My days of drawing and painting go way back, like many
artists I had dreams of what I wanted to accomplish but was not sure how to get
there, I shared a little about that journey here.
When I became a mom, I pushed my art to the
side with no regrets. I always knew life would shift again and there would be an opportunity to
revisit those artistic dreams.
But when the nest emptied my time was occupied with writing
a garden blog. On occasion, I attempted
to draw but after a long break it was hard, and I became frustrated.
Through daily activity and writing a list of things to do, I would
find myself sketching flowers or shapes on the edge of the paper. Pencil drawing was my connection to the art world and deep down I really
did want to reconnect, but what did that look like?
I could not answer that question...
So, a few years later I took some watercolor classes and
fell in love with this medium. I enjoy
the color movement as it connects with the water; this is probably why I gravitated towards
flowers with an impressionist vibe.
Then I opened an Etsy shop, painting watercolor cards, bookmarks and original framed work. I painted with the idea of what
might sell. That was the worst approach I
could have taken, and the hours spent making graphics to promote that shop took away
from creating art.
I thought if I took it offline, I would have more time to
sketch and paint. So, I removed that
shop from what I call an over saturated environment. If being honest I believe art is an in-person experience.
Since then, an artistic shift has been happening. Most of my evenings consist of sketching and the
following day I have been painting. But I sensed a struggle happening and my first thought was, "here we go again."
This struggle was real and for an artist when you find
yourself in that tug of war the best thing to start doing is unravel the cause.
My thoughts came flowing like a river, I even
signed up for another art class which has been great.
Then one quiet afternoon I realized to reconnect I had to
believe my dreams were possible and more importantly I needed to begin painting
what I like.
This means you might start seeing a different kind of art
resurfacing. An art style that goes back
to the days when my art consisted of color and energy.
My artistic shift seems to be more about impression and abstract combined...
I am also pursuing additional mediums, and everything appears
to be rooted in nature. It could be
months before I am ready to share anything but then again, it could be sooner.
Unfolding a dream comes with many twists and turns and it seems mine is taking time to unravel.
Thankfully I have time...
Encouraging goodness,
Carole West