'In the Garden' Painting

Born in Surrey in 1947,I Grew up in Northern Ireland and Singapore, From there we moved to England, where I joined the army at the age of seventeen. I Left the army when I was twenty three and came down to Hastings for a party! I decided to stay and went to Hastings art College to study Exhibition Design, but it was not to my taste as it seemed too restrictive, and I'd had enough of that in the army. From there I went to work in a pottery in Rye hoping to stimulate my creativity. I ran an art shop there and sailed many thousands of miles in leaky wooden yachts of 'Character' I have always had a strong inclination [passion] towards art along with a reasonable ability; but it wasn't until after a near-fatal motor bike accident that I felt I had to give up on any idea of being an artist. ( My vision had been blurred after this for a few years and I also lost my confidence.) I was paralysed on one side - 'the left' for a number of years by the resultant stroke, which I have adapted to. Then I went back to art!!. I took my paints and sketchbooks to a friends Gite in France and found that I had improved or matured, almost as if by a process of osmosis. This might in some way be the result of the damage to the cerebellum? I'm not sure. Since then I have gone back to Art College and achieved the following qualifications, whilst exploring the world of 'abstract art'. I do not just paint what I see, but how it feels! When I work on a painting I do not need to try and make things happen. I have to 'let it happen. I have to trust myself. Even if I do not fully understand what is going on at the time it seems to become clear later. It is the process of 'letting go', which liberates the creative force. Therefore there is no need to over- intellectualise things in order to somehow 'justify' it. For me it is not about thinking about it and so no cleverness, talent, craft or skill can be emphasised: nor either can there be the glib, facile or contrived. Instead I must allow myself to spontaneously respond to something of the primitive within. It is not a hobby, pastime, business or academic exercise and must be undertaken wholeheartedly.