January, obviously, got off to a shaky start with upsetting things in the news. I don't know if that was a factor weighing on my mind, or if I just needed a break, but I found myself struggling with the paintings I was working on. Melissa reminded me that every time I've taken some time away from the easel, I've come back to it refreshed and my work seems to take a leap forward.
So I ended up taking two weeks off, during which I read several of the Martha's Vineyard mysteries by Philip Craig. They are a lot of fun, and the best part is there are 19 of them, so put them on your list of Books to Read During a Pandemic.
I also spent some time studying the techniques of other artists, either by reading their articles or watching online videos. I like hearing what they have to say about their thought processes and approaches. It's a good way to relax my overactive mind and get inspired by what other people do.
This month, we've also been trying to get in line for the vaccine, like everyone else. Here in Florida, it's being distributed through the Publix supermarket chain. But, like everywhere else, the supply is limited and the demand great. So every Wednesday and Friday morning, Melissa has been getting up in the wee hours (we've also been watching the series, Shetland, so I've developed a Scottish accent and picked up the vocabulary), so as to be on the website when it goes live at 6 a.m. This past week she got lucky, and was able to get me an appointment. I had my first dose on Friday, and haven't experienced much in the way of side effects - just a little bit of fever and shivering in the night that didn't last long.
The time off definitely reinvigorated my painting, because when I returned to my easel, it felt great and I created some pieces that I love. One of my earlier problems was that I was working small, and the truth is that I just don't like that as well, and I think it's more difficult with the Parkinson's. I much prefer the big canvases, or 18" by 24" sheets, where I can take great sweeps with the palette knife. It feels much freer and is a lot more fun!
I'm phasing out my JRSecorFineArt.com page over at FASO, because it's easier to post my work in just one place, and I can do that here on this blog. We've created "Pages" which are essentially "collections" of paintings in the different categories in which I work. If you look up above this post and just below the blog heading, you'll see Home, Seascapes, Southwest Landscapes, , Mindscapes, and Still Life.
By clicking on a heading, it will take you to that collection page.
Instead of putting all my January paintings into this post, I've shown you just a couple, and invite to you to please look at the new Page Galleries. My most recent paintings appear first on the pages. This month, most of my paintings were Seascapes, so start there!
JR
