First a shoutout to my oldest who turns 39 today! How did that happen?!?!? Contrary to what today’s title might suggest, this blog has nothing to do with the post-Covid return to normal activities, although it is nice to be seeing family members again. I am talking more about the return to a freer personal schedule, following the end of World Watercolor Month. In case you missed it, this is an event that was created in 2016 and in which I have participated every year since. More about it here. Because the challenge is to paint one watercolor every day, and because there is a suggested theme for each day, it forces me to find a subject or topic that illustrates that theme, and of course to find the time to actually paint it. I have mentioned this before, it is both liberating and restrictive. Liberating because I don’t have to totally come up with an idea of what to paint, and restrictive because there is a time constraint to get it done, which in July is not always easy. So I have a kind of love-hate relationship with this event. I love a challenge, yet I hate having this time taken away from other things. I love being given themes of what to paint, yet I hate having to come up with actual images to represent that theme, yet I love the opportunity to think outside the box to do so, and to end up painting topics or subjects I probably never would have thought of on my own. I love the fact that these paintings are just for fun (that is a rule I set for myself) and so I can step away from my perfectionist tendencies for a while. I love the routine that the month brings, but at the same time, I hate it! Anyway, at this point, I think that this will have been my last participation. Much as I enjoy posting my creation each day and getting your feedback, much as I know that these small exercises are good for me, right now I think I have to find another, less rigid way to get the same benefits. Mind you, I have a whole year to think about it! So, much as I said last Sunday in my weekly newsletter (sign up here if you aren’t getting it!) coming out of WWM is a bit like the feeling you get after the Christmas Holidays; after many days of being overly busy and having way too much to do, there is a mental and physical crash when all of this activity suddenly stops! But it is 5 days later now, and life is back to normal for me. I am back to wondering what to paint next, working on improving my marketing, and looking into opportunities for shows and competitions. In a way, I miss the routine of the daily paintings, but I still have plenty to do. I have started a new poured watercolor, and have plans for painting a larger version of one of the better studies I did for the WWM. Some of the artist groups I belong to are slowly returning to in-person activities in which I will be participating. The Lennoxville group is having a get-together (outdoors) for the first time since they shut down the weekly painting meetings in March 2020. The Sherbrooke group is having a group exhibition next week, which will be my first with them since joining in July 2020. I have entered a piece in the Magog group’s upcoming art show in September, and my local village has invited me to participate in its Culture Days event, also in September. Two people have also contacted me about commissioning a painting, and one of my granddaughters has asked me for a painting for her birthday. So as you can see, I have plenty to keep me busy for a while! I must also start thinking of this year’s Christmas ornaments! I have an idea, but it is just that at this time. Back to work!
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AuthorMy name is Claire Bureau. Archives
March 2023
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