Monday, January 25, 2010

Ten Thousand Hours, Ten Thousand Steps


Okay, okay. I'm taking a break from the Grand Canyon painting and posting a different one that I made a few weeks ago while taking another break from the monster. It began as a plein air painting and then was finished in studio.

This little painting, 8" x 8"(oil on cradled panel), is of the ridge line of the Catalina mountains just north of Tucson. I'm glad to say that Catalina State Park is one that will remain open this year. There are approximately twelve others which will be closing. It is a tough time in old Arizona. However, next Saturday the radio show, Prairie Home Companion with Garrison Keillor will be broadcasting live from Tucson. He promises to mention Tucson a lot and will probably tell some funny stories about the town. Maybe you will have time to live stream the show. We'll get to hear it at around 4 PM Tucson time.

Malcom Gladwell claims that it takes 10,000 hours of practice (among other things) to become really good at something and to be successful. And, we all know that 10, 000 steps each day can keep us healthy.

Repeating: 10,000...

My pedometer often says approximately 8700-9000 steps. Some days less. Hmm, but I'm sure I must be close to that hours thing. Wishing you many happy hours in front of the canvas! And, for inspiration to get moving, here's SamArtDog's link to a Love Project. Enjoy!

16 comments:

cohen labelle said...

Melinda, I love, love the color in this and the handling of the paint! Beautiful passages, those are magnificent steps and leaps you take!!!
xo Marca

Melinda said...

Virtual hugs to you, Marcia! I have a new term for this "handling of paint." It's called slap-dash. Heady stuff, eh?

Thank you. It was liberating.

Barbara Muir said...

Hi Melinda,

You are such an inspiration. My darn pedometer died today, and then lied about the many, many steps I took walking to and from class, and even in class, pacing like a sick lion (not feeling at all well). But wowowowow. I love this painting. You are so incredibly good in a million ways. I don't know if Malcolm is right. And it bothers me that he didn't feature women in his book about outstanding people. You are! We are!

Super work.

xoxoxoxoxoxoBarbara

Melinda said...

I'm so sorry to hear about your pedometer, but I know you're putting in your 10,000 hours and taking advantage of all that life has to offer!

Well, maybe Malcolm needs to walk this way in order to discover how wonderful we are!

Virtual hugs!!

Karen said...

It's wildly expressive! The red!! It definitely feels like a break from the monster.

Now quit rationing the monster's photos. :) (just kidding)

SamArtDog said...

I love Garrison Keillor and PHC, and you know I love Tucson, so thanx mucho for the heads-up!

I also love this slap-dash painting. (Read my comment to Loriann's post today.)

Thanks for the mention!

Melinda said...

I'm smiling toward the East, Karen. Guess I better get myself out there and double up on that painting. Actually, I do feel that I need to push a bit more on the monster.

Thank you for your enthusiastic comment about this small work. Oh, yeah, that red just gets to me too.

Melinda said...

Hope you get to hear the show on Saturday, SamArtDog! You just know he'll poke a little fun at us in the Old Pueblo. I'll be thinking of you.

Thank you! I'll check out Loriann's blog for sure.

Jeane Myers said...

wow, Melinda, I love this painting - it almost jumps off the screen - yum! :)

Melinda said...

Whoo-hooo! That's just what I hope for, Jeane. Thank you so much for your comment. Now I have to go do that again...!!!

Having a look at your exciting work often inspires me to be bolder.

laura said...

The colors and energy of this little painting are astounding--I can hardly believe it's so small: there's some term in physics for things that have a lot of weight for their volume--whatever it is, it applies to this painting!

Melinda said...

Welcome! And, thank you for your generous comment, Laura. I think you're referring to density, but not the lead kind...I wish I could paint this painting on a much larger scale, most definitely.

Just as long as I'm not Schrödinger's cat and just as long as my work remains without Verschränkung.

Linny D. Vine said...

Such a zesty painting, Melinda! And powerful! Thank-you for sharing your art, your thoughts and your music.

Melinda said...

I like that, Linny...Zesty! How I hope all of my paintings will have such energy.

You know, I think of your work as full of energy and zest.

Thank you!

Anonymous said...

Your paintings have a vibrancy about them and just enough abstraction to see something new in them each time.
Jean

Melinda said...

Thank you, Jean! This is just what I hope to do--imbue the paintings with vibrancy. Nice word! And, to abstract a real place is, to me, the reason to paint and express one's experience with place.

Your work is vibrant too!