I don’t remember when this picture was taken or exactly what I painted during this particular outing. Not that it is important what I painted, where I painted, my pallet or if I used brushes or knives. What does stand out in my mind is the fact that Kane, the hound dog, came with and was my trusty companion.
At this stage of his life, he had made a huge comeback in terms of health and stamina. When I first met Kane, walks were a challenge. His legs would suddenly buckle, and he would fall over. However, during his time in the high country he found his legs again. He would run and even jump over things! He didn’t always land them though, but the fact that he THOUGHT he would land smoothly, was incredible at his ripe old age of 15 years old. You’re only as old as you think you are, even in dogs years.
Painting Lessons Learned
To me, painting is believing you can do something (the visualization process) and then taking that great leap. You may not always land on your feet. But if you do fall there is usually a lesson learned–a lesson you can take with you to the next painting, and to the next, so that you’re constantly building on each day’s lesson. In painting, I’ve learned failures are the best teaching tools. Hang on to those paintings that weren’t quite what you’d hoped for or expected. Study them and glean as much knowledge as you can from them to take to the next outing. Or, better yet…when you get home from painting, fix what you can as there are extremely valuable lessons there as well.
Painting With Friends
Don’t get me wrong, getting out by yourself and painting is truly a gift. A gift where you can hone your skills and get back to a simpler time. A quiet, solitary moment with the senses taking in all that nature has to offer. However, getting out with friends, in this case the old hound dog, offers a unique and special experience. The outing becomes more than a good or bad painting day. The memories created with others, when time pauses and you share a laugh or take in an image of your dog standing in the cool mountain stream. When encouragement is passed around, helping a friend see past the ugly stage in his painting by pointing out all of it’s strong suits or offering a simple thumbs-up–all this and much more makes painting with friends or furry companions a wonderful adventure.