What would you discover if you committed to seeing one familiar place with completely fresh eyes?

Europe is a rich environment for the creative soul, with so much history and artistic beauty. My European travels led me to France for a painting retreat filled with unanticipated discoveries. I knew this region was filled with ancient architecture, churches and stonework. What I found was so much more than I imagined—a reminder that creative journeys often take us beyond our original destinations.

Alain Picard, **The Bell Tower**, 12x9” pastel

The Art of Creative Discovery

When we set out with artistic intention, magic happens. My search for antiquity in the limestone-filled Dordogne became an exploration of how light transforms everything it touches. Ancient stone steps became stages for shadow play. Weathered doorways revealed stories written in texture and time.

This is the power of focused creative exploration—when you look for one thing deeply, you discover ten things you weren't expecting.

Alain Picard, **Old Village Steps**, 12.5x9.5” pastel

Your Backyard Adventure Awaits!

You don't need a passport to embark on your own artistic journey. Find adventure in your own backyard! Consider these possibilities:

Follow the Light Choose one subject—a garden wall, church steeple, or stone steps—and visit it at three different times of day. Watch how changing light creates entirely different paintings from the same view.

Texture Hunt The artist’s gift is seeing the extraordinary within the ordinary. Spend a week seeking out interesting surfaces. Tree bark, weathered fences, old brick—each tells its own wonderful story through texture. Create quick studies focusing solely on mark-making that captures what you feel.

Color Quest Pick an unexpected color challenge. Maybe it's finding beauty in rust, celebrating the subtleties of gray, or discovering how many versions of "white" exist in a single tablecloth.

The Journey is the Destination

What struck me deeply in France wasn't just the limestone—it was how actively searching transformed my seeing. Being present and open to new creative encounters. When you declare "This week I'm studying shadows" or "I'm going to seek out stone textures," you sharpen your artistic vision.

Alain Picard, **The Old Mill**, pastel en plein air 12x8”

My plein air sketches taught me to see textures I'd never discovered before, limestone paintings led me into an understanding of color I hadn’t imagined. Each session builds new skills that now inform all my work. What about you?

Start Where You Are

Your fresh creative journey begins with a simple decision: What will you explore deeply? Maybe it's the play of light on water, the personality of old buildings, or the way textures give surfaces their character.

The destination matters less than the search. When we approach our surroundings with artistic curiosity, even familiar places reveal new possibilities.

This week, choose your focus. Where will your creative journey lead you?

Keep painting,

Alain

If you’re looking for a fresh adventure in mark-making, try my Expressive Mark-Making Mini Course. It’s an amazing way to explore your own vocabulary of texture, line and tone in pastel!