Through journaling, I discovered a deep interest in oil painting. I remember very little of my childhood and teenage years, but clearly recall my mother coming home from oil painting classes. Her face always glowed and she excitedly showed me her latest work. I have two of her nature scenes in my office.
Our island is home to a famous and well collected landscape painter, Terrill Welch, terrillwelchartist.com. I enjoyed following her website full of amazing paintings, magical writing, and merchandise for sale, including journals! I have a few.
She and her husband walk by often and one day as I tended rosemary plants, I ventured down the hill and said to Terrill, “Is there any way you would be open to teaching oil painting?”
Our first class was February 11th, 2016 in Terrill’s home studio. Knowing so little about painting, I arranged to arrive early as I couldn’t for the life me of figure out how to open, let alone set up, my new easel. After that first set of classes, Terrill continued teaching at our community center every spring and fall and I enjoyed all those classes. We are a wonderful group of creative, supportive, and fun women. I consider these classes an investment in my health and thankfully Terrill continues to teach. We wrap up our spring session with a one-day show at our community center. Two classmates and I have had shows on island in various venues. The community is always supportive, and I still remember the wonderful joy when selling my first painting. This one – “Happy Trio” 11 x 14 oil on canvas.
Oil painting, like any new skill, takes a lot of time and commitment. I have much to learn about light, shadows, and depth. It is more about mastering those than learning as I know the theory. What is crystal clear in my head, what I see so well in front of me – one would think that easily translates to the canvas. Not so. For me anyway. Something happens between my brain/eyes along my arm, through the brush, and onto the canvas. Sometimes not even a close resemblance appears. However, I thoroughly enjoy the creative process where I lose myself and all track of time. Or those magical moments in class when no one is speaking instead in their own creative spaces. A lovely hush.
Oil painting has opened my eyes to the world as I now see everything from a cleaned and sharpened focus. For example, before oil painting I enjoyed looking at trees – seeing beautiful green trees. Now I pause often to take in the gaze of trees and see endless shades of green, greys, browns, blacks, yellow, and burgundy, to name a few colors. I stop to look at a sunrise, sunset, the sea, my dog, a seedling, anything really, and see the vista with new appreciation. I think about painting and what colors might I mix to get that color there? Or here? Sometimes I drop everything and draw a sketch, take photos, and make notes as reference materials if I decide to paint whatever I am looking at later. Oil painting is an exciting and fulfilling process.