WHEN IN SANTA FE....
Day 1
Yoga.
Tea House.
Galleries.
Sunshine.

Today I shall start my blog postings of my adventures in Santa Fe.  I feel so fortunate to be here.

After my morning yoga, I decided to turn my condo/apartment into a studio...as I was working on getting my space organized I enjoyed listening to my  ipod, some of my favorite songs that I haven't listened to in awhile...you won't believe what the first album was on the 'shuffle' - The Great SouthWest by Nicholas Gunn...kind of amazing!
The weather was beautiful today, sunny skies like I haven't seen in forever in Michigan....I am very thankful.  I spent part of the day visiting a few of the 200+ galleries in this city, which got me totally inspired and ready to get to work...and work I did...and I see new colors working their way into my paintings - sienna's, coppers, golds, sage greens, purples, oranges, turquoise...and speaking of turquoise - I saw the coolest pair of cowboy boots at a shop today...really wanted them, until I saw the price tag, $14,500...I guess I better just get back to work!
Hope it's sunny in your part of this world.
Santa Fe is surrounded with galleries filled with paintings as well as amazing sculpture...

"If the way you look at the world becomes more imaginative and resourceful, your creative actions will fall into line with your vision." - from the book "Trust the Process"...Shaun McNiff

I'm in preparation....preparing for my painting trip to Santa Fe.   I plan to spend two solid weeks painting and experiencing the art, the adobe and the SKIES of the South West.  It is amazing the amount of work one can done when their is no need for laundry to be done, meals to be made etc....I shall savor every moment.
Every time I take a painting trip, I am always wondering 'what will inspire me' this time.  Often I have no idea until I arrive and settle in, however, this time I am already feeling that it will be the magnificent South West skies that will possible work their way into my paintings...and probably a  little bit of the amazing colors of the desert.
While I am in Santa Fe, I will be doing a demo at Artisan on Saturday, March 9 at 1:30 - if you would like to attend you may call them to save your space....I look forward to sharing my thoughts and techniques on art.
I am already making a few plans of things to do other than painting...to include a visit to the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum...do you have any other suggestions of things to do or see?

This photo is of the Big Sky when I was in Santa Fe a couple years ago....can you see what I mean - AMAZING!

"Only when your consciousness is totally focused on the moment you are in can you receive whatever gift, lesson, or delight that moment has to offer" - Barbara De Angelis

In my studio today...looking outside at the brilliant blue sky and sunshine (which in winter in the UP is rare, it seems) feeling the need to put my brushes down and go for a x-c ski in the back field.   Lucky enough to have a nice layer of snow to rhythmically slide my skis and move my arms/poles....Meditative...that is how the movement of skiing feels to me.   I used to listen to my ipod while skiing, now I just enjoy the silence.  This silence is so important for my being as an artist - new ideas come to me in this silence.  Nothing can be better.
The freedom, the silence, the beauty of nature, the fresh air...completes my moments.  Although I practice yoga on a regular basis, it is the meditative part that I struggle with....I'm a very active person and it is so hard to sit still but I am trying to get better at that...sometimes just writing about it helps.
So, on this Friday afternoon with a full weekend schedule ahead, I will contemplate and savor my next hour of silence as I ski under the blue skies....may you, too, have some wonderful bits of silence this weekend!



PS...some new changes/updates to my website...check it out....http://gcappaert.com/