Places and Paintings of 2014.....Top Pick #2

'Daddy Quail'                4x4        pastel                ©Karen Margulis
sold

 The second trip of 2014 set the tone for the rest of the year. It filled me up and I took off running. It was a special trip. For a week four of us shared our passion for art in the beautiful Southwest.... a place that always fills me up.

My friend Marsha Savage, her childhood friend Wanda and I went to visit friend Denise Champion in Phoenix, Arizona. Denise and her husband graciously hosted us in their beautiful home. I didn't know Wanda or Denise very well but after a week I left having made lifelong friends.

 We spent the week painting in the desert, getting stranded in the desert, talking art and life. Laughing and crying and growing both as artists and as people. We all learned valuable lessons that week.

'Baby Quail'         4x4           sold

"When it's empty it will fill up"

Wise words from Denise that I refer to often. It doesn't just apply to things financial though. When you are empty as an artist you need to make sure you do things to help you fill back up. Sometimes you don't even know you are empty. We get so caught up with day to day life and we don't take the time to just to be. Our week in Phoenix was the perfect  time to fill up and recharge.

We painted all day long both out in the desert and on the beautiful grounds of Denise's home. We even painted the sunset one evening and made the nightly news.  We shared wonderful meals and conversation. We took long evening walks and watched the stars. We even rescued some baby quail.
(read my Arizona blog posts here)

I returned home renewed and inspired and ready for a busy and exciting year. We all need time away to fill back up. We all need time to be artists and artists only. Time to get in touch with the inner child. To see things with fresh eyes. To just paint and explore and see what happens. Phoenix did it for me.

Treat yourself this year to an art get-away. Whether it be time with friends or perhaps an art workshop. make time to fill yourself up!  Visit my workshop page to see if I will be teaching in your area in 2015.