I hadn’t realized the memories I’ve kept in my art sets. So many sets were gifts. I remember who gave me each one. I used to be overcome with exuberance and wonder when I opened a new box.
Pretend you have a box of chocolates. You think you ate the last one. You lift the empty plastic and see crinkly paper. You remove it to reveal a fresh layer of tasty sweets.
I used to feel that giddy about revealing the second level of art supplies. I used to repeatedly raise and lower the top decks. The hinges are slightly loose because of that action.
When I made thank-you cards, I used every color and almost all the materials in the box. I snubbed the oil pastels.
I prefer pastel pencils. Those give me more control. I’m less likely to get it on my outer palm and smear the colors across my work-in-progress.
My favorite set wasn’t even mine. It contained two levels of watercolor pencils. Part of the plastic case functioned as a stand. I must have really appreciated multifunctional cases.
I dipped the watercolor pencil in the water. That created the paint. After I used the pencil, I used the paintbrush to spread the pigment. I painted a racecar scene for my dad. He’s kept almost everything I’ve made. He might still have that painting.
Years later, my mom bought me something similar. I applied the new watercolor pencils directly to the watercolor block. Until I wet the block, it looked like colored pencil. It was simple. If I could draw it, I could paint it.
I remember painting a scene of my blue Chinese fighting beta in his tank. He was surrounded by a wall of books. Fun fact. I named my beta, Picasso. This was before I fell in love with the work of Leonardo da Vinci and Edgar Degas.
I wish I could find that painting. I was quite proud of it. The scale was off, but everything was well sketched and painted. It was before I had social media and took pictures of all my work.
Now, I only use those pencils for small and intricate sections of watercolor paintings.
In my late teens, I started learning preferences for the paints and pencils I used. I didn’t want to use what was considered student grade. Thanks to my mom, I learned about the qualities of different brands. I started buying tubes of paint in only the colors I needed.
Into our second year of dating, my fiance’ asked my mom for advice on my birthday gift. It was a quality watercolor paint and palette set. When I lifted the lid just now, I found something unexpected. It was dried paint on the pallets.
Back then, it was unusual for me to go more than a couple days without creating something. There was no harm in leaving something out and coming back to it the next day. With this set, I painted Mov;ng Forward. I consider this to be my best painting.
I included a photo below. When this was a work in progress, I had an all-black background. My mom suggested I soften it with a fantastic color called Paynes Gray. This painting showcases several shades of it.
I used Freda Austin Nichols’s photo for reference.
Last year on my birthday, my husband and I went to Traverse City, Michigan. It had been several months since I’d sketched or painted.
We stopped at the Michigan Artist Gallery. Inside, is where I found an art form that was perfect for my busy schedule. It’s called a Buddha Board. It only uses water and a soft-bristle paintbrush. When the water evaporates, the board returns to a blank canvas. The only drawback is that it’s not in color. It’s a light gray board that turns dark gray when touched by water.
I quickly “painted” a water scene on the demonstration Buddha board. I started with loose brush strokes for the water, added a small boat on the left, tall grass on the right, and finished it with birds soaring in the sky. I loved it. It was the most creative and free I felt in a long time. I grabbed the box and said, “This is mine. Happy birthday to me.” I proceeded to the cash register.
Below are some pictures of my Buddha Board creations once I was home. I wasn’t as inspired as I had been inside the gallery, but it was still fun.
After six years of renting, my husband and I bought our first home. I’m doing my best to make a creative space for my art, projects, and writing. The walls are light-colored and proudly display my mom’s and my artwork. Since it shares a room with my new home office, I have been much better about keeping it clean.
My easel has an acrylic work-in-progress on it. It’s next to a completed painting. It reminds me of what I’m capable of and what more I can bring to that series.
I find it fitting that I broke free from writer’s block as I tossed old paints that crunched and oozed.
Perhaps, this is a foreshadowing of how I’ll find inspiration and create more one-of-a-kind pieces in my room.
Like my dad told me, I’ll do great things here. I love our new home. I love my new room. I’m grateful to have found some inspiration.