Why I am Not Painting Right Now — Thoughts on Writing and Expat Life

Photo by the author

Today is March 10; it is 9:30 in the morning, on a Sunday. An hour ago, I decided I would write a book. A novel, a memoir, a collection of stories? I have no idea; everything is on the table.

This isn’t exactly a new idea. I remember thinking that I would write a book when I was 19 or 20. Now, in my late 50s and living abroad, the collection of adventures and misadventures is accumulating at an accelerated pace. The curiosity about writing a book is still present, so why not?

Also, people are asking me questions and I feel like sharing.

If you know me even a little, you know, I’m a painter. But right now, painting is not an option. I am moving to France in under three months, so I stopped all painting activities several months back. I paint in oil, you see, and it takes a long time for the paint to cure — depending on its thickness, it can take years!

“Self-Portrait in Lace” — 2023 by the author

To be clear, oil paint does not dry; it oxidises. Acrylic and watercolour paints dry as the water evaporates, but oil paint does not contain water, and I add additional oil (linseed or walnut) for each layer of paint . The plant-based oils…