Comfort Zone Challenge - Day 26

There's something about visiting my husband's family home in a quiet, small town, where roosters crow and neighbors stop in the street to talk awhile, that makes me want to better myself.  I don't know what it is, but every time I visit my in-laws I find myself reading classic literature, going for long walks, and attempting, again, to knit something more impressive than a scarf.

 I remember one particular visit where I felt an undeniable desire to learn to paint with watercolors.  My artistically inclined mother-in-law humored my sudden interest in painting and set me up with paints, paper, and a brush or two.  Some of us were planning to spend the afternoon fishing at a lake in the mountains.  What better opportunity than in the beautiful mountains to be inspired and find my inner artist. 

I remember it clearly, sitting on a fold up chair, my mother-in-law sitting in a chair next to me, looking up at the breathtaking view of a mountain peak,  This was the perfect subject for my first ever watercolor painting.  I had everything I needed:  I had the paper, the paints, and a paint brush, I had a beautiful scene. I was practically guaranteed success!  I dipped my brush into the perfect shade of paint, and attempted the first stroke.  A swirl of water and paint bled all over the paper, in a not so artsy way.  Maybe I could fix this.  I tried again to capture the beauty I saw, but my "painting" was looking more and more like I had spilled something on my paper, and less and less the beautiful mountain I was attempting to capture.  My mother-in-law watched silently.  What was there to say?  I had absolutely no idea what I was doing, and lacking the patience or humility to keep trying, I gave up.

Since that day, if by chance the thought entered my head to attempt watercolors again, it's been a fleeting one soon pushed out by the memory of my first experience with this unpredictable medium.  I am uncomfortable painting with watercolors, and so, in the name of comfort zone growth, I have to try again. 

I watched a short tutorial on watercolor painting for inspiration, and learned a few new tricks.  I remembered that sketching out your subject first could be helpful, and I learned to relax, have fun, be patient, and not look for perfection, but for my interpretation of what I saw. 

With this newly acquired artistic philosophy, I got to work.  Sitting there, my paint brush loaded with paint, and ready to begin, I was nervous.  Making that first brush stroke was pretty intimidating.  Once I found the courage to begin, it got easier and easier with each stroke.  I was patient, and careful, and one stroke at a time, my painting began to take shape.  This experience was nothing like my first attempt in the mountains.  I was feeling that happy, transcendent feeling that comes whenever we create something beautiful. Years ago, sitting by that lake, putting away the paints, embarrassed and defeated, I never could have imagined I would feel that way about watercolors.  I never would have, if I hadn't found the courage to try again.

Today's a new day, let's make it purposeful!
Kara