"Painting as a Pastime" - Winston Churchill

  I don't know about you, but I had no idea that Winston Churchill was a painter.  Not only was he a painter, he also wrote a really eloquent book about his love of painting. 
 "Painting as a Pastime" is not any sort of art instruction or technique manual, but instead a wonderful homage to the muse of painting.
  The book is very short (32 pgs) and contains a tremendous amount of metaphors on a wide variety of topics which all funnel down to painting.  The first thing I did when I looked through the book was look at some of the illustrations of his paintings.  He was clearly an untrained, half-way decent painter.  
  Although I was put off by the fact that his work was a mediocre reflection of impressionism, I was captivated by the text itself.  Among the more intriguing passages are several metaphors to the strategic, military-like efforts required for painting:
    "In all battles two things are usually required of the Commander-in-Chief: to make a good plan for his army and, secondly, to keep a strong reserve.  both these are also obligatory upon the painter."
  The most beautiful part of the book is his sincere love of painting.  He makes no claims at all to be master; I found this to be very refreshing in a world where so many people pass themselves off as all-knowing.  His humility is reflected in this brief quote:
  "Leave to the masters of art trained by a lifetime of devotion the wonderful process of picture-building and picture-creation.  Go out into the sunlight and be happy with what you see."

  On that note, I urge you to go out and enjoy this beautifully refreshing little book.   It's pretty cheap on Amazon  --HERE's a link.

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"I do not presume to explain how to paint, but only how to get enjoyment."