Can We Just Slow Down!

As the new year rolls in, I find myself reflecting on the tradition of setting New Year’s resolutions. Like many, my lists tend to start with the usual suspects: use my time better, eat healthier, lose 10 pounds, and so on. This year, however, feels different. I've decided it’s time for a change—a shift in perspective that prioritizes my well-being and creative journey.

2025 is officially the year of slowing down for me. Instead of rushing through life and art, I want to take deliberate steps to enjoy the process. My focus is now on savoring the little things: exploring nature more often, genuinely enjoying that first cup of coffee in the morning, and engaging in sketching purely for pleasure rather than production. This might sound challenging, especially for someone like me who is used to juggling a two-page to-do list every day. But I believe it’s a necessary transition.

While I still plan to promote my art and actively seek out new galleries and exhibitions, I will do it on my terms and within my timeline. There is something deeply rewarding about creating with freedom, without the pressure of deadlines or expectations. It’s about rediscovering the joy of art and letting my creativity flow naturally.

So here’s to a new year filled with deliberate pauses, mindful creations, and the beauty of taking it slow. I hope to inspire fellow artists and creators to embrace this idea of slowing down and reflecting on what truly matters in our artistic journeys. Let this new year be a celebration of the process and the art within ourselves rather than just the end product. Happy New Year!

Note: I am taking a mini 7-day course on sketching. It’s from Jen Brandon, who paints animals and includes timed sketches with reference photos. It is stirring up my creativity and helping me become a little loser with my art.

Curious Why I Paint Animals?

Michele Collins Art Painted River Studios

Do you want to know why?

When growing up, pets were my closest friends.

The usual lovable dogs or fluffy cats dressed in doll clothes and pushed around in a stroller.

A gaggle of geese would follow me to the school bus stop every morning, honking and causing chaos with the kids.

And Wallygator, who lived in our bathtub till my Mom came in.

There was the year I wanted to become a Vet, and insisted on raising thirteen guinea pigs in the kitchen

Two ponies Pixie and Dixie, in the backyard ( We did not live on a farm), always ready to perform circus shows for neighborhood kids. Billie, the goat that wore a polo shirt and walk on a leash. A baby pig that went to school for show and tell. Rabbits, hamsters, birds, turtles, and fish, to name a few more.

It was not just the menagerie of pets that caused me to pursue painting animals but the bond and relationship I had with them. Animals both give and receive affection, giving me comfort and security, helping me feel confident in myself. Painting them allows me to continue this feeling.

Want to see more of my work

The June 2021 Rittenhouse Square Fine Art Show will be VIRTUAL!

June 4, 5, and 6 – Friday, Saturday, and Sunday

The June show is everywhere and anywhere you have an internet connection!
I hope that you’ll visit me during the weekend of the show at my Virtual Booth.


My Virtual Booth:https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82268118719?pwd=bnJ2WFZrM05RN0lISWQvcDZxd2o5Zz09

You will be able to visit my Virtual Booth via Zoom during My Visiting Hours (listed below). At that time, you’ll be able to view my artwork, talk with me one-on-one, ask me about my process, and even show me your space where you would like to place a piece of art. 

To visit my Virtual Booth, just click on the Zoom link above during my visiting hours.
 My Visiting Hours are June 4th,5th, and 6th 1 PM to 5 PM 

If these visiting hours are not convenient for you, please email me: Paintedriverartist@gmail.com to arrange a more convenient time during the weekend of June 4-6.
 or give me a call and stop by. If this is your first time using Zoom, click on the Virtual Booth link during my visiting hours and follow the instructions to download the Zoom app. 

I will also be doing a live Facebook tour of my studio on Rittenhouse Square Art Show page where I will tell you my secrets to using your senses to increase creativity, and you can watch me do a painting. Sunday the 6th at 10 AM

In addition, you can access more information about all the events taking place during the show weekend through the RSFAS website: https://www.rittenhousesquareart.com.

Art Demonstrations in Facebook Live

Artist Instagram Interviews

Virtual Booths

I want to see all of you, this is going to be great. Michele

What Does an Artist do When Self Quarantined?

We Paint: but you cant paint 24/7. It is impressive how much slower my days are when I am not arranging or inventing errands, lunches, appointments, and shopping. Somewhere, in this mess we are in, I have found time, a precious asset. My days are usually quite hectic, allowing minimal downtime. I would never dream of taking time for myself in the afternoons. Now that stolen hour or two is not even putting a dent in my accomplishments for the day.

I love Children's literature.
 Good classic children's books offer readers enjoyment as well as memorable characters and insights into human nature. There are moral and ethical situations that help us develop empathy allowing us to understand another's situation better. Fictional children’s stories can open up a new perspective for adults. Help relive our trimmed down imaginations, take us back to a simpler time. With my unused moments, I am going to revisit my collection of Children's literature. I have always loved books; some are from my childhood others gathered along the way; all are treasured.
 Little Women by, Louisa May Alcott
 Charlottes Web by, E.B. White
 The Secret Garden by, Frances Hodgson Burnett
 Five Little Peppers and How They Grew by, Margaret Sidney 
Nancy Drew Series by, Carolyn Keene
 Hans Christian Anderson Fairy Tales
 Brothers Grimm Fairy Tales. Just to name a few.

Just a few of my favorite

And there are more

Nancy Drew , I was obsessed with these around age 10

To start, I'll begin with my favorite "Wind in the Willows" By Kenneth Grahame. This is by no means just a children's book. It involves four anthropomorphize animals, Rat, Mole, Toad, and Badger. Showing friendship, adventure, spiritual journeys, and living in peace with nature. I have loved this book so much that several years back, I themed a children's room in a designer showhouse around it. I imagined just what Ratty's home would look like and how he would want to entertain his friends. This room won the best of the show, was published in magazines and Interior design books. This was my all-time favorite room I remember men coming to view the space and tearing up as they traveled back to their childhood. 


I treasure all these books

My version of Ratty’s home in Wind in the Willows. Can’t you just see Ratty inviting Mole in to sit by the fire for tea after ice skating on “The River”? That’s Moles’ suitcase, I think he is spending the night. Did you know that Rat is a fine pianist often composing his own music? when the night is over and they climb into bed there are plenty of books above their heads as they both love to read.

If you grew up with a Dad who messed in boats then married someone who also messed in boats you get this. I might repaint this mural in the room my Grand Daughters share at my house.

Ratty would have loved the natural birch mirror, and He was a bird watcher. Peek inside the closet and you will see Squirrel damask wallpaper. I loved this so much it’s in my powder room at home.

Ratty was the perfect host and a gourmet cook. He could whip up a pear tart in no time.

My favorite quote from the book is “So -this-is-a-River “The River” corrected the Rat. “And you really live by the river? What a jolly life".” I feel like this is my story and I painted this quote on my living room walls.


Today between 3PM and 5PM, you will find me curled up in my studio chair with a good cup of English tea, milk, and honey, of course, traveling back to a simpler time.

Loving and Listening to Yourself

I am famous for writing out New Year’s resolutions. Always listing out the rules for next year: stop procrastinating, schedule your days to accomplish more, eat clean, exercise daily, etc. etc. etc... Some I do try to keep, most are listed in the next year’s resolutions to try again. Then the self-imposed criticism begins: you don’t exercise enough, why don’t you paint more, maybe you don’t really have the passion to be an artist, today was wasted, what did you accomplish, so on and so on and so on. The last week in December, I was trying to complete all started projects from 2019. I wanted to have a clean start for the New Year. I thought to myself: this year I will tackle all the resolutions I set. This will not be a wasted year, I will accomplish! I then started the task of varnishing paintings finished in the last few months and was shocked at how many I had completed. This was not the production of a lazy person. Was I judging me wrong? I stopped and really listened to myself. What was I doing? This was a bad approach. You will get nowhere with negative comments. Isn’t a loving, positive approach far more successful in motivating people? It was so apparent to me that this list was only causing more stress and certainly not helping my creative production. So this year I refuse to be hard on me. I will take time to list all the accomplishments of last year, all the good things that happened and be grateful for all I have. I’m going to listen really listen to just what I need.

That morning I sat a little too long with my coffee: I was contemplating my next group of
paintings.
That afternoon I took a nap on the studio sofa: I was banking energy to complete the next
project.
That day I started cooking an elaborate meal instead on working on my book: My family
needed me.
It is all in how we look at things, and this year it will be different.

I was working

That New Years Blog that was three weeks late: I was taking care of my needs.

Beautiful Changes

“Spring:

a lovely reminder of how beautiful change can be.”

Setting out on a different journey this year is just not as simple as I planned. Becoming a full time artist after years of meeting deadlines answering to customers, working around contractors, and having a pretty set schedule is just hard. Now it’s just me and no schedule. Oh yea, we still have laundry to do, Bill asking for lunch, kids coming home, and the art gets shoved aside again and again. Days go by and there is no body of work to show. Painting has always been a luxury for me. So, I tell myself (that little voice inside us that needs to shut up). “You can’t paint during the day, all day.” “ Are you nuts you should be working, this isn’t work.” “Have you been to the food store, cleaned up the house, fixed a gourmet meal,” and on and on… I then put down my paint brush, find a small distracting job and get off course. The ADD doesn’t help either. What I need to be doing is putting my art first. I won’t ever ignore my family, they truly are first for me. But ,I can schedule time for art and stick to it. Give myself permission to explore this new stage in life. And yes it’s ok for me to read a art book in the middle of the day, take a hour walk outside, kayak up river to sketch and just do what feels good. After all I am an artist !

Whats working for me

Mediating in the morning, this is my secret weapon to calm my mind. Setting intentions at this time turns into a type of daily schedule which helps me reach my goals. I have been using the Insight App on my phone. This App is free and has lots of great features for meditation.

A calendar, I am currently using arc notebook system you can customize it to your needs with all kinds of to do list, daily list, monthly, and more. Its available at Staples but amazon also has it. Being able to set up a list each night for the next day has really improved my production.

Starting my day with art first thing. I used to have my two cups of coffee and scroll aimlessly through Facebook in the morning. Now I make coffee the night before and go to the studio with my cup in my PJ’s . I might sketch, read a art book or plan a painting. Its a pretty special time, sets my day in the right direction. I find myself getting up earlier just to enjoy this time.

A gratitude journal, each day I list at least three things I am grateful for. I sometimes put them on my daily calendar page, or maybe in my journal. This gives me a feeling of fullness and happiness, sets my mood to accomplish all things.

A proper North facing window, This was my Birthday gift and what a difference it makes. I now have to live up to this great light. It really feels like an artist studio. I am blessed with the studio I have but I do stalk Rebecca Rebouche she is a artist that has a tree house in the woods outside New Orleans. Rebecca lives in the tree house Monday through Thursday by herself just to paint. She even has her food and supplies delivered weekly. Hmmm, maybe Bill would not mind me moving into the studio, I’ll come back on the weekends. Anyway I feel like I’m in a tree house with my new window.

I even have a view of the river.

Funny but I love putting on clogs and a linen apron to set the mood

I am remembering to take it slow, take time for me. Rushing is a thing of the past and I find my creativity level grows when I savor time. Yep, beautiful changes and a beautiful life.