evidence of time and place

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Evening Prayer Brunswick Heads, 25 September, 2020, oil on canvas board, 30 X 25 cm

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Evening Prayer Brunswick Heads, 26 September, 2020, oil on canvas board, 30 X 25 cm

These two studies are from the past few days. The skies have been salty and full of humidity which are great for painting. I am always amazed at how different each of these studies are. Each evening light is different, and after all, I too, am different each evening.

Today, I found myself thinking about the relevance of these small studies. It wasn't at all in any unpleasant way, just contemplating their worth in the grander scheme of things. I guess it means that I hope that they communicate something to someone else. Do they have an inherent worth? Are they able to convey an emotion to another human being? Do they surprise anyone? 

I do have this weird way of judging them. I imagine one 

of these small studies on a wall in a Museum tucked away from a main gallery. Would I notice it as I walked in? Would I make a bee line for it? And would it take its place among the better pictures?

When I am in a museum and move through galleries I first like to stand in the middle of the room and do a 360 degree turn while scanning for something to catch me off guard. 

I want to make things which are alive, but which also reveal evidence of time and of place. And I also wish for paintings to be windows into somewhere else which transcend the image itself. Sounds like a tall order but in fact these are just ideas I have when I am not painting. Ultimately, is what I am doing of any interest beyond myself? Does my pleasure in making them transform into pleasure for a spectator?