Been awhile! I know.. I just started with a blog and then took a break from it.

Life is a bit hectic at work with a new owner, buy out, changeover (lack of better words), helping to take care of an elderly parent and trying to keep up with my art business. It has not been easy to find the time to be creative and often when there is, I can't mentally and emotionally wrap my brain around it. Do you suffer the mental challenges of getting those creative juices flowing sometimes? I know it's a tremendous struggle for me to let go of everything going on in life and have fun just being creative. One thing I have found that helps is to plan and plot some time, schedule it on your calendar and write it in, then sit down with some of your favorite colors, gather some scrap watercolor paper and just play around with a simple subject. No expectations other than spending that creative time with yourself!

I did this exact mental therapy last night with Turquoise, Nickel Quin Gold, Transparent Red Iron Oxide and Paynes Gray! I picked the simple subject of feathers, put on my nature sounds in the background and had some relaxing fun! If the complexities of life are bogging the brain down just stick with something simple! Put on your favorite "sounds", make or pour your favorite drink, get away from the rest of the "noise" and just have fun. No pressure, you're not producing a masterpiece, you're just putting brush to paper and moving it around.

Enjoy and share with me your thoughts on how you get the creative juices flowing! What background sounds do you like or do you need it quiet? Do you like to sip on something? What are your favorite colors to play with? You can leave a comment here or pm me on Insta or Facebook. The links are below!

Yesterday I was walking my fur baby in the ONP and came across a moss covered stump. In that moment most people would think nothing of it, some might think it was pretty and snap a picture. My mind, well it goes into overdrive! I think to myself, a little forest person would look cute laying on the top of that stump with its hands holding its face. Maybe a friend leaning against the other with their legs dangling over the side. Trying to look inconspicuous, like a human and hairy creature didn't just walk by! There would be a sun ray shining down through the canopy of trees highlighting the whole scene. Oh, the different greens, yellows, orange, reds, blues...the color list goes on!

Further down the path there is a puddle in the road, the reflections of nature shining bright. A crows reflection moving across the surface like it is another dimension, another world all its own. Constantly changing as the day moves forward. Wouldn't that be fun to paint?!

Look at that leaf, the colors of fall happening, the changes from green to yellow to orange, reds and browns! I snap a picture of each change taking place so that I can try to capture its essence in a painting later.

Look at that fern and the shape of it, next to it is a completely different one and next to that an even different type? The shades of green with yellows and blues. I need to capture all the variations of the simple botanical life of Ferns! (Stay tuned for the Fern series!) OH, and look, a mouse moving amongst the ferns. Where is its home and what does it look like? A cozy little home created from nature. That would be a fun book!

I'd only made it a half of a mile.......
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Where does your mind go when you venture outdoors? Are you a creative? Does your imagination go into hyperdrive? Are you a thinker? Or is a walk, just a walk :)