Closer To Home and Writing

Closer to Home, 6" x 6", oil panel

Its been a few weeks since picking up a paint brush, between getting ready for my show, travelling and recovering from this hideous flu-virus!   And so quite a long break from painting.  This past show has been quite a departure in subject matter so it is with a sense of comfort that i return to the "tried and true", which for me is painting water, sand and sky:. seascapes.    I think sometimes for the artist; for many reasons its a good thing to come back to what one has done many times before.  (for one thing it keeps our delicate artists ego intact, we can feel reassured of doing something well, we know what we are doing)  Another I think is to keep us grounded in the daily practise of just doing it.  Learning to manage the balance between exploring new territory and sticking with the "same old" is an exersize in self-preservation.   Shows and openings in a way are just an ending of one chapter,  a period at the end of a sentence.  and the rest afterward a time to wonder about whats next? 

One of the things I did when I return was turn this desk around to face the outside, and started writing every morning, well so far anyway. 

Writing Desk

Writing Desk still life