Painting is supposed to be FUN!
I remind my students of this regularly while watching them tense up in pursuit of perfection. Rather in the pursuit of the illusion of perfection. What is perfection? Is it possible? Is it attainable? Is it even something we really truly want to achieve? Really? Aren't we often attracted to things that look and feel free? When you think of perfection, does the word "free" come to mind? Let's drop the whole pursuit of perfection thing, shall we?
Watercolor teaches us the value of the happy accident. It teaches us, to loosen up, to ease up - not just on the control we seek over our paint, but also on the control we try to impose on our lives!
Have you picked up a paint brush this past week? This past month? All you non-painters, I'm talking to you too! There is some creative pursuit in your life that sparks your heart when you do it. When is the last time you baked a pie, flew a kite, gardened, knitted, quilted, dyed fabric, took photos, (insert your pursuit here)? These activities, whether or not they put money in your pocket, provide you with an irreplaceable inner value. They bring you JOY! Recently a friend, and talented painter, lamented the fact that she hadn't painted in more than a month. She felt guilty about not painting. Rather than discuss guilt, or the reasons we don't do the things we love to do, let's talk about the reasons we do do things like paint. Painting (or insert your passion here) is fun. It's relaxing. It can be meditative. It can show us the world in a new light. It can take our minds off a problem, thus creating space for an answer to show up. It can teach us new things about our world and about ourselves. Painting can change our perspective. It can alter our mood for the better. We all have reasons (excuses?) for not (insert your passion here). Sometimes they are actually real and true. How often are they not? What if today is the very last day you will ever be able to paint? Will you give yourself this gift today or will you withhold it from yourself? Why deprive yourself? Many of us have an admirable work ethic. Maybe it is time to cultivate an admirable play ethic too.  Of course you're too busy!
We are ALL too busy, so get over it! It is amazing what you can do in 15 minutes. That's right. I am challenging you to give yourself 15 minutes of painting time (or you fill in the blank time). Set your timer (I use my iPhone) for some focused play time. 15 minutes won't be enough time for you to worry about perfection. You will be painting against the clock. Can you put a homemade apple pie in the oven in 15 minutes? You can if you don't peel the apples and you use a prepared crust from Pillsbury. And it will taste good too! Whatever you do, do NOT go over your 15-minute time limit! I mean it! You might be tempted to extend it to 20 or even 30 minutes. Resist temptation! Let's make this a really good challenge. You only get 15 minutes every day for a week. You don't have to use them every day, but they do NOT accumulate. Use 'em or lose 'em! Isn't that what happens in life? If we don't take the time, we don't get a do-over. This is it baby! Depending on your medium of choice, your set-up time can be included in these 15 minutes, but your cleanup time is not. Sometimes it's the cleanup that keeps us from even thinking about getting started. Think again. If you only have 15 minutes a day to play, how much of a mess can you make? It won't take you that long to clean up. Plus you are worth it! You are SO worth this time! Banish the guilt. Give yourself the pleasure of play, even for just 15 minutes each day for one week. And Please Please Please tell me all about it! How did it feel? What did you do? Show me pictures. Let's all put more FUN into our lives!
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Our next Hide-N-Seek Watercolor Workshop at the Waioli Tea Room in Honolulu will be on October 22, 2011.
$125.00 includes personal instruction as well as coffee, tea, and water all day long, continental breakfast, and lunch.
If you want to have more fun painting, sign up now.
Space is limited.
Here is some of what previous students had to say about the class:
"Because of my draftsman background, everything has scale
and lines, and what this class taught me to do is use my imagination and not worry about lines. Personally I need to get over making errors and just paint!" ~ Wayne
"What a wonderful class! You have a great teaching style - encouraging, up-beat, and fun. It was well worth the trip from the mainland. The venue was lovely, the food fine. The class was an admirable combination of efficiency and artistic ambience."
~ Alice W. O'Sullivan
Read a review of this last class by international sculptor,
Marilyn Radzat, here.
Sign up by calling Patrice at 808-392-9104
or emailing her at Patrice@artofaloha.com,
or call her assistant, Rebecca Snow, at 808-286-5909
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A few weeks ago I tried a new recipe for Energy Bars that I found in the Sunday newspaper. The recipe came from Pam Anderson of ThreeManyCooks. I liked the bars so much that I've been making them every week since. My friends liked them so much they asked for the recipe, so I have included it on the blog on my website. Enjoy!
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Mahalo for taking the time to read this Art of Aloha eZine. If you have a moment, I hope you will share it with a friend either by forwarding it, or by clicking on the Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn buttons!
A Hui Hou,
PS You can find my official page on facebook fan page HERE . Become my online fan by pressing the Like button.
PPS I have some exciting personal news to share with you. Keanu and
I will be getting married in early October in Wisconsin. I'll be sure to share photos with you next month.
"Play is the essential feature in productive thought."
-Albert Einstein
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Born in Port Washington, WI and educated at the University of Wisconsin/Madison, Patrice Federspiel first visited Hawai'i in January 2000. Within five months she had found a way to quit her job, sell her home, and move to Hawai'i to paint. 
Patrice Federspiel