Last month I reflected on "transition" - with a lot of changes taking place in my personal and in my artistic life.  This month I find myself planted back in my home studio, my surroundings smaller but so familiar, my home now a bit disorganized because of the move.  And constantly in search of this brush or that tube of paint.  But it will all come together and now I am where I am.

 

I was blessed to paint with new students this month, both at Sharp Art Iowa in Elkader and at Whispering Pines in Monticello.  My life has been made richer by the women that own these businesses and by the new students who have been curious enough to try their hand at oil painting. 

 

During one of the classes, a new student, a little frustrated at learning the technique, exclaimed "I want to paint like you!"  It dawned on me at that moment that none of us can do anything like the person we are next to unless we've walked their walk.  It seems cliche, but really, how can I paint like another artist I admire (and there are so many!) unless I have studied what they study, am passionate about what fills their hearts, spent the hours learning, striving, stretching that they have?  

 

My remark to that lovely woman, was that the wonderful thing about art, is that it's the expression of where each of us is now.  Each stroke of the brush reflects where you are in your life, sitting in front of your canvas, whether it's your first day with a brush or whether you've spent 35  years of your life trying to master the strokes of paint.

 

I like to think that each new creation, whether it's a written page, a new recipe, or a piece of art,  in front of you now is the the result of what has moved you to this point on your path of learning, striving and stretching.  If the brush strokes aren't quite right, or the color is skewed, it's all just a part of where you are and where it leads you next.   There should always be a sense of accomplishment - even if it's not the masterpiece you had envisioned, it's a step toward that masterpiece down the road.  It's always the right step, because ultimately, we are where we are, and that is a blessing in itself.  

 

And now, with summer exiting and a new season just waiting to burst into color, my prayer for you is that you find gratitude in where you are and hope in where you are going.  There is a masterpiece just waiting around the corner!