We’ve only had Meg, my puppy muse, for 5 days and already life is more chaotic, less calm. Mornings start early and I’m ready for bed soon after dark.
There are many, many advantages though… Fun, frivolity and sheer cuteness being just a few. Something I hadn’t anticipated though was being up at dawn. As soon as the first glimmer of light comes over the hill Meg is up, waiting to explore, outside. We are tag teaming in the house, who goes out with her first thing, who goes later. I’m better at mornings which has meant I’ve seen the dawn most days. I’m finding I love it. The birdsong, the fast-changing light and the garden busy with birds feeding, flitting here and there, movement, change, cold on the skin and the sense of anticipation that dawn brings.
By 9 I’m back in the house having been down to the river, eaten breakfast, had my second cup of tea and replied to emails. I am learning to let sleeping dogs lie. Meg is curled up next to a heater and I can now turn my attention to my art. Am I painting? No, not yet, but I am looking, looking now as I type, three blackbirds stalking the lawn for worms, tree branches edged in silver a wisp of cloud. I’ve often been asked, “How long does it take to create a painting?”. That’s hard to answer. Often people expect an answer like 2 days, or a few hours. It’s not that simple, the real answer is it’s a process that is the culmination of a lifetime of experiencing and looking. “The painting of a thousand miles begins with a single brush stroke?” Better get on with it while this sleeping puppy lies, but I’m going to look a wee bit longer.
Nuala Dunn Artist 