Whenever I get the chance, I like to take walks. I find the quiet moment in nature is something I can then take with me in the studio. One of my favorite places, the Connecticut river, has inspired Thomas Cole among other greats, so I figure I must be on to something =)
I saw a lot of birds on my walk today, and a flock of goldfinches followed me, I think i may have been disturbing the insects for them? I had brought my camera to take photos in that odd grey lighting before a rainstorm. I saw a wraggled looking brown mop near the riverbed, and when I got closer found that a hawk had washed ashore and was sunning itself. I was concerned, so I gave it some space. Within 30 minutes, it dried enough to fly off, thank goodness because not far off was a bald eagle nest (which may have been the reason the hawk ended up in the river!).
These little narratives of wildlife truly inspire me.
I find that unconsciously, I seem to be whirring away at problems that seem so overwhelming in the studio, and when i come back I am refreshed and suddenly have a solution that must have been taking shape outside the mind’s eye.