Painting can be a very relaxing hobby. From anyone I know who has taken it up as a pastime, it is almost addictive once you know what you’re doing. It is a very expressive outlet and can be one of the most fulfilling hobbies there is. Just looking at the world leaders who took it up as a form of relaxation tells you that it’s a way to escape the pressures of life and can bring you tremendous fulfillment as well. Winston Churchill and Dwight Eisenhower were quite accomplished as artists and, recently, George W. Bush published a book of his portraits to raise funds for veterans of the war in Iraq. But the list doesn’t just include world leaders. You can add Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Paul McCartney, Marilyn Monroe, Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Sylvester Stallone, Anthony Hopkins and dozens of others to that list as well. Painting is truly a universal hobby.
When we use painting as the hobby description, please understand that is covers a lot more than that. Here, we’re using painting to capture a great many activities of an artistic nature. We can start with drawing or sketching which, for many people, is a daunting task because of their claim of having no artistic ability. The truth is almost anyone can draw, and it does not have to be of museum quality to bring a sense of fulfillment. It can be done with pencils or pastels and even crayons. Coloring was probably something you did as a child in your early grades in school and it’s a pastime that many people recall quite fondly.
Painting can be with watercolors or acrylics or oils and, again, most people have an experience in their youth of doing a color by number painting. For some people, it’s an activity that they enjoyed greatly and recall with very pleasant memories. Why not re-visit that period in your life? The genre has certainly evolved from my experience more than five decades ago and you can even have a photograph become a paint by number kit. Doing a portrait of one your grandchildren might be an interesting first project or taking one of your pictures of nature and turning it into a painting may be just what you need to re-invent yourself as an artist.
Don’t be intimidated because you think you have no talent. If you have a desire to try it, by all means do it. You may find a whole new world opens up for you. Did you enjoy painting by number kits? Explore what’s available on the market today. It’s a great way to try it out and see what you think. You can even take a picture of a loved one, the family dog or even your house and create a customized paint by number kit that will bring you a great deal of satisfaction.
Do you have an artistic talent? Try your hand at drawing at get some basic instruction on developing your talent further. Has painting with watercolor, oils or acrylics been something you’ve thought about? Explore those activities. Learn new things and make new friends. Ask around and find out if there are any art clubs in your community. One of the most popular evening get togethers is a “paint night” where friends get together and get some basic instructions on how to create a simple painting. There may be just as much focus on the wine that is consumed as you enjoy the evening, but I hear nothing but nice things about evening such as this.
Painting may be just what you need to add extra enjoyment to your Retired Life. There’s nothing more fulfilling than capturing life on canvas, in a picture or in a song. It can bring out the artist in all of us and it’s one more way to Enjoy Retired Life.