Trail Magic and Artist Magic

try everything    fear nothing

My last post was May 21st. Right after that I headed north to North Carolina to go backpacking on the Appalachain Trail in Virginia to hike for 4 days. I know that sounded weird but I did fly to NC and met up with my brother-in-law and we drove to Shenandoah National Park to hike north from the southernmost point of the park. My BIL has section hiked the trail from Georgia (the start of the trail) on through to this point. The last time I was on the trail to hike was last summer for some day hikes with my sisters. This summer I took it a step further. If any of you have heard of "trail magic" and wondered if it's real, well, I'm here to tell you it absolutely is. My brother-in-law, Monty, was an awesome hiking partner. From the get-go he said it was my hike meaning I was setting the pace. That generosity was the first bit of trail magic for me. Then, there was the issue of water - something basic we all need to get through our days. It's not always readily available on the trail as we found out on the long 12 mile day two of our trip. Except, for the people who provided us water. First, the guy working trail maintenance who parked his van and left it unlocked for us to drop our trash and get snacks and water - the frozen bottle of water made for an awesome cold milk and cereal treat after dinner that night. Then, there was the "bike and hike" guy named Russ who we kept crossing paths with. He went to a local campground and bought us a gallon of water. How generous! And third, the ladies who were checking out some hiking locations for a group of women that get together and hike - they had water for us, too. There are so many more instances of "trail magic" that we came across in just those four days and I will forever treasure it.

I then spent the next 5 weeks at my sister and Monty's lake house in NC and was able to spend that time by myself - for the most part - and paint. I found that this sort of "trail magic" showed up during that time as well. I didn't think of it as such at the time, but it was there. First, the gift of being able to be alone and paint - amazing opportunity. And then there was the issue of the canvases and paintings that weren't working out. They were crap. I can say that. I can. I was fighting with the canvas and the paint wasn't going on the canvas in the way I wanted it to and I knew I needed to do something about it. I figured I needed to mount the canvas to board somehow or toss it til I got back home and counld manage another solution. Monty, like me, is a brainstormer and said let's figure it out. Let's find a way to make it work here and now so that I could keep moving forward. And so, we managed to head to town and obtain boards and adhesives, set up a work station in the garage and mounted three canvases to board. It worked. And it worked well. This doesn't mean all the paintings have been successful, but that bit of magic came along right when I needed it and it helped me continue to move forward.

There's "artist magic" out there in the universe like the magic on the trail. I see that now. I listened to the audiobook "Ninth Street Women" by Mary Gabriel. I listen to audiobooks while I paint. It helps. If you're looking for a great in-depth story about Joan Mitchell, Helen Frankenthaler, Grace Hartigan, Lee Krasner, Elaine de Kooning and all the other artists they lived with and worked alongside during the 30s, 40s, and 50s - it's amazing and, I felt, immersive into their day to day experiences. But, one small portion of the book really hit me one day and that was when one of the artist said, and I will paraphrase, "up until that point we never thought about painting for money or to sell a painting; we painted because that's who we were and what we did." Painting was a process. That's what the experience of painting was to them. It hit me that in that time and place, the mindset was so different to what I am experiencing today and how art is perceived, appreciated, and, most importantly, created in the now. It was a bit of "magic" for me to hear this. Getting back to focusing on just the process of painting - meaning, painting for the sake of painting - is something I'm working on. Walking my way though a painting is always a discovery. I start with an idea. I really think it through and let it marinate. Then, when I'm ready I paint. But, I found, that the end result isn't ever as I thought it would be when I began. Sometimes it's very close, but most times it's something new to me. And that is magic and it's wonderful.

All these pieces I have been working on - the ones that  you will never see and the ones you will - have been for a show of my work at the FW Gallery on Highland Road in September. The gallery is under new ownership since the spring and Cathy is having a Grand Reopening. When she asked me to be a part of this, I had the feeling of YASSS and then WHAAAT am I going to do. But, it's worked out and I'm really excited about the new work. She and her gallery crew have already made changes and updates in the gallery with moving things around, painting walls, acquiring printing equipment, and more. And, yes, alongside the original paintings I will have prints. I am so looking forward to this. I hope that you will join us at the gallery on September 13th for the Grand Reopening Reception that evening. The work will hang during September and I would love it if you would please come and celebrate with us the "artist magic" that comes along unexpectedly but when right when we need it.

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