Bush from Monday’s reworking Spring Park Bench, oil on canvas

Here’s some of the painting I did on Monday on the piece for the Anxiety and Release collaboration for Artipeeps arts group from Cambridge. The final painting will be published on their website on 15th April along with the poet’s work that forms the other half of this creative venture. I’ve been feeling quite poorly this week with a kidney infection so wasn’t at my best when painting. I gave myself permission to do just a little. That worked well. I only painted for about half an hour but really enjoyed what I did. It must never become a chore. We all tend to push ourselves out of some misguided work ethic and don’t do our best stuff then. If we acknowledge when we don’t feel on top form, honour our bodies and our time we can do something even though it may not be as much as we’d hoped. We need to learn to accept ourselves just as we are at any given moment and know that we are doing our best. This painting is teaching me so much in so many ways. I loved the little bush that you can see in the detail. The way the leaves flickered in the spring breeze catching the light. So fragile. It always surprises me what takes my interest. Nature teaches us so much when we slow down enough to hear, see and feel.