she loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah!

hi everyone!

It's Saturday night, and i'm enjoying a(nother) glass of wine ;-)

Stay with me a while!

I felt like doing something meditative tonight,

so i chose a photo i liked of the Beatles

and decided on doing watercolor.

Yeah, i could have meditated, I guess

but meditation is almost exercise for me

and i don't do exercise on a Saturday night. ;-)

Besides, i needed an activity

that included the glass of wine.

;-)

(is that inspiration i see coming around the corner?!?)

A quick outline of the faces....

the first layer of watercolor...

i think i used burnt sienna.

I always begin a little lighter with watercolor,

so i always use more water for the first layer.

When it's dry, 

i just go over certain sections to create layers.

Still creating layers...

The final layer - darker than the rest.

(i just use very little water in the color)

Doesn't look much like the Beatles.

Poor Paul looks like Mr. Big Head.

'course he kinda is... ;-)

You can see that there's very little detail in the faces.

I like that.

Sometimes, i feel like doing fine detail,

but not tonight.

And this little baby was done last night...

Don't ask me what the hell this is...

I only know that when i sat down,

i picked up my colored pencils

and just felt like doodling without anything in mind.

Well, obviously, there WAS something in my mind,

i just didn't know what it was yet. 

I do like the two faces,

and i kinda like the whale/bird thingie 

floating in the water at the bottom.

Or floating on the tree roots. 

:-)

Someone kindly asked me in a comment recently

if i try to "out-do" myself with art.

Short answer: no.

Long answer:

(and you can leave now if this is boring you...)

I am not the least bit interested in competing

with myself or others.

I am not a perfectionist, 

nor do i keep tabs on what other people are doing,

so that i can go one step further

and out-shine them.

It's just not who i am.

I think we all have a place in the world

and the last thing i am interested in

is putting myself on a higher pedestal than the rest.

I'll let the politicians do that. ;-)

I would suck as an Olympian athlete.

Really. I would.

:-)

I don't believe much in talent.

i think talent develops itself

with consistent, creative,

determined, hard work.

Anyone who has participated in a weekly (or daily) art challenge

knows what i'm talking about.

I've seen it on some of your blogs,

in your artwork.

What begins as

fearful, doubtful,

hesitant artwork,

is transformed with daily practice to

confident,

creative,

courageous artwork.

It shows.

So whenever i hear someone say,

"oh, she's so talented"...

i know that the reality is

she most likely practices her art,

or her music,

or her balance beam

every day.

So it's not really talent.

It's just the results of hard work.

By the way, i want to thank you all

for leaving such lovely comments on my blog.

i am always so grateful to know

that so many of you out there

visit this little space of mine.

This on-line community has given me more

than i ever thought possible.

Yesterday, i even got the chance to meet

a wonderful on-line friend, in person - near my home!

The beautiful Stéphanie,

visionary and artist at heart. :-)

She was vacationing here and we met for coffee

and chatted for 2 hours about art and inspiration 

as if we had known each other

our whole lives.

That's what happens when you put like-minds together.

Which is why this on-line community has become

so important to me.

Like minds.

Artists.

People who love to share.

People who love to learn.

Inspiration.

So yeah, ok, glass is empty, it's getting late,

and i did end up writing a friggin' book.

what a boob.

Thanks for reading folks.

Wishing you all a happy Sunday.

G'night John Boy...

xox