Page 462 - sons-and-lovers

CHAPTER XII

PASSION

HE was gradually making it possible to earn a livelihood by
his art. Liberty’s had taken several of his painted designs on
various stuffs, and he could sell designs for embroideries,
for altar-cloths, and similar things, in one or two places. It
was not very much he made at present, but he might extend
it. He had also made friends with the designer for a pottery
firm, and was gaining some knowledge of his new acquain-
tance’s art. The applied arts interested him very much. At
the same time he laboured slowly at his pictures. He loved
to paint large figures, full of light, but not merely made up
of lights and cast shadows, like the impressionists; rather
definite figures that had a certain luminous quality, like
some of Michael Angelo’s people. And these he fitted into a
landscape, in what he thought true proportion. He worked
a great deal from memory, using everybody he knew. He
believed firmly in his work, that it was good and valuable.
In spite of fits of depression, shrinking, everything, he be-
lieved in his work.
He was twenty-four when he said his first confident thing
to his mother.

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