QoL and watercolour painting

[BrentW]

I have been treated for metastatic PCa since 2004, and am currently on Xtandi. The side effects have been #!)@()($ awful, and I am currently on fentanyl patches to combat the pain caused by muscle rigidity and joint stiffness. My brain is so foggy that I have found it difficult at times to express myself in words.

To combat all this, I did the usual things -- especially exercise. Though well aware that it is the most challenging of the media, I also during lockdown took up watercolour painting. This has been a great way to me to improve my QoL. I have used it as an avenue for to put together a series of mostly private sketchbooks that I have titled "This Is Me". I say "mostly" because I show both my successes and my failures to my wife. She is a fierce critic.

Yesterday I had a bit of a breakthrough, adding oil pastels and acrylic inks to my palette. I am daring to share the result, which I call "The Path Through the Hedgerow". I hope you enjoy it.

[NickJoy]

Fabulous - thank you for sharing this. I have missed your artwork.

[Scout4answers]

Nice work! You might want to post more here and give your fierce critic a rest. I have painted in acrylics occasionally for years but most of my work is derivative.

Coco and I have been reading a great little book called "Great Modern Artists, A to Z" We read about a new artist at breakfast every morning that we are together and then learn more about the ones we are interested in by ordering books from the library. I am starting to understand Modern Art better.

A to Z

[BrentW in reply to Scout4answers]

I don't know that I would dare post much, my paintings not really being relevant to PCa. But I would encourage everybody to find a hobby and bury themselves in it as much as possible. It is good to have a distraction.

By the way, here is today's effort: "Boats and Boathouse II". More playing along the same lines but less abstract. What I really like is when I manage a really loose painting that only becomes recognisable when I put into it a small feature -- a flower, perhaps, or a building. This was not as abstract.

A painting of a stormy sky at sunset over a very flat landscape.

[Carlosbach in reply to BrentW]

Sir William C, awesome paintings. I like the mixed media experiment. I dabble in paints for stress relief and self expression. I have a practice of trying to focus on finding at least one thing that delights me each day, and I try to sketch or paint each delight. Currently I have several sketches of spring’s newborns- goslings, baby turtles, and herons. Thanks for sharing your art

[CAMPSOUPS in reply to BrentW]

Brent its really good to see you here again and with your paintings. I searched you about a year ago or less maybe missing your posts and found you in another forum on HU so got to see some more of your paintings there.

I really like this particular painting a lot. A whole lot.

[Scout4answers]

find a hobby and bury themselves in it as much as possible. It is good to have a distraction.

Could not agree more.

[LongevityAT]

I too am reluctant to share but I do find peace in painting. This was the first piece I painted after learning my PC diagnosis.

Moving forward

[Kaliber in reply to LongevityAT]

very nice

[Carlosbach in reply to LongevityAT]

Beautiful

[TylexGP]

Absolutely Beautiful!

[MateoBeach]

Heart breakingly beautiful. Thanks for sharing.

[Zengal79]

Wonderful! Keep doing what brings you joy and thank you for sharing.

[Kaliber]

great QOL post Brent , love your work. Thanks for expanding our QOL horizons here on the group. Great for guys like us, making the art speaks for it’s self but even enjoying seeing the art work on the post enriches all of us as well.

oh yea …👏👏👏

❤️❤️❤️

[j-o-h-n]

You should see my kitchen ceiling.....

Good Luck, Good Health and Good Humor.

j-o-h-n Thursday 05/18/2023 10:44 PM DST

[GSDF in reply to j-o-h-n]

You are a pip! 😄

[j-o-h-n in reply to GSDF]

pipsqueak? 😭 😭 😭

Good Luck, Good Health and Good Humor.

j-o-h-n Thursday 05/18/2023 11:36 PM DST

[HikerWife]

Beautiful work, and love this thread! My husband was dabbling in art when I met him in college. Now I'm thinking it might be good to gift him some supplies and encourage a return to dabbling...he was good! I for one would be happy to see more shared pieces. Don't feel shy!

[LongevityAT in reply to HikerWife]

OK. Here are a couple more of a concept I'm working on. I can't paint "things" but do try and paint "ideas". And I'm a hiker as well! I'm a third done with the AT and hope to add another 100 more miles after finishing ADT in late August.

Energy/love

[LongevityAT in reply to LongevityAT]

here is the other...

earth energy/love

[HikerWife in reply to LongevityAT]

Lovely! Your use of colors is wonderful.

[Hidden]

what a great way to escape , I've been toying with the idea of "Model Railroading"...as my escape. Would like to see more of your works on here.

[Carlosbach in reply to Hidden]

awesome idea. I’ve always loved minatures (until I looked down)

[Scoofer33]

Hang in there and continue to explore your art!

[StillDancing]

Yes, we have found painting to be a wonderfully creative outlet...who knew??Very relaxing.

Peggy's Cove in acrylic.

[BrentW in reply to StillDancing]

I could not help but recognise this as being the iconic Betty's Cove, How lovely! Do you visit Nova Scotia often? I used to own a house there and found its scenery of trees, rocks and coastal wetlands eternally gorgeous.