JAPAN 2026 — Taking a Deep Breath and Finding My Way Back to Painting
JAPAN 2026 — Finding My Way Back to Painting I have just completed all the drawings in the sketch pad I took with me to Japan, and somehow, finishing that last page feels rather more significant than I expected. I hope you enjoy looking through it as much as I enjoyed creating it. Japan 2026 was my escape trip. There were 17 of us in total, including our UK Tour Manager and local guide. I chose Japan quite deliberately. It was somewhere I had never been, and somewhere I knew I was unlikely ever to have visited before. Most importantly, it held no memories for me. After losing David, I found myself struggling to find my way back to the things I had always loved. Chinese brush painting had been such an important part of my life, but I had simply lost my heart for it. I couldn't seem to find the enthusiasm, the concentration or, perhaps most of all, the confidence to pick up my brushes and paint. I hoped that going somewhere completely new might give me some breathing space. And per...