The Benefits of Painting What You Love

'Nesting I'        6x6       acrylic  and ink     ©Karen Margulis
sold

 I have a few subjects that always inspire me to paint. Things that get my attention and make me want to get out my supplies and paint. Landscapes mostly....wide open spaces and meadows in particular. But there are also a few more intimate subjects that get my fingers itchy to paint.....wildflowers and bird nests are at the top of my list.

Yesterday I needed to paint some nests. Yes needed to. I had a busy and stressful morning dealing with the glitch in my blog. I needed to unwind and get my mind off technology. I needed to paint. But I didn't want to think to hard or stretch myself. It was the kind of day that I wanted to paint something that was comfortable. Something I loved to paint. So I chose some nest photos and set up my acrylics.

Why paint what you love?

'Nesting II'     6x6   acrylic sold

'Nesting III'      6x6       acrylic sold

• Painting a subject that is close to your heart allows you to paint in a personal and meaningful way. It is easier to interpret a subject you love with your emotion and paint how you feel and not just copy a photo.

• Painting what you love allows you to slip more readily into the sweet place we call 'the Zone' because we are painting something we know intimately. It is like being with an old friend. We can be ourselves, relax and paint more intuitively.

• Painting what you love usually leads to more successful paintings. It is important to make time to go outside of your comfort zone and learn new things...but it is also important to come back to what you know and love. Have success. relax and have fun.  And when you have a stressful day....time spent painting what you love is the perfect release.