T'Ang Dynasty Poem, 40" x 32", January 2005, Acrylic on canvas, £800Painted immediately before A bend in the winter river, this painting is based on a photograph I took on a long walk but this time on the Isle of Arran. Inspired by my mum's dog, Holly, who can't keep her nose out of anything but will run on ahead to make safe the way while zipping back to herd us all together, I got to thinking about those dark paths down which we walk as we live our lives. Sometimes, there are parts of our journey that we choose to take, other times, we feel we have no choice. What matters is the courage we show in the face of adversity and what we are prepared to do or even to see in others. Years ago, I found a poem by an anonymous T'Ang Dynasty courtier that sums up those feelings of isolation and yearning perfectly:
The autumn leaves are falling like rain.
My neighbours they are all barabarians
And you, you are a thousand miles away
but there are always two cups at my table.
