A New Year and I Am Excited

A light frosting of white covers the faded colours of the landscape, the days are like inchworms, lengthening slowly and the Christmas season will be but a memory. I am not rushed to clear my home of reds and greens. I love being surrounded by familiar decorations and my favourite is a vintage ornament which once adorned by parents annual tree. I am sentimental and I treasure items with stories and character.

But I also love fresh starts, new beginnings and holding a blank canvas in my hands. There is that time and space before I begin a painting, where the design percolates, forms, reforms and emerges. I have embraced thumbnails as a way to move past the mundane, creating a more compelling composition. My scribbled notes defines the story and how to use elements of light, shapes and colour harmonies to support the narrative.

I aspire to go beyond the obvious. If I paint a seascape, I want the viewer to imagine the spray on their face, the smell of salt water in the nose and the sound of the crest of the wave collapsing onto the foamy surf. I want them to feel the sand between their toes and the water being dragged back with each receding pass. And I hope to evoke memories and feelings of the experience. And in the end, my wish is that a painting will be treasured for the stories and whatever personal meaning it may have for the owner.

My sincere thanks to all those who have supported and encouraged me in 2023, through your words, your shares and your purchases.

In 2024, may you experience many joys, and blessings and surmount any challenges.