This week has been a wonderful time of connecting with people, first with the SMAC Members Meeting last Sunday and then with my newly formed group of peeps that came together to play in cold wax Thursday. I'm in several art communities, both online and in my area. I've always felt community was an important aspect in an artist list. We tend to fold into ourselves, basking in an internal world of our creativity from which we create. It's an isolated endeavor to create most art which can lead to isolation, depression and imbalance if you let it. Community keeps us balanced.

I thought I was doing pretty good with the balance until a cell group organically formed inside my area community. Several friends and their friends wanting to get together to play and experiment with cold wax. Eight of us in total met down at the SMAC Center Thursday for a play date. We were all women of "a certain age," artists of different genres but similar faith. As soon as we came together I felt a piece of puzzle snap into place in my soul. I found my peeps, a cell group within the artist community at large. I've been walking on clouds ever since.

Your peeps are the ones you can bare your soul to and not be judged, only understood and loved. You've gone through similar life experiences and share a similar world perspective. You may not share the same political views or flavor of religion, but that is not relevant to the bonds formed from similar life experiences and the wisdom that comes from it. Your peeps will keep you sane and balanced. Whether you paint together or just chat about your art journeys, doesn't matter. Just reach out and intentionally seek out those souls who'll have your back no matter what. Our play date is turning into a once a month adventure, trying different art genres, laughing and loving. If you don't have a group of peeps, look around, find the one or two here and there that you really click with and once you have a few, plan a play date or get together. Chances are the ones you find are just waiting to be asked.

Here's a sampling from our play date. Mine are the two on the left, top and bottom, in all their beginner glory. I told you I'd share the uglies.  My online mentor paints in cold wax and he wouldn't share his work publicly for two years, until he felt like he was good enough to be seen. I take the opposite approach. I want you to see my uglies, my very beginnings, to help you understand that it is okay not to be perfect at something at the get go. It takes time and practice, experimentation and exploration. Don't worry about perfection. The question to ask yourself when you try something new is, "Did it bring me joy?" If the answer is, "Yes." Keep at it, watch tutorials, take classes, practice and experiment. You will keep growing. Don't put time limits on yourself, like next year or next month your goal is to be a master of whatever genre you try. It's better to make goals like : This week I plan to practice for so many hours, watch so many tutorials, experiment with one particular tool or technique. The baby goals will build upon each other  in a snowball effect until you finally are a master.

I also wanted to give you an update on the figurative painting I am working on. I didn't get to work on it as much as I wanted this week. But you'll notice that I straightened the horizon line and finished laying the tracks. I still need to go back and add details on the rails and shadows on the ties. I also got the back of the train drawn and painted. Again I'll be adding more details and shadows. I painted the train with a brush mix of DecoArt Traditions Medium White and Grey Value 8. Shadows were painted with Grey Value 3 plus a touch of Raw Umber. I'm calling this painting Crossroads, it will show that moment of intersection where two lives cross. That moment of love and connection before Colton heads to his afterlife and Lexi heads, hopefully, to her long live on earth. It's still a very hard painting for me, not to capture the image, but the relationship. It's a huge responsibility and honor. Most of you know that I'm a Christian artist, so I'll share that when I'm painting this, the Holy Spirit is so thick in my studio it feels like I am in the Holy of Holies. I know the Holy Spirit is infusing healing into this painting. For those of you who are like-minded, please pray that I complete the vision of this painting as I think He wants it to be.

Also, please stay tuned for next week's blog. Even with Thanksgiving I should make good headway on Crossroads this week. Until then I hope you stay safe, healthy and in God's shining light.

--Signing Off

Lynnette Horn