When You Want to Paint but Feel Wrecked…..

Many of us artists run into the same problem every spring: trying to plant a garden & whip the yard into shape. Last year I tried too hard and ended up with a wretched case of sciatica. Three ambulance trips to the Emergency Room over the summer! I’m feeling much better this year, trying to not over-do things, but still, I don’t feel 25 anymore.

My tall, white, feathery persicaria is in glorious bloom and I wanted to paint it. And add a fabulous, dotty sky in the background. We always called it a “salmon cloud sky”. And do it big. Of course I wanted to paint it en plein air. But none of my portable easels could hold a large canvas. So I improvised, wheeling out a sturdy hand dolly and setting a cardboard box next to it to hold the canvas. If it’d been windy it never would have worked.

A pair of house wrens scolded me — I was sitting a little too close to their wren house. But I hope they soon realized I was not a threat.

I got a good start but had to quit when the murderous mosquitoes started up. Maybe it’ll turn out fabulous, maybe not. But it’s worth a try. As my old teachers, Robert Bateman and Clyde Aspevig said, “Never be afraid to experiment!”