So hard to believe that 5 weeks has already gone by. When I signed up for this class in March, it sounded like such a luxurious stretch of time. Over a month! Of just painting! Yet here we are—I feel like I blinked and it’s already a memory.
Our last week was one I’d been looking forward to, because we were set to go outside for some plein air sessions. I’ve never done this before and was really looking forward to trying to capture how gorgeous campus is this time of year. Monday, we set out with our arms filled with our painting gear and wandered campus to find the perfect spots. Our assignment: one zoomed-out painting, one close-up, and another of our choice.
I was drawn to one of the nearby buildings with flowering trees planted in front of it, the angle the structure jutted out as I walked up to it, and the brick against the grass. After settling into one of the Adirondacks scattered in the lawns, I got my things set up and quickly thought Oh boy, what did I just assign myself? I’m learning to dive in overtop this feeling and just get into it. Block in the darks with paint thinned with gamsol, and start building from there. I got started.
Our instructor made the rounds and helped us out. We quickly noticed that I was drawn to the foliage too quickly, and that I could build the architecture around the marks I’d already made. We were short on time, and if there’s one thing I’m seeing reconfirmed for me time and time again, it’s that I’m a fairly slow painter. Part of that is color mixing—I really enjoy it, for one thing! And I also like to get things ‘right’ as I feel it. I took a photo of my reference when the session started, but the sun came out later and I liked the way it brightened the brick, so you can see that I went with the brighter version. In the end, I was fairly satisfied with it, especially given how challenged I felt at the start.
Tuesday was a day to note: This was the first time I’ve made something that truly delights me, that I absolutely love. It’s not perfect, but I love the colors, the looseness, and feeling it gives me. I sat down on a rock in front of a flowering tree and spent the next hour and a half looking, mixing colors, making marks, squinting, and chatting with the instructor as she came by.
Since this was the last week, I’d been making a mental list of questions I hadn’t asked yet, one of which was: If you have one piece of advice for me that would make the most positive impact on my work, what would it be? Her answer: work faster. (Ha!) But not because being slow is bad—because my specific slowness seems like it’s a lack of trust in myself. Moving faster shuts down that part of your brain that judges and helps you get into the flow. “You just kind of have to get over yourself,” she said, laughing. When she moved on to the next student, I dove in and spent a blurry final hour just going for it.
By the time she stopped by at the end of the session, I was delighted with the outcome, and she was, too. I couldn’t have been happier to show her the piece and got a little thrill as she whipped out her phone to take a picture of it.
I went back on Friday to take all my things home—a locker full of gesso, gamsol, paint and every still-wet piece I’d painted over the past 5 weeks. The end of a small chapter, and the opening of a new one, I know. I keep saying this, but it’s been such a worthwhile thing, taking this class. It always felt extravagant to spend money on art education. Isn’t there a ton of that online for free? Yes, but what you miss out on is the feedback and reactions specific to you and your work. You miss out on the connection, the side conversations, the chance to be in a group of people who take their creativity seriously. All of that is truly priceless. And now, I have a small group of people I can continue to connect with, ask and give feedback with, and otherwise support.
So what’s next? I’m taking off this week for a birthday vacation and plan to take a sketchbook and watercolors with me to keep working toward this goal. Over the next several months, I’ll be working toward a small series and the hope is that this vacation will serve as inspiration for that. I’ll also gather my final thoughts about going back to art school to share more concretely what I learned, what I might only realize later, and a firmer plan for my next phase.
Thank you for following along with this journey—it’s been incredibly rewarding, and I’m honestly so excited about the work I’ll make next. (I couldn’t sleep last night just thinking about it!) If you have questions about what it’s like to go back to school for something you’ve been dreaming about (or anything else), please reach out. Whatever your dream, it’s worth it to start taking concrete steps. Make it happen.
It's Henley 