My Week with Big Josh
"Nobody's heard from me for months, I'm doing better than I ever was" - Allison Grace Hall quoting Taylor Alison Swift
Ok, I was only gone for two weeks.
And people did hear from me… but I spent last week in the California desert (mostly) alone and felt wonderfully content. A year ago I painted a mural in Marfa, Texas at The Lincoln Marfa and since then I told myself I needed to go to the desert by myself once a year for a creative (and spiritual… duh) reset. It’s just good for me. I think there’s something about seeing the whole sky at all times that makes me feel closer to God and more inspired than normal… idk. But anyway, this year I went further west and stayed in the Joshua Tree area for a week to paint a mural at Finca Tecolote and work on some southwest paintings.
When I look back on my packing list and creative expectations for the week, I laugh out loud (lol). My suitcase was packed with my gouache paints and a good amount of brushes, markers, pencils, and sketch pads. I also checked a whole portfolio bag of nice watercolor papers (enough for 25 paintings) and really confused some Southwest Airlines employees. All these things were lugged from Savannah, to Dallas, to LA, to my rental car, to Landers, California, and then back to LA and Savannah again.
I laugh (lol), because I didn’t even finish one landscape painting that whole week. Here’s what I came home with:
The first two days were spent painting the mural with little breaks to cook good meals, read by the pool (THANK GOD there was a POOL), and admire the landscape. I really hustled on finishing the mural in 48 hours so I could spend the remainder of the week painting my intended pieces and having friends visit for a couple of nights. That ridiculous bag of watercolor paper was always in the back of my mind, and I wanted to take advantage of painting from pure observation.
Then, day 3 rolled around and I finally sat down to paint my gouache landscapes. I put in a few hours of work (literally shown above)… but then I kept thinking about the pool.. and how much I wanted to read my book… and how my friends were rolling in that afternoon… and then I justified a rest after painting a mural in the desert (and didn’t pick up a brush the rest of the week).
A Big Fat Artist’s Date
Shocker! I’m going to mention The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron again. Suckers! The book talks about artists treating their inner artist like a kid that they would take on a field trip. (Have I mentioned this before? I forget. Oh well.) You love this kid and want them to see the wonders of the world and feel inspired. The concept of an Artist’s Date means you’re doing a nurturing activity that makes you feel like you’re a playful kid again- and this helps you be a better artist. So that’s kind of how I treated the rest of my week in Joshua Tree. I read books, I ate breakfast tacos by the fire with friends, I floated in an inter-tube in my perfect pool and scampered around Joshua Tree State Park twice- once with a friend and once alone.
I also brought my sketchbook along and got to draw while engaging with the landscape. I figured it was better to embrace the desert world, explore and leave with a bunch of little sketches, versus just staying in one seat at my airbnb and painting finished works right away. My dumb portfolio of watercolor paper is neglected, but my sketchbook is fuller and my mind is inspired to finish the work at my desk in Savannah. I feel good about that choice.
A Short, Deep Thought from The Soft Side
There was a lovely share of sunsets and sunrises in the desert. My airbnb had a great 360 view of the horizon. Whenever dusk or dawn rolled around, one side’s view would be fiery and golden, while the opposite side of the property would be softly illuminated with glowy pinks. In a world where I sometimes feel pressure to be the shining star or the “fiery side”, right now I feel just as valuable to be the warm, rosy side- more reflective and soft in its approach to beauty. Both views are lovely, important, and worthy of your #nofilter pics.
Another deep thought while I’m here- my time by myself was great and restful, but also it was a joy to share this amazing spot with some friends. (This place was pretty much a nice playground and it felt silly to have it all to myself). A good little rule for life- we need both restful solitude as well as the riches of sharing good things with good company. Thankful I had access to both this week!
Allison’s Unhelpful Spicy Margarita Recipe
Since I was such a pool girl last week, I found myself making some great spicy margaritas. The problem is that I really threw a bunch of ingredients together, so I don’t have particular measurements for you. Good luck!
Ingredients
A splash of pineapple kombucha
~2 limes worth of lime juice
half a can of sparkling water (grapefruit or Topo Chico probably)
A splash of tequila
two slices of jalapeños
Tajin seasoning
slice of lime
Grab a styrofoam cup (this is my toxic trait… I love a styro) and use a lime slice to moisten the rim. Sprinkle some Tajin on a plate and dip the limey rim so the seasoning sticks to the circumference of the cup. Pour all the liquids into the cup, add ice, and then top off with some jalapeño slices, a lime, and an extra sprinkle of Tajin. Now go find a pool IMMEDIATELY.
What’s on My Desk Today?
Thanks for asking! On my desk is an old craft book my friend Shannon found for me, a collaged vision board I made at my book club, a print I need to give to Patreon member Bess, some floral paintings that I’m selling this holiday season, a big brown painting commission, this laptop with this newsletter draft (REAL TIME), and a stack of originals I’m always trying to sell.
What’s for Sale Today?
Thanks for asking! Now I’ll try to sell you stuff to compensate for my lavish California adventure.
Fine Art of the Week
A sweet little 5x7” canvas painting done with acrylic. I tried to sell her on my instagram story yesterday but no one took the bait (fish jokes!).
Email me at alligracehall@gmail.com for purchase inquiries.
Society6 Item of the Week
Whoa! They make puzzles now! Society6 is always just throwing down surprises left and right. This puzzle of one of my more complicated paintings would make a great gift for that calm person in your life.
Etsy Print of the Week
This is a limited edition print from my art show in March and it’s only $40! Look at that pie and those primary colors!
What’s Inspiring Me Right Now?
The soft side :)
I feel very filled up and I’m feeling hopeful for a new season of work and creativity! It’s truly been a refreshing renaissance summer and it felt right to have this trip as a finale. Thanks for following along and subscribing, friends. I’m so grateful. I hope simple things make you feel rich this week.
- Desert Allison