A Joy Ride in a Paint-Box

Perspectives from The Artist's Road

Cork Trees near Mimizan by Winston Churchill *

For all the discussion of the ten-thousand-hour rule and the importance of long hours of consistent practice in art-making, we must never forget the invaluable rewards of painting even when taken up later in life. Just as the latest and greatest art equipment can sometimes become an encumbrance and even derail the sudden arrival of inspiration (when only a sketchbook and pencil are needed), so the idea of scaling a mountain of training and practice can discourage a would-be artist from ever stepping on the trail. This should never be! The pleasure of painting is not just for the young or the experienced - anyone can start in at any point in their lives and derive great fulfillment from it.

Winston Churchill wrote in his book, Painting as a Pastime :

“But if, on the contrary, you are inclined - late in life though it be - to reconnoitre a foreign sphere of limitless extent, be persuaded that the first quality that…