Anything, Everything
Nature can be a tremendous inspiration, and there’s few things more cosy than drawing from nature for creative endeavours, and being proud of what you’ve achieved. Whether its a landscape painting of a mountain range or a arrangement of flowers you yourself have made, surround yourself with what you can make, and what makes you proud of your capabilities.
Today it feels like we’re coming out of the darkness that was winter. It’s warmer, clearer and brighter. Finally, we’re seeing signs of Spring.
Today I went for a walk in my local park, and for a little while, things felt normal. It’s rare I see so many people on a Sunday. The crocuses, it seems, have invaded and are everywhere. I feel like I’m seeing them more this year than ever, but it might also be just me paying more attention.
Next time you’re out walking, whether it be to go to the shop, walking the dog or your daily exercise, make an effort to notice things. Any spots of colour you’ve never paid attention to, a flower in a cluster of trees, berries. Crocuses emerging from a patch of grass in a business park. The colour of the sky.
Yesterday was one of those days where I just wanted to go to bed and wait for the day to improve or be done. I realised that I rely on my phone a hell of a lot; communication, photos, Duolingo, tracking exersize, music in the morning. I didn’t realize this until I had mere hours without it due to a fault, but it’s funny isn’t it? We love these little things for all the space they save and all the things they can carry… until we can’t access them because the phone just refuses to work.
Anyway, here is a nice photo of cloudy blue sky. Because just because its always there, doesn’t mean it isn’t wondrous.
Right now, every days feels the same. Get up, work, clean, eat, bed. Sometimes, however, a bit of repetition, that bit of surety is nice. Somethings, you can set your watch by.
Crocuses, for example, turn up in the same spot at the local wooded area every year about this time, without fail. Today, as the workers were cutting down a massive amount of foliage that had managed to grow undisturbed for such a long time, knowing that these little things will still pop up no matter what is unusually comforting.
A very simple one today, but its nice to see the weather beginning to brighten up. I’m ready for warm now.
There’s little that a good walk can cure, particularly amongst the trees. There’s no bustle, no pressure to be anywhere. Just you, your thoughts and the birds chirping away in the trees.
I love drawing animals, or painting them as its usually the case. I think they’re not only fascinating to study, they also very relaxing. The more complex, the better. Birds are my favourite, and I didn’t discover painting birds until the beginning of lockdown when I painted some for a local care home. I think they’re ideal for any skill, and it opens up an area of study you may not have realised could be fascinating, if only to examine how intricate their patterns are.
Today’s premise is simple. Just appreciating how nature can present itself in such ways, whether its the brightest sunset or the tallest trees, the smallest flowers or the most distinct looking animals.
Paint a Mental Picture 