They always leave something behind.
Fine Art Friday #55
Every time my parents come to visit, they leave something behind.
A water bottle tucked on the bookshelf. A phone charger in the guest room. One time, an entire pair of sneakers under the entry bench.
And if we’re being honest... I do it too.
Last time we visited them, I left my curling iron. And a book. (And possibly half my brain, because traveling with kids is no joke.)
There’s something weirdly comforting about it. Like some part of us wants to leave a little something behind, just in case we don’t get to say everything we meant to.
And as I looked at the abandoned earbuds on the kitchen counter this morning, it hit me:
Art is kind of like that too.
Whether it’s a painting hanging in your home, or a live sketch done during your wedding dinner…
Art lingers.
It stays behind long after the guests go home, the flowers wilt, and the dishes are washed.
It doesn’t rush out the door with the chaos of the weekend.
It waits.
It holds a moment and keeps whispering,
“Remember?”
That’s what I love about what I get to do.
Whether I’m painting a whole scene or just a tiny watercolor sketch…
I get to leave something behind.
Not by accident. But on purpose.
ART TIP OF THE WEEK: 3 Tiny Ways to Create Something That Lasts
Leave a note. Yes, a literal note. For your partner, your kid, your future self. It doesn’t have to be fancy. Just make it real.
Draw the mess. Sketch your coffee mug, your kids' shoes scattered at the door, or your desk as it is right now. These are the things we forget that mean everything later.
Give someone your art. A postcard. A 3-minute portrait. A simple flower doodle on a dinner party napkin. Let it be a little gift that lingers.
Next time someone forgets their sunglasses or leaves behind a half-empty LaCroix, I’ll smile and think—
Maybe that’s just their way of saying,
“I was here. And it mattered.”
xo,
Courtney