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Thursday, March 24, 2016

Beachfront Palms - Show Tip #19

Beachfront Palms, 30 x 24, oil on canvas, L. Daniel © 2016
Sold in Solo Show, "Chasing Color, Finding Light", Davis Gallery
H A P P Y   E A S T E R !!!

I used to be afraid to paint palm trees and now they are my favorite. What made the difference? Observing and practicing. For the last three years, my daughter and her family lived in Hawaii. My visits with them included many a foray outside, to plein air paint along the coast or at the beaches near their home. It was a perfect opportunity to study the behaviors and personalities of palm trees... and study I did! This scene is from the Georgia coast, where my palm lessons continue to be applicable. 

Show Tip #19 - Celebrate Growth
As I painted the scene above, I reflected on how I no longer avoid or "edit out" palm trees when I am painting. In fact, now I look for them and choose them as subjects! It made me happy to see that progress, and yes, I did a little happy dance! We all make little advances every day in whatever we are doing. Sometimes success is immediate and obvious, and other times it is slower and incremental. And there are also times when we are so intent on the next hurdle that we just forget to notice where we've been. It is really important to pay attention and give ourselves a pat on the back when we see growth. Look for it. It truly is cause for celebration (and great inspiration to keep going for that next hurdle). 

Here are links to other Show Tips:
Tip #4 - Work in Series
Tip #6 - Be Kind to YOU
Tip #8 - Stay Flexible
Tip #11 - Take Notes
Tip #12 - Know when to Quit
Tip #13 - Stay Updated
Tip #15 - Assign Tasks
Tip #16 - Step Back
Tip #17 - Sign As You Go

Painters - join me at this Plein Air Workshop:
April 28-30, Anderson Fine Art Gallery, St. Simons Island, GA
Contact Info: Mary Anderson, 912-634-8414

1 comment:

  1. You nailed these bad boys. Hard to believe you ever avoided painting them. You are so right about celebrating any success or growth. Let's all do the happy dance for ourselves and each other.

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