Just watching paint dry

Yes, I am, literally, watching paint dry. Not too exciting for an article, but it’s kept me busy since this COVID thing has set in. I’m having a blast going down to my basement “art studio” and covering canvasses. I use that term “studio” loosely, as I’m surrounded by concrete floor and storage shelves full of “stuff” we really should get rid of. But, amazingly, I get so lost in my work I’m unaware of the surroundings. This is the first time I have a place to paint without worrying about the mess and paints left out and handy. I’m now equipped and ready to take on any painting project.

I have dabbled, on and off, with painting for 58 years. My work has always been very realistic and detailed. I’ve strived for perfection and never given up until it was picture perfect in my eyes. Many of my paintings grace the walls of friends and relatives since I first picked up a brush.

Bless his heart, Hubby Jerry, has fully supported me in my love of art. He has spent many hours at art shows while I picked the artist’s brains. I rarely saw a painting I couldn’t duplicate, but have never truly felt qualified to be labeled “artist.”

Then, about a year ago, I ran across a system they call “pour painting.” In an effort to veer away from perfection stress, I gave it a try and haven’t been the same since. Throughout the years I have grasped any opportunity to educate myself. So, if I’m not online watching “how to” videos, I’m having anxiety attacks about getting downstairs, and filling a blank canvas with a butterfly, flower, waterfall, feathers or whatever. How freeing it is! Some paintings need a little enhancing and many times I wind up with something entirely different than planned, but that’s OK. If it doesn’t look like what I had in mind, I see what it does look like, and go from there. If it’s a mess, I tweak it until I see something. If I never do, I scrape it off. I’m thinking it’s called “going with the flow.”

True to his nature, Jerry has helped me level the table, put strips of carpet on the concrete floor to ease the old back, and has not once complained of the cumulative dollars spent on pursuing my addiction. And, I can count on him coming down the steps to check the results.

One of the major joys of this new venture is sharing it with others. They find, even if they’ve never painted before, they can play with it and walk away with something they created. For some it has opened up a whole new colorful world to them. Of course, this was before COVID interfered. At this point I have one trusted friend, Donna, coming once each week. She finished four pictures for her granddaughters, took them home, and hung them on her own wall. I believe she’s starting over for the granddaughters’ Christmas gifts.

I have determined that having craft/hobby stores on the list of essential businesses would benefit us all by saving the sanity of the world’s population. As the state threatened to shut down again, I beat it to my favorite hobby store and stocked up on painting supplies.

In all the aloneness of being homebound, I struggle with subjects for the BCR, but just had to share with you what’s been going on in our home:

Jerry — He’s raking leaves and getting ready to hunker in for the winter. Football’s back on, you know, so he’s behind the remote — thankful I’m out of his hair. Dang, it just dawned on me — that must be the reason he supports my artistic endeavors.

Kitty (Roxi) — She’s on the paint table swishing her tail through the paints — or napping. All paintings need to be cat-protected.

Me — You’ll find me downstairs in my “Happy Place,” watching paint dry. The shelves are filling up. Thus, they are all FOR SALE! Oh, my goodness, maybe I am an “artist” after all.

Don’t forget to F-R-O-G.

Earlene Campbell lives by the FROG motto — Fully Rely On God. She lives in Princeton and can be reached at ecampbell1939@gmail.com.