Nadine J Walters – My Life

Question for today: What’s going on today?

Answer:
Lots of painting! I had an incredible studio day on Saturday and continued painting yesterday. The house was a disaster—my dining room table was completely taken over, my studio table was overflowing, and I even expanded into the backyard to sand down some areas that just weren’t quite right.

It’s been a busy couple of days. I’m working on a series for my CVP program, and these pieces look nothing like they did three days ago. Finally, I feel like I’m starting to figure some things out and actually paint what I want to see. I credit this breakthrough to the instructors in the program. Just a couple of ideas, some demonstrated techniques, and ten simple (but powerful) questions—what I now call “magic questions”—moved my work forward in a big way.

I recently heard a quote that resonated deeply: “We can only advance ourselves as much as we can educate ourselves.” That feels true for me. I need to be exposed to others’ instruction and insight to help me sink more deeply into finding my own way. For many beginning artists, the big goal is to “find their style.” But for me, the challenge hasn’t been finding—it’s been expressing.

I’ve gone through about seven passes on this current group of three paintings, and they’re getting close. I have to laugh when I say that, though—just twenty minutes ago I grabbed one off the piano where I had them stacked and ran into the studio to make a change. This process may be never-ending.

Eventually, I know I’ll either feel satisfied or just get tired of looking at them. But in the meantime, I’m not treating them as too precious. I make changes as I see fit—and I’m genuinely enjoying the game.

Tomorrow, the plan is to return to a different series I took the sander to this morning, and then begin a new set. For now, today’s “lovelies” can rest.

My conclusion – there’s something energizing about being in motion with my work, not stuck but exploring. Right now, painting feels like discovery—and I’m happy to be learning, sanding, changing, laughing, and growing, one layer at a time.