It’s been said “if you don’t know where you are going any road will take you there”. I like Toby Keith’s version from his Somewhere Else lyrics…. “If you don’t know where you’re going you might end up somewhere else.”
Getting somewhere without delay is the ultimate goal for some. But for an artist, “distractions” can be the ticket to create something new.
I filled in today for my office manager and while taking orders couldn’t help chatting. It was a thrill to hear what you’re doing. One beginning artist was excited to take a workshop with master artist Kevin Macpherson. I suggested he become a sponge, have fun and never compare his work with anyone. Another artist told me in her Scott Christensen workshop two years ago Scott showed the class one of his first paintings. Impressive! We all start somewhere…it’s the side trips that determine where we ultimately arrive.
Then between calls I read the article about Clyde Aspevig in American Artist’s special publication Plein Air painting. It was a perfect summation of my idea of an artist’s journey. Clyde coined the term “land snorkeling”. It means taking time to immerse yourself in nature and explore the beauty and wonder of the world around you.
Aspevig suggests, “Land snorkelers wander through nature with no intention of hiking to a destination. The distractions of the modern world so often pull us away from nature”. But if we could allow nature to be the distraction we might reconnect with our world. We could then “create art to change a person’s normal perceptions of something and get them to look at things in a different way to have more content and relevance to other things in life.” Excellent artist’s job description, Clyde. I invite artists to explore www.landsnorkel.com …my discovery while being distracted today.
Cathy Dietrich
artist/owner
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