Spring is here, the Yukon is thawing, and that means it’s just about time for me to go home. I’ve spent the winter in Mexico, recovering from a small surgery that took place in December. It’s been a much slower pace than I am used to, but I learned to appreciate the quiet and introspection. It was a time of rest and recouperation, but like the emerging spring blossoms, I am now ready to pop.
Creatively, seasonal changes have always captivated me. It’s clear how much inspiration I find during Fall in the Yukon, I paint it often. But the transition from winter to spring I find equally alluring. I enjoy reflecting these seasonal changes in my canvas, mirroring shifts in color, mood, and emotion. I recognized inspiration as the heartbeat of creativity, and the shoulder seasons have no lack of inspiration.
Compared to this, the winter felt like an appropriate metaphor for a creative down time that extended to my physical reality too. As I mentioned, I had a small surgery and during recovery I felt free to contemplate my creativity and my canvas in new ways. I thought a lot on authenticity as an exploration of personal depths, an adventure to be undertaken.
My artistic journey for authenticity, like many others, has a cyclical nature that can be compared to the change of the seasons. Sometimes authenticity is the easiest thing in the world and can’t be contained, and other times you dig deep and still come up empty. This cycle creates an identity, and conflicting components unite to create a recognizable and independent voice.
Having weathered a contemplative winter, it is time to lean into spring, with all its renewed vitality. Much like the changing seasons, fresh ideas now blossom into vibrant realities.
In this most recent seasonal and personal shift, authenticity in painting is no longer about conforming to external expectations or trends but about embracing the ebb and flow of personal creative rhythm. People, like the seasons, are in a perpetual state of evolution. For me, each canvas becomes a testament to the authenticity uncovered in the journey from winter's introspection to spring's joyful emergence.
As winter surrenders to spring, and I move from Mexico to Canada, I intend to let this serve as a reminder to embrace transitions. Just as nature changes with the seasons and locations, so too does an artist. The dance of authenticity is a personal one, which is not only a reflection of the external world but a connection to an internal, ever-changing landscape.
