A Process

The past 5 months or so I have really focused on painting. I've never painted all that much, even though I was always involved in art in one way or another, because I found the medium too unforgiving. A year and a half ago, when I spiraled deep down into motherhood depression, art really saved me. But I wasn't really that good at it, and I didn't really further my skills at all. i painted what I was comfortable with, and if I tried to branch out and hit a wall, I let that wall knock me down.

Last August I took a leap and, with my husbands support, dropped a good chunk of change on an online course with Kelly Rae Roberts. After that, I discovered Alena Hennessy (who I am now taking a course with), and many other artists who have really inspired me. I began to paint intuitively.

30x40 custom piece I did for a customer

Even though the art I learned to create with KRR, and especially intuitive painting, didn't teach me technical skills, it did teach me something really important. 

11x14 custom piece

9x12 custom piece

Painting this way, so freely, taught me to be BRAVE.

It taught me that paint is in fact very forgiving. It taught me that you don't need to take college level courses to figure out how to hold a brush. It taught me that people like my art just as it is, and that if I never try to take it a step further, I'll never know if I can or not.

One day a few weeks ago I took a leap.

And I created this.

16x20 (SOLD)

And then THIS.

30x40, Not currently for sale

And I found that as long as I follow my urges bravely, they never really fail me. Even if the piece of art doesn't work out, there is so much learned in the process, it is always a WIN.

So I would encourage you, if there is something in you telling you to touch some paint, to dip a brush in joy and go to town, follow that urge. You never know what you might discover about yourself.