Art, I need thee!

Missing Art Sessions Hurts Just a Little

Seuss's Yellow Tree 7x5 a Quick Study

Last week I had to miss all of my art sessions as I had a house guest & it would have been hard to leave the house and my guest alone for long periods of time.

I did manage to paint a one hour quick painting (post picnic at the park). The Quick Study painting felt great, but I really missed my longer art sessions. This week I am ready now to get back to my art schedule, I really really missed my art.

It may be hard to understand why I missed my art sessions so much.

I actually enjoy having the art schedule (two days a week). It is MY time, time that I dedicate to art, and yes I do put my phone on vibrate because I consider the art sessions my (very important) time. The Art Session time is sacred to me, and I schedule appointments and phone calls and meetings around the art schedule.

Yes, sometimes, I just have to get out of the house! However, I find that no matter my mood (if sad or tired), once I get to the art studio, my spirits lift and I feel better! Also, I love the social interaction with my fellow artists. The artists are my friends and mentors and they let me ask questions, ask for recommendations on books and workshops and materials, and we talk about art events and workshops. Art is also (as I have written before) a meditative time for the artist---often once I pick up a brush, I focus in on my painting and lose myself in the moment.

All of these reasons are why I need to get back to art, why I am so ready to go back to art tomorrow! Art, I need thee!

Meditation and Harmony with Nature

fulfillment & joy in plein air painting

Recently I found a new and wonderful place to plein air paint. I have painted there twice and plan to paint there again a few more times this fall. When I am set up and painting at this new place I feel a calm peace take over my head and heart. I hear birds singing and often take a few minutes just to look at the beauty in nature that surrounds me in this peaceful setting---inhale exhale. Just stopping for a moment and taking in the visual scenery is comforting and relaxing, very much how I envision meditation.

I am happy with this little 8 x 10 from my meditative spot!

What I know about art is that making art is fulfilling and rewarding. It is also very challenging, I often feel that I am in or need to enroll in a college class to learn color mixing, analogous color, value scale, and anatomy (there are some wonderful community art centers which have helped me greatly). Only in this last year (after 7 years) I finally feel that I understand color to include color mixing, color harmony and value. My next focus will be learning more about landscape. I have been painting one landscape each week this spring and summer and I do quick study (1 hour small) landscapes. I recognize that I want to improve my control and brushwork with the landscapes-- toward this goal I did participate in a Paint Out this past June. The Paint Out forced me to know my plein air painting equipment and to determine painting locations -- focusing in on scenes I want to paint. I also have been reading about landscape painting--even with all of this focus and hard work, I have major landscape improvements that I want to make!

My friend Lynn took this pic of me--way over there under the umbrella!

And so, on Monday, I will return to my wonderful place once again to paint with nature. I have checked the weather, it should be partly sunny and 77 degrees, sounds perfect. I cannot wait to see what new colors are out there and I am looking forward to this harmonious art meditation.