Challenging Yourself

The other day at my urban sketching group one of the attendees asked me why I went for the hard stuff. In this case trying to paint the rapids in the river and the surfers working the rapids. Thinking about it, I like the challenge of getting the scene as I want it.

In the case of the image above, yes the people are off, but heck, there are people in the painting! I have traditionally not included people because they are hard! So is painting white water. I love this challenge and no doubt will return to it again and again.

The lesson for you is to push your boundaries, challenge yourself and get out of the comfort zone of doing things that are easy. New colors, materials, a harder technique, a new class, do something different.

Sometimes that trip to the art supply or craft supply store results in new materials! This is a good thing as it keeps you playing and fresh in your creativity. Doing something new and different is a brain boost.