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"What If"...
a little thought about using lightfast media

It's a common thought among hobby artists that it isn't necessary to spend the extra on lightfast materials because they're not trying to sell their work or make a living, nor do they expect their work to one day be in a museum.

Understandable, but what if?
What if that drawing washed with coffee happened to turn out to be the best thing you've ever created?
What if that biro sketch on lined paper became something which would have been truly worthy of framing?
What if one day you were suddenly catapulted into the limelight and people wanted to see your earlier work, where you came from?
What if someone happened across a photo of some art you made for pleasure and for some reason it sang to them, they just had to own it, only for it to fade after six months on their wall?

Every single piece of blank paper or canvas one picks up has the potential to become an incredible piece of art. Happy accidents do happen, never to be repeated. Random sparks of inspiration can turn a normal everyday drawing into something unique and truly wonderful. It can't be anticipated. You can't save your very best art materials for the day when you know you're about to create something amazing.

No matter how many paintings I complete, every fresh new start carries with it the hope of reaching a level of excellence which I've not yet achieved. I will achieve it, if I keep on working and practising, and one day it will appear on that blank paper or canvas and it will be The Best Thing I've Ever Done. It's due to this spark of hope that The Best Thing I've Ever Done will appear that I always use lightfast, archival materials, so I can ensure it will never disappear.