Thoughts on Painting
Posted on 1/24/2019 4:56:34 PM
By Christine Marx
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The Road Home
I am counting down the days to having no restrictions on my shoulder. At the end of August I had surgery to repair my rotator cuff, and have been the perfect patient. I have done everything my doctor told me: PT three times a week for the first 16 weeks, then down to PT two times, and now just once a week. I have a wonderful Physical Therapist and have learned much patience through this healing process, as well as the benefits of slowly nursing your body back to health. I am not, by nature, a patient person, and generally want things done yesterday. Sometimes life lessons come in the most interesting packages and this was one of them. I am happy to say that I feel better than I have in probably a decade, and am learning to appreciate the importance of slowly building up muscle strength after an injury. I spend almost two hours a day in the gym now (20 minutes of that is in a sauna LOL) and I think my painting arm might be in better shape than ever. My home studio is set up, as well as my travel easels unpacked from the moving boxes and ready to roll. I am ecstatic to be able to lift my 35 lb. grandson easily now, as well as my little 9 lb. granddaughter. Best of all, lifting my arm doesn't make me want to curl up on the floor in agony.
So that's the explanation for no new work in almost a year. It's not been a total waste of a year thanks to online content available.
The internet is an amazing thing and has helped me immensely through 6 months of no painting. I have been watching classes with Kenn Backhaus and joined Elizabeth Robbins Learn, Paint, Grow. I just have yet to participate in critiques or actual painting, but there is so much to absorb just watching them. I have time to absorb what they're saying without the pressure to try it out. It's a nice change. I've also done a ton of photography and scoped out future locations for Spring Plein Air painting. There are some locations on our new farm that are simply magical and I look forward to painting them very soon! If it would stop raining and turn to snow for a while that would be wonderful. Nothing better than a Pennsylvania landscape blanketed with fresh, beautiful snow.
Fingers crossed, next week I'll have new work to share with you. Have a wonderful week and happy painting!
Chris
