Gardening or painting, both works of love.

Gardening is one of my loves and spending time in nature is a time of meditation, a break from thinking, a time to slow down my thoughts and feel a sense of calm. I find it difficult to sit still to meditate, and yet I realize how important this practice is to well being and vital for me to be able to paint and do my work. In the winter when I cannot garden, I find that doing simple housekeeping chores can be a form of meditation. Washing dishes and feeling the warm soapy water on my hands, and cleaning the kitchen after cooking are a source of peacefulness. Organizing my studio after having finished another painting is a quiet time of meditation and clearing my mind. Once that happens, and all the chatter stops, somehow then when I start to work, inspiration starts flowing in, and a work of love on canvas begins.