wintergreen

November 17, 2020

I had no idea if this idea would work. The images in my head were clear but so were the doubts. But I couldn't NOT do it. I had to try. I had been thinking of this mini collection for months, even before the Emerging collection was finished.

Planning out the canvases, I knew I wanted a dark background to set the liveliness of the greenery on, and the ornaments would be clay discs, painted white. To quote my studio notes, "I want wintergreen to be striking & dramatic, but calming and delightful."

I listed out the greenery: privet berries, juniper, pine, pinecones, eucalyptus, mistletoe, cypress, poinsettia. But I chose pine, pinecones, eucalyptus, juniper, privet berries, mistletoe, cedar, winter ferns, in order to have a variety of greens and blues mostly.

Practice, practice, practice. And I still wasn't happy with how it was coming together. It looked ok as a whole and from far away. I liked my first sketchbook pages, and the digital drawings, but the paintings felt flat. I was still figuring out how to add dimension and light.

Despite my results not being where I wanted them to be I decided it was time to paint the canvases and ornaments. Sometimes painting the actual canvas is easier for me to do. It's as if I know that it's the real thing and I take more time with the details.

I found this raw sienna color among my paints and it made all the difference. Another thing was learning, was how to paint in stages. Instead of doing one painting at a time, I did one element at a time, on each one. It helped me find a rhythm and get better with each stroke of the brush.

Now I was finding a rhythm and it was coming together. I painted away while listening to my Wintergreen playlist, a collection of instrumental songs that were relaxing and dreamy. When I paint it's like my senses are in overdrive and I have to be cautious with sounds and smells. So I also created an oil diffuser blend that was also comforting and pleasant.

I wanted to create art that felt fresh and inviting the whole winter season. Evergreens and winter greenery shine brightest in the winter and despite the colder, shorter days, they remind us that we can still thrive despite our circumstances.

Winter is all about quietness, peacefulness, and restoration, giving us time to reflect, refresh, and reconnect with what is important.