Another Birthday Gift

Last December I already told you that my partner had given me a beautiful Pyrography set as a gift for my birthday. And that my sister had given me a watercolor set. I hadn't done much with Watercolor yet, other than using it on wood to color some letters on a few Pyrography pieces. But of course that's not all you can do with Watercolor, and certainly not everything I wanted to do with it.

Of course, I paint more often, but I am mainly familiar with acrylic paint. And now I was very curious to try out this new medium for me to paint something. Of course, I knew that Watercolor works differently than Acrylic, but I still have to say that it surprised me how much differently it works.

Thank God For Youtube

I am the last person to claim that I have invented new techniques. On the contrary, in recent days I have completely immersed myself in YouTube tutorials, looking for all kinds of Watercolor tutorials, and artists who always work with Watercolor and create the most beautiful things. Between all that beauty and all that information, I was looking for techniques for me. Which I could use as a beginner in Watercolor. And I did find some things. But even after watching a tutorial where they make it look so simple, it was still not easy to do it yourself. So as you might expect, watercolor painting does require a lot more practice than I thought. It is a beautiful interplay of water, pigment, and paper. And bringing that together in the right way turns out to be an art form that requires patience, precision, and experience.

Completely unnecessary to say that quite a few attempts have completely failed. And not just a little bit of a failure, but such a huge failure that I pulled the paper loose in frustration and threw it away. It's a good thing that I had the foresight to buy a Watercolor pad of 100 sheets. And not the best I could find either. No, with an eye or practice in mind, I opted for a slightly cheaper variant. Let me first practice and gain experience before I start thinking that I can make something beautiful. Now don't think that I am very disappointed, because that is not the case. I'm just starting with Watercolor, it works very differently than Acrylic, and I have to learn to paint again, so to speak. But I can tell you, that's totally okay. As with all art, it's not just about the result. The journey to that result is also important.

Two Keepers And Many Fails

I ended up keeping aside two practice watercolors. I liked keeping those two. Two of my attempts passed my inspection. And I learned a lot from both. That's also why I kept them. Not because they are that good. That is not the case... as my partner rightly pointed out, the proportions are not perfect and the details are hard to find in these watercolors. But that shouldn't spoil the fun for me. In my opinion, these two watercolors radiate a kind of charm. Well, you might also think a child made it, I admit!

Left My Inspiration And Energy Along The Way

Today I had plans to paint again, but after yesterday's job interview, and today a visit to the town hall for a new ID, I think my inspiration and energy were left behind somewhere along the way. In these moments it sometimes becomes painfully clear to me how peaceful my life has become. The rare times that I leave my familiar surroundings take their toll and often drain all my energy. Which always makes me decide to go out more often so that I can deal with it better and not immediately lose all my energy. Today was not a day for that.

Enjoying Being Outside With The Dogs

Fortunately, the sun shone brightly and I was able to enjoy outside with Skipper and Myla, who were pleasant company. We spent a lovely afternoon outside. Enjoying the warm rays of sunshine and fresh air. Playing with balls, watching the flowers emerge and the first young green leaves on the still bare branches. In my opinion, this is the most beautiful time of the year, new life all around you. And with a cup of coffee, I could refuel with energy. Tomorrow is a new day, and I am convinced that new inspiration will arise to do something creative. After all, when you get stuck and take a break, it is often the case that you can continue with twice as much energy.

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