I HAVEN'T PAINTED IN........

…….well…….since before I started this blog.




I might have been experiencing a bit of burn-out due to the sheer volume of paintings I produced before the Holy Trinity Monastery Art Festival.

This morning, (the day after Thanksgiving, actually) it was time.

But what to paint?

A blank canvas is a scary thing.

See? What did I tell you?

Just like a blank piece of paper is a scary thing, too.

Or a blank word document when you're trying to write a blog entry.

I learned a good lesson a long time ago about such things.

It doesn’t much matter what you do…as long as you do something…anything…to eradicate the blankness of it all!



Write ‘Mary had a little lamb.’

Or a grocery list.

Or….a gratitude list, maybe!



But this morning, it's that blank canvas staring at me.


Since I just posted my DARK-THIRTY blog, I have early morning on my mind so I think I'll play around with some soft, rosy, early morning colors and see what happens.

First, it is helpful to ask the paint which colors want to come out and play this morning?  I quite often do that and even ask it out loud....and  hope no one is listening.

OK...here we go. 
paint...check
palette....check
water.....check
brush....check
paper towels....check

uh-oh...I forgot something really important!

Gratitude Mug filled with fresh coffee....check.

Now, I'm good to go.

No rocket science here.  Just throw some blobs of paint on there and swish it around a little with some water.  I'm using acrylics today, by the way.

Throw in some purple and keep blobbing, mushing and schmushing.

Those are honest-to-goodness, technical art terms.

Well....maybe not.

It is probably not necessary to tell you this, as it is most likely self-evident.  I am not a trained artist.  I, no doubt, break all kinds of rules and go about this all 'wrong'.

So, sue me!

This is all about having fun as far as I'm concerned.

If you want to see how a really good trained artist works, check out Peter Yesis' site, listed on my blogroll.  He's seriously good.  And his blog is seriously funny.

But, I bet he says 'blobbing , mushing and schmushing", too.

My Catalina Mountains are looking especially pretty this morning….so, I create me some basic mountains. 

'Creating' entire mountain ranges, with a few brush strokes makes me feel very powerful.....in a wierd and wonderful sort of way.

 While letting the paint dry, I check my e-mail and Facebook.

And decide that everyone I know is in a post-Thanksgiving stupor this morning ‘cause they’re nowhere to be found!

So, I have some breakfast and a little more coffee.....

.....and get back to my painting.

Suddenly, things take a turn away from that soft, hazy feeling toward a more dramatic one.  And wouldn't you know it!  As soon as I get out the Pthalo blue paint....this happens!

I don't know what it is about Pthalo Blue.  But I swear to you, I cannot use it without getting it all over me!

Now, I’ve got something on that blank canvas…and it isn’t so scary anymore. As a matter of fact, it looks downright friendly.



I’ll let you know how it turns out.

Man Oh Man!  Am I ever GRATEFUL to my husband for 'making' me start painting!