Alas! I’ve returned from my fantastic voyage across the country and it’s good to be home. Nothing compares to the awesome beauty of Sedona. Don’t get me wrong, Hilton Head Island was a spectacular get-away that was inspiring and relaxing all in one. But there’s something about this desert home that keeps me going and makes me want more. Enough about me, though… let’s talk about me.
Have art, will travel.
I spent the last week representing Sedona Arts Center on a field expedition to South Carolina’s Hilton Head Island. Karin Jurick taught a truly inspiring painting class to 19 incredible artists in the Disney Studio at the Arts Center of Coastal Carolina. Karin’s paintings capture brilliant moments of every-day natural scenes. I loved the way she would take a simple photograph of people relaxing on the beach and turn it into a 6×6 masterpiece in practically no time. I also loved the fact that she was able to inspire so many artists from around the globe. From Switzerland to Calgary to the island itself – these artists were able to express themselves using Karin’s unique style and technique over the course of the week. It truly was an awe-inspiring week.
Now that the workshop is over, it has me thinking about travel and art (of course). I often try to convince Vince, the Director of the School of Arts at the Center to send me off to Hawaii to teach my December Self Publishing workshop. He tells me that I can, “teach that anywhere…” to which I respond, “EXACTLY!”
The best way to experience the new and fresh is to travel to a different locale. That’s exactly why Karin teaches at Hilton Head Island, San Francisco, and New York City. We know that it’s always best to paint what we know and see – but that should never stop us from exploring the great outdoors, the vast beyond and paths less traveled. This doesn’t mean that you have to travel across the country as I was lucky enough to do. You can simple take a hike to a different part of the creek. Walk ten feet further than you did yesterday then stop, observe, listen and absorb. The world is different from the tops of tables to the bottoms of steps and as artists we should explore every perspective and view that we can contort our bodies into.
So pack your bags, pencils, brushes and supplies. The world awaits your visionary eye.
Remember: grow; learn; conserve; preserve; create; question; educate; change; and free your mind.
About: Kelli Klymenko is an artist, teacher, marketing director and free thinker experiencing life in one of the most inspiring and picturesque places on earth with his fabulous wife and children.
