When I was coming up with the theme for my showcase at The Cheshire Union in Canandaigua that’s going on February 3 through March 15, I knew I’d found it when I landed on Making Color.
It’s inspired by my own use and teaching of how to use a limited palette — a technique learned from my mentor, Lori Putnam, where I use just three colors and white to create an array of gorgeous colors that make up all of my paintings.
It turns out that having less options gives way to more creativity, and the colors tend to come together more naturally.
I’ve gotten to see exactly how much it’s helped my paintings (along with the hours of practice I’ve put in over the past few years!) as I participate in this month’s STRADA challenge.
The idea? Paint from life each day for the 31 days of January, and post it to social media. I wrote about it the last time I participated, in 2019, reflecting on the connection I found to myself and my art by overcoming fear and sharing my work.
This time around, the mood is much lighter — in fact, one of my reasons for revisiting the STRADA challenge is to embody my word of the year, inspired**.**
Being inspired, for me, is stoking curiosity. It’s finding energy and joy in what’s around me. It’s being present—pausing to really soak in what I see, feel, hear, taste, and can touch.
The STRADA challenge feeds from that inspiration, where every day of this month, I get to bear witness to something in my daily life that I may not have noticed before, then paint the story as it develops.
Like “A Trip to France” from January 6th, where I baked a croissant to enjoy with some brie cheese, then naturally felt inspired to put on my beret and decorate my table with beautiful flowers…then paint it.
Or “A Step Back in Time” from January 4th, when I remembered that I had my grandmother’s diary from 1939, and took it out to reminisce of simpler times as I read about her making a dress for her daughter (my mom) on a snowy day. That led me to grab a lantern, and tell the story on the canvas.
Even this past Sunday, when it “warmed up” to 30 degrees Fahrenheit and I ventured out to a snowy field near my home to paint, I breathed the air in differently, intentionally soaking up the crisp chill.
Just as I ask myself every day of this month what story I want to paint, I intend to spend every day this year asking myself how I can embody inspiration.
The world brings plenty of things to dampen our spirits, and in those moments of tragedy, hatred, and darkness, our greatest form of generosity and resistance is in being the light.
I hope you can find inspiration in your days. And I hope you’ll join me in spreading light.
If you need to find either inspiration or light on a particularly tough day, visit meon Facebook orInstagram to follow along with my painting challenge. I can’t wait to see you there. 💛