Painting Relaxation

Matthew the sea turtle is an animal rescue who captured my heart. He’s since been returned to the wild, his ocean home in coastal Georgia on Tybee Island, but his delightful personality is unforgettable. Complementary hues such as earth tones and blues create a mellow balance that depict relaxation. Matthew’s natural coloring, gliding through peaceful waters, made this painting an easy fast project. Some subjects are so relaxed, they practically paint themselves!

Color and brush strokes also convey relaxation. Colors associated with food and nature work well. Brush strokes that dab and glide, lay smooth, and rounded- rather than short jagged rigid strokes- create a feeling of peaceful calm. Styles such as impressionism work well for this.

In “Trees and Stream“, a girl has lost track of time and is reading until the sun goes down, or is she enjoying the solitude of early morning at the break of dawn? Your interpretation probably depends on whether you feel most relaxed in the quiet morning hours or in the soft darkness of evening.

I hope that my video (above) helps you escape into a peaceful orchard for a few precious seconds, sound on for full relaxation effect.

In our first example for today’s “Compare 3”, the sea turtle was an obvious choice. The subject himself is a type of animal associated with a mellow peaceful vibe. He’s also in water; the natural properties and colors of this element make the job easy. Then, we stepped up to the orchard painting, which took a bit more thought, but we were still guided by clues (peaceful reading, resting in nature). In our last example, we won’t have animal or human personalities to show us- we must think and feel creatively.

The act of relaxation, refreshment of mind and body (a state of calm and peacefulness) can be depicted through “tranquility”. Tranquility is another way to define a state of peace and calm, of being untroubled. Many people draw upon their personal faith to meditate on thoughts and inspirations that are spiritually intimate and soothing; easing fear and anxiety, accepting a tranquil spirit. “Fruitful Vine” expresses tranquility, a deeper, more permanent state of relaxation.

Did my video (above, with sound on please) ease your spirit? We can glide into relaxation through activities we enjoy, such as being in and around water, and by maintaining a naturally mellow personality, like Matthew the sea turtle. We can also consciously seek relaxing and stress-reducing lifestyles that incorporate regular time for leisure, reading, solitude, and being in nature like the girl in the orchard. But, ultimately, the deepest and most profound state of relaxation is when we find spiritual calm, as depicted by the grapes on the vines.

When we are untroubled, we can just “be”.