". . . a brush with nature"

There is a national show that I have considered entering for several years now, but something always stood in the way. I didn’t have anything ready, I missed the deadline (again), had those moments of self-doubt or whatever not so unique excuse came to mind at that particular point in time. Now it isn’t like I don’t routinely enter national and even international shows, but for some reason I always had an excuse for not submitting to this one.

This year I decided I would NOT stand in my own way. This year I would create a series of pieces I felt would be a good fit for the show while at the same time still remain true to the art I love to create. This year I would have the paintings ready to go well before the submission deadline. This would be THE year!

With that goal in mind I decided to gather items around me that felt comfortable to me. These items would serve as the “seeds” for my new series of paintings. I would plant my “comfortable seeds” and watch with anticipation to see what grew and eventually bloomed on my easel.

The “comfort seeds” I gathered and subsequently planted in my “idea garden” were items I have around me every day in my home and studio. My main seeds of inspiration were items I wear almost daily. (You see, I am truly comfortable in them!) I love cowboy boots and have quite a few pairs, so these boots served as a perfect starting point. When partnered with antique trunks, native rugs, flowers and even our daughter’s photo from high school they eventually grew into a collection of western themed paintings.

As I worked on the first painting I was already thinking ahead to the next idea. It would certainly be a piece based on the boot theme, but something totally unique unto itself. This happened over and over again as each new painting grew to fruition and sprouted yet another concept for my series. Soon I had several works that were cohesive as a unit (all started from that same initial, comfortable seed of inspiration), but each certainly was able to stand strong alone, as well.

I still have not received the results from the show that was the stimulus for this series of paintings. At this point the results are not quite as important as they once were because I am happy with what I achieved while working toward the goal. I challenge you to choose a “comfort seed” of your own to plant and nurture. By allowing the tiny seeds of an inspiration or fleeting thought about something you once considered common place to take hold in the fertile field of your own creative mind you may soon witness new and amazing growth taking place on your canvas or paper. A willingness to explore new concepts and ideas as they begin to germinate may take you in directions you never even imagined. Just watch where the new growth takes you!