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Oil Painting during the Holidays

© Susan A. Wenz-Denise

It is certainly an understatement when I say that this time around the Holidays is full of energy. For some, or even maybe most people, the energy is in the form of the ultimate busy frenzy unlike we find any other time of year. Perhaps for the more lucky few the Holidays brings about a positive energy from which they are able to draw inspiration from for their painting. I wish I were as fortunate.

I suppose the impact of Holiday energy depends upon how involved you allow yourself to get into Holiday details. Usually those details include holiday decorating, gift buying and wrapping, running errands, coordinating with relatives, traveling, cooking, baking, entertaining, etc. If you simply choose limited involvement in all those extra activities, then I suppose you may not find your oil painting to suffer but rather blossom during this festive season. However, if like me you are pretty much neck deep in just about any detail imaginable, you might find yourself temporarily severed from your oil colour lifeline.

I think that even if I were to try to cut out some of the busy lifestyle I acquire during the holiday season, that I still would not be able to paint. Unfortunately, at this point in time I live in a one bedroom apartment that does not allow for the intermingling of art supplies and holiday decorations in the same space. The Christmas Tree, for example, forces the collapse of my easel and the storage of any working canvases for at least a month. From the perspective of my artwork I must seem a fool to sacrifice my creativity for holiday decorations. It's my sentimental side that gives in to these traditions and my guess is it always will.

I dream of a holiday season when my husband and I are nestled into a new home complete with at least three bedrooms and a special studio just for me. I will be able to drag out my drafting table that is currently stored away at my parent's house and set it up as it should be, in a prominent space in my studio. My easel will be set up permanently and I will buy a whole set of storage furniture for my myriad of paints, brushes and mediums. Even my canvases, both finished and unfinished, will have their own special storage where I can easily get at any one of them and don't have to worry about them being damaged. Most importantly, the Christmas Tree will never take precedent over my oil painting again.

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