Been working on a portrait of 3 children today. I expected to be quite enthusiastic about working on it. There is nothing too complicated and no hands visible.

It was roughly drawn and ready to paint.

But I have been making myself work on and off all day. Usually even if I begin something without much enthusiasm then after twenty minutes I am engrossed in the painting and in the best instances hours pass without me noticing.

I even had a good Campion ( Margery Allingham) audiobook to listen to.

And I will get paid for this one.

At the end of the day I have painted all the eyes and mouths and some other bits as well, but I was disappointed. I had pictured myself cheerfully painting away and feeling excited not dragging myself along.

I remember when I was married wishing that there was a handbook with helpful facts like how many arguments cancelled out how many compliments. Or in which circumstances was it okay to complain and in which should one just put up with it.

Right now it would help to have a handbook on how tired should a person be in these particular circumstances and at this age and what are the best ways to deal with it.

In other words maybe I have exactly the amount of energy that I should have and could stop giving myself a hard time for not zooming around with boundless enthusiasm.

Other than that there are 2 cases of the virus in Pisticci. Only 24 new in the whole region today. And I was reading that other countries will maybe be copying Italy’s greenpass.

News from the UK …at least on twitter is almost 100% depressing.

At least tomorrow is another day and perhaps I will have a more enthusiastic painting day. It is looking good so far. Just not an amazingly brilliant and stupendously exciting piece of art. ( no pressure!)

Stove is burning, candle lit and Sherlock Holmes on Youtube tonight.

Cheers🍷🍷