Always nice to see a MFH trend being picked up and going international. Some 18 months ago I reported on a repro Monet canvas I’d bought in the local junk shop, which had a big hole punched in it. The image is of course beautiful, but it was the big fist imprint that really sealed the deal, I claimed at the time. Here it is when I bought it…

…and here it is up on the wall lookin’ splendid.

So imagine my delight when I read on yesterday’s Guardian about a 12 year old boy in Taiwan stealth ‘improving’ this astounding canvas by Paolo Porpora during a trip – yes – to an art gallery. A drink in hand, a stumble, a hand out to break one’s fall – it could have happened to any of us. Check out the video of it here.

What a beautiful painting it is. I’ve recently developed a passion for the hyper-real flower paintings of the Old Masters, and this is a great example. You may also remember that it was a similar painting that I picked for a large wall mural at my flat, provided by Surface View. As you can see from the image below, the gorgeous Hollyhocks by Jan van Huysum is now pasted up on the landing. However part of the image had to be cut away around the door, and I’ve been saving that door-sized bit while I decide what to do with it.

Last week I finally decided, ordering a large plain canvas off eBay which I’m going to stick the mural off-cut onto. Obviously I’ll share the results with you – but not before I’ve socked a ruddy great hole in it for that perfect pre-loved look. Ooof!