I remember in body and mind what it felt like to photograph a backyard tree at Sylvia's house in Illinois during my inaugural painting weekend in May 2014, to use brush and paint on canvas board with that tree as my reference. I remember the feeling of a clumsy, self-conscious, awkward pas de deux of hand and eye as I strove to replicate what I saw in front of me. I remember the uplift of trying my hand at something new—at painting!
For the bookmark, I used no external reference from which to paint. Instead, I tapped into whatever 'treeness' resides in me. And where does it reside? In my veins like sap? Couldn't tell ya. I referred only to what showed up in front of me as I created, layer by layer, moment by moment—and I called on nearly four years of showing up in my studio day after day to paint. I felt such excitement and gladness for my accumulated empirical knowledge.
Watching that bookmark come to life, like magic, was pure fun. The bookmark itself was fun. Being aware of the increased inner resources I now have available to tap was fun.
All of it: fun.
Also fun, a nugget of aha awareness: with each painting—both Leaning into Lessons and On a Hot Summer Day, I expressed who I was in the now of the living moments of acutally painting. With each piece, I gave life to something that neither I nor anyone else had ever painted before, something that will never be painted again.
Every time I paint, that will be the case.
Every time!
10 comments:
Early morning in Jerusalem! Just getting up but had to comment! Yes whatever we paint is a new creation in a new time and a new view! Have to let this sink in! Thanks for sharing your thought!
Every time you create that something new, you send joy out into the world. Every time I see your newness, I am thankful, and happy, and sometimes jaw-droppingly amazed!
Words hardly seem adequate; I use words, in all their humble abstraction, to try to convey something I know in a place beyond words.
Thank you for responding : )
It is all magical, isn't it??? Sheila, thank you so much for the gift of your joy and appreciation : )
What a great "aha"!!!! You, the creator, bringing life to canvas, each and every time. Life is good.
what a gift, yes? life is indeed good great grand!
My Father in Law always used to say that to him, "enthusiasm" was a hugely important quality to have. We all know people who have the gift of being able to be excited about things in life that other people may take for granted. You are one of those people, Dotty! Finding fun, life, energy, and potential in all things big and small!
You create with words and paint - capturing what you are 'seeing - feeling' in that moment. I love 'seeing' through your eyes Dotty! Thank you for sharing and never stop being the explorer!
Laurie, thank you for this enthusiastic response to my post and to me! What a sweet gift (especially since I also have on my résumé a masters degree in complaining and whining).
Janet, I'm so grateful for your support and encouragement. I have not always been as bold an explorer as I am now (and I am timid in many a circumstance), but having the wind of fellow art adventurers under my wings makes a huge difference—thank you for the uplift.
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