New Paintings Inspired by Local Landscapes: 30th September 24
So, where am I? Mentally preparing for winter, after what feels like a non-summer. Getting ahead of myself since the leaves are only beginning to change colour, and the scattered leaves there are are still nice and crisp on the pavements.
I’ve not wanted to write for months. I felt so old and creaky after last winter, that I vowed to swap time spent online with lots of fresh air in the great outdoors. Every morning, well, almost every morning, I’ve been walking round my village, exploring streets and paths. After living here for eighteen years, I’m discovering new territory and feeling so much better for it (apart from my poor feet, which are complaining). Day trips with my other half in our sunny yellow camper van, and bus journeys to see new places, see art, and see friends have helped me feel human again, and like I might actually have something to talk about.
For the last few months my laptop has been dying a slow and very painful death… I’ve only used it to print postage labels when absolutely essential because it’s taken up to an hour to get going. Updating my shop has been impossible. I resent spending my meagre earnings on devices but they’ve become vital, so a couple of weeks ago I finally decided to fork out for a reconditioned Chrome book. So far has been brilliant. It’s so fast!
There’s not really any excuse for not getting down to work now…is there?
But, I have been working - painting mainly. These days it doesn’t really count without photographic evidence, so I started sharing some new small paintings on Instagram julia.laing.art . After a break from social media it’s much clearer to see how distracting it is. It steals time from what I want to focus on and disturbs my train of thought. I obsess about what makes other artists successful instead of concentrating on my own work, which is probably the more likely path to fulfilment. All of which is a reminder to share my work here and on my own website more often instead of chasing likes on IG.
Dedicating time to painting this year is beginning to pay off (not financially yet, but I live in hope and can begin to add work to my shop soon…watch this space!) but personally it’s taken a while to get familiar with using paint and brushes again after so many years working with mainly fabric and stitch. In my mind I think of myself as a painter now. Just seeing the paint go from brush to board can be pure joy. Sometimes it does what you expect and sometimes it behaves strangely - this can be exhilarating, or downright frustrating. The trick is not to take it personally. The paint has not got a vendetta against you…just carry on. I still love textiles and craft but for now at least, my main focus is on painting.
With the change in direction my website will need a redesign. There’s still lots of textile accessories and digital prints etc on there. I’d love to clear the decks…maybe a big sale, but discounts never seem to equate to sales - to be honest there aren’t enough visitors!
Please take a look and if you see anything you love you’ll get 10% off by quoting THANKS10 at checkout.
And, to bring this to a close, some recent small paintings. None of them have titles or measurements yet. When that’s done and better photos taken I can list them in my shop.
Lovely to see your new paintings and catch up. I am also in the process of replacing an ancient Chromebook. It has been good for nine years. Looking forward to seeing more of your painting. Have a good week.
Wonderful and relatable post! Great paintings. I always enjoy your sketches, PAINTINGS, and Snippets. ;) Looking forward to seeing more as you keep going. So glad we have gotten out for some quality art adventures during this past year. I feel more human too!