So there is a show at the Independence Gallery in Loveland called Now & Then. I am participating in this and it is an interesting thing. As Billie J Colson writes in her blog regarding this show, that she is being 'brave' and sharing her older works. Well when I was going through my older stuff to show, I too had a pang of fear in my heart--a sense of vulnerability--so I too am being brave. I thought, "Oh, I can't share my secret failures" people will discover I am a hack lol. Well, it is fun and you might enjoy this show. The growth and progression of an artist is not just about the colors being right, or the drawing and perspective being perfect. It is also about the choice of subject matter, the application of the materials used, and the years of practice that seem to just come through in a work--for me a painting. It is also not about being 'talented', it is about practice and honing a skill. I have had people ask "how long did it take you to paint that?" and the short reply might be 'oh 3 to 4 hours" BUT in reality it is 50+ years and those 3 to 4 hours. As a matter of fact, I have some paintings that have been sitting on the easel for years because they just don't work for me. I also have some favorites that I painted 'en plein air' that took 30 minutes; and are fresh and spontaneous while I was in a zone. Life itself has a huge impact on the time we have to devote to our art and the emotions we convey through our art.
I myself, like to paint mostly nature because It gives me peace and solace. In a hectic world and a early life of hardship and discord, it is where I find I can go find peace and happiness. I hope to do that with my art for you. I hope it can take you away to a place of peace, if only for a moment.