Art Conversations
Pep Talks from a Friend
I have an art friend, Lauren Arsenault, who lives over a thousand miles away in Bluffton, South Carolina. Most winters, I spend several weeks painting in person with her at the Society of Bluffton Artists' open studio.
Between those winter painting sessions, we communicate via short messages, mostly commenting on each other’s art.
Lauren is a prolific, professional painter and savvy businesswoman. She’s part owner of La Petite Gallerie, one of my favorite galleries in Bluffton, SC.
Lauren is a dear and faithful friend. She constantly urges me to go into the studio to paint, reminds me to “get out of my head” and let the paint rip, and, most encouraging, paints images that inspire me to do both: get in the studio and let it rip.
I look at her paintings nearly every day for inspiration. But inspiration needs to be coupled with determination. This season, as the days grow shorter and colder, I find it easier and easier to spend the long, dark afternoons painting in The Tower, my attic studio.
This painting of Lauren’s sent me into a panting frenzy. It’s everything I adore about her paintings: loose, saturated colors, movement, a hint of whimsy.
Today, I’m including you all in the correspondence between Lauren and me.
Lauren, thanks for the inspiration and the kick in the pants I needed to return to the studio. I loved your painting and wanted to answer. I’m not sure this is my “final” answer. It’s not as loose as I’d like, and I didn’t preserve as many whites as I think I should. Still, it was so fun! And it's such a privilege to paint with you across all these miles.
If you don’t have a painting buddy, I’d encourage you to get one. You can even pick an imaginary friend. Follow someone on Instagram or a long-dead painter. Speak back to what you find inspiring in their work.
xo
Felicia
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I think you have responded well! Nice job!