I Can Paint That

Today was one of those days when the only real productive thing I did all day was get dressed and go to the polls to vote in the State Supreme Court Justice and City Mayoral primaries. Getting dressed was a big one because to be honest I could put on socks and shoes to go out and no one would be the wiser that I wasn't "dressed" because my loungewear is yoga pants and a hoodie.

The rest of the day I played with paints and worked on a manuscript. My first foray into painting was the Daily Practice which was a still life with pompoms. What a silly but interesting painting subject. She suggested doing the painting on "craft" paper by which she meant tan mixed media paper. I tried that the other day and didn't like the way the paint felt on the too slick paper so I just painted in my watercolor sketchbook. I'm such a rebel.

The next lesson in Intermediate Watercolor was a floral page. Once again I painted a big one and a postcard. Today the big one gets shown because I like the way it turned out. I wasn't so sure about the centers in the pink anemones but I think that the circle of purple lines with dots at the ends looks okay, suggesting the center of a flower. My only complaint about the course is that she paints too fast and doesn't explain her strokes. I have to keep rewinding and stopping but I eventually get it.

After I put all the paints and paraphernalia away I went back to reading Better Than Mom's on the Kindle and finished taking notes. Then I rearranged a few paragraphs, sorted the last quarter of the manuscript into chapters, and penned a sort of ending. At least I think it's an ending. I have to let it marinate for a few days and go back to see if I still like it. 

And that was my day. I even waited until the evening to take my shower since I spent the morning dialing into The Clearing because I goofed up the online attempt by not rereading the instructions. I was so frustrated with myself but I eventually got through, registered for the class I wanted, and the room I wanted. I'll do better on Thursday when it's time to register for the Women's Writing Retreat in October. I'm spending my children's inheritance on art supplies and classes. And author's copies of my novels.

--Barbara