Why I Turned to Art Later in Life
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| May Flowers |
Why Take Up Art Later in Life?
People have asked me why I took up art later in life. What made me think that after a lifetime of not being able to draw simple shapes, that I could take up painting now? The answer is both simple and complex. The simple answer is: I desperately needed something positive and joyful in my life. But the story is a bit more complicated.
I have always been an avid hiker and photographer. I love to travel, love to take off hiking wherever I go and love to photograph what I see, However, I had back surgery a few years ago and am now looking at hip surgery in the near future, so I am no longer able to hike. This has removed an important avenue for joy and communing with God and nature as well as capturing the beauty I see.
In addition, having recently suffered a great personal loss, as well as the loss of much of my mobility, I was facing depression and grief without my best outlet for recovering joy since long hikes are now out of the question.
Love for Art
All my life I have loved art. In fact, I have tried to collect art through the years on a tight budget. In elementary school, we had art classes and I loved them, but I soon discovered I couldn't draw. I couldn't draw a stright line, a circle, or an arch. I couldn't draw a stick figure. I sure couldn't draw anything that looked like what I was trying to draw. There was one humble exception: I could doodle with flowers and leaves in high school and college. Many, many class notes of mine were embellished with floral edges.
But after my loss and my season of deep grief and mourning I dicovered a need to find tangible beauty and joy in my life again. I bought a 5-pack of basic acrylic paints. I purchased a couple of brushes. However, I didn't know where to start. I was in a bad financial situation, so art lessons were out of the question. The paint and brushes sat untouched for several weeks.
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| My first art: pour painting |
I eventually started watching Bob Ross videos, and he made art look so simple and beautiful, but it was too advanced for me. I found a class at Michael's on pour painting and I did my first small painting. It was only pour paint, but I was hooked.
I went home and began to watch free tutorials on YouTube and social media. I plunged into my first tutorial the very next day. Based on my only experience of any kind--flower doodles--I picked a floral design to make my first attempt with, and I was not unhappy with my first results.
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| My very first painting, Ranunculus |
I have since tweaked it some more, but my first painting is hanging in my guest bathroom, and I eagerly moved on to the next. Since the end of February, I have painted something every week.
I cannot go hiking anymore to capture the beauty of God's creation on my camera, but I can find beautiful things to paint. Now that I know my way a little around a paintbrush, I plan to take some of my favorite photographs and turn them into paintings.
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| Zinnia |
It's a mystery why I have never been able to draw a stick figure and now I am happily painting flowers and lanscapes. I choose to believe that God saw a broken woman who had lost both her marriage and her ability to hike for relaxation and healing, and He gave her a new avenue to find beauty, joy, and peace.
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| Sunflowers |
Benefits of Painting
Painting been proven to improve brain health. In addition, painting promotes emotional intelligence and growth. Much like a photograph, art can communicate and express things that words cannot convey. Art can reduce stress, build optimism, and be a vehicle for self-exploration and reflection.
So what are you waiting for? What is holding you back from doing something creative to bring joy into your life and bring you closer to God? Don't over think it. Just do it, and celebrate every humble victory as you begin a new chapter in your life. It's never too late!
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