I had been going through a creative block since painting ‘Where Is Home’ which I finished in November 2023.  It was 8 months later before I painted again, and it was this ‘Winter City’.  In between painting those two paintings quite a few things had happened.  One of those events was having my employment as an administrator ‘disestablished’ at the beginning of May 2024 just as the weather was starting to turn colder.

After the initial surprise and disappointment of my employment ending, I quickly saw it as an opportunity to have some time to follow my heart with art.   One of the things I had wanted to do for a long time was to get a website organised (which as you can see has been done), and the other thing was to start drawing and painting again.

I was given a great book called ‘The Artists Way’ written by Julia Cameron, and it takes you on a 12-week course to aid unblocking creative people.  There is a big emphasis to ‘play’ and take yourself on an ‘artist date’ and give yourself permission to create.  This painting came from a doodle that started to look like city buildings.  Due to the season being winter, I chose to use cool colours which also suited the building materials of the city – concrete and brick.  It was fun to literally get my hands in paint and be expressive and abstract in style.   The corporate ladder was a nod back to my earliest paintings from when I was a teenager of painting pictures of ladders and stairs going ‘somewhere’ unknown to describe my future.  This time in my life, I am happy not to try and climb any corporate ladders, and not stress about the unknown future, especially as I know that I am in God’s hands and I am His child and He is with me guiding my way.