Creativity Never Ends

I was born a creative person. From the very first little sand castles in my sand box to my love of painting in my old age. All through my life I have tried to make my world prettier I didn't always have a lot of money to decorate with, but always found a way to change things inexpensively.. countless furniture rearranging (my husband never knew where his chair would be), fixing meals,,,(even hot dogs) with my special touches, selecting my clothing (sometimes from thrift shops), in  my gardens, planning parties, doing crafts, knitting, and painting pictures....I could go on and on. I can envision beauty in old tools, barns, milk cans, kitchen ware, an old board etc. I guess I have a creative eye. I was encouraged by my parents at an early age...they gave me piano lessons, elocution lessons, and led me to believe that I could do anything. Creative people take chances...they create without fear of failure...they don't mind solitude...I was alone with my parents for 13 yrs. I spent a lot of time by myself and I think that fostered creativity. I wasn't very good in art classes in my school years.We had to buy a pan of watercolor paints every year. I didn't know how to use them...they were always a mess by the end of the year.  When I signed up for an art class I found too  much learning from books wasn't my idea of Art 101. I wanted to learn how to draw and paint. All we ever did was use charcoal and big sheets of newsprint. Later classes found me using the potter's wheel and creating clay projects. I never did have a class that I liked. Then I moved to a little town in Illinois and met an old woman who painted on barn shingles. She painted birds and things in the natural world. I loved her style of painting. She knew that I wanted to learn to paint, so she said that she was too old to teach me, but the local college was giving classes on tole painting. I signed up for what was to become a rest of my life love. I learned tole painting and did that for years. I couldn't wait to get up in the morning to get at my painting. I would first tidy the house and then go to my table and paint. Later on, I had an extra bedroom as my "studio" I started selling my work and did that until I married Joe, 10 years ago. 

I always feel like I am looking for compliments, when I post something that I do creatively. When I put a picture of a painting that I did...I'm not looking for your compliments...I just want to show that this is something that I love doing. I want to encourage all the "Grandma Moses"   out there to try painting. It is the most relaxing thing I do. I can just get lost in my work and forget the world for a little while. Every painting isn't a masterpiece. Some are not for show :) The pictures below are just a couple that I have done this past month. I simply did the water color background and found pretty things to attach with glue. I call it mixed media. I decorate my paintings with doilies, buttons, ribbon, old photos, calendar art...anything that will enhance the picture. They are very simple to do. As I get older, I find that I can't sit as long to do intricate paintings, but this mixed media is just my speed.  

These two pictures hang in my front hallway. I like to change the entrance hallway for the seasons....my winter pictures just came down and these went up. It looks kind of funny right now with our winter coats hanging nearby, but soon the coat rack will be empty of coats and I will hang baskets there. But for now, I have spring pictures and winter coats. I have a Windsor chair sitting under with a pillow with a bluebird embroidered on it. Spring is here halfway in my front hallway.

So, when you look at these....just remember that you might just find that creative bone in your body. It's really easy....take a chance.Go out and buy a watercolor paintbox and a couple of good brushes and give it a try. You'll find that it is better for relaxing than pills. 

Balisha