A Painting Day

We are continuing to get ready for our departure in approximately three weeks. More sorting, a bigger pile for the thrift store. But it's not all work. Jan has been going out gold panning every couple days, and every morning I spend time on my online writing course. This afternoon I painted. Yesterday I bought 4 nice looking but inexpensive frames at Fred Meyer, so before I began my afternoon's painting, I took a few minutes to put my four best paintings in the new frames. They really brightened up the trailer, and I can't wait to get them hung on the wall.

Now, before anyone gets all excited, these are lesson project paintings. The composition and basic design are given to me in the book I am using. I transfer the outline to watercolor paper and then paint it. My book gives me step by step instruction. Even so, it has been a challenge to learn to handle the paint, and I have a few paintings I wouldn't want to show anybody. They're turning out well more often than not, nowadays, though. The idea is that I learn techniques by doing these project paintings, and then start applying what I have learned to my own compositions. I have quite a few scenes stored away in my photo files, waiting until I feel confident enough to try to paint them. Maybe someday I'll even have the confidence to just set up an easel outdoors, "plein aire."