Chasing A Painting

Well, it’s been an unusually busy week around the studio. There was an out-of-town wedding and work event which meant 12 hours spent on the road, which is about 11 hours more than I would have ordered.

But after all that coming and going, I’m very happy to be back in the studio today. There’s something comforting about looking forward to settling back into the familiar rhythm of painting after a week of suitcases, highways, and schedules. Interestingly, I think the interruptions may have done my watercolor work some good - keep reading!

Labor Day’s Art in the Park in Port Austin, Michigan remains as my final outdoor show of the season and I am eagerly anticipating the lovely holiday weekend at the tip of Michigan's Thumb. Don’t forget the Chippewa Nature Center’s Nature Art Show in Midland, Michigan and sale December 5 which will be the last show of the year.

Despite all the travel, I somehow managed to chase down a painting that feels a really special. Special enough, in fact, that I just might keep it. Although... I also think it would be awfully good to take to a couple of shows. I’m torn.

One thing I’ve come to appreciate about watercolor is the value of walking away from a piece. When you’ve been staring at the same painting for days, your eyes start playing tricks on you. You stop seeing the awkward edge. You overlook the shadow that isn’t quite crisp enough - like the one behind the trout’s jaw that I managed to recover. Mostly. You become so familiar with the painting that you stop really looking at it.

Then you leave. And when you come back, suddenly there it all is: The things that need fixing practically leap off the page.

That happened with this piece. The interruptions of the week gave me something I don’t always give myself in the studio: distance. And when I returned to it, I could see it with fresh eyes. It doesn’t have a title yet, but it does have two of my favorite things: indigo and yellow ochre and, perhaps unsurprisingly, trout. I’m a fly fisher, so painting trout feels particularly close to my heart. Maybe this one will end up on a show wall. Maybe it will stay here. I suppose I’ll have to see how I feel about it after I’ve had a little more time away.

Did you know Hartwick Pines survived Michigan’s logging boom thanks to the daughter of a lumberman? Karen Michelson Hartwick helped ensure this remarkable forest would be here for generations to enjoy.

There’s a fascinating story behind those trees. Click to read it!

If you’re reading this, you’re already where I most like to share my work. Thanks for being here in this slower space. I’ll see you next week. Until then, If you’d like to follow me on TikTok, Instagram and/or Facebook, please do, I post regularly.

Warmly,
Laura
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