Art from Where You Are

You don’t have to go far to find something worth painting.

We’re so used to thinking of beauty as something rare, distant, or dramatic.
But some of the most meaningful art I’ve made started with the simplest things:

• The way the sunlight flickers on moving water

• The shape of an animal track in the mud

• A crooked tree at the edge of a pasture

Rural life is full of quiet details. But you have to slow down enough to see them.
That’s the heart of my creative practice — noticing what’s right in front of me.

If you’re feeling uninspired or unsure what to make, try stepping outside with no agenda. Look at the shapes, the shadows, the weeds. Listen for the bird you can’t name. Sketch the way the breeze moves the grass. Write down one line about how the light feels today.

This kind of art doesn’t need to impress anyone. It just needs to be honest.

Your everyday life — especially the overlooked parts — is more than enough.
You are surrounded by beauty. All you have to do is look.