Figuring it all out.

I’m finding it so difficult to get anything going on this trip; it makes me wonder if my focus is off. On our travel days, I’m the navigator and when you’re 65ft long (motorhome plus Jeep) you gotta pay attention! So, unlike some artists who manage to paint while their partner does the driving, it doesn’t work that way for me. Maybe I just need to settle in with “what is” rather than “what I want it to be”.

Isn’t that the secret to happiness anyway?

Here’s a collage I made when I had some energy and time. The winning combination.

I did the gouache then the collage. Simplifying so much with the collage.

• I’m trying to figure it all out. While accepting things as they are.

How do I make art when traveling? How do you?

This is a question I always struggle with while we travel. In the motorhome for a four month trip, I’m thrilled about seeing so many new to me parts of the US. The itinerary is amazing, yet I start to stress before we even hit the road.
I can’t set up my oil paints inside the motor home and the weather isn’t always conducive to painting outside. I don’t have a studio to work in and sometimes I see the problems more than I see the solutions.
An artist friend posted on FB a quote attributed to Winston Churchill:
“A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.”
I need to post that one in my brain!
So... in the vein of doing things differently and truly seeing the opportunity in the perceived  difficulty, I’ve brought watercolors, gouache, scissors, a glue stick, and a nice big sketchbook with heavyweight paper.
My beginning....

I’ll paint plein air when the opportunity arises but for now- no stressing!

Bark Beach- Travel Journal

Camping on the Delmarva Peninsula the water was still warm enough for Cooper to swim. He's the soaking wet one on the right with one of his newfound friends. I had no idea how many more people you meet when you have a dog!

I wanted to paint the beach assigned to dogs- the Bark Beach, and was able to do so before the kayaks and paddleboards were put away til next season. Just in time- they were all gone by the next day!

I love the off season- a slower and more relaxed pace for everyone except the dogs!