Paint What You THINK You See

Emotional painting. I suppose all of it is emotional otherwise it wouldn’t be art.

When I access the creative side of my brain, I have to let go of the “thinking side”.  This process of Letting Go is important for every thought and feeling in life.

This piece, entitled “Summer Vail”,  started as part of a workshop with the @summervailworkshop program a couple of years ago. I was one of the few artists to receive a permit to paint live in Vail Village.  There I was, enjoying a most iconic scene.  I started to paint the Pepi’s and Gorsuch buildings. But stopped, for two reasons: 1. I hate painting architectue and I’m not good at it. And 2. What does this scene really do for me, when I’m in my creative brain?

All I see is the full view of the Grand Traverse and all the flowers in Vail Village.  I imagined the sun popping in and out of rain clouds.  That’s it. So that’s what I painted.  Oh, and a path that goes directly from the village and up to the valley at base of the mountain.

I think the lesson here is from one of my art classes years ago: “paint what you THINK you see.”