Do What Comes Naturally...

I have been struggling to learn watercolor painting for the passed two months... It is NOT coming naturally.  Almost everything I have done in my life has "come naturally" and I have not had to struggle very hard to learn it ... I just DO IT.  So when watercolor painting was a struggle I was surprised!  But I was determined to really, really try - and here I am two months in and I just CANNOT seem to get the knack of it... so the other day, being frustrated with my watercolor paints NOT doing what I wanted them to do ... I picked up a brush and JUST PAINTED this little 6x12 inch canvas with my new Heavy Body Acrylic paints - they are thick and shiny like oil paint and they CALL TO ME!  I only have six colors - red, yellow, blue, green, white and black but the paint seemed to almost mix itself to the colors I wanted...

I had nothing in mind when I started... It took about 10 minutes to get the bones of it.. and about another 20 of playing with adding light then dark then light - I didn't have to struggle, I didn't have to think ... it came naturally and I just Did It... 

So I think I will stop struggling with the water colors - although I will continue to play with the washes and textures for backgrounds on my ATC's (Artists Trading Cards)... and from now on I will just Do What Comes Naturally... Because it's Easier, It's a LOT more fun and because we are all good at something and that something just comes naturally!

I created this 5x7 canvas to use up my extra paint (I didn't want to waste it) and the quote is from Steve Jobs and seems so appropriate in my life right now... 

"Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life.  Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking.  Don't let the noise of others opinions drown out your own inner voice.  And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition."  Steve Jobs