Day 14 OF PORTRAIT OF ST. MARYS

Downtown Reflections, St. Marys. Acrylic on Cresent Watercolor Board, 6x14 inches.

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Downtown Reflections, St. Marys

Today's painting depicts a lovely view of St. Marys across the Thames River.  The old opera house and Victoria bridge can be seen here.  

The reflections in this painting got me thinking about how the process of creating art results in self-reflection.  This self-reflection is particularly magnified during a 30-day challenge.  

Here are 3 things I have noticed about myself during this challenge

1. I often have a hard time starting a new painting.  The blank white canvas can be pretty intimidating. 
2. Once I get started on a painting, I am often able to drop into a state of "flow" where I am completely focused and engaged in the process.  Check out this great TED talk on the topic of flow.
3. The more I paint, the more I see like an artist.  Particularly, I have noticed I am slowly becoming more skilled at seeing shapes, values, and colour.  The science nerd in me likes to look at this through the concept of "neuroplasticity".  Specifcally, the more I practise seeing & creating paintings, the more efficiently my brain will become wired for these skills.  Ultimately, the better I will be able to paint!  I look forward to this life-long process. 

Till tomorrow, 
Kathy