I’m sitting in a little outdoor café (not really, but let’s pretend), sipping a cappuccino and painting a swatch of blue that, with a little intentional wildness, becomes the Ligurian sea. It’s an abstract version of the sea because that’s the way my paint brush rolls.  Perfectly steamed milk foam hangs out on my lips, and I don’t care.

 

Once the sea is dry, I paint in a guy rowing a boat with an Italian flag waving and say, “Voila,” even though I’m on the Italian Riviera and not the French one.  I’m under the influence of wild abandon so borders, rules, and cannoli don’t limit my autonomy.

 

As I let the rowboat guy dry, my fellow travelers and I free associate words and then let them effortlessly form poems, funny prose, or something that surprises us because it borders on the profound.  Or maybe it seems that way because the sea air is dizzying us to enchantment by the heightened inspiration.

 

The  bright colors of the hillside homes, coordinate with matching laundryhanging window to window like flags of life being lived simply.

 

Adding creative explorations to a walking tour in Italy is like topping tiramisu with whipped cream served with an authentic cappuccino.   Writing, sketching, and painting heighten an experience which is often treated like fast food when it should be a long lingering delicious banquet of beauty. They slow us down and connect us to a memory as its being made.

 

The Italian Riviera is more deserving of attention than the click of smartphone camera most travelers give it, eager to impress friends on social media. Impress yourself by making a trip to a beautiful land like a story inside a painting, savored by the eyes, ears and of course, the taste buds of an artist and the mind of a writer. (even if you don’t yet think you are one).

 

Italian Riviera…Rapallo, Portofino, Cinque Terre, Camogli and Chiavari

high on creativity and the occasional gelato.   October 14-20, 2024 
Creating some memories in the best possible way.

 

 

 

 

 

If I hadn't drawn that teapot ^ with my eyes closed, I never would have known how polite it is. Blind memory is story, mystery, energy, surprise... but most of all freedom from perfectionism. 

 

If you've been to any of my Wild Abandon art workshops, you know how it's more about enjoyment than finished results. It's fun to see what creations emerge from everyone.. they're all different and have an element of each individual's authentic, uncensored voice.   

 

One of my missions in life is to free people from their perfectionism tyrant: The feeling of being stifled, hesitant, and stressed by the fear of not being good enough. Drawing with eyes closed takes away the ability to be perfect and still, in every class some people cannot let go because that fear is deeply ingrained, perpetuated by strict teachers, and holding them captive. I can tell when people keep their eyes open because their results lack the same wild and liberated energy of those who kept their eyes closed. (do try this at home).

 

The goal is to let go, and to love or tolerate the results - both being good practice for equanimity needed in life. If it's not their thing, they can still apply newly discovered energy to eyes-open techniques and feel a little more free. Some decide it's their favorite technique; much of the time, I'm a better artist with my eyes closed.

 

Putting a watercolor wash over the result and placing it in a frame just may make you look like an artistic genius.