Well, I guess this is my annual blog post. Holy smokes, I really need to improve on this! How can a year have passed already? I have been painting, but much of my summer was spent in my studio focusing on still life instead of plein air – it was too hot this summer (or I’m just getting old and can’t take the heat anymore!).
It took me a little while to accept that I could still paint, I just couldn’t paint outside as I love to do. It was hard to make that change at first, but I eventually took the plunge and gave a subject change a try. I am so glad I did.
I found I enjoyed the time in my studio, though it is certainly a different environment from being outside – much more controlled. I worked pretty small, 6X8 for the most part. I was inspired by two books I read: Daily Painting by Carol Marine, and One Painting a Day by Timothy Callaghan. Both books focused on the importance of creating on a daily basis. Carol’s book included a lot of instruction and tips on how to set up and paint a still life, whereas Timothy’s book was more a collection of inspirational ideas for subjects within the genre of still life. Both were uber inspiring and I learned a lot reading them.
After school got out, I spent a few weeks traveling in the Bahamas and Utah, and then I painted quite steadily for about 3 weeks. August reared its ugly head (I know, not fair to August, but any teachers out there will relate) and it was time to get ready to go back to school and I had to, sadly, put aside my paint brushes.
It’s been a fun change to focus on a different subject matter. I am still painting from observation whether I’m painting plein air or still life. I guess it all comes down to: It’s not what you paint, but how you paint it – and as long as I’m painting something, I’m happy!
So, don’t be afraid to change your focus! Change is good, it causes you to look at things differently and grow in different directions. When was the last time you tried something different? Share your experience below! I would love to hear from you.
