Just Starting

Fall is just starting here in North Carolina. The gorgeous reds and yellows are finally starting to appear. This is my favorite time of year! And, after our road trip north this fall, I feel so lucky to be able to experience this season twice. But, before I share more, I want to welcome new readers today.

Small Spaces Special Places 

Welcome new readers! Each year, I select a theme for my weekly paintings. This year’s is “Small Spaces Special Places.” Why? I have been surprised, even delighted, with the small spaces in our house that have captured my eye.

Also, there are the special places I see on my daily dog walks. Each morning, rain or shine, I love getting outdoors and looking for things to paint. Sometimes, if the conditions are just right (read calm), I paint while paddling in my kayak. As I am a bit of a klutz, this doesn’t happen often. But it did this week. Woot!

Anyway, if you are not subscribing to this blog yet and think you might enjoy a weekly dose of unique artwork and musings on life, sign up here. Let’s get to this week’s topic!

Fabulous Fall

There are so many things I love about fall: the colors of the leaves, the cooler air, the smells of each and more. Fortunately, this week the weather is cooler but not too cold. So yesterday, we skeedaddled over to Lake Wheeler which is just a 20 minute drive away.

The wind was calm so I set up my plein air painting goodies (palette, easel, brushes, paint) on the kayak David built for me earlier this fall. The biggest challenge? Trying to decide which gorgeous view to paint. I finally settled on the edge of the lake with the most burgundy red colors. Here’s a photo of the set up. You can see that I have a special attachment inside of the kayak to easily attach and connect the palette.

Next Steps

Once I have painted the general idea for the painting, I call it a day as the “paddling painter.” Why? Because I know there are details I want to continue on terra firma. So I stopped painting and spent some time paddling around the lake. There are no motor boats allowed at the Lake on Tuesdays, so we were lucky to share the water with a fisherman, someone practicing there sculling skills, and several people on paddle boards. That’s it! Oh – I must include Mr Himself, too. He is practicing various kayaking skills including tipping over his kayak and getting back into it. Why? He hopes to go on a kayaking expedition next year and needs to be ready. Yipes! Excited and nervous for him. But I digress.

The next part of this painting adventure is fun because I combine memory and imagination. I don’t bother taking photographs of the part of the lake I painted. The photo wouldn’t do justice to either the colors or the feeling of the afternoon. So, instead I put out my paints and envision the experience at the lake in my mind. Oooh la la this is a new favorite way to paint: part on location and part imagination and memory.

For Sale

This painting, Just Starting, is painted in oils, 4×4 inches on a panel that is mounted on a 3/4 inch cradle, ready to hang on your wall and for sale. To purchase, simply click on the Paypal link below.

And, if you are looking for one of kind presents for family and friends this holiday season, consider a painting! There are (and will be) lots of paintings for sale and you can preview them via the Online Studio here. I will be adding new paintings every week this month. So keep an eye out, ok?

Why

And, just in case you thought you might escape without a smidge of philosophy or pondering, I want to share a ‘why paint’ thought. I can’t take credit for any of this thinking. It has been provoked by a twice weekly newsletter I receive from abstract artist, Sara Genn. Her dad, Canadian landscape artist, Robert Genn, started posting his thoughts, ideas and musings about art and making in 2000. It delights me to think that his daughter is carrying on his tradition and, occasionally, infusing it with her experience, too.

Here’s the gist of the newsletter entitled “A Noble Dependency:” if you’re a creative person and a few days go by without making your art, “creative catatonia” sets in. This condition can worsen the longer the artist goes without drawing or painting.

Ahhh! Not sure about you but this explains my cranky demeanor in my younger years when day job consumed and art making was non-existent. But the most beautiful part of this dependency is the thought that the art needs you as much as you need the art. The newsletter continues “Without your personal focus and action, your magic cannot and never will exist. Think of all the great work you have left to do. Think of how necessary it is fo people to see good work. “Work,” said Kahlil Gibran, “is love made visible.”

There you have it, gentle reader! Some color and colorful thinking. It doesn’t get much better than that in my world. But, perhaps you disagree or have a different perspective. Either way, please do share in the comments here and thank you!