I have been aware for some time now that standing for hours in front of my easel, lost in the creative process is an artist's dream, particularly when everything is flowing.  The problem is that becoming lost in ones creative flow can also mean forgetting about the importance of physical activity. I have been walking daily these past three months and finding that exercise frees my mind, pumps oxygen into my body and re-energizes my creativity. It's great stuff. 

The early morning walk has had a really positive influence on my art. Getting out into the open air, rather than inhaling paint fumes has made a big difference to my energy levels. I am learning to trust more intuitively the creative ideas that pop into my mind while walking and I often take these ideas back into the studio for further development. The experience of nature triggers mental imagery that is totally unrelated to the present moment, yet is fuelled by the power of being in that moment.

The gift of walking projects my creativity into a solid space before my eyes, sculpting my senses so that I am forced to pause and reflect on the colour, texture, light and form that nature so artfully provides. While walking everything is absorbed unconsciously. For example the sound of the wind, the call of a bird are influences which end up resonating in  in the layers of paint hidden from the viewer's naked eye.