Belated Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays/Non Denominational End of Year celebrations to you all. :)

Had a few days away from home, spending time with some of Claire's family for Christmas.  Little Sam got lots of new toys and was generally fussed over, cuddled and played with a lot.  

Anyhow, I noticed the replies/suggestions have all been rolling in - for which, thanks - so here's my thoughts on what you posted while I was away:

Lighting - Yup, that's one aspect of my technique I want to spend time on improving.  Despite everything else I said, it'd be good to take that next step.

Making images for myself - Definitely so.  The real problem was, even though I was making images for myself, I got too tied up in producing "eye candy" instead of applying a little discipline to my output.

Playing guitar - I wasn't great from the start and I still have a long way to go before I could call myself great.  Competent is probably the word I'd use.  There are some guitarists I know I am better than and some who are better than me.  I don't feel it's a competition, though.  Guitar is still fun to learn and play.  There's something (to me at least) inherently more satisfying in music than in visual arts.  Visual arts are my first love but music is my mistress, if you like.  I think it took me a couple of years before I first got on stage with a guitar.

Time off - Not really.  I just need to apply some structure to what I'm doing.  My last few pictures may as well have been NVITWAS.  That has to change.

Best work behind me?  Nope, I know that's not the case.  I have the will and the imagination (or so I believe) to produce images of artistic merit.  Looking back to my post regarding Dali, I remembered Giger's earlier work, painting and sketching his deepest fears and nightmares.  Since he's also another artist with a strong grounding in Surrealism, I believe I can learn a lot from him.  Not to say I'll be turning out thousands of "Alien" images - even though I like them - but to incorporate the imagery of my nightmares into an emotional context, then portray it visually.  Wow, I think I just broke the Pretentious-O-Meter there.

All joking aside, I do take my art seriously.  I don't expect anyone else to, though.  I also don't like to take part in those "What is art?" discussions because, even though I believe I know what it's all about, it's strictly a personal vision.  Same with music.  I wouldn't write anything if I didn't believe in its artistic integrity.  Playing for fun is a different matter, though.  Kinda like drawing pictures of cats.

Coppula eam se non posit acceptera jocularum.

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