Art in the Park

Yesterday, I went to "Art in the Park" at the Montclair Art Museum. It is an indoor and outdoor art show featuring a variety of artisans.

They had jewelry designers, painters, sculptors, pottery designers, wood, metal and clay artists.

On my way to the exhibit, I saw a few acrylic paintings hanging in a window. The pictures was displayed on raw, cotton canvas. I saw a man staring at me inside the doorway. I quickly asked, "Are you the artist?" He replied a confident, "Yes." I immediately responded, "You should be charging more than $20 for your artwork!"

That was an opening of a 45-minute conversation about techniques, materials and the best places to purchase art supplies in the area. We exchanged business cards and I gained more inspiration as I headed to the show. I wasn't sure what to expect since this was my first time going to the museum. I saw white tents in the back of the building and as I approached the area I smelled grilled hamburgers, hotdogs and a mixture of summer fixin's.

The early morning rain lost the battle to a partially sunny, warm day. I went to each tent and studied the designs for inspiration and introduced myself to the artist. I collected business cards and postcards which I always make a habit for networking purposes.

This event triggered me to think about painting once again. Through a whirlwind of events, I have put my creativity on the backburner due to circumstances and lack of motivation.

I lyed in bed this morning thinking about an image while I listened to the raindrops hit my window. I was thinking how I would use the white space in a watercolor painting. My next piece will be called, "Cracking Up." It is very rare that I think of a title before I paint the picture.

As I painted the picture today, it became a burst of colors. The white spaces defined the area too boldly, so I decided to paint very lightly within the spaces. I may call it "Star Burst" instead! Which just hit me as I'm blogging. I also painted a picture of flowers in watercolor. I haven't thought of a name as yet. I painted in complete silence. The only thing I heard was the swooshing of the dishwasher which was very mediating to me at the time.

It was upsetting to know that my paintbrushes had a layer of dust on them. But best of all, I believe I found my bliss once again! I vow that I will never let anything or anyone take me away from what I love to do. Yes, I do believe, today was the start of something beautiful!