Winter has become very strange here in New England in this time of climate change. Today started to get into the balmy teens, hovering around 13 degrees all day. Still feel sluggish after a decadent meal last night, today was a perfect day for just lounging around in my PJs. I had to get over the feeling that I should be working and looking for work, but I need a day of rest. I need to recharge my batteries, otherwise I’ll go into next week at less than zero.
I have to consistently whisper to myself -- be kind, you deserve some time to heal. I think that heal is the right word. It’s been such a traumatic three years. The pandemic, the stress of work, the stress of losing work, my health scare. *Be kind to myself*
Today that meant lounging around and painting. I’m still getting the hang of painting with gouache. I love how easy it is to pick up and put down. You do have to paint in layers though. If you don’t let each layer dry, you can easily muddy your color mixes. And even when a layer is dry, you need to be careful in laying down the next layer; adding too much water and working a single area too much can lead to reactivating the bottom dry layer and getting a mix that you may not want. On the other hand, it is lovely being able to activate a dry layer either to fix an error or to get a better blend.
Here’s an example of a very simple painting following a tutorial. Part of today’s self care was just following along with a tutorial and exploring the color combinations. The background is a mix of ultramarine blue, pthalo blue, a bit of cerulean blue and a bit of light green. This allowed me to have a dark blue on top with a gradual gradient to a lighter greenish blue on the bottom. That greenish blue provided a nice contrast to the red, orange, and white combination I used for the clouds. I could still do a bit better with the whitest highlights, but it’s all about the journey.
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