What to paint, why, and how to paint it (or: If you don’t like Metal you’re not my friend) – by Erlend Tait
I don’t know how to do blogs. I don’t do social media (I tried it for 2 weeks, but it was horrible), or have a smart phone (I do have one that does ‘texts’ though, and has a torch, I think). I’d rather play on my bike or listen to records or play guitar, or cut my toenails.
Don’t get me wrong – technology is great! I’ve just started recording music again (on a computer!) and I love it. I can put down more guitar harmonies now than I ever could on my Tascam 424. However, I do realise that one day my computer will die along with everything on it, like my last one did. But that’s OK. Everything is transient. Like Zen poets writing on mountain cliffs that no one will ever see, or sand paintings destroyed on completion, or graffiti covered over time and time again. I’m not going to tell you why I paint, but it’s definitely not to leave some sort of legacy. When I’m dead, if there’s no evidence of me ever existing, it’ll make no difference to me.
I like working with traditional materials (I’m writing this on paper you know), although I’m not a traditionalist because I’m not resistant to change. It’s just that I enjoy making wooden strainers, carefully stretching canvas or linen, mixing up a batch of size to the right consistency and temperature, etc, etc. Maybe it’s partly the result of working in stained glass restoration, and a need to do things properly. Or maybe it’s just all a bit obsessive.
Anyway, this is taking far too long to write, and those pictures aren’t going to paint themselves you know.
Remember to back-up regularly.
