Painting In Quarantine

These are strange times indeed. The dichotomy between connection and isolation have never been more apparent. Fortunately, painting offers a gentle, yet powerful reprieve. But you don't have to take my word for it! Allow me to share a recent testimonial from someone who is channeling the healing power of painting during this time in quarantine:

"I feel incredibly fortunate to have been able to attend a couple of Sam's classes before the coronavirus outbreak. I have never considered myself to be creative, when it comes to art, but painting has become my saving grace during the many, many weeks I've been working from home. Quite frankly, the last thing I expected was to crave painting, but now I find myself being more intentional with my time — planning parts of my day around when I'm able to paint. I'm so grateful that I've had painting to focus on during this global pandemic. It's helped clear my mind and focus on the present more than anything else at the moment. 

I've always been a journaler, but Sam has taught me that painting is a form of journaling, and it can even be a form of prayer or meditation. This has truly shifted the way I approach painting and it's been a healing balm of sorts. The style of painting Sam teaches is not about following any set of precise rules; she shares her approach and offers incredibly helpful demos and guidance, but she always reminds her students, "there are no wrong answers, just different results." Sam teaches with such gentleness and compassion, and she makes painting feel both approachable and energizing. I look forward to the opportunity to attend more of Sam's workshops in the future; we all surely have a list of things we're eager to do post-coronavirus — for me, right up there with travel is to jump back into one of Sam's future painting classes." Sarah Pike, Salt Lake City, UT