Practice But Not Perfect

I did a bunch of stuff today (went to the grocery, took books to the used book store, did a couple critiques for Wednesday's online group, hauled up a basket of clean laundry but didn't fold it yet, ran and unloaded the dishwasher) but made time to pull out the watercolors and take another swipe at painting leaves. I filled a whole paper with leaves of one sort or another and am pleased with maybe 10% of them.

So I decided to go back to Free-Spirited Watercolor and revisit the flower picture. What I painted today is worse than my previous attempt. (Maybe I didn't have enough water on my brush. Maybe I had too much water on my brush. Maybe I need to give up and use a different brush.) *sigh* So I turned the page and took a stab at painting kumquats. Why kumquats? That's what's next in the book. I don't know why she chose them but I had better luck painting them. Twice.

While I was painting (and my frustration level was high) I looked out and there was a Red-bellied Woodpecker on the just-about-empty suet pellets feeder. I don't know how he managed to contort himself around to peck at the remaining few pellets but he did and looked pretty darned happy about it. Once he'd left I went out and filled all of the near the house feeders because they're predicting a major snowstorm starting tomorrow after lunch and lasting for 24 hours. They're talking about up to 12" of snow. And I don't think it's an April Fools joke. *double sigh* Oh, and I took down the Oriole feeder because it was leaning and looked ready to fall.

Then when I came inside a Downy Woodpecker showed up on the suet cakes. I took enough shots of him that I got one with his red swoop on the back of his head.

Here's today's Gratitude Journal page. I'm still grateful for Easter leftovers and will be grateful for them for another supper.

After supper I sat down to draw out of 20 Ways to Draw a Butterfly. I drew things small enough that I managed to cram eight little figures on the page. Those I'm happy with, not like my mostly unsatisfactory painting adventures.

Tomorrow Wisconsin votes so I'll be out early enough to avoid the snowstorm. My cleaning lady comes at 1 o'clock and that's when they've predicted the storm to arrive. I'm supposed to have Writer's Guild tomorrow night and those in charge are polling the members about maybe doing the meeting on Zoom so no one has to drive in the storm. I'm all for that.

--Barbara