November 27

Backyard Chair and Leaf
5.5 x 12 inches acrylic on wood
Looking back over the last 88 days since I started this daily painting regime, I can see a visual dictionary of personally inspiring themes. "The Muse" is generally the term used for what inspires an artist. It is one thing to wait for inspiration and quite another to search for it. My sister is a writer who also holds a full time job. She wakes every day a few hours before sunset to write before her family wakens and before she has to go to her job. She admits there are days when only a word or two comes out and she weeps, days she has to delete everything from the previous days efforts, and days when the words just flow, time flies and she dreams about quiting her day job. Nothing irritates her more than people who approach her and, when they find out she is a writer, they tell her that they plan to write a book too, and hope someday to have a chance to start. You can't WAIT for optimum moments to get you inspired. You have to log in- show up, search, empty yourself of all the stale ideas you have- before the Muse will truly arrive. Painting everyday has not been an easy undertaking. But I have learned so much. I have learned about my brushes, about my source of inspiration, about my ability to commit. You should hear me set up the wail: " I haven't done my painting yet". It is like a mantra. My family has learned to move out of the way. I have woken especially early to paint before a busy schedule commenced, or painted late at night moaning with exhaustion after other responsibilities were taken care of, and I have also had days where I started to paint and kept right on painting and worked on several paintings at once and forgot all about the chores. Those are the days! Those are the days I live for!!!!