Rather than venture into the unknown or uncomfortable, we often seek shelter within the familiar. As true as in life, this observation is aptly true in creative work. There are certain subjects with which I am not certain: the human figure, seascapes, specific types of landscapes, etc. Because they have proven difficult in the past, did not come easily, I do not approach them with confidence. I have even been known to AVOID them altogether, but I am learning to administer doses of them to myself periodically. If I can paint a subject with which I am comfortable (let's say a cow), I can paint anything else. It's just another image applied with paint. I remember reading an article about how to maintain youthfulness; one of the suggestions was to learn something new whenever possible. If that advice is true, some pieces I have painted lately have knocked off years of age. Creative work is a paradox in that it's both exhilarating and exhausting. After painting all day, I am wonderfully TIRED. You know... that great kind of tired you feel after playing at the beach on day in the sun. This piece is one of those pieces I painted as a "break," a painting sabbatical that was not so demanding. I'm comfortable with a cow. They are nonthreatening beasts that just look at you with a vacant stare. I love to paint them; hence, here's another.
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