An Inspiring Evening

Yesterday, not only did I get to spend the 1.5 hour drive there (and back) talking art with my painter pals, David Hunt and Linda Mercer, we watched the sunset from this country home. http://www.leightoncentre.org/index.html

The Leighton Art Centre, Gallery and Museum is the former home of artists A.C. and Barbara Leighton. It's a magical place perched on the crest of a hill overlooking the front ranges of the Rockies. In The Great Room we enjoyed an excellent talk by Vancouver painter/writer, Robert Genn. hhtp://www.robertgenn.com/

Over wine and a fine array of food I visited with Robert and artists I hadn't seen in a long while. An added bonus was Karin Richter's delightful exhibition "How To Be An Artist". http://members.shaw.ca/karinrichter/

At the Leighton Centre, back in June, 1998 I joined a group of artists and painted this oil (12" x 16"). I've always considered it unfinished, but this morning, I signed it anyway. So often I've thought about correcting it's glaring errors and refining it. Other artists may concur about how we could do that with any given piece. Change it, possibly improve it, maybe paint it forever! But since we can't go back to change the past, I sometimes ask "Why change a painting?" Be it yesterday's work, a painting from a decade ago, (or anytime) they are pieces of another you. I say, good or bad, respect them, let them be and move on.

Now, I'm going to do what Robert tells us to do "Go to your room!" (and make art).