English Countryside 24”W x 18”H oil on plywood after becoming "unstuck".

In October 2015 a terrible thing happened to us suddenly and unexpectedly as these things often can befall a family. Our beloved granddaughter Kaylee, the first grandchild, at the time six years old, died suddenly at the age of six. No warning, no lengthy illness to prepare us. Saturday she was at a birthday party having the time of her life, Tuesday, morning she was gone. That however is another story for another time because there is a whole other tragic, related thing that happened as a result of her death that I will get into at a later date, another blog, someday.

I adored my Kaylee Buns. She was the closest thing to Jesus on this earth that lived and breathed and she was a gift that I had in my life for most of her six years because she lived with us for almost two years and then her daddy, my son and his wife moved just across town from us in Michigan so I was able to see her and her brother all the time as we are a very close family.

I took up art late in life, never having taken an art lesson not even in school except when required of everyone.

It just came to me when I had a surgery on my foot and the doctor said bed rest was required absolutely for three months. There was only so much reading and T.V. one can do for three months so I began to scour the internet for something, anything to do.

I took up needle felting and loved it. This is a process where a specialized needle is stabbed hundreds if not thousands of times into a dyed wooly mass that you form into something, in my case canvas art.

This is a God-given gift as I have had no formal training of any kind, not even craft classes. I just read books, watched videos and fumbled along until I created my creations enough to get me into the coveted “Emerging Artist Category” in the East Lansing Art Festival May 2015. I was one of ten artists chosen in this category out of hundreds who applied nationally that year. It was a total God-breathed miracle because this was truly a snooty high brow event to be a part of.

Kaylee was there to cheer me on and it was such an exciting day that launched my brand new path in life as I had always been mainly a writer. This opened up such a lovely new door for me. Kaylee was my champion, there the day of the event and always cheering on all my new works.

I was given two personal art shows in the Lansing area and I was well on my way as a very important big wig in the Michigan art world had taken a huge interest in my art and took me under her wing.

Then Kaylee was gone.

Subsequently my mother had a heart attack with all of the stress that came afterward with the whole affair of what followed and I had to drop everything and take care of her for a year as I was an only child.

The soul crushing grief of losing my Kaylee, taking care of my mother, then losing my mother less than a year after Kaylee—-my joy for art dried right up.

I couldn’t write, I couldn’t needle felt, I couldn’t do anything it seemed. I had lost my joy.

I did not lose my faith, never that, but for a season, I lost my joy.

However, we serve an awesome God. In time I began to come back to life and back to art. Not really Needle Felting. I still associated that with my Kaylee. So I tried watercolor.

I tried acrylics. Then I tried oils. The clean up with oils was arduous.

Then I tried water soluble/mixable oils. Loved the easy clean up. This seemed to be it. There was one problem, while I did improve, I could not do skies, in particular clouds.

I also had this “primitive” style I was tending toward. Hated it! I was trying to go for realism but knew that I didn’t like that style but didn’t know what to do about not going with the realism style.

I found Stuart Davis among others who did gorgeous skies. But Davies is truly the Sky Whisperer as I refer to him. Now I linked here to his website but it is his videos that are the best. He truly is a teacher. He doesn’t just put up his videos so you can oooh and ah over his brilliance. He truly wants to teach you.

I had watched at least 50 or more of videos and got totally caught up in, “I will never ever be able to paint like that ever oh my gosh he’s amazing…”

Instead of really listening to him, I just Fangirled.

So what did I do? I gave up. I put down my brushes and stopped painting. I stopped watching his videos and for months in frustration gave up. I was simply blocked.

I love painting landscapes and sometimes there are skies and there are clouds in those skies! So I threw up my hands.

I’m getting to the RV connection in this—-hang tight!

Months and months passed.

Then a few weeks ago I reached up and out to our Awesome God and asked if He would open a door again. If this was His will. He told me in His still small voice —- I never hear audibly, it’s like an urging, but these words came to mind, “Watch Start Davies videos but this time listen to him, really listen to him.”

So I did. Instead of Fangirling, I actually listened to what he said. His biggest message? Do not be afraid. One of the things artists fear is making a mistake. “OH MY GOSH I JUST RUINED THAT!”

In his videos he’ll point out his mistakes and say, “See that? I can fix that. Don’t panic. We can fix that with this, or that.”

Like my Savior, “Do not fear, I have given you tools beloved, there is nothing to fear!”

There is another thing Davies does. He does this “blur” thing with a big brush to get an affect with clouds. It took me five brushes and several tries but FINALLY I got it!

Lastly, I realized, I am a tonalist. I am not a primitive painter. I am not a realist, I am a tonalist and BOY did this free me to be the painter I truly want to be.

I will never be a Stuart Davies, do not misinterpret. I am me, the oil painter and I am really good with that!

NOW, what does all this have to do with RVing? It has to do with being able to go places and paint En Plein which means just going to a spot and setting up and painting live anywhere.

It also means getting back into maybe selling what I have painted which I have not done in awhile because an RV is an automatic place on wheels to travel and set up with that awning!

Just this past weekend we went to Iowa and I took many photos along the way. The result is an inspiration oil painting you see below.

The whole “block” thing was a life lesson. It was just fear. God has given me a tool kit for my art and for life. He showed me through Stuart Davies, don’t panic, see? There is a fix, just listen to the voice of the master, He’ll show you, if you truly listen!

Until next time: Duty, Honor and Seeing the Country RV Style!