Where to start?
So after all the anticipation, preparation and reflection, I have a day of exasperation! I spend a number of hours finding more tidying to do, knowing full well it’s classic task avoidance. Eventually I am struck by the realisation that I literally don’t know where to start, I’ve got so many expectations and ideas that I’m struggling to find an anchor or structure I can settle into. These initial steps can sometimes become overblown and a hurdle. I have plenty of experience of blank page blocks but the anxiety is palpable.

The End to the Beginning
I try to calm down by imagining what I’d like to experience walking around the final exhibition and working back from that goal to organise my working time enabling the end result. The destination perhaps providing inspiration for this tricky step. It works! I’ll use the the geographic route to suggest a creative path. It makes sense immediately, start with the start, the Tetons. This feels right, the Tetons are more familiar, both visually and in terms of colour palette too, they offer a gradual transition from the work I normally do. Even if it’s something that just gets me moving, this decision will serve it’s purpose. Then I actually paint! Producing this small sketch in oil.

The Tetons, Oil Painting, 15x21cm, the first of many.

I’m pleased with this and have a feeling that this will be great way to generating lots of ideas for each stage, in a short period of time. I’m mightily relieved to make a start. I plan to spend a few weeks ‘revisiting’ each stage of the trip in this way, so by the end of October I’ll hopefully have a good feel for the challenges in each of the areas and more importantly the possibilities. I’ll keep you posted as work develops.