This Blog

I Remember Summer Days.

It is sometime now since I posted on this blog. There are a number of reasons for this. First it was a hectic summer with the running and walking and the plot. I just never seemed to have much in the way of time at all.

Now when I have a bit more time, I have picked up some illness that is causing me a great deal of discomfort and so sitting at the computer is not what I really want to be about. I apologise to those, like Jerry, who followed my blog regularly. I will be back as soon as I get to the bottom of the discomfort, hopefully.

In the meantime I have been posting new art and keeping people posted about my ongoing sales of art, which never ever fails to move me. There is indeed something wonderful about people buying and hanging your art. The very thought that I might continue to give pleasure to others after I and the earth beneath me have parted company gives much pleasure.

Pleas keep in touch and if you have a moment please look to my other blog.

My Other Blog

I have added above my latest attempt at art.

Shipwrecked Lost and Found

It has indeed been a very memorable week. It started just like the ones before until I ran on Monday morning. I managed to knock minutes off my fastest time for that particular run, and something even then told me it was going to be a good week. In the course of the week I knocked a further three minutes of that distance. I also managed to paint two paintings that I felt fairly happy with, and there is still today. Who knows I just might manage another one today.

I also managed to sell four paintings in the course of the week, three that I had almost given up on ever selling.

But more importantly last week had ended with some of my fellow bloggers emailing me. Those emails lifted my spirits no end. Made me look again at the last blog I had written only to find a whole host of messages had been left for me.

It is no wonder that sitting here today admitting I am a year older I am still feeling very good about life. Remind me of the story of the man who was shipwrecked and all alone on a small island.

Every day he scanned the horizon for help, but none seemed forthcoming. Exhausted, he eventually managed to build a little hut out of driftwood to protect him from the elements, and to store his few possessions. But then one day, after scavenging for food, he arrived home to find his little hut in flames, the smoke rolling up to the sky. The worst had happened; everything was lost, even his one or two personal items that had become so important to him, were gone.

He was stung with grief and anger. "Why oh why is this happening to me?" he cried. He had what I call a bout of the, “poor me’s.”

Early the next day, however, he was awakened by the sound of a ship that was approaching the island. It had come to rescue him. "How did you know I was here?" asked the weary man of his rescuers. "We saw your smoke signal," they replied.

It is easy to get discouraged when things are going bad. But we shouldn't lose heart, because with the help of friends the truth is, it can only get better when you are down.

Remember next time your little hut is burning to the ground- - it just may be a smoke signal that summons the love of friends.

Today will be a great day, even if I paint nothing but bin fodder.

I have added one of the paintings that sold to this blog and will show it and the other three on my other blog.   Four Sales

Blogging, Cycling and The art of Experiencing Life

It seems that the number of people Blogging is decreasing. The reason for this decrease it seems it that percentages, a growing percentage, of students prefer to use social networking sites to leave short messages. Reading it seems is not fun. This is at a time when the number of young people continuing in full time education is growing rapidly. This little piece of information came at a time when I was noticing the number of people appearing on television quiz shows claiming to be students could not answer simple everyday questions. One yesterday asked about the name of the Russian President responsible for the breakdown of the Iron Curtain given his first name answered Lenin. Probably the only Russian leader the person knew.


This is not a new phenomenon. I was aware while teaching that the number of families never watching news broadcasts was increasing. The head of the school I worked in at an open day revealed that she never bothered with news or newspapers she preferred to start her day listening to an inane morning television show. I find this worrying because it goes hand in hand with a large decrease in the number of people using their democratic right to put their cross on a paper. The reason given when asked is, “All politicians are the same it does not make a difference.” Well it is an argument, but not a valid one for letting the country be run by the so called morons. I suppose when they then go on to cheat on the finances for their own benefit we deserve what we don’t vote for.

It seems if it is not fun now it has no value. When I was part of education I watched it year on year being dumbed down to ensure more students left with a certificate. The learning process has to be made “fun”. The number of times students would say to me, “Mr T. your no wanting us to write today are you, writing isnae fun Mr. T”.

What concerns me deeply is the knowledge that the things in life that have given me the greatest sense of joy and achievement was not always fun along the way until we arrived. Think of a painting. The preparing of the canvas for me is never fun. There are always times during the creative process I want to throw a stomp. The cleaning up at the end is far from fun. All of this pales though when you see the finished work., and all the emotions that come when somebody wants to own it and give it space in their life. A friend was telling me of her learning to ride her first bicycle made up from bits from a scrap yard. I can see her learning to ride it; I am willing to bet there were times when that were not fun either. But once she had a sense of balance it led to a feeling of freedom she had never experienced before.

No, not all reading is fun. Not all learning is fun. But if we do not have the less fun times how can we ever fully experience real wonder? In fact in this day and age of instant everything when fun is the goal it seems to be there is less joy around than ever.

It was written in the 6th century BC, To know yet to think that one does not know is best; Not to know and think that one knows will lead to difficulty. It is by being alive to difficulty that one can avoid it.


Can I say at that this blog never ever sets out to upset or offend but to open up routes for discussion. Ralph