It is cold here in Moab. I am usaully painting in shorts, a tee shirt, and sandals when I am here. Today I was working on a watercolor wearing a hoodie, knit cap and gloves! There is another weird complication that I can see affecting the entire event down here; the parks and campgrounds are closed because of the government shut down. I can't paint in Arches National Park, and I can't camp along the Colorado River. Since those have been the mainstay of my trips here in Moab, I am in new terrain.
Had my headphones on today listening to
Les Miserables, my all time favorite book. It has been a long time since I last read it. I have to say I enjoy having George Guidall reading to me as a change. I heard these lines about work, written By Victor Hugo a Century ago, resonating in my mind today.
“He had stopped working, and nothing is more dangerous than
stopping work. It means the habit goes, a habit that is easy to let go of, hard
to get back…”
I have a parallel thought about momentum: In all we do energy is needed as a source of combustion to achieve forward momentum. When in motion energy needs to be expended to keep the wheels turning, with a constant application of earnest effort great feats can be achieved.
A very good thing about Plein Air painting competitions is the artificial constraint of time that forces this application of effort, or at least creates a situation that necessitates moving out of your warm studio, and straining under sub-par situations. Struggle is good. Hard work is its own reward.
