It Seems To Hang On! #18/30 Art That Heals

The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes.  -Marcel Proust

"Dancing Clouds" Oil on Canvas.

Why am I doing oil studies of clouds?  To help me reconnect with my skill of observation and to help me develop strategies on how to render what I see.  I chose clouds because I want to teach an arts integrated lesson on clouds.  I initially taught this lesson in the Spring and it got me to drawing and observing clouds.  After years of not painting using oil paints, I needed to begin again to realize my vision using this medium.

So far this summer journey is healing and bringing me back to myself.  The oil studies that I'm creating and posting aren't meant to be finished paintings.  Instead, I am gathering information and developing a knowledge base in preparation for making paintings.  I'm trying to see the world through new eyes that have been clouded over from some painful circumstances of my recent life.  The process of painting clouds is helping me discover how to stay in the moment and witness the beauty that surrounds me everyday.

Painting in oils is like reconnecting with a best friend that been gone for far too long.  Oil painting is seductive like working with porcelain in clay.  With oil painting, the seduction lies in the way it flows and blends on the canvas and in the aromatic smell of the materials.  I'm hooked even more than I was 25 years ago.  I guess it's because of its absence from my daily life.  This go round, oil painting is a keeper.  I can hear my Mama saying, "you don't miss what you had until it's gone, so count your blessings if you get a second chance."  Well, this is my second chance, and I'm holding on.  Second chances in life are blessings to be treasured and nurtured!