Birds and Brushstrokes

I went for a nice jog over the weekend. I don't look forward to running, but when I'm in the run I enjoy it. I think I get my best ideas while jogging. Actually, my idea for hoods came to me on a jog. My most recent idea (from a jog) is to paint a portrait of Magnum P.I. I think it would be hilarious to paint a portrait of a man with a mustache. And if I'm gonna do it, it might as well be Magnum, as he is the only man in history who didn't look creepy with a mustache. I might even go as far as putting Tom in my top five with Leonardo, Anthony, and Johnny. (I'm not sure who the fifth hottie is)

While on this particular jog I noticed a bird flying, or trying to fly. He must have been caught in some kind of draft, because he was beating his wings like a maniac and not getting anywhere. After about 45 seconds of this he just flipped directions and cruised back where he came from. Seeing this actually made me laugh out loud. What a simple, yet effective idea. When something is just not working, and you feel like you are just flapping your wings and getting nowhere, change directions.

Thank you Mother Nature.

I witnessed this bird carrying out a plan I had taken advantage of myself, earlier that morning. (I run early in the morning, but I paint even earlier.) I was finishing up the snow in my newest chair lift painting and I just didn't like it. The color was right, the perspective was right, the brushstrokes were the right size, but I had trouble figuring out what was bothering me. What else could have been wrong?

The direction of the brush strokes!

Luckily this painting is an oil painting, so I was able to go back into the snow and switch the direction of the brush strokes. This simple flip turned the snow from something I was annoyed at, into something I was proud of.

Bingo.

I think a lot of this in life can be like this. You get into the habit flying in one direction. You don't even consider that your day would be brighter if you switched directions. 

I hope you enjoy the new painting.

Stay tuned for the next post, which will be the process.