Winter is coming; okay, okay, winter is finally here! We have enjoyed a very mild run of weather in Connecticut which has allowed me to do much more walking/photographing/reference-gathering than I normally would. Today is the first working day of 2016 so it is a fitting day to start my blog yet again! This time around, I have created a calendar for the entire year that includes a weekly blog entry. My hopes are that with my new focus on routine, I will be more productive with my blog and painting.

And with winter cold finally here, I will also stay put more and buckle down to painting and drawing. However, there is a new task blocked into my new calendar.

I am often asked where I get my inspiration. The answer is very easy – Nature.

 

In the past, I have felt guilty if I ‘take too much time’ out from painting to walk, photograph and just enjoy being outside. For my new 2016 calendar, I am actually scheduling my outside time. In hindsight, I don’t know why I felt that guilt; nature IS where I find my subjects, my inspiration and my balance. It is what fuels me to create my art. Taking time to spend outside is not goofing off, or procrastinating; it is a very necessary part of my creative self. So who cares if Winter has finally arrived. I for one, will regularly be out in what Winter has to offer to recharge my creative and inspirational batteries!