Rediscovering my Artistic Spirit

As some of you may be aware, I have loved art all my life. Some of my fondest memories as a child involve spending quiet time painting or drawing. When I went to college, I decided to major in art, despite the fact that I had never had a formal art class. The course work was challenging (don't ever let anyone tell you an art major is easy!). I worked hard, though, and I loved it. Over the years, I have kept my creative side working in various ways. I have done graphic design and web design. When my older son was little, I attempted a career as a professional artist. I sold a couple paintings but not enough to make a go of it. When my second son was born, I put the brushes away, and turned my attention to other creative pursuits such as writing and quilting. I picked up the brushes again briefly in 2004 or 2005. I was giving a one-evening watercolor workshop and wanted to make sure my skills were still there. I had fun and enjoyed giving the class, but then the brushes went away again. It seemed such a waste to paint with no purpose. At least my writing I can share with people. Quilting was practical. When you are done, you have something to keep you warm or give as a gift. The paintings just took up space in my closet. No one wanted them. There was nothing I could do with them. I did a big purging last weekend and threw many of them away. (I did take photographs of them 1st so I have a record).

This year, I've been teaching an art and history class for my homeschooling co-op. It's been great. I enjoy getting ready for class each week. We are using the Picturing America series. Each week we talk about one of the pictures - discussing the art and the history of America at that time. Then we do an art project related to the lesson.

All that working with people creating art has made me miss my own painting. So, after I finished my quilt for 2009 (a present for Isaac) and got caught up on my scrapbooking (which hadn't been touched since July), I took out the old paints and brushes. I was so excited to do so. The results are above. One done each of the past Saturday nights. I plan on continuing to paint when I can. I'll probably share them here and will most likely offer them for sale. I'm not sure how long this new painting experience will last, but I am enjoying it.