Picnic Table Painting (Outdoor Owls)

April 17, 2025

The weather was just right today—sunny, breezy, and not too hot. I took my paints, brushes, and canvas outside and set up shop in the yard. There’s something special about working outdoors, under the sky and next to the trees. The sounds, the light, even the way the wind moves the leaves—it all adds something to the process. This time of year is really nice for being outdoors. I find that when I work outside, my mind feels lighter, less tangled. It opens a little door to a better kind of thinking. I can hear the birds and the the sky and I feel a bit more alive.

I spent the day adding bright colors and little faces to this new piece— three crazy owls, happy mountains, pink cheeks, wide grins, and smiley eyes. I wasn’t in a rush. Just dipping the brush, stepping back from the picnic table, squinting at it, and letting the painting tell me what it needed next. It talks to you if you can listen. On a good day I can hear it!

I love the quiet rhythm of it all — the birds in the background and my table full of used paint cans and half-worn brushes. Painting outside helps me slow down and feel more like myself. I need that. I need that a lot.

See you soon,
Kyle BlackCatTips Brooks

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