"Don't you get exhausted?" I heard someone ask.
And that question penetrated my senses while I was sipping my cup of morning coffee and staring blankly at the monitor and her voice echoed through the four corners of the office that one monotonous morning. Until I find myself thinking "yes, at some point in my life, I got tired."
"Why not take a rest?" In a calming voice, she uttered.
So from a life crippled by the everyday mundane that seems to be always in a hurry, I took a long pause and breath. Grab the mighty sword that has won my battle with loneliness --- my art materials.
"Paint", I heard her again whisper. It sounds more like cheering me up than it is ordering me to do. And she's right, I know I needed to. Not just to indulge me in my favorite hobby, but rather my way of getting in touch with myself, and organizing my thoughts.
And what do I paint the most? Well, I always have had a huge fascination with painting landscapes. And why? Not just because they are aesthetically pleasing to the eye when hung on someone else's wall. But more on because it is my up-close encounter with nature next to traveling and going into these serene places helps me in slowing down my pace. Since I do not have the chance to travel and see the breathtaking and astonishing beauty of nature in the flesh for now, I guess I just have to put them into the canvas and let my mind explore instead. This image of quiet haven is my soul's way of setting foot into places that could lighten up my mood when life's load has been weighing me down.
Now let me show you a glimpse of the world I always wander into whenever I take a dose of my much-needed rest. Or should I say breather?
I got this image inspired by John Magne Lisondra, a great Pinoy artist I'm looking up to. This lone tree house in the middle of the wilderness is my sweet escape from reality. This piece of art is my way of isolating myself from the rest of the chaotic abstracts of life. I colored it to give my mind time to decompress as well as to replenish my energy.
The mixed-colored sky is a colorful glimpse of how I am loving every minute of my time painting alone. It's taking a full grasp of tranquility with nature in the piece of art.
Painting alone is my sweet escape. A messy yet colorful realm I teleport myself into in restoring my soul's balance. Each intuitive stroke is like stepping into the wilderness and finding solace in each hue and shade that pacify my burnt-out mind.
"Don't you get exhausted?"
"Why not take a rest?"
I heard someone say. And I'll be forever grateful that I took the time to listen and tune into my inner monologue amidst the chaotic hustle and bustle of life.
And yes, till my paintbrush will run out its last drop of color to pour onto my life's canvas, I won't stop painting.
It will always be a blissful work in progress till I made it into a masterpiece. As what they've clinched into the saying goes "it's the journey, not the destination". Padayon. 馃帹