Fearless Friday, Starting Over
Before we paint today, let’s talk about {forgive the pun}
the Elephant in the room…
I don’t want to talk about politics, but I do want to talk about the great state of Alabama where I am proud to live
One thing that Alabama is consistently good at, is looking bad in the news…yes, we have our share of problems, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t a wonderful, beautiful place
I have lived in New England, Southern California, and Northern California
I wouldn’t trade any place for Alabama
We have mountains, white sugar beaches, lush foliage, lakes, cotton fields and some of the best scenery anywhere
Our cities have great restaurants and theater, but they aren’t congested giants
We have a moderate climate, and lifestyle is casual.
My children and my grandchildren have manners and respect people. People are friendly, people help each other, and it’s rare to meet someone who doesn’t know someone you know…
Okay let’s paint!
There are lots of familiar quotes floating around like,
“There are no such thing as mistakes, only happy accidents”
or
“When you think you have made a mistake, think of it as an opportunity to make something beautiful”
CC is the one that really taught me to loosen up, she is fearless
I painted the canvas with a very light yellow underpainting which is immediately out of my comfort zone because I normally do black or gray
This photo of a modern floral arrangement was my inspiration and I knew I wanted to incorporate a lot of drippy lines
So that’s where I started
My biggest challenge is to not jump to the fun parts first, and I should know better
Next came blocks of color and shapes
hmmm…. what a hot mess!!
Wondering why it looks all blurry and weird?
While most of the paint was still wet I scraped it off
Sometimes being fearless means not being afraid to start over
Once the canvas had dried, I white washed over most of the yellow underpainting
Then I reworked the main blooms
Once I began adding the leaves and greens it looked much better
A few more finishing touches and details
Much better!
Another famous quote is
“Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep.”
“Hot House Flowers”
Be Fearless!
🎨 🎨 🎨 🎨 🎨
I will be joining these fabulous parties and blogs:
Rustic and Refined, Merry Monday, Between Naps on the Porch, Make it Pretty Monday
Coastal Charm, Cooking and Crafting with J&J, Celebrate and Decorate,
Delicious Dishes Recipe Party Oh My Heartsie Girl Full Plate Thursday
Thursday Favorite Things Creatively Crafty Foodie Friday & Everything Else
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Oh so beautiful!!
Thank you Jodi! Do you have any tricks for fixing watercolor? I think that’s why I love acrylics, just paint right over what you don’t like!
Watercolor is not very forgiving. It is the challenge of it. I did discover, however, that Magic Erasers (the miracle they are) can erase extra drips or drops or mistakes if used very carefully!!
Great quote and a beautiful and fearless canvas Jenna! North Carolina also has the honor of consistently looking bad in the news. 🙂
thanks Mary, that makes me feel better 😅
Thanks for sharing this beauty.
thank you!
Very pretty, Jenna. And I loved seeing the step-by-step and knowing when to begin a part of it again.
I hear a lot about Alabama today — who doesn’t? What I “know” is that in addition to what you hear on the news it is also the home of many bloggers whom I love and respect as good people. I’m glad you shared your thoughts (and photos) with us on that!
Thank you Jeanie, much appreciated!
Oh, Jenna, this painting is one of my favorites! Absolutely beautiful!!!!!
Thank you Rosie, have a wonderful Thanksgiving with your new beautiful china!
Appreciate your FF gift in my inbox every week Jenna. Good Alabamians will redeem the bad apples. They are everywhere, not just in Alabama, unfortunately.
Johanne Lamarche
>
Oh, thanks Johanne, I really appreciate both of your kind remarks~
WOWZA!! Your painting is beautiful!! 🌸💙🌺🌻🌼 I really like how the flowers are positioned in the middle of your canvas. 💜 And enjoyed seeing the scenery of where you live. 👍
Thanks Jill!
Jenna, your walk through of your method of painting always fascinates me. No need to apologize for any of your buffoons in office, they’re pretty much all that. My husband always says we’d be no worse off – maybe better – if we randomly selected our representatives from the phone book. Thank goodness for Mississippi, right? West Virginia’s pretty much in the same boat. If it weren’t for MI, we’d be pretty much dead last in just about everything. Have a great weekend.
Thank you Rita! You definitely elevated my spirits! I think your husband might have the right idea…I am so tired of sex in the news…and politics in general…I am going to try to focus on nature and family this week and block it all out~ Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Jenna, thank you for addressing the elephant in the room! As a fellow Alabamian, you hit the nail on the head! Every state has its issues! I have never lived anywhere but my sweet little NE Alabama Appalachian Foothills refuge! I have visited almost all of the 50 states and there is beauty and good people in all of them! But, I would still choose Alabama! We have diverse scenery and the best folks that are real, funny, quirky, and will bend over backwards to help you! I appreciate the kind words of other bloggers! Ok, for your fearless painting, I love it and CC is adorable!
Thank you Pam, I just really hate that the media always portrays Alabama and Alabamians as backwoods idiots…it is truly a magical place to live, I am so thankful I got to raise my children here! Thank you for helping spread the word!
Every time I turn on the news, I cringe over what is being said about our great state. It’s almost too much, Your words ring so very true. I love your flowers. They turned out beautifully!! And, what can I say about CC? I love seeing little ones getting a chance to be creative. This capture really made me smile!
Thanks Hope, yes I cringe too! CC loves to paint and one of my grandson’s loves to draw, it makes my heart sing!
Hi Jenna, You know where I stand, happy to be from Alabama. Yes we have our problems but goodness, most states have been in the news with negatives, so we aren’t out there alone! Thank you for talking about the Elephant in the room! Beautiful painting, enjoyed seeing the steps in the process……….
Well, better late than never. Love your painting. You know I am a nut about flowers.
I don’t listen to the news. It is depressing and I refuse to let the media ruin my day. I know I am out of touch but happier.
I’ve had family here for seven days and like you I am exhausted. Haven’t touched the computer all this time. There wasn’t time. I probably won’t catch up.