I took the full deliberations involved with what I thought would be my first truly Painterly piece: models poised, pain-wracked, in the virtually impossible (not to mention improbable) positions of my first rough sketch, buying tons of reference books, magazines and such. I drew it three times, all full size, all finished. Certain details were drawn over and over; one figure in particular, the woman clutching the sword, I drew around fifteen times in all. Half way through the painting of the picture I was beginning to feel somewhat uncomfortable with the tonal medium, not only that, but I was also doubting my choice of subject matter, too. Getting desperate for a positive feeling about the painting I drastically scrapped the work entirely and started again in inked line style. I was again half way through this picture when more self doubt assailed me and I stopped work on the line version of Judgement also. After countless conferences with Linda upon the question of what on Earth I was trying to do, and with the encouragement of passers by I started once again with a further reworking, in tone, of the picture. I had no title for it all along, but was referring to it as "the prison picture", this alluding to the legend on the side of the boat "Ic Waes Nerwth" (originally Ic Waes Carcerne) meaning "I was a prison"; the picture, in final sum, bearing reference to Life (thus freedom) after Death.

  By the time I'd finally finished the painting I was quite upset that I failed with it and feeling a little foolish that I couldn't live up to my ideals of creating great work. I still had no comfortable title for it.

A day or so after its completion I took from my shelves a book to relax with; an Art book (a continuing endeavor to learn of where I go wrong). It was volume 1 of William Holman Hunt's biography. Hunt, the most particular, insistent and positively accomplished painter in the original Pre Raphaelite Brotherhood has some pretty strict and weighty ideals about painting (as well he might). In his preface to his story he wanted to make quite sure that the prospective reader was perfectly aware of just what Art was and what it was not, quote:

"Art is generally considered a light and irresponsible pursuit, entailing for its misuse no penalty to the artist or the nation of which he is a citizen. It is further assumed that being endowed with original taste may, after some perfunctory essays, be happily inspired, and that he will then, with a few days rapt energy, be able to convert his thoughts into a masterpiece.