The first Monday of every month, I take a 3-hour oil painting class in my community. Doing so offers a complete respite from thinking about my health problems, even if only temporarily.
This class is therapy personified for me. I think about preparing my canvas, color, composition, perspective, and the scientific rationale behind painting natural landscapes. What I don’t think about is my incapacitating fatigue, nor my worsening shortness of breath.
Last October, I took my first oil painting class, with this same instructor. I had previously taken watercolor painting classes, but I wanted to explore working with an entirely new medium.
I like being able to completely redirect my attention while I take this class. Our instruction in held in a local historical society’s building.
We’re surrounded by black and white photographs that showcase the fascinating history of the town where I live, which is Warsaw, New York. I’m happy that I’m learning new techniques, and that my oil paintings are continuing to improve over time.
Pursuing my artistic interests is very important to me. When I was working full-time, I set this passion aside. Trying to meet the demands of working full-time, while managing multiple chronic illnesses, left precious little time or energy for doing anything else.
Now that I’m no longer working full-time, it’s much easier for me to make time for my artistic pursuits. I’m very happy to have reconnected with the artist within me!
