Art Tries to Make “Art”: Turns Out, It's Harder Than It Looks

One of the unexpected joys of this stage of my life has been discovering painting.

If you had asked me ten years ago whether I'd ever spend a morning sitting in front of a canvas with acrylic paints or colored pencils, I probably would have laughed. My free time usually revolved around my family,, coaching, building my business, cycling, or tackling the next house project. Painting wasn't even on the radar.

Then one day I decided to give it the ol’ college try by enrolling in a course called “Landscape Painting” at the Museum of Fine Arts (Boston, MA). The instructor initially had us sketching and working on our ability to “see” and notice details in other people’s paintings or photographs. We eventually began playing with acrylics, colored pencils, oils, and watercolors. Each medium has its own personality, and each has reminded me just how much there is to learn.

One thing I've discovered is that painting can be surprisingly humbling. When you're successful in your career or comfortable with the hobbies you've spent years developing, it's easy to forget what it feels like to be a complete beginner. Painting has a way of reminding me that improvement rarely happens in a straight line. Sometimes I'll finish a piece and feel pretty good about it. Other times I'll stare at it wondering why the perspective looks off or why the shadows don't make sense. More often than not, I'll put it away for a day and come back with fresh eyes.

I've learned that coming back to a painting, after a bit of time has passed, is simply part of the process. (And also, never to use black paint…make it from scratch by mixing complementary colors or heavy dark shades. You’ll end up with a much richer piece!)

What keeps bringing me back isn't necessarily the finished painting. It's the experience of creating it. For an hour or two, my attention narrows to light, color, and texture. In many ways, painting has become another form of meditation. Not the kind where you sit quietly with your eyes closed, but the kind where your mind becomes completely focused on one simple task. There aren't many activities that make me lose track of time anymore, but painting does.

Most of my subjects are places or people that mean something to me: Acadia National Park, Cape Cod, Greece, friends, family, mountain trails, lakes, and coastal scenes from New England. They aren't attempts to perfectly recreate a photograph. They're really memories on canvas. Sometimes they turn out better than I expected but most of the time they remind me I still have plenty to learn! And honestly, that's part of the appeal.

One of the benefits of getting older is realizing that not every hobby needs to lead somewhere. I don't need to sell paintings, enter competitions, or become "good enough." I simply enjoy the process of learning, improving a little at a time, and creating something with my own hands.

Below are a few of my favorite pieces. They aren't perfect, but each one taught me something about painting (color creation, texture, highlights, etc.)

I'm already looking forward to the next blank canvas.

Art Tries to Make “Art”: Turns Out, It's Harder Than It Looks

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