Tuesday 21 August 2018

Painting - finally - and setting limits!

Well, I've now been in my house on the Talpa Ridge just outside of Taos, NM for nearly 3 months.  I've managed to paint and complete 3 little gem paintings from Saussemare in Normandy, and have begun a 4 th from Glenfinnan in Scotland.  I began after being in my house for 2 months; and once I started, for the most part, its been simple.  But I'm out of practice in the art of keeping my focus despite welcome (mostly) interruptions!  We artists have to practice at keeping the intense focus it takes to delve deep into ourselves and let it come out on canvas (even if its a pretty landscape!).  I have intense focus, from the construction, but its different this time.  With the construction of my casa, it came of desperation to get the old place habitable (in the eyes of the county), so that I could finally stop sofa surfing after 4 years!!  The first 2 months were just letting go and getting rid of the exhaustion that was constant when I finally got my TEMPORARY occupancy permit...getting the Waltz Across Texas series moved from TX, settling my cat and dog after living with other people for a year, and finding my feet.  Still doing that - finding my feet -, because I am very easily shifted from the focus necessary to create and sell those creations to the many other things here in my home country that claim my attention.  I'll get there.  I am forcing myself to have several quiet days in a row, writing, looking at images, sketching, and just being alone, in order to corral the focus back  from all the other necessities of life. 

I can only imagine what its like (or remember perhaps is a better word) for young artists/musicians/writers coming out of school, getting hit with the necessities of working to pay off loans, suddenly completely responsible for your well being, and yet, the need to keep swerving back to your purpose.... for me, that's painting. 

Route de Saussemare, 8 x 10 in., oil on board, sold   (commissioned)