On turning 75!!!

Tomorrow is my 75th birthday! How the heck did THAT happen?? I am NOT whining, BELIEVE me! I am VERY fortunate to be here and well and happily married with wonderful family and friends-  but I ask again... HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?????

You know I lost my Darling Mum last November and I admit to being in a bit of a funk since then . I don't think there is anything wrong with that but I did NOT like the feeling. I have had two nicknames since I was little- Starch and Carolina Sunshine.( cute, eh!!) I have not had much sunshine about me recently and I have NOT had much motivation to be creative. Besides that, I have had two surgeries on my right hand as many of you know, and I have not been up for the torture of hand work until very recently.

Well, I started on finishing the Beech Quilt and this afternoon, FINALLY settled on a background fabric that made me pretty happy! I have been using my little Canon camera to shoot these pics and
I fear that it MAY be dying ! The colour intensity is WAAYY off here but perhaps you get the idea. Maybe I can get a better shot tomorrow. I'll try! Anyway, here it is...

I am reasonably happy with it and , in real life, I think it looks better- not such high colour.

Now, what caused this sudden rush of MOJO?? Well,  I have been following a pair of Englishwomen, sisters, artists  from Cornwall and something touched a nerve! One sister, Evelyn Flint, has been working on teaching herself to paint in watercolours using a beautiful book by Jean Haines called Atmospheric Watercolour. Ms Haines has  number of books on watercolour and I ordered the Atmospheric one- and have not put it down since it arrived!

I have painted, mostly watercolour botanicals ( are ya surprised??) forever but not recently. In fact, I gave my paints AND brushes to my Darling Daughter and she is doing wonderful things with that stuff. Well... I got so inspired that I went out and bought NEW paints, paper and NOW, I need a nice big brush! Alas, sable ones are pretty rare these days as there is an international ban on cruelty to animals. (I am glad of that but sad about the brushes)

I KNOW how to paint but Jean Haines' free, unfettered style REALLY appeals to me and I have begun working my way through her exercises just to get the feel of the brush, the paints, the water, the paper and how much of everything to use. I always worked with half pans but have bought tubes of paint this time.

This is NOT art that I am showing  you here. It is just fun, messing about, getting a feel for watercolour again.

Just fooling around- but it feels sooo good!

I was playing around with colour...

...water

Just messing!

It is nothing but COULD be a sky or water or a bed of flowers...

I am just amazed at how different I feel . Last night, I did NOT want to go to bed! I was all set to hit the diningroom table with paper and paint and paint all night. Have not felt THAT way for a LONG time! If this is what my dotage is all about, bring it on!! I am giving notice right here, right NOW, that I may be OLD, but I have NO intention of giving up and ACTING old! I have had the biscuit with wasting time! You heard it first here... as long as my energy and health hold out, I shall be BUSY!! And I shall be ENJOYING it!



I hope you are all well  and enjoying a lovely weekend. I promise to desist with the ranting!!! Thanks for your patience!