Painting ouside in the Valles Caldera National Preserve and the Jemez National Recreation Area brought me back to my childhood! The experience of being surrounded by nature with nothing but my thoughts and actions brought me back to a simpler way of thinking. I was able to breath and see things for what they were.
Normally when I paint in my studio space I am surrounded by my technology which serve as portals to social media, videos, conversations and distractions from the actual act of observation. So this outdoor experience refreshed me and got me to focus up on what was important in that single moment.
I hope to have many more outdoor painting excursions this summer so that I can further my skill and learn to live in the moment and be fully present in nature.