I do know how to pay attention
Launching my first collection of paintings, a discount code and a poem
I don't know exactly what a prayer is.
I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down
into the grass, how to kneel down in the grass,
how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields,
which is what I have been doing all day
Mary Oliver
Hi friends,
My first collection of small to medium sized paintings dropped to collectors on my website a couple of weeks ago. It was a lot of work to get the work framed, finished, photographed and uploaded on the website. I didn’t manage to do everything perfectly (like sending this out weeks after the launch) but what I am learning more about myself and my artistic practice is the idea of perfectionism which used to be such a guiding post for me, feels like the antithesis of my art.
Creative flow isn’t perfect and even, it ebbs and flows and morphs and stills and rushes. So allow me the indulgence of sharing a bit more with you about this collection, why these pieces took the departure from my usual style, and what they mean to me in my own imperfect way.
I began this series as I was doing a short intensive course to commit to creating a daily art practice. The subjects I was drawn to, remained consistent before and after - connection to nature and to myself. This period of commitment allowed me to explore bold mark-making in a way I haven’t done before. I am usually drawn to making very diffused marks and softer strokes, but something about this period and the materials I used (wood as opposed to canvas) allowed for a stronger and more intentional relationship with the paint itself.
For me these pieces so vividly capture my mindset during the 3 months it took to make them - the excitement and boldness of seeing the world afresh from the perspective of wonder, a world where time isn’t scarce but ever expanding. Every single moment alive with sparks and magnetism. Working on this collection was an exercise in channeling my attention so intentionally that the marks arrived with the crisp flow of a lake sparkling under the summer sun.
As a little gesture to thank you for supporting me in this creative journey and following along all these years, you can use the link in the button below to get a 10% off all original artwork. Discount will automatically be applied at checkout.
In the days since the launch, so many folks have reached out to me with their own desire to infuse more creativity into their lives. I’ve seen the friends I thought were least likely to make time for their creativity, suddenly lean into their own desire for creating, almost as if they were on standby, paintbrush in hand.
Thank you for supporting me in my creative journey, and I hope you will take this as a sign to lean into yours.
x
sana
This newsletter has been a free resource that I have been writing for over two years. If you have over the years enjoyed reading these newsletters please consider supporting this work by buying me a coffee (or more) here https://ko-fi.com/sanarao
You can also support me by buying or sharing some of my art, sharing this newsletter, across your socials or forwarding to that one friend who you know needs some inspiration.
If what you’re after is some more inspiration yourself, I recommend The Sample, a newsletter that curates a new type of newsletter to your inbox every time, or check out some books from my curated Bookshop.org list.
Wow Sana - these paintings are insanely beautiful. The composition, colours, the sweeping, soft movement and quiet yet powerful energy really radiate from your strokes. Really masterful. I hope to be in a position soon to be able to purchase such beautiful works <3