long time.