Painting with great Grandma

As the fall progressed I contemplated what to do for my Christmas vacation.Should I go to Europe while young and unattached, stay in Huntington where I usually go, Or I could visit other various friends.  I also considered staying in bass lake to enjoy the community there and take care of my cat. But something that had been on my heart for a while grabbed my attention. It just so happened that Arkansas was where I wanted to go for Christmas to visit my Grandpa.  Visiting my grandpa was the obvious choice. Grandpa lives in Arkansas on a horse ranch and has been inviting me to fly out for at least a year. He mentioned the horse back riding and his loving cat George. In my heart I longed for some time in the southern woods. Stomping on sandy soil brought by hurricanes. Sweet tea and spicey food. Learning from grandpa about everything.
   It was an awesome trip. If you ever have a chance to visit family  or friends that live in another state for a holiday I highly recommend it. We didn't go anyehere yet I felt so refreshed in my spirit.
   One thing I didn't realize was how much I needed healing from my Grandma passing away. She went to heaven about a year ago and although I wouldn't say we were close, she was an influence on my life. Spending time with two people she was close to was brought so many memories. In a certain way, it helped me appreciate her more.  I remembered her sense of humor and beautiful music and the people she touched with happiness when she wasn't sick. I learned about her mom as well which was personally meaningful.
   My thoughtful Uncle Johnathan, who was home sick from crane school, brought a few of my great grandma Alyse' paintings to Arkansas for me to see. A few of them were unfinished. lines were there with gorgeous underpainting which gave me the opportunity to touch a brush to them and imagine how she would have finished them. What happened while I worked was quite unexpected. I felt as if she was teaching me how to paint again. This is the color used here or there. Coming from a Parisian portrait artist,which is what she was, made me understand color layering so much more. Three more art classes couldn't make up for this occasion. Moving through the buttery paint I could understand so much more about shapes and color. Love and composition. In a way I was handed helpful skills by someone I didn't know,but was related to. 
  While I was in Arkansa, not only did we paint. There were magnetic conversations about all sorts of craft; gardening, wood turning and the love of cooking...I could go on. It was like being in our own little art collective for a week. Going home, I'm urgently trying to hold on to the inspiration from the bar-j ranch love especially from Grandpa and Uncle Jonathan.
   As I go into the new year I hope to pick up my tools more often. I can't wait to see what happens! So much love and kindness for the new year!