I’ve cleaned up the pillow and blankets from the floor in front of a glistening new painting, still shiny wet, sparkling in the morning sun. It’s beautiful – not just the painting, but the feeling of finishing something and enjoying it. And I actually made myself clean my brushes. That’s a huge accomplishment.
This painting was fun to create, and I’ve learned so much along the way. It came with its own challenges, but with a bit of inspiration from a new artist friend and some suggestions from online helpers, the challenges didn’t feel as intimidating.
Firstly, let me introduce my artist friend to you. Sabrina Pinksen arrived in Gaultois shortly after we came here. She had responded to a Call for Artists for an outdoor mural in Gaultois. It was a huge project so I couldn’t wait to meet the brave artist who was setting up her studio in the Community Centre.
You know that feeling when you’re a bit nervous to meet someone new? I get this from time to time – especially with artists, because it’s great to meet other creatives and I always hope to connect with them. I wasn’t disappointed when I met Sabrina – she has to be the friendliest, most down-to-earth artist I’ve met. And unbelievably talented!
Take a look:
How could I not be inspired by her work?
So, shortly after she left Gaultois, I rolled up my sleeves, rearranged a few things in my kitchen and set up a larger studio space. My easel didn’t fit in the truck on our trip to Newfoundland so this lovely big canvas was set on the floor and so was I. Who needs fancy equipment, right?
I think the most exciting new step (this is for the art geeks out there) was applying a few colours to some parts of the canvas before the final painting. I’d been curious about applying tinted gesso under acrylic paintings but hadn’t developed the courage to attempt an underpainting while working with oil. After watching Sabrina use “chaos mapping” to prepare her composition, I knew I needed to push past my perfectionism to have fun with the creative process.
As I got closer to the foreground, I had even more fun, imagining the colours of plant life under the snow and exaggerating both real and imagined colours. With a bit of help from my playlist, I actually played with this artwork. It was amazing!
I will admit though, that sitting on the floor and painting did require a few extra stretching sessions but I’m ok with that. Cooper and Chloe were more than happy to snooze beside me next to the yoga mat.
Second Wind Studio 