My backyard as of late has been all of the things you see next to a road or a path. Since I am in Sedona taking care of a zoo of animals, I haven't been out there to take pictures of everything I encounter. I took a few pictures around the house but became uninspired after a while. The other day, I came across a blog that said to take pictures and find beauty in your own backyard so I thought I would give it a try. Maybe it was the reinforcement I needed to hear.
I headed out for 45 minutes snapping away at things that I found interesting around the house. I am sure that you would look at your own backyard differently if you took some pictures of what you see.
It was a good practice for me since I feel restless when I am forced to stay in one place for a period of time. Yes, I find it hard to relax. I strolled along and looked at everything a bit differently. Saw the rocks in patterns, looked closely at the thorns in cactus, looked at the remaining fall colors along the creek, watched
the birds (well, I usually spend a lot of time doing this), noticed the textures on the bark of trees, saw old pieces of trash, observed the silence.It took me out of my "I'm so bored and uninspired" attitude and put me in a nice place of being. Appreciation.
It's been a while since I painted so I decided to give it another shot. I have so much admiration for painters and for people who can sit for extended periods of time concentrating on one piece of art. For me, it was frustrating. It was a nice lesson in patience. I know I need several lessons in it.
Below is my 45 minutes of observations in the backyard:
