Although my husband is a wonderful artist and photographer, and the walls of our home are covered in his work, we still just can’t stop ourselves from buying paintings and pictures! We are very fortunate to have dear friends who are artists as well who have very kindly given us wonderful pictures, but even so, when we see something which moves us, it is so difficult to resist buying it!
Even before we were married, I was like this. Before I met my husband, I bought a series of ceramic plaques, which we have affectionately called the ceramic sporrans, because they have knotted raffia hanging from them which gives the appearance of sporrans. The artist who created these is Frances Winder, and I also bought a painting of hers of a Northumbrian coast, near Bamburgh Castle which has always hung in our sitting room and gives me so much pleasure every day.
When I publish my books, in a way I still have them, because I still have the story here on my computer where I have written it, so in a way it is still mine. With an artist, it is different, they paint or make something beautiful, then it is released into the world, and even if they have a copy or a photograph, they have given away something of themselves. Ms Winder may even have forgotten the ceramics she made for me… it was about thirty years ago now, and although she may have a photo of the painting I have hanging on my wall, no doubt the photo is tucked away. Yet every day, the sporrans and the painting give me pleasure.
Thank you, Frances.
Lois Elsden 
I guess all commercial artists have to come to terms with being parted from the items that they create.
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