Paint With Purpose

Hi lovelies and beau’s, welcome to the latest series “Purposeful Pursuits”. Through the next several weeks, I will be sharing some new years resolutions, mesmerizing moments from 2024, last year’s holiday special, gifts I adore, and much more. Before we get started, feel free to take a look around, get comfy and settled in, and let’s get right into it!

For a good chunk of my life, I felt as though I put my energy into all the wrong things. This often left me feeling drained, unmotivated, and uninspired. Life remained like this for a while until I went through a brutal awakening and took the necessary time to heal.

Along this journey of re-discovery and healing, I noticed a small, local shop. Outside there was a handwritten chalkboard sign that read “Cute Shop”. So, I decided to stop in and take a look. Once I did, I fell in love with the store and all of its contents. It had a little bit of everything from paintings to jewelry to bath bombs to journals. It even had socks and cards with memes on them. One day while I was walking through the store, I noticed this paint-by-number that caught my attention. It was a beautiful picture of an elephant. I am not quite sure what drew me in exactly but something certainly did as I bought it.

Hours, days, and weeks passed by before I started working on the elephant paint-by-number. One day after completing a walk, I felt accomplished yet inspired. So, I took a seat at my desk and began painting, one-by-one, number-by-number. Unfortunately, I didn’t have enough time in the day to complete it and I put it aside. Time went by without it crossing my mind. Until one day a friend of mine shared what I believe was our Chinese animal fortunes for the year. Although I don’t recall the specifics, mine had to do with some type of man while hers specifically mentioned having good fortune upon finding elephants. Thus, it began her search for good luck.

From that moment on, I knew my mission. It was to finish the painting to then give to her so she would have good fortune. After doing just that, a realization occurred to me. I recognized how I missed painting. It had been close to a decade since the last time I painted. It was as though I was being called into action. To pick up the paintbrush from where I last left off and let the colors flow.

This time around it wasn’t just my grandpa and I bonding over our love of art. Rather, it felt as though I was re-discovering and re-defining my purpose in life. I was starting to become who I was meant to be. So, I began painting. Sometimes, I would play with the colors and see how something turned out or I would have a specific idea in mind. Either way the decision was mine. This allowed my creative juices to flow right through me.

Now while I enjoy painting or being creative with the arts, I am not a professional by any means. What I am about to share with you are beginner paintings. There are five small paintings from when I had a specific idea in mind. Not only will I share the original inspiration for the painting but I will also share a story as well. As the saying goes, a picture says a thousand words.

Lakeside Views.

Over the summer while a heatwave was in effect, I decided to take a walk during the hottest part of the day. This walk went through the neighborhood, around the pond, and by the lake. As I was dripping with sweat and trying to take a selfie with the empty walkways outstretched behind me, I noticed how clear the lake was that day as well as how still the water was. Normally, it would be a pretty blue but there would be a strong wind current or choppy waves. It wasn’t the case that day. Instead, it was so transparent I could see straight to the bottom. There were big rocks, including some that were bigger than I would’ve imagined. I stopped in my tracks and stood there in awe. When I decided that it was finally time to return home, I took a picture so I could show others the beauty of it too.

Although all the details aren’t demonstrated in this piece of work, it was the turquoise color of the lake that caught my attention. Only then, did I realize I could see the bottom. It is what inspired me to begin again. After all, sometimes all we need in life is a little push to help get us motivated or something to catch our interest to remind us who it is we are meant to be.

Mountain Like Views.

During the summer, I went on a roadtrip with family from Illinois to Colorado. There was a lot of open land, beautiful sights, and cute towns. However, it was the view that got my attention.

When I was much younger, my dad and I took a trip to Colorado. At that time, he put me straight away into ski lessons. The one itty-bitty, teeny-weeny mistake he made was that he assumed I would be more interested in learning how to ski at that age. When in reality, I was much more engaged in making new friends. So much so, it is kind of a running joke in my family now.

For this painting in particular, I decided to be more colorful. The purple mountains that can be seen below are more similar to that of the Colorado Rockies uniforms (MLB). While the salmon sky gives more of an Arizona skyline feeling. Then, I just added some other features for fun. Unfortunately, all the trees didn’t quite turn out right and the rocks on the side of the path look more like dots than anything else. Saying that, I think it still turned out well. As is everything in life, it’s a journey. There are going to be some mistakes or missteps. It’s a matter of life. I’m not going to let it stop me from achieving my dreams and neither should you.

The Meadows.

Here is another astonishing view during my family trip in Colorado. This particular evening, we wanted to see the sun go down over the mountains. So, we parked at the entrance of the campground we were staying at, and trekked up to the top of the hill. We were only about 20 steps into the hike when I took this picture. It was definitely a captivating moment.

As for my version, I knew this was a couple steps above my skill level. So again, I made it my own. I had fun with it. I added more color and played around with different textures on how I wanted the mountains/hills to appear. Although there were some more mistakes that I made and wish I would’ve done better, I did the best I could. And I’m happy with the end result.

A Friend On The Plane.

Due to some unforeseen circumstances, I cut my family trip short and flew back home from Durango to Denver. Then, from Denver to Chicago. The real story behind this picture is that I made a new friend on the plane ride home. She was sitting next to the window seat as I was in the middle seat. As we’re taking off, she took a video with the sunset in the background. This got us chatting which soon turned into discussions, life stories, and an unforgettable bond. After all, it’s not every day I make a friend on a plane.

With this particular painting of mine, I still need to add another layer of the salmon background so it all evens out. Eventually I also plan to add some cloud coverage as seen in the original picture. As for the inside of the plane, I’m not sure if I plan to do anything more with it. If you have any ideas or suggestions, comment down below. I’m open to any tips or tricks as I’ll take all the help I can get!

Passageway Through Time.

Over the summer, I would take long walks all around. Sometimes, I’d check out new restaurants around town or I’d take more of a nature walk. On occasion, I would get into a bit of a routine when I would go for a nature walk, take some selfies at this monument because of the nature glow, and then, finish the stroll by checking in with the turtles before heading home. It was a walk of art in its own right.

I did what I do best and I took a photo to capture the moment. I also had a vision in mind knowing that I wanted to attempt this very scene during my painting adventures. Although I knew it wouldn’t be an easy painting to create, I didn’t expect for it to be the color tone would give me the biggest grief. As you may see in my painting below, there’s a bit of a strong yellow hue. It’s because I started off strong with the yellow before contemplating that the color doesn’t match the original. In order to fix that, I put a grey over the yellow. This is another yet-to-be-completed painting. There are a few more details I wish to add before I’ll be happy with the finished product.

As always, life is an adventure! It can be easy to get lost in the chaos of it all but remember life is a gift. Time is precious. If you start taking the time for what truly matters in your life, your life and perception will change for the better. I look forward to seeing each and every one of you next Monday, December 9th, 2024, to discuss some other purposeful pursuits of mine. In the meantime, have an extraordinary week and spread some love while you’re at it! I also have a new Instagram @kelcraze where I showcase my artwork along this journey.

As a signature of this blog, I like to end each post with a suggestion to “Pass on kindness”. There is no such time as the present to “Inspire Those Who Inspire You”. Acts of kindness, no matter how big or small, can have a direct, positive impact on someone else. Go out there today and change someone’s life for the better.

***These are my personal opinions and may not be those of my employer***