Balcony/ Sacada, Florianopolis; daily painting

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Balcony/ Sacada, Florianopolis, oil on card, 10.6 x 13.4     -   available

Today's picture is a very Bonnard-ish.

They are supposedly constructing or planting a botanical gardens there, where my view depicts though, apart from a large sign, I have seen nothing to indicate any work taking place there over the last year. These things take forever here. This can be most de-spiriting.

Now I think of it, the theme of the garden is really central to Bonnard- the oasis or haven, and this theme finds its domestic internal analogy in his pictures of bathrooms and bathing.

I previously commented ironically on daily painting, as if there were something excessively worthy or laboured about the idea, but I find that I have myself begun to paint daily. Some people might think this takes discipline, but the opposite is true: in daily painting, painting becomes a sort of anchor, and the day feels incomplete or strange if I haven't worked on any pictures. Painting comes to assume some of the ritualistic qualities of church on Sunday- it solves the problem of what to do, thus making one impregnable.

I think now if I were living in the UK, I'd consider attending church on Sundays just for the amusement of it, though it would have to be a church where the sermons were extremely brief, as I find them irritating. Actually, I find most aspects of religion, apart from the songs and the architecture, annoy me so I am not sure whether I'd really manage to sustain the habit of churchgoing (even in the Anglican church which is famously- magnificently- open to all-comers; even those who are quite openly just there for the aesthetics).

Betty's Cat

What splendid, aristocratic beasts: I'm not in the least surprised the Egyptians worshipped them.

Indeed, what is more astonishing is that these fine creatures haven't been adopted by other religions. I suppose the cat is too independent, too elegant and too self- contained a beast to satisfy Christians, who instead went for the lamb as a symbol. I understand why: it is because Christians believe, or hope "the meek shall inherit the earth", and those little white lambs seem so well to convey that quality, existing just to be turned into cutlets by Welshmen.

Myself, I'd rather live under the jurisdiction of cats (not that it's likely they'd want the administrative bother!). I've never seen much virtue in meekness, a mousey quality at best.