Two months ago, I started meditating (someone I appreciate recommended an app called Waking up). The thing is, I haven’t tried meditating before, so I was curious about it. I wanted to feel what it is, cause people in my life connected meditation and painting in some ways, and I could never truly understand this connection.

The first time was when I was at art school. A very dear professor told me that my paintings had some meditative quality (it sure sounded good, but I didn’t get it).

Then, when I started teaching, a few people in my classes said that painting was becoming their meditation practice. Well, I got it in general, but I had to begin meditating to really understand the connection.

So last week, an artist I mentor said something that made me connect the dots. She said that being in my painting class is giving her focus. While painting she thinks only of painting. (She even said that although food is always on her mind, painting makes her forget it!)

So I finally got it.

Being focused on observing (colors, sizes, lines, composition, mass, light, volume, space…) – that’s it! It is similar to observing the breath, sounds, or thoughts coming and going in meditation practice… and it brings the same kind of peace.