Lupines

Lupines

Oil on canvas, 10x20, $300

The first painting on a painting trip, in my limited experience, is filled with stress.

I mean, here I am, leaving everything about daily life behind, leaving my husband, leaving my home, leaving my obligations, so I can go somewhere far away and paint. Really, these paintings had better be good, right? Otherwise, I could have just stayed home and painted in the back yard.

On both of my previous painting trips, I've been surprised by how stiff and tight and nervous I was, making those first paintings. This time, I was prepared.

I was still stiff and tight and nervous - but I expected it. So I got through the first few strokes, the first big blocks of color, the first misjudgments and goofs, and I corrected, and loosened up and began to delight in what I was doing.

Heather and I were painting on the side of a dirt road where lupines grew in blocks so thick, the air was filled with scent. It was absolutely amazing.

We painted, we packed up, we left, and moments down the road, we saw a moose.

Now, we are in Canada, where the air is clear and filled with sun, and the sky runs down into the water. I can't wait to paint!

Thanks for reading.