Plein air painting in Prime Hook, a National Wildlife Refuge
for migratory birds in Delaware.
This past weekend, I exhibited my latest oil paintings in my first outdoor art show in nearly two years due to the pandemic.
I recognize that things are not back to a pre-pandemic "normal" (whatever that was) and they probably never will be. But I'm just very grateful for the opportunity to get out and travel while sharing my artwork with others. As the old saying goes, "You don't realize what you've got until it's gone," and I certainly felt that sentiment keenly last year as my art shows were cancelled and the best thing to do was to hunker down for a while.
All of that time at home gave me lots of time to reflect on my art and identity. Apparently, there's nothing like a grave pandemic to encourage some navel gazing. Nonetheless, one thing that surprised me is just how much I enjoy taking in new artistic inspiration from my travels. I'm an introvert and I consider myself a pretty resolute home body. I love to spend time in my garden. But over this past year-and-a-half, I realized that I thrive on experiencing new destinations, too.
So as I visit the state of Delaware and participate in the Rehoboth Art League Outdoor Fine Art and Craft Show over consecutive weekends, I've made it a point to swim in the ocean, paint outdoors at some new locations, and indulge in a few milkshakes, too. I'm extremely grateful for these opportunities and I look forward to taking home some new artistic inspiration and energy.
