When I was preparing for the Joy Retreat, I waffled with the idea of skipping the painting session because I thought I needed time to prepare for my workshop. Honestly, I’ve never really enjoyed painting. I love mixing paint and playing with colors but when it comes to painting, I’ve always been unhappy with my results. Coming up with something on my own in the medium has always been a challenge for me. When things don’t look right, I can only see mistakes! It’s hard for me to get past that.
The night before I left for my trip, something pulled my car towards the art supply store on the way home from work. Suddenly I was leaving with a huge bag of painting supplies. Something inside me said that if I’m embark on this journey, I really have to force myself to go out of my comfort zone. DIVE IN HEAD FIRST, TRACY! I think this proved to be the biggest lesson on my trip away. Who better to guide me through my painting struggles than Mati Rose! She’s a true spark! Her zeal for creating and her enthusiasm for creative play & experimentation changed my perspective of painting. I truly had fun and I was relaxed in a way that I never thought was possible. Thank you Mati for getting me out of my comfort zone. You helped me tap into a side of my creative spirit that was dormant for over a decade. For that, I am soo grateful.
Mati’s “Treasure Seeking” workshop was just that! Treasure seeking… with promise of chocolate & strawberries. We all had a little stash in our work areas. It was good painting fuel!
Here’s the work table I shared with my friends Meghan, Jen & Andrea.
I learned that it’s much easier to tackle painting when there isn’t the pressure of a WHITE canvas staring back at you. This was a true revelation! Mati also suggested we have a few of paintings to work on at once. That way you can take a break and put your energy towards another painting you’re feeling stuck. I found that experimenting with a few techniques on each one enriched them all.
I started mixing my favorite colors & dove into painting. We learned that most paintings have a point where they start to go down hill. If you experience this, you MUST KILL YOUR PAINTING. Paint over it completely. Experiment! Take a leap of faith and work it out!
After 2 hours of painting, we took a break for sandwiches, chips & cookies.
I added a few chips to the middle of my sandwich. I like the crunch.
And so I painted. I got into the zone and then fell out of the zone with one of my paintings. I went for a walk around Manzanita…alone…with my camera….looking for inspiration.
This impressed me.
And suddenly I found what I was looking for.
And it translated into the painting I struggled the most with.
At the end of the day, we had a little art show. We talked about our challenges & discoveries.
Everyone lined up their paintings. I didn’t get a shot of all of them!
Here are the three paintings I finished at the retreat. They are currently resting on my mantle.
I really dig the one on the left. I felt like I got into my comfort zone with the black & white.
This purple one was the most challenging, but I’m happy with the way it turned out.
This last one might be my favorite. I had Mati paint JOY on it to finish it off.
I’m so glad that I stuck with it. I wouldn’t have these paintings to remind me of my experience if I didn’t! I still have my Polaroids to share with you as well as our Greek feast & yummy brunch. Stay tuned!
