Relieving stress the creative way

“For my part I know nothing with any certainty, but the sight of the stars makes me dream.”

Vincent Van Gogh

I certainly am not a professional artist by any means, but for anyone who knows me personally, knows that I enjoy being artistitic and trying new things.  It is just another one of my ways to relax and relieve some of my stress.  It’s a great way to focus on something else for a while besides the world going on around me.

My latest adventure….Oil Painting!!  In the past, I’ve painted using watercolors, however, a recent trip to our local art gallery and viewing a painting from one of my favorite artist, Vincent Van Gogh, inspired me to try out oils.  A quick stop to the local craft store, a few inexpensive art supplies, and I was on my way.  Never before have I tried painting with this medium, but I figured what the heck, why not.  If I didn’t like it, I simply wouldn’t try it again – just like things in life, you can’t say you’re not good at something or like something if you’ve never given it a try.

So, what was I going to paint?  The first thing that popped into my mind….Van Gogh’s Starry Night – one of my favorite paintings.  Perhaps it’s the motion that your eyes take when viewing the painting itself or perhaps it’s the colors that drew my attention or maybe it’s the thought of falling alseep under a beautiful star lit night…..then again, I think it may remind me of dreaming.  Not only in literal terms, but dreaming about the things in life that I want and the goals I want to achieve.

With a fews squirts of some different shades of blue paint onto my palette, I grabbed my paint brushes and began swirling the paint around on the canvas.  “This is fun!” I kept telling myself.  Continuing to look at Van Gogh’s painting for guidance, I continued to create my own version of the Starry Night.  In no time at all, I was done!  My first attempt at oil painting and I was truly impressed with what I made.  I have to say, I really enjoyed this medium over the watercolor painting I used to do.  A bit less detailed and much more fun (as well as relaxing) to just throw the paints onto the canvas, mix the colors, and play with textures, using my emotions and stress to lead the paint brushes way.

So the next time I’m stressing, and I feel like painting, I will certainly be giving oil paintings another try…who knows what I can come up with next!