Resting Easy

Standing in her bedroom, I could feel a deep, peaceful energy.  The dark gray walls felt like a calm cavern as the bright New Mexico landscapes throbbed outside. I could imagine Georgia O'Keeffe resting there in the morning before she started her day wandering the deserts and working on her paintings or sculptures.  Spending time in her Abiquiu house in New Mexico was a highlight of a recent trip to the place that continues to feel like a wellspring of creative energy for me.  I felt this legendary artist invite me into her space and make me feel at home as the artist that I am.  I gazed at the vistas that she waited 10 years to call her own.   There was a sense of patience and slowness in that space.  I felt it in the weathered wood, the adobe walls and the blue skies spreading out without end. 

The second half of this year has been a busy one in terms of making, hanging and selling art.  I've felt the slow hum of my art practicing turning into something more.  There is also the sense of patience and pacing -- to not feel rushed in the process of letting things come to fruition over time.  There are many eras ahead for me, just as O'Keeffe found herself in the New Mexico era. 

There are times where I feel such a surge of creative energy and no time to put it down on paper.  These moments tug at my soul and test my patience.  I try to return to my steady practice of Tuesday painting and make plans to create more space for art when time allows.  In New Mexico, I was sharing ideas for new work with my dear friend Rae.  I've had dreams of connecting my love of painting together with my love of fiber art.  As we talked through the details of how to make it happen with various medium, I felt lifted up in the creative process and looking forward to an artist retreat I have planned in March where I can explore a new process with an expanse of time.  I found some materials to play with as an investment into my creative plans.  I may not get around to using these materials for many months but they offer the promise of future creativity. 

Planning for creative work and storing ideas away until I can create time for them is one way I manage the tug of impatience.  I also bask in the moments of sharing art and how my work has been connecting with others.  Many original pieces have found homes this year and it has been a delight to send off some of my work into the world.  Recently I visited the salon where I sold my piece "Hobuck" to one of the stylists who worked there.  The owner of the salon shared that the stylist hung the piece over her bed and felt that her sleep had improved with the calming artwork there to greet her in the evening.  To know that something I had created was bringing another person rest and peace felt deeply gratifying.  I had painted that artwork after a restful weekend at the Washington coast with a person I love and the emotion and energy I put into the art was now connecting with someone new. 

Maintaining a steady sense of patience and sharing emotional connection through art feel more important than ever right now.   I'm excited to bring forth a new collection in January in a space that centers itself around rest and rejuvenation.  It will be a beautiful way to celebrate the start of my second year of sharing my art with the world.