Travel is food for the soul and fuel for the canvas. My curiosity is stretched by the smallest of things and monuments of culture.
" The first step shall always be to lose the way.” Galway Kinnell
Perhaps the second step is to open up to diversion and exploration to capture the essence of a place and time and if I'm lucky…to express this with paint. The click click of my camera is nonstop because not only does it provide a visual reference, it also provides an immersive reference of what a place or a city felt like. Nuances of food, facades, smells, light, art, people, etc. that are absorbed in somewhat of a system overload. Looking back at these references always sparks a thought, like a light bulb and an aha moment that inspires a painting. Even years later scenes and subjects resurface.
Journaling is equally important because you think.. you'll remember the details, but with so much stimulation, the recall can be challenging. ( at any age! haha )
Written words solidify fleeting thoughts to revisit and recapture the moment.
Traveling records sites, sounds, senses that could never be experienced any other way than being there in person. Similar to viewing art in a museum versus art in history book. Drastically different perspectives! Here are a few examples:
Cruising down the Grand Canal in Venice, I noticed a banner advertising an art show, “Cows by the Water” by Albert Oehlen at Palazzo Grassi. OMG, I had seen one of his pieces at Art Basel but never en masse. Talk about system overload!!... experiencing modern art displayed in a Venetian palace dating back to 1605. Breathtaking! I happily hauled back at least 25 pounds of books from the exhibition and they sit on my coffee table to date as a reference.
Chunks of ice on black sand in Iceland that feel like an outdoor sculpture museum.
Wandering amongst faded colors and crumbling facades in Havana while sweating profusely, yet somehow sensing and awareness of the struggles of the people in this country and also the pride, especially the shiny refurbished cars!
The hustle of the Borough Market in London, established 1756. Truly a plethora of food, produce & products of many ethnicities and regions.
" Not all classrooms have four walls.”
- Patricia Schultz, Why We Travel
Travel often requires patience and is a constant reminder to have gratitude. It's often hard to make the best of a frustrating situation with delays and blunders, missed trains, a wrong turn ( hello Venice canals!) and certainly language barriers.
The memory of these situations fade and the richness of wonder remains for years to come. Revisiting cities multiple times never ceases to surprise me. Paris, London, Florence are great examples of “ a movable feast “. Recharged by a new surprise around the corner, seeing something familiar with fresh eyes and tapping into one’s inner voice to see things in a new light.
And remember….
A SMILE IS A UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE!