Trip Report: 5 Countries in 20 Drawings (#1)

posted in: Uncategorized | 10

Where’s the pause button? 

I returned from my most recent adventure more than a month ago and haven’t allowed myself five minutes to reflect, let alone think about what I might have learned. My calendar filled up faster than a hole dug in sand at the beach. 

For more than three months I traveled-Thailand, the US, England, Portugal, and Spain. I saw amazing sites, got Covid, taught art on the Queen Mary 2, missed trains (and planes), and ate strange food. I rid myself of a suitcase in London, got lost in Lisbon, and walked the streets of Valencia at dawn. But who has time to savor these things? 

Drawing and painting is a powerful way to capture a specific place and time. Stopping long enough to observe and put something down on paper, makes for a potent documentation of an experience. It is a visual record of sound, smell, and situation; a marker in what otherwise feels like a blur of days. Taking a photograph just isn’t the same, especially now that it’s too easy to take too many. And they are easily and quickly tossed into the void (another name for my computer files). 

So here is the first of 20 works documenting the epic journey. They are not pictures of the most beautiful sights, or historical treasures, but rather a documentation of where I slept along the way. They represent a jumping off point for remembrance. A pause button. 

Number one: At Tim and Stacey’s. 

I looked for a different kind of reflection, an alternative to the usual mirror. The dark doors of the fireplace provided strong contrast in terms of light and color. I especially liked that dramatic pop of red head against the soft green Pacific Northwest background. 

 Cozy, comfortable, safe, ….well fed. These are the feelings I associate with this piece and this place. A real home, my trusted way-station, propping me up and providing strength for the road ahead.

To see the entire In the Mirror Series, click here!

For info on upcoming classes: http://artconspiracy.net/current-art-classes/

10 Responses

  1. Rita Moffitt

    I can’t wait to read all the posts, as I was there for part of your adventure. I agree that stopping and drawing slows you down and helps you to appreciate what is happening. Thank you, I have learned a very lot from you.
    Rita

  2. Gretchen

    As always; it’s exciting to hear from you and good to know you are safely back in Thailand. Your post today reminds me of three elements of a good heart; focus, perspective and gratitude. The creation of art becomes both path and destination. Thank you for showing us the way. See you soon! Gretchen

    • artconsp

      Hi Miss Gretchen! I do love hearing from my friends from far and wide! Send pictures of the new studio. Better yet, send pictures of work being done in new studio! xoxoxoxo

  3. margaret heldring

    i so get the sanctuary feeling in both your painting and your words. I am excited to follow your blog, dear Amy.

    • artconsp

      Thank you dear Margaret. Hope to see you this Spring when I come through the PNW!

  4. Jennifer Waldron

    The “reveal” through the fireplace window is a wonderful new twist on the mirror series. You captured the fragmented edges of the reflection agains the doors (of course). I’m having fun studying the skill of this piece alone. Thank you!

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