Watercolors

I have been painting with watercolors lately. Mixing colors is pure delight.

Most of my life I have painted from little boxes of pan paints; only this year I took a class and discovered the artists' colors in tubes. The intensity of these pigments, the texture and the ease with which they join to make a glorious rainbow of subtle colors has been a revelation. Another thing I didn't know before this year was that I could leave my messy palettes of paint for another time. I used to feel I needed to complete my painting in one go, then clean up my paints. No more. I return again and again to a painting, allowing me to indulge in as much detail as I wish.

Painting is work that I find entirely absorbing. I think learning new music must be like this for Tim. Not many of my activities feel this way, and I find myself at a loss to describe the experience. It must use a special part of my brain. Whatever the reason, it is a blessing, and one that should be enjoyed more often.