Art Therapy

I hope you had an enjoyable Memorial Day weekend.

The appliance crisis cloud seems to have followed me to our vacation home with three things failing on us. The clothes dryer, the ice maker on the refrigerator and all the electrical plugs in our bedroom. What the heck is going on? I think it is time to take out my sage stick and scare away the home ownership ghouls. I won’t even mention the desk light that kept going on and off by itself.

But, if you own a home, inevitably things will go wrong. I just wish they would spread themselves out and not break the bank.

Some good news. I was able to find time to do a bit of painting (yes, on a canvas!). We have good light at the cabin and so painting amid the peace and quiet is very therapeutic.

Unfortunately, due to COVID, my art classes in Phoenix have been cancelled until September. In a previous blog post, I mentioned following Kelli Folsom’s video still life lessons, Vital Arts with Kelli, with the intention to have the flexibility of online instruction. The ultimate goal is to paint every day. Right now I hope to paint at least every Friday.

The lesson I selected is an antique sugar bowl with oranges.

Here is the photo of the live setup. I believe this arrangement works because orange is the complement of blue ~~they really look lovely together against the rustic wood table.

Kelli’s video instruction is approximately 35 minutes. I like to listen to a good portion of it first, before I start painting. Again, I did this in acrylic paints while Kelli uses oil. Vastly different mediums.

Here is what I love about painting. Everyone has their own interpretation and style. No two are the same. When I see Kelli’s loose brushstrokes, I wish I could paint that way. Her painting of the still life is very different than mine.

Here is my version. It is not quite done yet, as I am in the stage of just staring at it for a few days to see what I can improve upon.

But isn’t this fun to see the differences in style?

What I find most challenging is getting the shadows/darks in the right places, the different values and the scale of the pieces. And orange is one of those colors that is hard to create!

If you recall, I started painting when my middle child went off to college~~nearly 5 years ago. I have never painted before and it is intimidating to start something new at an older age. To see more about my painting journey, click here.

But each time I put the paintbrush on the canvas I learn something. Especially in this time of uncertainty, I find comfort in starting and finishing a project. I’ve decided I am not good with ambiguity as I like beginnings and endings. Doesn’t life seem to be a big blur right now?

Painting is a way for me to spend hours focusing on something else. Tuning out the world and its problems is a good thing.

Do you have a hobby or interest that is therapeutic? If so, please share. Many of us may be at a stage in life where we are looking for new challenges or skills.

Wishing you all a wonderful Wednesday.