Fisherman at Work - How do artists keep their skill?

This is an imaginary piece based on a photograph. It was a picture of an old fishing boat, by the beaches of Kemaman in Terengganu.

The fisherman, the palm trees, and the figure in the distance, are all added in. The sunset, too.

As you can see, I have fared not too well again. (Well, if you have anything to say, drop me a comment, huh?)

It's funny but after such a short time of not painting, every step is a painstaking effort. I wonder how professional artists cope with not painting or drawing. After say six months of not working with your painting, how do you start? Where do you start?

Pray tell.

I know of one artist who carries a technical pen in his shirt pocket everywhere he goes. Every minute he could glean out of his day, he draws. On envelopes. On discarded bus tickets. On catalogues he gathered at Immigration check points during his travel. On anything that permits.
And all these, bits and pieces of his existence and encounters with life's realities, are translated into drawings which he may or may not paint later.

Is this how artists keep their wits about them? And skill too? Use your skill or lose them to time?

This piece was painted on April 23.