"Of all the great works that we can experience, nature is the most absolute and enduring. We can witness it change through the seasons. We can see it in the mountains, the oceans, the deserts, and the forest. We can watch the changes of the moon each night, and the relationship between the moon and the stars.
There is never a shortage of awe and inspiration to be found outdoors. If we dedicate our lives solely to noticing changes in natural light and shadow, as the hours passed, we would constantly discover something new."
This is all so true. Albeit sometimes it is easy to forget that beauty in nature permeates throughout -- from the exceptional beauty it offers us to the mundane objects laying beneath our feet.
Sometimes the most common things and common moments present themselves in the most beautiful ways. This is all too easy to forget.
As a landscape painter I am always looking for the next awe inspiring scene that I might be able to capture in a painting. One that can fit within my range of abilities at this time -- and perhaps help me stretch those abilities a little bit too.
Fact is even on our worst days, there is inspiration around us. Plentiful scenery, offering incredibly interesting subjects to paint are always there for us.
Maybe the right subject at that moment is not the majestic mountain, sparkling reflections on a stream or beautiful sunset. Maybe it's just the right time to explore a leaf, a rock, a room you spent all day working in or maybe something like a pinecone...
That pinecone is a magnificent tree in waiting. A miracle. I think Einstein said, we can live our lives like everything is a miracle. Yep. As an artist, this is a good path to take.