Finding Beauty in Everyday -ThingsArtistic Inspiration from my Dog Walks

I haven’t been able to make prints for a couple of weeks now. The rest of my life, professional and personal, has gotten in the way.  I am anxious to start something new. Today I am going to share with you a few photos I have taken during my daily dog walks that I hope to use as the basis for new prints. 

I have learned that I don’t have to go somewhere exotic to find beauty in the world around me. These are parks I visit frequently and can always find something intriguing as I walk. In this age of social media and digital everything, my walks in the parks help to quiet my mind and heighten my powers of observation. Even if I have walked a path fifty times before, I can find new inspiration. I believe this is one reason my linoleum block prints appeal to so many people. 

I am an Impressionist even though I am not able to create in “Plein Air”  as the original Impressionist painters did. My process, which I have described in previous blogs, just doesn’t allow me to do it. I observe changes in light and atmosphere as I complete my daily walks. I use similar techniques of dots and small lines rather than large, flat shapes in my work. The technique of using small dots of different colors to let your eye do the blending is called optical color mixing. Impressionist painters used this technique.

I am off to the Pacific Northwest for a few days on a much needed vacation. I will share new inspirational photos with you soon. I am looking forward to seeing the similarities and differences in the west coast landscape. Please note that I will not be shipping orders or answering email from now until May 10th.