Being Open

"Old Sentinel"
sketch in moleskine

The show on Friday at First Impressions Gallery went very well. The artists pulled together to help Mary, the owner, in her time of need and things ran smoothly. There was a good group of patrons and a steady flow of sales. Miss Sarah sang a beautiful song for the crowd and a good time was had by all.

This weekend I was scheduled to paint en plein air in Millville. The week had been long and the weather hot. My heart was not feeling enthusiasm for battling the elements to paint outdoors. Lately I have been painting in the studio and working on my pet portraits and that is where my focus is. So, I made an executive decision and bagged the paint out. Guilt did creep in but I know sometimes plans are made to be broken. Flexibility is the key to happy accidents.

In exchange for what I sacrificed the universe seemed to provide moments that were more than I could have asked for, dreamt of or planned. So often we are tied to "doing" instead of "being". I'm as guilty of that transgression as the next guy. However, every time I leave myself open to allowing opportunities to appear instead of making them happen I'm always pleasantly surprised.

The above sketch is of a friend's horse in PA. He is old as you can see by the slight sway in his back. Being the leader of the paddock he faithfully watches and stays alert. This sketch will be a larger painting one day. This is the plan.