Waves

As I mentioned in this post I was recently working on an art project. 

About 3 years ago I purchased a canvas with the intention of painting something beautiful to hang in my house.  It sat in my garage for a while, was packed up in the move last year and stored away in the garage once again waiting for inspiration to strike.  Unfortunately, I was never inspired enough so the blank canvas sat... waiting.

Well, as you know Dominic graduated last Friday and I really wanted to get him something special to congratulate him on his achievements.  I have been checking out a lot of "Do It Yourself" type blogs for home decor and came across an art project that was perfect.  Anyone who knows Dominic knows that some of his greatest loves are the beach and surfing.  My inspiration materialized into this...

What you have to realize is that this was WAY out of my comfort zone in many ways.  Part of the reason that the canvas sat untouched was because I was afraid.  First, I haven't painted anything in over 14 years.  Secondly, impressionism has never been one of my strong suits.  My OCD mind has never quite been able to grasp what I have always viewed as chaotic imperfection of the subject matter.  I can look at artwork done by great artists like Van Gogh and Picasso and enjoy them but they are not my own work.  Most of you know I am very critical of myself and anything that I do.  I can stare at anything I have done and find imperfections that others don't tend to see.  That being said, this painting was like a breath of fresh air.  I could paint with reckless abandon and it didn't have to be "perfect".  I felt free.  Free to just enjoy the process and as a result this is one of the few projects that I have ever done that I love.

Chris knew that I wanted to do this painting and that I had nowhere to do it.  One day he went out to run errands and returned with all the makings of an easel made from PVC pipes.  Within an hour he had it all put together and it was ready for me to get to work.  

What an amazingly supportive husband! And Basil remained a constant presence as I painted away never leaving my feet.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!  Have a wonderful weekend!