A Serene Setting Revisited and Revised

I just finished another painting that comes right from a memory of Joanne Scott’s studio on Mill Creek. ¹ It’s smaller, and I added a few little critters, and one of my “paintings” within the composition. It is a memory of a morning I’ve painted it several times. But, a serene setting is rarely as static as my memory of that quiet colorful moment — life intrudes; sometimes, too, disaster surprises us.

So, I tried  again to capture that reality. I hope it makes you smile, even if a few pots in your heart have been upended, and you don’t know why.

When I walked into a small cottage on Mill Creek, forty years ago, I was nervous. But the class was comfortable and inviting, and I relaxed.

Our first lesson was exploring what water and color would do on their own on the paper – suddenly, I was creating evergreen trees and then clouds! And I quickly learned that painting over mistakes makes mud. (Truly, acrylics are way more forgiving that watercolors!) But isn’t the truth — trying to paint out mistakes can leave things muddy?

I think back now to one thing Joanne urged: paint every day – write every day.

Good advice worth passing on! Find something you love doing, and do it!

Joanne raised four children, and set up her work smack dab in the middle of her kitchen – and painted everyday. I never pulled that off, then or now. Although, I know I have a better day when I do. You might, too, gentle reader!

Art is art, even when unsuccessful. ~Danish Proverb

An Early Study in Watercolors 1980

FOOTNOTE

¹Journaling with a Paintbrush