Art Appreciation Class

Way back when Hector was just a pup and when visions of fulltiming was sugar plums dancing in our heads, I had this vision of what I thought fulltime RVing should look like.  Part of that vision was based on a commercial that would air during a show sponsored by Camping World called RVing Today which we watched every Saturday. 

This commercial showed a retired couple traveling about the country in their motorhome doing all sorts of different things.  One scene showed them sitting outside the motorhome on a nice fall day reading, another showed him fly fishing, while another showed her at the end of a dock doing a painting.

Well, being the romantic that I am (on occasion, that is), that commercial gave me nice warm feelings about the fulltiming lifestyle.  Right then and there I knew that I wanted to achieve some of those things, especially the painting part.

So, the summer before we began fulltiming, I started collecting watercolor “stuff” in an attempt to train myself.  That didn’t work out well at all.  My most significant accomplishment was learning how to mix various shades of black watercolors (with watercolors if you don’t mix the colors properly they turn to black in a hurry).  My last endeavor was to attend a water painting class held here at Rainbow Plantation last winter.  It was at that time that I decided that I should donate all my acquired watercolor “stuff” to my daughter-in-law who is, in fact, an artist.  

Now fast forward to a couple weeks ago.  Our next door neighbor, Gil, told me about an art class/group that he was going to start so I decided to go over to the first session and see what it was all about.  I was hooked, especially since Gil told me not to buy anything, just come over and try painting using his paints and brushes. 

Below is my first endeavor, the first photograph you saw in our journal entry a few days ago.  The second one is of how things looked after class number two.  There’s still a lot more to be done with this painting, but it’s coming together.

  

As you can see, the trees in the middle of the picture need a lot more work, the waterfalls still need some more work, and everything on the right side of the picture has barely been started.  The goal on this, my very first painting, is to learn technique; not produce the perfect painting.  If I produced a first class painting on my first attempt, what challenge would that be?  I might just as well hang up my paintbrushes (or, in this case, Gil’s paintbrushes).  At least, I’m off to a good start and having a lot of fun; Gil is proving to be a good and patient instructor.

On the home front, Judy is continuing to work on her quilting and beading projects while picking up a few more craft projects along the way.  When you’re sitting still for awhile, it’s good to have fun hobbies to help occupy your time and Miss Judy has more than enough to keep her busy.  We will show you pictures of her various “basket weaving endeavors” after Christmas; need I say more?

The fulltiming lifestyle is a great way to live.  You get to travel some, make lots of new and interesting friends, and take time to work on your favorite hobbies along the way.  How did we ever find time for a full time J-O-B?  One day just flows into the next and before you know a week has flown by.

Ba-bye for now.  Take Care Until Next Time - - - - -