I’ve been absentee from this site for a few years, but stumbled upon a fabulous article that I just had to comment on… The topic of depression and diabetes spoke loudly to me… And now it’s so good to be back.
2013 was s h I t. There. Said it… Sorry for vulgarity but it deserves it! In Toronto, it left with an angry ice storm. Our family lost power, and found ourselves in different locales with power. I spent a couple days hanging out with my favourite cousin who lives midtown, along with my half-sister from Paris, who came to live with us from Paris only a week earlier, and who I only had met once previously a year earlier in Paris.
My cousin shares an apartment with a recent divorcee who has taken up painting… Tapping into his much neglected creative side, he says. He is quite talented. My cousin’s friend’s mother lives two floors up, and was away, so Michelle was watering her plants. She also paints! And she’s super talented! I was immersed in art and experiencing huge art envy.
Art was nudging me, but I still didn’t pick up on the subtle flirtation. Then, while on our Winter Break, my nine year old asked me if she could paint pictures on her wall. So off we went to our local art store. Art had me with aisle 5: paints, brushes, canvases…they all looked so alluring, so colorful, so lush and needy. I filled my shopping basket.
Once home, I devoted a block of time to converting my seldom used dining room to my Art Room. All things were considered. Pretty glass jars and vases for fresh acrylics and brushes, extra lighting, chair turned easel, music. I was ready to paint.
I thought my first project should present enough of a challenge that I’d feel the reward of accomplishment, but not too difficult as to turn me off my investment before I even got started. I selected a summer beach scene with my daughters and dog, at our regular cottage rental getaway… All around happy subjects.
Now, for artists, you know everything I’m about to try to explain. For me, this was like visiting a foreign country with a completely new culture. I usually find my relaxation through physical activity, reading, or watching a really good tv series (like Mad Men!). I enjoy writing and have dabbled in photography. Generally speaking, my style of unwind is language based. This was new.
My mind was completely and utterly focused on this one task. Music seemed to complement it well, but only familiar music worked. My head could not handle any other form of stimulation, and it was fantastic! Each time I sat down to paint, my mind went through a form of cleansing that was therapeutic to the point of utter joy. I must have released serotonin as well, as I would feel so elevated both during and after.
Suffice to say I completed that first painting in about a week, and am starting on my next: an abstract, completely rendered from my imagination…imagine that.
And about that painting… The result came as a shock to both me and my family. It’s not bad.