Slowing Down

Greetings to all,

My husband and I recently returned from a trip to Peaks island, off the coast of Maine. Ferry boats run about every hour, taking tourists and commuters to this little gem out in Casco Bay.

After just a few hours, I understood why people live on and visit the island. its charm is only surpassed by its beauty. The rock formations, and waves cresting on its ocean shores are a sight to behold. Bikes are a common mode of transportation, and we joined the small groups that were biking around the island. Stopping at several places to take photos, we drank in the sights. (Photos from the trip may be found on my Facebook page.) We also went sailing, in the slowest boat on Peaks Island! But it was relaxing and fun.

Our three day trip seemed like a week, as we read at night - no TV in the cottage. It reminded me to slow down, and enjoy what this life has to offer. I have lots of potential paintings in my photos, and looking at them will be a reminder to slow down. Life doesn't have to be a rat race. We can plod along from time to time, and just enjoy the view.

Artfully yours,

Cathy Harville

Finished or Not

Greetings to all,

Yesterday I posted this painting, titled "Sailing Club", on Facebook. I asked readers to judge whether it was "finished" or not, feeling like I needed to add detail to the foreground water. One brave soul piped up and suggested that the addition of more detail to the water would be exciting. Bravo!

So today, I will take it back to my studio and "finish" it. Finishing a painting is an arbitrary thing. Only the artist knows if a painting is finished or not. Sometimes, as in this case, the artist is not even sure!

Thinking about it, many things in life require finishing. But most of those have a definite end point. You pretty much know when a house is clean, or when the grass is cut. With soem things, as in grass cutting, you can see when you are finished.

Not so with art, and creative endeavors. You can always add a bit here and there. Sometimes, artists try to make their medium do too much. Sometimes, we fall short. Have you ever gone to a movie, and thought it was the end, only to have it go on? Or the opposite - the ending left you wanting more?

Perhaps some things never really get finished. Perhaps that is why artists paint a single scene many times. There is always something new to paint every time you look at a subject with fresh eyes. New focal points or backgrounds appear on the canvas. Sometimes, the color scheme changes dramatically.

The finishing continuum is what makes an action creative. We creatively pick a point to stop, and allow the world to see it. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder indeed.

Artfully yours,

Cathy Harville