Painting Differently

I sit by the stream with my sketchbook open, trying to paint what I feel. Not the landscape. Not a tree. Not a bush. Just the sense of this place.

Since returning from Italy - I paint differently.

It turns out that creating takes quite a bit of courage. Courage to begin. Courage to reveal. Courage to change.

So for the past six months, I've been painting differently. Since my art residency in Italy with my fellow artists, I began painting outdoors. In nature. Near home and further away. It doesn't matter.

From the protected studio where I could control every detail, suddenly I ventured into the unknown. Into changing sunlight, coming and going winds, moving shadows, rustling sounds, distractions.

Trying to be free, as I was when painting in the studio. But the process is different. And therefore challenging.

Like any process, it takes time. A lot of time. I don't rush it. I enjoy the journey. Enjoy going out into nature, the smell of earth, the changing clouds, and even the croaking frogs.

Though I love painting with color, I’m sticking to monochrome—black, grays, white—to keep my focus on shapes, textures, and composition without getting distracted.

The moment to return to color will come, but it’s not here yet. For now, I’m savoring the process. And I’m not afraid to share it.

I wish I’d been this gentle with myself when I first started painting. It probably would’ve made things easier. But it just goes to show that we never start from the same point. Even when we seem to return to a starting point, it’s not the same beginning. This beginning exists at a different stage of our growth. Like a spiral. Circles, but each time from a higher place, carrying the lessons of the previous loop.

It’s worth it.