Another Short Blog with a Moral

Another short blog, with a Moral, so I need to start with

Dear Reader,

“Inspiration” if one can call it that, and usually, for me anyway,  it is a question of getting on with work, comes from many sources.  Often triggered by a flash of something out of the corner of the eye, or a dream, a juxtaposition, an object, someone else's work  which leads one on another path.

This picture, in pastel, was inspired by a visit to the Victoria and Albert Museum. During the visit I noticed on one of their information sheets that there was a painting competition. The work was to be based on an object in this vast and wonderful collection.  As I wandered through the ceramics rooms I saw a small vase or dish, I really can't remember which, and the dragon on it seemed so lively.  I particularly like dragons as this is my Chinese Horoscope sign (“I'm not surprised,” as someone once said to me when I told them. What did they mean by that cryptic comment? Me? A Dragon?)

With the details of the competition in my bag, I hurried home and got to work.  It went very quickly and was fun to do. When I had finished I read the Rules of the Competition...the picture was to be no more than 4 inches square...mine was about 2 feet by 3 feet! 

The Moral is...well it is obvious isn't it?  I was just too enthusiastic and hurried to be bothered to read the Rules first. And in fact this time, for once, I don't regret it, after all it wasn’t an exam,

and not all Dragons are scary, are they?