Sometimes painting is more about the process than the end product. This piece was inspired by my Artist Way group, and started with a meditation to tap into the creative flow. I was feeling artistically blocked because of so much other "stuff" going on in my life. To represent that my "plate is full", I traced a circle using a paper plate onto a piece of paper. I wrote everything on my mind out onto the "plate": stresses, worries, things to do, etc. Occasionally I would write a positive word just to raise my energy. After I had filled the plate, I glued it down onto another piece of paper. Using acrylic paint, I put down a background color. Then I started coloring over all of my negativity with bright yellow, imagining the bright sun washing away all of my worries, while letting my positives peek through. As I continued to cover up the plate with paint, it transformed from a sun to a sunflower. I still know all the writing is under there, but I need to remember to focus on the positives!
The weather here in California is just too nice to paint inside, so I took advantage of a warm February afternoon to head down to the river. My plein air supplies are pretty simple: a pad of watercolor paper, a pencil, a few brushes, my paint palette, and a cup to hold my water. I also grabbed a blanket from the trunk of my car since I forgot my folding chair I usually carry. I found a nice sunny spot on a log near the American River and started to paint. I love the little rapids flowing over the rocks but I am still trying to figure out how to convey that in the painting.
