Ten years of painting!
an epiphany and…
Ten years of painting!
A few days ago I was walking in my garden and suddenly I had an epiphany (the garden has that effect on me): it's been 10 years (10 YEARS!!!!!!!!!) since I started painting! I can hardly believe it.
And what really floored me, after I counted on my fingers and took my very first painting off the shelf to check the date at the back, is that the thought hadn't even crossed my mind until now... and we're in September! Usually I'm all about celebrating the good things in life, the happy events, the big and small wins, the unexpected good news, birthdays, holidays... With practice, gratitude has almost become second nature and yet, with everything that has been going on this year, I completely missed that big BIG one.
My first painting!
Back in 2010 I painted a little birdie out of her cage. I called the painting "Free as a Bird" and I guess it was a good omen, or maybe an intention for the journey that was about to unfold...
Today, 10 years later, with my art on the cover of my favorite mixed media art magazine, I feel a little dazzled, like it was only yesterday. I still remember the brushstrokes, the brand new tube of paint, the first time (and definitely not the last) that I played with bubble-wrap!
I was a complete newbie: my last "creative" endeavors had been to sew furry washable nappies for my kids and wall-paper a toy chest... My inner artist had been locked up deep within for over a decade, but she couldn't take it anymore. One day, in desperation, she made me open my laptop and start searching. What could I do to get creative?...
There was a huge scrapbooking frenzy at that time, but it didn't really attract me. Yet in just a few minutes, the magic of Google led me to two magical words I had never heard of... Mixed Media. I was intrigued, I could feel a deep knowing stirring in my soul. My Artist Soul.
Ten minutes later, I found Kelly Rae Robert's book "Taking Flight" on Amazon. Three days later I opened it and read it cover to cover. The next day I went to the closest art store and bought my first supplies. Then the weekend came and I started my first ever canvas.
That day, I was born again.
Like many other creatives, I started painting on my kitchen table. Can you spot the Kelly Rae Roberts print above the tea towels?…
So today I guess I'm a happy ten-year old! And like I told you, I'm all about celebrating the good things in life, even, or should I say especially when it gets tough. That's why I've decided to whip up a special little something for next month! Woohoo!
I still need to figure out all the details but I can already tell you that we're going to paint together, nurture our Artist Souls and celebrate YOUR art journey too. I hope you'll join me!