Tag: nature

…floating among the lilies in my kayak, if I stay still long enough the pond begins to forget I’m there…there have been more than one occasion, however, when I encounter the great blue heron soaking up the warmth of the sun, standing balanced on one leg in the still water, peacefully indulging in the solitude of the moment surrounded by water lilies in her private nature spa…as I drifted into view catching her attention she gives me a very seemingly annoyed “side-eye” waits a moment or two then flaps her great wings, lifts off in flight and lets out a prehistoric and loud sounding squawking…I have to admit I reflect feeling a bit guilty of interrupting her peace and feel a bit rude…and think -it’s really about honoring space…learning to do the same

some days are for healing

some days are for blooming

and some days…are for not being disturbed

I took quite a few photos that day and have spent the past couple months feeling creative in my life again…painting…thought I’d get attempt to a couple paintings with them… here are a few I’ve done recently…

Feeling courageous…
Striving for simplicity and not getting caught up in details and minutiae…I giggle as I sit here struggling to achieve that with another attempt at Fauvism -not sure why I am so intrigued by this style?…maybe because if done correctly (actually not sure there is a “correct” way?) it is amazing in its simplicity and imperfection? Perfect imperfection…exactly how I have lived my life, when I couldn’t wait for “perfect”, when I lacked confidence, I just kept moving with gentle courage…and usually it turned out much better than I could have anticipated…not sure about these particular paintings though?🤔🤨 I still catch myself getting caught up in the minutiae and detail that really doesn’t matter in stead of a more simple version…BE SIMPLY COURAGEOUS …it doesn’t have to be perfect…
Just to recap-fauvism-simplified shapes, distortion, bright, strong, color, unrealistic – more representational and impressionistic
Post note: I sat thinking about this some more and reframed my apparent failure at attempting simplicity (as I have recently in my life as well)…
“I try to live simply… and yet I still get caught up.”
But here’s the reframe:

I don’t complicate life.

I care about it.

I notice things.
I feel deeply.
I attend to detail.
I don’t skim the surface of anything.

That’s not failure at simplicity.

That’s DEPTH…layers in my life…I set out to paint bold, wild, simple Fauvism…

…and ended up layering detail, texture, nuance… BUT creative in my authenticity?? 🤷🏼‍♀️😬🙄 lol…another heron I attempted from a photo this past autumn at a friend’s pond…the backdrop fall foliage was ablaze with spectacular color…

In Light✨

Denise