You Get What You Pay For

When I initially got set up to do my hobby paintings I went out and bought the cheapest of everything that I could find.  Initially I was happy with everything, but the more I did, and read, and saw; the more I wanted some nicer paints.

Wow, what a difference nicer paints make.  They are brighter, and the colors mix nicer; not muddy like the last set that I was working with.  I set out and did a "color wheel" background, and once it was done I thought it needed something else, so I did a tree silhouette.  I am still not good at this whole tree painting business but I hope to get there.

I like how bright and happy the colors are here.  I had a lot of fun painting this one.  I got myself set up in the basement with lamps and my new easel and paints.  I was going to find a little table for everything but we had a shelf screwed into the wall for the cats to sit on that was the perfect height, and since we don't have the tv down there anymore they don't use it.  So it has actually turned out perfectly for a space.

Here's a picture of my new paints.  I'm very excited to see what I can do with them.

When I did my first few paintings I was just playing, trying out the water so to speak.  Now that I've gotten my feet wet I want to learn all sorts of things.  I'll look at things around me and think about what it might take to accurately portray them in a painting, or how I would portray the feeling of them if I didn't want to be representational.  I've been realizing that I haven't stretched myself creatively in a very long time, it feels good to get those muscles out and stretch them.  I'm sure as I go I'll get stronger and stronger if I keep up with my plans and goals.

Wish me luck in my next endeavor, I think me trying to paint myself might be a disaster in the making, but we'll see I guess.