Back in the saddle...so to speak.

I started a painting class today at my local art centre. Oooh it was nice to buy some new paints, a couple of new brushes and bits and pieces and spread them out on the table with anticipation and a touch of apprehension as I always worry that I am kidding myself and I won't be able to do anything at all. ( This is what really stops me at times is a flood of self doubt.) The coffee was nice too, and the Greek shortbread was delicious. It didn't survive long enough to make it into the photo!We started wit the general 'play' of discovering what our new paints could do. This course was advertised for beginners and although I'm not really a beginner, gouache is a newish medium for me and I really needed to make time to begin painting again.Firstly our teacher asked us to draw a landscape of some sort, just off the top of our heads...Then a character that would fit in our landscape. We then came back and painted them after our 'play' session. I quite like this little sketch, it really reminds me of my cherubs when they were little...but I keep using the gouache like watercolour, I'll have to keep practicing. I find the blending of tonal gradations difficult to achieve with gouache when I use it as an opaque colour. Hmmm..I guess I've got some homework to do. Finally we used the images we had bought in to create a slightly larger piece to work on next week. I chose my daisy photograph which is something I've wanted to paint since I took this photo ages ago.

Three hours went by in that lovely dream like rich time state that seems eternal but like no time at all at the same time. I love that state that comes from being totally engaged in creating something. And it is this that is important, I need to remember to paint for myself, for the sheer delight and meditative quality of it and not give a damn if others like what I do or not.