Painting with Oils
I went for my first mammogram in June of 2017, and they found that I had Stage IV Breast Cancer. I was devastated. I hope every day that a cure for all cancers is found. One positive thing I can directly relate to my diagnosis is my love of painting.
As a child, I watched a lot of PBS on television. One of my favorite shows was “The Joy of Painting” with Bob Ross. I wanted to learn to paint since I can remember and was always drawn to crayons, paper, pencils, and crafts. (I still get giddy when it’s time for back-to-school shopping). Showing my age here, I loved Bob Ross before YouTube was a thing. I tried painting with Acrylics, but I could never get the paint to work like it did on TV or keep up with painting anything in 30 minutes.
It wasn’t until I was diagnosed and unable to work due to the side effects of chemo that I picked up a brush again. With YouTube having every episode, I grabbed a set of oil paints, and I painted along with Bob (pausing as I went). It took me 6 hours to finish my first painting, and in my humble opinion, it was okay (to this day my husband insists he loves it).
His encouragement led me to try again. My second painting turned out much more to my liking, and seeing the improvement I made gave me the courage to continue. I painted with oils for the next several years, and completed dozens of pieces of artwork using oils.
Painting with Watercolors
When my children were confirmed into our church, they had mentors. Luckily for me, my daughter loves art as well, and her mentor was an art teacher! She invited both of us over for a watercolor session one afternoon, and I fell in love with watercolors, too. For me, watercolors are a little more convenient due to the easiness of clean-up and the fact that I can paint sitting in my recliner while we are watching TV at night before bed.
I was even able to pack up my watercolors and take them on my last cruise. Despite having all our excursions cancelled (all 4 booked through Royal Caribbean), we ventured out on our own with a positive attitude. We got to experience Bermuda, Sint Martin (French side of St. Marteen), Puerto Rico, and Haiti. It could have been a 9-day cruise to nowhere, and instead my family (including my brother and his wife) were able to enjoy ourselves even though the cruise industry has been devastated over the last couple years with covid. I painted half of these on the ship, and the rest were painted after we came home. Check out my latest cruise paintings along with my other more recent watercolor paintings.
Take Time to Enjoy Your Hobbies
I will continue to paint among some of my other hobbies, and hopefully, it is something I can still do when I’m 101. No matter what your hobbies, make time to enjoy them. Take it from someone who knows. Your life can change in an instant. You may not remember that one time you left the dishes in the sink or left the laundry for another day, but everyone needs (and deserves) some downtime. No matter what your hobby is, please take time for yourself. You have earned it!
Please check out more of my artwork, and let me know what you think by taking a moment to leave a comment or contact me.
