Morning pages

Seville orange trees

I'm trying something different because I find it hard to keep up with writing a blog and to be consistent.

So I figured why not do my morning pages on it instead?

Generally every day when I wake up I spend 15-20 minutes writing.

Some days it's working on a book. Others it's just the random stuff in my head. Maybe my anxiety has gone crazy and I need to sort out what's bothering me. Maybe I had a dream that sparked an idea for a piece of work. So we'll see how this goes. Generally on vacation they go in my travel art sketchbook.

Today I sit in Paris. The air is cold compared to seville and the steam raises off my coffee in a fragrant morning hug. The birds are singing and the sun is peeking out after a brutal rain storm last night. The city is silent and smells of fresh rain and just bloomed flowers. I like this time of day the most, before the people have woken, and it feels like I'm the only person in the world.

I woke up last night to the pounding rain. I was startled awake by a dream that I was a passenger in a car and was arguing with the driver (I laugh because I haven't argued in a vehicle since I was in my 20s,I've only done that twice and both times it ended in accidents, minor ones thankfully, so will never do that now) and just before we were about to hit a cliff face I woke up. That last image though is something I want to paint.

The sky was a dark purple, the clouds hung in a light grey haze low to the ground, the rain was falling and picking up the light of the headlights from the on coming traffic. Making them glow like orbs of crystal. The road was that slick black with the lines contrasting so much they seemed to be glowing in a bright off white. The vehicles were only a faint outline of themselves.

I only have one day left in Europe then back to the forest I go. Today will be just enjoying Paris with its coffee, cafés, gardens and old buildings and maybe a little wine. I fly out early in the morning so not to much wine I can't afford to miss this flight.

A part of me is excited about going home. I can't get the seville oranges out of mind. I can't wait to get them down in pastel and acrylic. I wish my watercolor work was as articulate as other mediums so I could do them justice while I had them plein air.

Also I had a travel companion when I got to seville and I know it's me but I find it hard to be around people in the mornings. Years of having that first hr of the day to myself to shake the cobwebs and sort out all my ideas and thoughts and set up for the day to come. It throws me off horribly it felt like the days never really started. I found it hard to just sit with the oranges and felt rushed. Two things that don't go well when trying to paint.

My meeting with the gallery there went well, I think, but it's hard to tell sometimes with the language barrier. I have to finish sorting out what kind of show I want to do and send it off for them to decide if they want to show it. They liked the work I brought to show them so fingers crossed.

This trip was the first time I painted in public too. I don't know what has happened but before I used to be so self conscious about creating in public. I had sort of got used to drawing in public but this time whether drawing or painting I was at ease. People would come up and watch, take the odd picture, some would talk and it felt completely natural. Taking a complement is slowly getting easier also I don't get as awkward as I normally do.

When I get home I have to finish a submission for a showcase at the metis celebration at home in may. The first conversation went great and the ideas of what I want to do have been rolling out like warm honey. Two months is going to be tight to finish these pieces especially with the day job. I think I can manage though and I really want to get out and try my hand at an in person event.

So for now I'm going to finish off my coffee and lay down some preliminary idea sketches.

Jackie ❤️