Watercolor

On Sunday I broke out the watercolors for the first time since high school. Back in the day -- all four years ago -- I painted all the time. I took two watercolor classes and a drawing class and then my senior year an AP Art class. Our kitchen table was covered in paper and brushes almost every night. But I got pretty burned out (and probably a bit discouraged, since creating art designed to impress the AP judges was frustrating to me) and hadn't picked up my paints since then. 

But Sunday was cool and rainy and a perfect day to stay indoors and I'd be itching to pull out the watercolors again. I showed Rachael some of the basics since the school she attended from kindergarten to eighth grade was pretty focused on academics and not so much on the arts. She painted a really nice little sunset on the lake scene (I helped a little with telling her how to use the techniques, but she did the actual painting).

And I painted some flowers.

It was surprisingly hard to remember how to paint. I didn't remember how the paint flows and blends together and I couldn't remember many of the techniques. I used to know how to manipulate it and make it do what I wanted. Now, unfortunately, I don't. It's funny that only a few years can make you forget so much.

Sidenote: Don't take pictures of your painting while parts are still wet. See that shiny blue flower? Impatience=funny looking pictures.

And here's the finished project: a little print for my wall. Although the quote might have to go . . . I like it but I have one a little more related to flowers in mind.

It's not fine art by any means, but for being the result of the first time I've picked up a brush since high school, I don't think it's too bad.