The one in which I learn to paint with watercolours

• 1.5 days of thinking and doing not much else but paint
• One part Wow, one part joy at just being there, but mostly just lost among the colours and techniques
• Sunday evening realisation – I spent the last day and a half completely immersed in doing something I love. How often has that happened in the last 20-odd years?
• Wash, bead, wet in wet, milk, butter, tea, coffee, cream, COLOURS, tone, temperature
• You know that feeling when you’ve spent a lot of time absorbing a lot of new stuff..yet the learning feels effortless? That.
• That realisation that you’ll invariably hate everything you might create at first sight – but it’s okay. Take comfort in the fact that it only means there’s room to learn. That you’ve set high standards for yourself. That there’s no way you’ll learn & improve unless there’s some form of hating…
• Kids, especially one niece brings in oodles of perspective. Tis a good idea to have them around.
• Slowly beginning to see some positive aspects is a good sign I suppose

Exhibit A: Ulsoor lake on a Sunday morning (not an exact reproduction, ha)

The trees killed the painting, the mood and all. This isn’t the whole painting, but a part. The good – the sky, the skyline, the reflection, the tree on the left. The ghastly: the trees on the right of course.

• One week later, I spend some time painting trees, and recreating that scene again. Lousy paper quality notwithstanding, I’m fairly pleased with the outcome. The trees are getting better.
• Must try and do this a Sunday evening thing.

We must really spend more time doing the things we love, that’s all.