Since the xmas craft fair at the end of November I have tried to make time for painting every Sunday morning, even if it's only for an hour or so. I work small - on 4x4 inch canvas boards, now and again expanding onto 5x7, which feels huge in comparison. Over the 4 months - December through March - I've done a lot of little paintings.... they are all painted at my verandah table at home. When I'm out walking I often take (bad) photos or do little sketches that I use for inspiration for the paintings, but I haven't been brave enough to paint outdoors.
So a bunch of the paintings are of the place where I sit when I go for my walk at the beach. The view out to sea across the rocky shore off sunset park at Nightcliff - it's wonderful to see storm clouds and dramatic skies at this time of year, the wet season, and I've tried to capture some of that, the same view in different weather.
A couple of the paintings are of sunset park, the shady trees and glise of the sea beyond, and people enjoying it someone reading, someone walking their dog.
A Nightcliff landmark is the jetty, and It has made an appearance in a couple of paintings!
Another group of paintings are still life's, which I do paint from life - a twig of gumtree flowers I picked up at the park, a new pot plant...
The best painting sessions have been when I knew what I wanted to paint, if I don't have a clear idea the painting doesn't go well. That seems to be the opposite of the nugget of wisdom about not waiting for inspiration to strike, to just get on with it.
I feel like this wave of painting is coming to an end - perhaps it's the change of season. The dry season is approaching, I feel the urge to get out walking more often and get back into the garden. These things will 'fill the well' and inspire the next wave of painting. (The idea of filling the well is from Julia Cameron's book The Artist's Way.)
Also the first craft fair of the year is coming up at the beginning of May, so I need to get prepared for that. I feel very lucky that these events can go ahead almost as normal in Darwin, while so many other parts of the world are still in lockdown. For those in the northern hemisphere I hope that spring and the easing of restrictions is bringing a little joy :)
