Art in the School Holidays

I wonder if Leonardo got distracted by family illness, school holidays and sleepless nights walking toddlers up and down the passage while they yelled angrily at him because they couldn't understand why they were feeling so horrid and why he couldn't just wave a magic wand and make it all better. I've planned a number of paintings and produced only 2 preliminary sketches. I visited a brilliant site that Reeva recommended with illustrators producing the most amazing work.
My work is so different to any trends I've seen or work I've seen at recent exhibitions. Although somewhat isolating, this is exactly what I want. My intention is to produce a body of work that is driven by motivation and that comes completely from me without any "additives" as it were. People are so quick to offer advise on what you should paint that will be popular and will definitely sell - although well intended, all you really want is to sit down and produce work without interuption. (That would be another suggestion to anyone dealing with an artist: even although you're trying to help, never offer suggestions on what to paint - even if the artist asks for suggestions, throw it back at them and ask what they're really passionate about, what they really love)
The process you go through is not always easy going - you have low and high points in a painting - pretty much like when a runner hits the wall. At these times I usually moan to those around me, and that's when I start being told what to paint. I still haven't learnt to deal with the "wall" in silence!
It's difficult to explain the artistic process to someone who doesn't really believe art is a career. It's hard to explain that an artist has to love and feel something for what they are doing in order for it to actually work - and look appealling. You can see immediately when an artwork is forced: it jars the eye. I've also seen that an artist is successful with a medium they've worked with for a while and that they really enjoy. The biggest mistake you can make is see something that is selling, and try and immitate it with no experience in the technique and not much feeling for the material or subject. This cheapens the whole artistic process and inevitably your work is a seasonal knock-off.
I have had the most fascinating suggestions of topics to paint: from clowns to pansies with cats eyes.