Creative Juices.

I haven’t picked up a paintbrush in decades. In fact I think the last time I actually painted was when I did a still life in watercolor for my sophomore year in high school. It didn’t stop me from still wanting to do something creative in my life. I figured painting was too expensive a hobby, so I did other things.

Sewing.
Cross stitch.
Scrapbooking.
Paper crafts.

Over the years I’ve accumulated a ton of colored papers, glitter glue, rubber stamps and all sorts of minutiae for crafts. I never thought of falling back into canvas, paints and mixing color.

Until last Saturday. On an invite from a good friend she brought us to Sip and Gogh, this place in
QC. Over wine and a cheese plate, you get to paint your own version of art with the help of their friendly staff. I didn’t want to come unprepared (what, me, obsessive?), so I was armed with a photo of the art I wanted to make. Plus, I was overdue for good company and a new piece of art in my home.

I have to say it felt as natural as riding a bike. The most stressful part was staring at the blank canvas:

What to do?
Can I do this?
What the hell was I thinking??

Old fears crept in and soon enough I was telling myself to get a grip. I had a reference shot, I knew how to handle color, mix paint, and I wasnt a dunce at using a paintbrush. Soon enough I had something to work on.

These made me calm. At last I put something on canvas. Pretty soon I was filling it all in and the frame started to fill. Every once in a while one of the staff would approach me for some tips and comments. I  had forgotten some techniques, and they were great in pointing out how to apply the brushstrokes to get what I wanted out of the painting. Early on I thought my mixing palette was more visually appealing than my canvas and I was getting amused (also probably because of the complimentary wine and cheese that went with it)

..and the big reveal:

It turned out quite well, considering my insecurities. What I loved from this exercise is that it kickstarted my love of paints again. There is an art supply store right outside the office entrance where I got a new set of paints and brushes. I can’t wait to do this again!