Nadine J Walters – My Life

Question for Me: How’s that Staycation Art Retreat going?

Answer: Not bad at all! I’m managing to relax and get some art in. I’ve done a portrait each day and, best of all, I’m not stressing about perfection. Evenings are mellow—while I’m not whipping up special dinners every night, I’ve made some really good salads and enjoyed the occasional glass of wine. I decided the decadent desserts were a bit over the top, but at the end of the month, I fully intend to throw caution to the wind and indulge.

Yesterday’s little “field trip” was a fun indulgence: Andy and I both got haircuts—me at the salon, him at the groomer. I think I enjoyed it more than he did.

The daily portraits are part of an art course I’m taking, which involves completing one portrait per week over 50 weeks. Each week is led by a different artist, using various media. Yesterday’s was in watercolor; often they work in oil, but since I don’t paint with oils, I substitute acrylics. I’m learning to better manipulate my materials and integrate new techniques into my process.

From the start, I decided to treat each lesson as inspiration rather than something to copy exactly. It’s been a great approach. I aim to match the color palette and let the techniques influence my own style. Honestly, each portrait feels stronger than the last—and I’m reminding myself that perfection is not the goal.

The art part is going really well, although I’ve fallen behind on my daily face sketchbook. Painting has taken priority, so both the sketchbook and my blog have taken a bit of a backseat. I’ll get back on track today—maybe knock out two or three quick sketches, which is all I intended for the blog anyway.

This morning, I prepped some paper and canvas for my next personal projects. I’m planning to paint figures against red rock backgrounds on the paper, and experiment with local landscapes on the canvas. My goal is to stay loose and free—if something doesn’t turn out, I can always paint over it. I’m a frugal, practical artist. Let’s be honest—my work isn’t headed to the MoMA anytime soon, so I might as well embrace the joy of creating… even if the results aren’t perfect.

And yes, I reserve the right to call my own art “shitty” if I think it is! The joy comes in the making. Sometimes, like in baking, cleaning, or writing, things just don’t turn out. That’s okay. Smile, laugh, and celebrate the effort—sometimes you just do a beautifully shitty job.

Final observation: The Staycation Art Retreat has been overwhelmingly fun, positive, and creatively fulfilling—and I’m definitely not doing a shitty job of it.