Walking the dog like Pierre Bonnard

Pierre Bonnard walked his little dog. Everyday, like clockwork.

Who is Pierre and why should you care how and when he walked his little dachshund, Poucette?

Actually, he was a painter...

Pierre Bonnard painted his love, his life in his little home and his walks with his dog.

What?

Why did he do that? Doing  this repetitive activity, could be taking time away from focusing on being creative. It could begin to make a person feel resentful. I actually feel that way, sometimes. But dogs do really need a good long walk to be happy. And I love my dogs, too.

But Pierre Bonnard said,

“ I have all of my subjects to hand.

I go and look at them.  I take notes.

Then I go home. And before I start painting,

I reflect, I dream.” from Accidental Masterpiece by Michael Kimmelman

Maybe he has something there. He took notes. He perceived walking the dog as a habit for making time to see see and reflect. He took his sketchbook with him. But my two golden retrievers don't like their walk to be stop and go. Maybe I could try to remember one or two images that see on my journey.

So I tried it.

I painted when I got home.

My little drawings captured more than I thought I could remember. They had a spirit to them that was fresh and immediate. The dogs were happy. I felt happy, and fit, too.

I might call it the 3 mile sketch series, perhaps?

Try it!

• Choose what you want to focus your creative energies on.(writing, composing, choreographing, directing a play, designing your house,)

• Choose a chore that is already a repetitive habit. (folding laundry, weeding)

• Now, how are you going to combine the two? It has to be easy to do.

• Try it. You will be surprised at how the ideas flow!