 “Art is not about becoming perfect.
It is about becoming honest. The canvas doesn’t want your best performance — it wants your truth, even if it trembles.” Fearless Artistry: A Journey from Doubt to Creative Liberation  In my 18 years of teaching, this stands as one of the most meaningful experiences I’ve had.
These veterans reminded me of the power of memory, time, human connection, and the courage to create, regardless of age or circumstance. Celebrating the beautiful work from the Utah Museum of Fine Arts’ Creative Aging Workshops: Watercolor Memories by Mathew Brasher & Fearless Abstraction by Samantha da Silva Deep thanks to the William E. Christoffersen Salt Lake Veterans Home, Utah Museum of Fine Arts, Ashley Farmer, and Laura Sharp Wilson for making this possible.  Delighted to attend the student art show celebrating the Utah Museum of Fine Arts’ Creative Aging Exhibition for community members 55+.
It was wonderful to see several pieces by my students from the 8-week Fearless Abstract Painting workshop on display. Their creativity, courage, and joy filled the room.  I’m deeply grateful for the opportunity to work with our veterans, made possible by the Utah Museum of Fine Arts and Laura Wilson.
This experience continues to be profound. These men are so close to the end of life. Every visit feels like it could be the last, which makes everything they say carry extra weight. I don’t know if they consciously feel how near they are to death. Maybe none of us truly do, no matter our age. But I feel it when I’m with them — and that awareness makes every story, every small moment, feel sacred. Most of them had never painted before, yet they show up each week willing to try something new. That courage is incredibly inspiring. Today, one resident named Joe stopped me in my tracks. For seven weeks we’ve been using Utah landscapes as inspiration, but Joe keeps turning every painting into the desert of his Arizona home. Painting home. A quiet yearning for home. It choked me up. I almost cried right there in the studio.  “Pause. Breathe. Ask the canvas: What wants to be expressed today?
Then listen. The first mark is rarely the answer—it’s the question. Let the paint answer back.” Fearless Artistry: A Journey from Doubt to Creative Liberation  One of the most common questions I hear in workshops is how to deal with the inner critic. This passage from my book Fearless Artistry: A Journey from Doubt to Creative Liberation is the response I give most often.
 Working with our veterans has been one of the most heartfelt honors of my teaching career.
I’m deeply grateful to the Utah Museum of Fine Arts and the William E. Christoffersen Salt Lake Veterans Home for partnering to make this meaningful experience possible. Heartfelt thanks also go to Laura Wilson and Ashley Farmer for their unwavering support and dedication. A special shout-out to Laura for beautifully capturing that tender moment as we danced to Willie Nelson’s classic “Mamas, Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys.” Truly unforgettable.  Fearless Abstract Painting Workshop 8-Weeks
https://avalonhealthcare.com/slveterans/ https://umfa.utah.edu/  Thank you so much for hosting my Fearless Abstract Painting Workshop! Grateful for the amazing space and energy.
https://www.connectutah.org/#/ https://ogdencontemporaryarts.org/  Fearless Abstract Painting with Youth Impact Ogden thanks to Ogden Contemporary Arts.
https://youthimpactogden.org/ https://ogdencontemporaryarts.org/ |