A post that I failed to publish when it was actually relevant. . .

The Opus Outdoor Painting Challenge was held during the last weekend of May, and it was an incredible event.

I attended alone, and enjoyed my time very much despite not being in the company of family or peers. It’s slightly odd when you think about it. A community art event held in a huge park where anyone can pick a spot and create. There really isn’t a whole lot of room for interaction. Although, I suppose that most artists prefer staying in their artistic bubble as they create.

It was a very low-pressure event. People of all ages came out. Families with young children, to old retired couples were painting their hearts out. It was a comforting space and nice to see local artists and art enthusiasts having a grand old time.

This was my first time stepping out of my university’s sketch club and joining the wider art community at large.

It was nice, and I felt personally rewarded in taking initiative to go on my own. There were a ton of prizes being given out, and I mean a ton. I’m surprised everyone didn’t walk out with something. I certainly didn’t. But it was fine because I created the following piece:

Bugs were crawling on my throughout this outdoor painting adventure, but I survived. It was really nice to go out and paint in a different scene. The outdoors brings out new bouts of inspiration. I was overall very frustrated and happy with this piece. In fact, it’s now my cellphone background and proudly hanging somewhere at my dad’s place. A humble gift to a bird lover like himself.

It was also my first time diving into my MeiLiang watercolor set, and using high-quality watercolor paper (a Windsor and Newton brand that I can’t seem to track down). But man, was the watercolor set exceptional. It is most definitely the best watercolor set I own. The colors are beautiful and vibrant. Arteza is not longer the love of my life (sorry, but not really).

So the big takeaway from this experience?

If an organization in your art community decides to host a free art event, go for it? What do you honestly have to lose? Despite me being alone and not winning any of the amazing prizes, I sat down for 3 hours and took the time to create something that’s pretty good based on my standards. I’m proud of it, and had an overall good time.

Take a risk, and explore what your neighborhood has to offer.