I always keep an open mind, endlessly prepared to change my understanding or opinions as my learning develops.

As a youthful artist, I misunderstood the paintings of Lowry, disliking his work with a passion for many years. I could not or would not accept his originality and worth. I could not appreciate his art.

An artist I greatly admired was Pieter Bruegel the Elder. I marvelled at his consummate skill in painting mass crowds with a constructed order, harmony and clarity that expressed the condition and lives of the people. I admire his humanity for the people he depicts with all their strangeness, foibles and comedy.

Many years later, I had the “Eureka” moment. Lowry was a latter-day Bruegel, pared down in its simplicity but updated and modern with originality I had not credited him with having. I was hooked. Lowry was not the problem. I was the problem! My lack of understanding and appreciation made me unwilling to accept that I could be wrong. Acknowledging my failure made me a better artist and a better person.

That simple acceptance changed me. The love and joy I have since experienced have been immense. It has been the driving force for my passion and desire to help others to unblock their clogged thinking. My failure made me a better artist and better person.