In the beginning...

...there was a book. Do you remember those read, roll and fight books we had back in the 80's? Not that old? Well we had them when I was a kid. You read an adventure story, made a decision and the book led you to another page. They were great and I was writing one. Then I went looking for some art for a cover and it all became a bit of a nightmare of potential scams and very expensive prices and then I thought rather naively to myself - I'll just design the cover myself.

That was about a year and a half ago. Since then the book has been abandoned and an obsession with painting, drawing and art has taken hold of me. It's been a bit of a whirlwind.

I've always been a creative person but I was never really interested in art. I've written stories and got involved in film and screenwriting and I even self-published a short comedy book but hadn't really picked up a pencil in earnest since school and had never even considered painting. How weird then at the age of 50 to be suddenly finding myself sketching.

I then went online and did a cheap £20 course on drawing buildings and found myself slipping down the rabbit hole. Don't get me wrong, I was dreadful at the drawing but something strange was happening. I was getting better. I was improving and rather quicker than expected. My dreadful drawings were getting less dreadful every time I completed one. But I was hooked. When I wasn't drawing, I was on Youtube, watching artists creating beautiful work, getting my head around perspective and shadows and colour theory and further down the rabbit hole I slid. I tried watercolours for a bit but I was a disaster at that and so moved onto inks.

Then I drew a picture of a horse in ink line and actually it wasn't bad. It was a bit rough but it worked! (see picture below) Then I tried to draw my dog a couple of times and there were bits of him that actually looked like my dog, even if his head was a bit squashed and his eyes were wonky. But there was some realism there. So I then watered down some of the inks and began painting the shadows like a black and white watercolour and the effect looked good. I drew a horse who belonged to my sister's friend and she liked it so much she was actually willing to part with money for it. But thing that was more wonderful than the improvement in skills or the fact that people recognised their animal friends from my drawings or even the money coming in that helped me buy more art supplies - the most wonderful thing of all was that I absolutely loved drawing and painting. It was a revelation!

There's something beautiful in the struggle to bringing a three dimensional form to something with just your eyes, your hand and your brain whirring away. To see an image and try to re-present it. I've heard people talk about flow - getting into a flow state and drawing and painting really does bring that magical feeling on. I'm so happy when I'm producing - making - creating and I'm like a little kid at the end of it, if I'm happy with what I've made - I've got to thump up the strairs and show my wife. But she's the world's toughest critic and if my dog's head is squashed, she doesn't shy away from letting me know that it just looked like it limped away from a pretty nasty run in with a wall. But that's exactly what I need. We all need an honest response, like a first filter before we present ourselves and our work to others.

Don't get me wrong I understand I'm faaaaaaaar from the old masters. I'm not delusional but I know I'm producing the best artwork I've ever produced - even if I have been only at it for a couple of years.

From ink, I discovered pastels and the vibrancy of pastel colours. The realism you can get from pastel pencils is astounding. There are some amazing artists out there producing stunning pastel pet portraits and there huge satisfaction stepping back from a portrait and seeing your piece complete and looking so realistic.

But scrolling through countless artworks of horses, what I really liked were the pieces painted in oil. Then I was launched into oils.

I haven't reached a point where I'm truly happy with where my art is and from what I've heard from people who've been painting for decades, you never reach that point but I am at the point where I understand that this is what I want to do with the rest of my life. I've found it, that thing that alludes so many people. That is so exciting. I've found my 'thing'. Now I want to throw myself forward into it, deeper down the rabbit hole, because its the exploring that is so much fun. Its the journey that is truly engaging.

So here I am, 52 years old and I've found my passion. I would love for you to follow me as I develop and try to make a go of actually trying to make a living as an artist.

My website is an early step. I would love to read your comments about your own journey into art, or what you look for in a piece of art.

Until next time

James

BanxArtuk@gmail.com

www.BanxArt.com

(Photo: My first ink sketch of a horse - Feb 24)