Wood Cutter...Japanesque Scene

Did you cut it up and dump it? Or some evil enemy.....? Do you still paint in this style occasionally? (so many questions!.) It would be interesting to see what your accumulated experience would make of this approach now.

I certainly learnt that I possessed little visual imagination without recourse to other sources, specifically artefacts and style. One has to be realistic..if it isn't working and the chances are that it won't,...scrap it! This is why paint I paint from life. The most important aspect thats link 'then' to 'now', is draughtsmanship, attention to detail and spacial awareness...painting from life is the only way to get close to these elements...Robert, if you are not by now, chewing your arm off, have what's left of mine!

Takes a lot to make me chew my arm off, Roger .... I need it, you see. Yes, I understand what you're saying - most of my work is small by comparison to this, so my destructive habits are less noticeable - generally, I can overpaint, or just put my foot through it. I think your Japanoise period deserved gentler treatment, though - I would have liked to see this picture before it was vandalized, even if you were the vandal.