Playing with Watercolor

I was feeling extra irritable this weekend, restless too, and for no apparent reason at all. Usually a trip to the gym gets that out of my system but after that I still felt out of sorts, so I turned to another source of distraction: painting. Out came my brushes, paints, and tray, I had some ideas and I wanted to play around with them.

I’m drawn to the beauty of an authentic brushstroke, whether the source is a child, an amateur like me, or a professional. I’ve taken a few art classes in my life but don’t consider myself an artistic painter by any means, I do like to dabble in it for therapeutic reasons, also it’s a sensory thing.

I like swirling around paint and combining colors, it relaxes me. Sometimes my efforts work, sometimes not so much, but whatev. I find the process more important than the result.

 

 

“Pinterest Perfect.” It’s a phrase now, one we are keenly aware of, from the bloggers who make their living being creative to the moms just trying to do their best. I know, I’m both. It’s a tired conversation for me “Everything is so perfect on Pinterest” and we hate that yet as DIY bloggers that’s always nagging in the back of our minds. Is my backdrop textured and inventive? Did I style the photo well enough so that visitors Pin it for future reference? Because my income/clout/future opportunities may depend on that. It sounds stupid when you say it out loud, but it’s real.

I do a lot of thinking whenever I’m involved in the creative process. Will this idea work? Will it succeed or fail? Am I doing it for a good reason? Who defines failure or success? Social media or me?

    

The answer is me. Or you. Or your child/husband/best friend etc. Sure social media is powerful, but even the best of them are vulnerable to less influence. I get how important social media is, it’s how we share information in the modern world. But I do get weary of the constant demand for attention from others so I wonder how much should I promote myself? How much time should I be spending on social media? And then I always fall back on this: log off, live your life, and if people want to see what you’re up to, they’ll stop by and visit the blog.

Frankly, there are websites/blogs that bother me with their constant interruption in my feed, those headlines that overpromise to get clicks but never deliver. Then there are people (designers, artists, do-gooders) doing amazing quality work who should be recognized, they are the ones that deserve attention, we should highlight them.

 

Did you know washi tape (or repositionable artist’s tape) is great for creating white space when you’re painting? When you peel back the layers (like with people) you reveal something imperfect and beautiful.

‘You never know until you try’ is the old adage and it’s true. Flowers, ferns, botanicals, I never tire of them, but I didn’t know I could paint them until I tried.

It’s so important to extend yourself, to try, to play, regardless of whether you succeed or fail. A little effort outside your comfort zone? That’s where growth happens. Next, I want to paint peonies and pansies and palm leaves, time and practice will make it so. For now simply mixing colors in an abstract way will satisfy.

My efforts led to a few charming note cards with a hand painted personal touch.

I used my scanner to import my simple watercolor paintings into Photoshop Elements, then layered them together (dots, leaves, etc.) and added font to create note cards.

 

 

 

 

You can download them at the links below if you’d like to use them for yourself, just print them on 8 ½ x 11 cardstock and pair them with an envelope:

watercolor grid blank card / botanical leaves thank you card / watercolor thinking of you card /  blue stripe hello card / watercolor dot happy birthday card

My priorities remain the same and I don’t see them changing: to blog on my terms, to keep myself and my family happy and healthy, and to provide you all with a little inspiration from time to time. Thanks so much for reading and for sticking around. :)

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