There's Something Magical about Painting

 Painting -- no matter what medium I use -- brings me to a special place. I don't know how to put words to it. Sometimes I forget about me, and I AM the painting ... until my brain starts kicking in over some challenge. But then, that's part of the journey.

Sometimes I think I do my best work when I’m distracted – like when I’m talking on the phone with my sister-in-law. Perhaps the distraction lets me just paint without my brain finding flaws or becoming boggled down by some little aspect. Those times when I do forget about me and lose myself in the painting is when the magic happens. No, I don’t realize it at the time, I’m just painting and I’m happy.

Then the analytical brain kicks in and self-doubts rise. I walk away and look back and see flaws. I return to the easel to fix and often end up twisting myself all around realizing if I’d left it alone, it would have been OK. I end up having to do more work. However, when I push through and finish, I realize just how magical it really is.

beginning background layering

I chuckle to myself over the issues that arise. Take the newest painting, for instance. I got it all laid out, got the background layer started and when I went to lay the first of the flower layers, I realized I don’t have the right shade of 

purple/blue.

Not the right shade of blue-purple

Pastels have a unique set of challenges. They are not like paint. I just can’t mix some colors to come up with the right one. The right color has to be purchased and although all pastels have color names, the name isn’t on the pastel once the label is removed. (If it comes with a label.)

Still, like with my poetry, I often don’t know how it’s really going to come out and I love the surprise!