Slowing down

Slowing Down

by Susan Roux

Original oil painting 18x24"

Sticking with yesterday's "warm thoughts" theme, I've decided to post a painting I did last year. I had such fun working layer upon layer of colorful transparent washes. Eventually the shallow water began to looked wet. The photo doesn't do it justice. This painting and the application of color is what led to my current series of "children at the beach".

I painted this during one of my classes. My students had chosen different poses from this same photo shoot and so we all had similar light and colors in our water. Class meets once a week and my painting dried completely between layers. I was fascinated how continued applications of washes reacted with the layers beneath. I remember working several weeks in this thin state.

The composition was interesting. I liked the way the water twisted and turned as it led to the figure. The title came easy. My method of painting was slowed. The pose was calm and restful. It reminded me how people come to the beach on vacation and leave their troubles behind. The sounds, the smells, everything about the beach contributes to a relaxed restful state. The crashing waves, one after another, become hypnotic. The sun heats our bodies and eventually we begin to relax. The world slows down. We slow down. I chose this pose because it captured this idea so well.

Slowing down...

Isn't it what we all want to do when life gets too hectic? I hope you're taking time to slow down. Its when the importance of little things comes to light. When we learn to appreciate simple pleasures. The mind clears out the chaos and focus follows. The ability to focus on one single element, like a breaking wave, with nothing else in the way. Its so restful.

Please don't feel guilty for slowing down. Its ok to rest. Its ok to stop once in awhile. Clarity will happen and you'll wind up accomplishing more in the end.

I wish you a restful day.

Finding clarity

Nothing like a date with your easel to clear the mind and weed out the cobwebs. Yesterday I finally took time to paint...

I've been working on a series of children at the beach, like the pictured "Child's Play". I'm having so much fun with color in these. Just as the child is running to play in the ocean, I'm running wild on my canvas splashing and dripping paint in every color my brush decides to go play in. My underpainting for these interpretations of blissful innocence are as spontaneous as the subjects themselves.

It began as an experiment. I had just purchased five slender canvases, expecting to use them in panoramic form as that suits a landscape artist just fine, when I saw a painting online with a child reflecting in thin, beach water. It was painted on a slender canvas and something about that composition grabbed me. It was September, just passed the prime for swimming in the ocean in Maine. (Not that swimming here is ever really warm... We prefer to call it "refreshing".) The day was warm, so with camera in hand, I drove to the beach in hopes of finding a few lingering beach goers.

It turned out to be perfect. Not too many people to crowd the photos and disrupt the reflections. The water was surprisingly warm so people weren't shying from it. Like this child, many wore summer clothing rather than swimsuits. For the artist, sun-drenched, blowing clothing is a gift. My photo shoot was very successful!

I've finished three of these and have three others in progress. Capturing the unintimidated movements of the children feeling "set free" at the ocean is giving me great pleasure. In the pleasure I'm finding clarity. For that I am grateful. If the holidays have you feeling tired and warn, I suggest you take time to go play with whatever it is you like. Letting go of stress and feeling your spirit bubble out with playful excitement will do you worlds of good.

Have a safe and happy New Year's Eve everyone. I wish you all playful excitement in finding your own clarity.

Thanks for reading...