I’ve always had a love for all animals, and my appreciation of their beauty has grown because of my painting journey. I’m more aware of the details in their shapes and features than I used to be now that I’m looking at recreating my interpretation on paper or canvas.

This time I used a combination of techniques I’ve learned over the last few months, with heavier texture to blur out the background, and then layering the subtle hues in the face.

Life has also been a similar journey.

The more I’ve become aware of the things and people around me, the more I’ve grown to appreciate their beauty and what that means to me.

I take more time to look past the ‘person on the surface’ and look for the underlying caring and kindness and beauty within that person. Or, when I’m walking, I take the time to look at the landscape in front of me and appreciate a rock, or a tree or whatever is in the scene before me.

And just like this painting, life is about learning to apply the lessons you learn from the past, layering them and combining them to help you deal with situations better.

For me, and for most of us, it’s a journey of letting go of the past – taking the lessons forwards to help us in the future, sure – but letting go of the “what-if’s” we cannot change and we have no control over.

And just like painting, it’s focusing on being in the moment, looking at what’s before you, focusing on those things you DO have control over – every brushstroke, every choice of colour, every decision – layering or mixing the techniques, the knowledge, the lessons you have learned and applying them to the situation (or painting) before you.

As the saying goes “Life is a blank canvas”… but I like to think that each day is like a blank canvas, just waiting for you to notice the beauty of your life which is all around you, and turn it into your masterpiece!

Are you still focusing on the past, or are you applying the skills you have gathered during the journey of your life to create a new direction?

With love xx