Sunshine, Smiles and the Wonderful Wellbeing Benefits of Art
Four lovely ladies, four individual paintings and one beautiful morning at Mawgan Porth, Cornwall! 🎨🌊💙
Sometimes an art lesson is about so much more than the artwork we take home.
There we were, sitting beside the sea, with the sunshine on our faces, the wind blowing through our hair and the wonderful Cornish coastline stretching out before us.
And, judging by those smiles, everyone was thoroughly enjoying themselves!
Learning to See, Not Simply Copy
One of the things I love most about teaching art is helping people discover how much more there is to see when we really start looking.
During our morning painting en plein air at Mawgan Porth, we explored the environment around us.
The geology of the coastline, the science behind the movement of the sea, the changing colours of the sky, the way light interacts with water and how perspective creates the illusion of distance.
All these things influence how we interpret the world and how we translate what we see into a painting.
Rather than teaching people to copy a picture, I help them understand the principles behind what they're looking at.
Once you begin to understand those principles, you can start developing your own individual technique.
And that's precisely what these four lovely ladies were doing!
Art, Mindfulness and Wellbeing
There's something particularly lovely about painting outdoors.
You're not simply looking at the landscape. You're experiencing it.
The sound of the waves, the changing light, the breeze, the colours and the textures all become part of the creative experience.
Painting encourages us to concentrate, observe and become completely absorbed in what we're doing.
It's that wonderful feeling of being 'in the zone', when everyday worries can temporarily take a back seat and time seems to disappear.
Add a little sunshine, some lovely company and plenty of laughter, and you've got a rather wonderful way to spend a morning!
Four Ladies, Four Different Paintings
What I particularly love about this photograph is that all four ladies were looking at the same beautiful surroundings, yet each produced an individual interpretation.
That's the joy of understanding the fundamentals of art.
We don't all have to paint the same picture in the same way.
By understanding light, colour, perspective and the structures within our environment, we gain the freedom to make our own creative decisions.
And the results?
Four beautiful little seascapes, four smiling faces and, hopefully, some lovely memories of a morning spent painting together beside the sea.
Discover Art at Mawgan Porth, Cornwall
Whether you're a complete beginner, returning to painting after many years or looking to develop your existing skills, my art lessons are designed to help you understand what you're seeing and discover your own creative potential.
I offer private lessons for individuals, couples, families and groups at Mawgan Porth and throughout Cornwall.
For those further afield, I also offer live Zoom tuition and my pre-recorded online art masterclass, The Secret of Art, exploring drawing, perspective, painting and the fascinating science behind what we see.
Because sometimes the greatest thing an art lesson gives us isn't the finished painting.
It's learning to see the world around us with fresh eyes. 💙
Explore my artwork and art lessons at www.visual-awareness.com.
Photographs shared with permission.
