Recently, I participated, along with thousands of other artists, in a month-long marathon wherein we were to paint a separate subject every day. The rules were to paint or draw only from life, rather than photos or imagination. By focusing my time on painting still lifes and living flowers and plants, I discovered anew the beauty of the interacting colors and shadows of everyday objects, as well as the views from our windows.
The challenge was illuminating, as well as limiting. Although not travelling during the cold month of January, I was able to appreciate, more intensely, what beauty surrounded me. Certain moments were meditative and tranquil. As exciting as travel can be, I didn’t need to speak a foreign language or spend hours at an airport before enduring even more hours on a plane. Mindful “travel”, through making art, made for an enjoyable and enlightening month.